Weather frightful? Online classes & contests still delightful!

‘Tis the season – for ice, snow and crazy holiday traffic. Never mind, there’s plenty for writers to do during these wintry days. Instead of fighting the weather, try a sampling of contests – not to mention craft-sharpening online classes. (And wouldn’t they make great gifts for the fellow writers on your ‘nice’ list. . . )

I’ll start with contests, because they’re coming up as fast as blizzards on the prairie.

From Writer Unboxed blogger Arthur Klepchukov, check out the winter 2018 version of “Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time.” (Worried that 2018’s fast coming up in the rearview mirror? Klepchukov kindly includes contests through February 28, 2019.)

Yes, I’m behind on some of these (see my December 8 post for excuses), but these are currently open: Nowhere – Fall 2018 Travel Writing Contest, with a December 31, 2018, deadline. Fee: $20, cash prize and publication. International writers welcome! See the site for details.

Before Columbus Foundation – American Book Awards. No cash, but a chance to support a noble, inclusive cause. No fee, but you’ll have to submit two copies of the book to the foundation by December 31, so make tracks for the post office! See the site for details.

Boulevard – Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers, $16 entry fee, cash prize and publication in a prestigious journal. (And did I mention it’s emerging writer-friendly?)

And – final on Klepchukov’s list for December 31 – River Styx – 2019 Microfiction Contest. Entry fee: $10-$20, publication and cash awards.

mage: pixabay

Want more? Keep reading down Klepchukov’s list for January and February! Or take a look at these listings from New Pages including:   Tartt First Fiction Award for writers who have not yet published a full story collection. Deadline: December 31, 2018. Entry fee: $20. See the site for details.

StoryQuarterly Nonfiction Contest, with a January 12, 2019, deadline. Cash prize and publication. See the site for entry fee.

2019 Colorado Prize for Poetry, for book-length collections of poems. Cash and book publication. Reading fee $25 (plus $3 for online submissions). Due date: January 14, 2019.

Also from New Pages – Rattle Chapbook Prize, Palette Poetry Spotlight Award, Kenyon Review Inaugural Short Nonfiction Contest, and more. See the New Pages site for details.

Oh, you say, you’re more of a genre writer? Check out the contest listings at Ralan.com for horror, science fiction, fantasy and mystery.

Or the previously mentioned, but still open manuscript and book contests from the Writers’League of Texas for works in a variety of genres. There’s a January 31, 2019, deadline for the manuscript contest, which doesn’t even require a completed manuscript, only the first 10 (or so) pages plus a synopsis, and offers a chance to win entry to the League’s 2019 Agents and Editors Conference. Entry fee for the manuscript contest is $55 for WLT members, $65 for nonmembers (includes written critique). Or opt to skip the critique and pay only $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. WLT’s book contest (for books published in 2018) closes February 28, 2019. See the site for rules for both book and manuscript contests.

And, sharpen your writing skills with online classes and seminars at the likes of the Writers’ League of Texas  (no state residency required!) and Writing Workshops Dallas.

You can attend in-person classes at both the WLT and Writing Workshops Dallas, but check out Writer Workshops Dallas’s array of 8-week long online classes beginning January 14, 2019, in personal essays, crime/suspense writing, kidlit and more at $495 for new students, $470 for returning students. (Writing Workshops Dallas also offers gift certificates, hint, hint.)

Not ready for an eight-week commitment? Try the WLT’s lineup of one-day (usually three-hour long) online classes for $49 for members/ $109 for nonmembers. And check out the limited time offer, four-class packages for $160!

Holiday gifts for writers, would-be writers, and you

It’s only the first day of Hanukkah – not too late to pick gifts for the writers in our lives! Options are available in all price ranges and the good news is – there’s no need to worry about sizes. Or favorite colors. Or whether they already have too many. Maybe we can even pick up a few ideas for ourselves. . . 

image: pixabay

Classes: There’s never no such thing as too much knowledge. Whether deep into the writing biz or just dipping a toe into the pool of the process, there’s a class to fit. For those unsure whether writing is their calling, start with basic creative writing classes, whose cost is low, both in dollars and commitment. with a low cost in dollars and commitment. As always, I focus on opportunities in Texas, and especially my area on the north side of the Lone Star State, such as. . . 

WORD (Writers Organizations ‘Round Dallas), now with more than 20 member groups, several offering classes in writing fiction, nonfiction, screenplays and poetry, at a variety of prices, and choices of in-person or online classes. Check out Writing Workshops Dallas at its free cocktail hour meet and greet tomorrow (Wednesday, December 13). 

I got a first taste of creative writing at the Dallas Writers Garret, with its cozy atmosphere and chances to check out the community through no-pain critique groups in both prose and poetry.

And yes, there are also purely online groups such as Master Class, with access to internationally-known writers as well as online communities.

Memberships: When you find a place you like, why not join? WORD groups can also be your writing tribe. Check out the map, remembering that a number of organizations offer multiple benefits, critique groups, classes, and presentations by local authors and experts. Groups can focus on mystery, romance, science fiction, screenwriting or more general literary genres. 

A few groups offer major conferences, with classes, presentations and access to literary agents and editors. Although available to the general public, group members enjoy discounted prices for conferences. Conference-sponsoring organizations include the DFW Writers Workshop, the Writers League of Texas and the Houston Writers Guild.

Subscriptions: Want the latest stories to feed our writerly brains? The latest information about writing craft or writing business? For a gift that keeps giving all year, whether by snail mail or email, give a journal subscription. Suggestions range from basic (Writer’s Digest) to literary (Poets & Writers . And don’t forget the purely fun – from The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction  to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Gift certificates: Still unsure about the preferences of the writers in our lives? Consider gift certificates such as those currently offered by the Writers League of Texas, which can be applied in any way a writer chooses. And don’t forget gift certificates to a book source. Where would writers be without books? Speaking of which. . . 

Books: Whether a new or long-experienced writer, there’s always more to learn. Classic, can’t go wrong options for writing craft include Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, Stephen King’s On Writing, David Corbett’s The Art of Character, James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure, and Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. Available wherever books are sold, online or down the street.