The clock is ticking on these literary events!

Tick, tick, tick. . . Some wonderful literary events are at hand, but like Cinderella’s carriage, they have a limited time span.

image: pixabay

Events like today’s literary deal for readers in my own part of North Texas: four local authors gathered to discuss a subject dear to my heart, “Building Your Writing Community: How to Find Writing Groups & Support Other Writers.”

Panelists include Kathleen Kent, whose latest novel, The Dime, is a nominee for Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar award; Blake Kimzey, prolific short fiction author and founder/director of Writing Workshops Dallas; Melissa Lenhardt, author of both the Jack McBride mysteries and historical fiction; and Arianne “Tex” Thompson, fantasy writer, speaker, and organizer.

The foursome joins the Writers’ League of Texas at Interabang Books, 10720 Preston Road, Suite 1009B (in the shopping center at the corner of Preston and Royal), in Dallas from 7-9 p.m. tonight. Free. See the Interabang site for details.

And segue from that panel to the discussion tomorrow (Wednesday, January 24) on “The State of the Literary Arts” at 7:30 p.m. in another independent Dallas bookstore, The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth Street, Dallas, in the Bishop Arts District. The forum on opportunities and barriers to success as a writer, publisher, bookstore owner and editors, is part of a citywide effort to develop a Dallas cultural plan.

As reported by Dallas Morning News editor (and fiction author) Michael Merschel, information gathered at the meeting will affect decisions about the arts in Dallas for the next decade or more. See the Dallas Cultural Plan site for a complete list of these arts-related events.

Speaking of literary communities, WORDfest, that smorgasbord of writing groups in and around Dallas returns in a 2.0 version March 24 at the NSTU Building on Tarrant County Community College’s Northeast Campus, 838 West Harwood Road, in Hurst, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Register for free tickets at WORDfest.

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And for those of us who want not only to talk but to write, here are some contests to start getting  those literary muscles flexed: 

Author DL Hammons’ WRiTE CLUB returns for 2018. With a panel of slushpile readers in place, start revving your engines for the popular readers’ choice contest. Will there be prizes? Probably. Will there be excitement? Definitely! As writers compete to wow readers with their best 500 words. Hammons promises the official announcement of wheres, hows, and wherebys February 12 at his site. 

Finally (for now), here’s another contest with a limited time offer, the Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest sponsored by Duotrope's Digest, that compendium of publication sites for all things literary. Duotrope’s sponsorship means a gift certificate to its site ($50 value) for first place winners, and promotion of the contest for the publication.

The Bumblebee contest is a project of Pulp Literature, which adds its own sweetener of the chance to win $300 and publication in the journal. Entry fee is $15, which also buys a one-year digital subscription. Or add another $20 to receive an editorial critique of your story. 

The prompt: “The bumblebee looks soft and cuddly but hides a venomous sting. Entice with your inviting prose that serves up a pointed ending,” the editors say. And yes, keep it no longer than 750 words! Editors are seeking stories that are both fun and literary, “with emphasis on the fun!” But hurry – the deadline is February 15, and entries are limited to the first 300.

See Pulp Literature’s site for submission details.