Creative Nonfiction Contest
Deadline: January 15, 2012
Entry Fee: $15
Ruminate Magazine is hosting their second annual Creative Nonfiction prize.
Entries must be 7000 words or less. The winner will be awarded a prize of $1000 and publication in the Spring 2012 issue. The runner up will receive publication as well. There is no limit on the number of entries per person. This year's entries will be judged by Leslie Leyland Fields, award-winning author and editor of "The Spirit of Food."
From their website:
"Ruminate Magazine sponsors four annual writing contests: our art contest, poetry contest, short story contest, and nonfiction contest. We are one of the only Christian-minded literary magazines to sponsor short story contests, poetry contests, and nonfiction contests, and art contests. And while our contests-just like our magazine-are not defined as Christian poetry contests or Christian fiction contests or Christian essay contests, we do strive to provide a forum for the conversation between art and faith to exist and continue. Past winners from the Ruminate Magazine writing contests have been recognized by Poets & Writers Magazine and have received notable mention awards in The Best American Short Stories anthology and The Best American Essays anthology."
Click here for more details about the Creative Nonfiction Prize or here for an overview of the four contests or here for their general submission guidelines.
Do you keep a journal - or wish you could get one started? Literary Mama wants to help.
Three times a month, I'll post a writing prompt. Open a notebook and write for 10 minutes. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation - just write. Then let the writing simmer and your mind wander for awhile.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover a character for your next short story or a theme for a narrative essay. Or maybe you'll use the idea to create a special holiday card or photo album for someone in your family. However you decide to use your journal entry, I know you'll enjoy re-reading it months--and years--down the road.
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Have you ever created a word cloud?
Wordle is easy to use and a fun way to check word usage. Simply paste a piece of your writing into the program and play around with the layout, fonts, and color schemes. Print your word cloud and post it in a prominent place for daily inspiration.
Here's one I made:
No journaling prompt this week.
Instead, I encourage you to find a quiet space.
Open your notebook.
Read the entries. Out loud.
"Star" the entries you especially like.
Congratulate yourself for what you've accomplished.
Then, come back next week and join me in a new year of writing prompts.
Patricia Harman is giving away one copy of her new book.
Patricia spent over thirty years caring for women as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, delivering babies in cabins and on communal farms in West Virginia, and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and in a community hospital birthing center. In Arms Wide Open, she recounts the stories that patients brought into her exam room and her own story of struggling to help women as a nurse-midwife.
Check out Melissa Flicek Doffing's book review we published last August. Then, leave a comment and your email address at the end of this post, and you'll be entered in her random drawing. Or, if you prefer, send your comment via email to lmblog(at)literarymama(dot)com.
Entry deadline: December 30th.
Our Profiles Department seeks writers keen to explore behind-the-scenes of the publishing world and find out how successful mother-authors pack so much into a day.
During 2011, Literary Mama published interviews with fantastic women-writers such as Nicki Richesin, Ellen Meeropol, Cassie Premo Steele and Clare Vanderpool. We have a stellar lineup for 2012 too, but we need help writing them!
Or maybe you have an idea of someone you'd like to write about. Send us a query, and tell us why you're the person who should be profiling this writer, and why we should be interested in her/him.
Check out our submission guidelines and send your name and relevant experience to LMprofiles (at) literarymama (dot) com. Be sure to include the words "Profile Writer" or "Profile Submission" in the subject line.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Do you keep a journal - or wish you could get one started? Literary Mama wants to help.
Three times a month, I'll post a writing prompt. Open a notebook and write for 10 minutes. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation - just write. Then let the writing simmer and your mind wander for awhile.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover a character for your next short story or a theme for a narrative essay. Or maybe you'll use the idea to create a special holiday card or photo album for someone in your family. However you decide to use your journal entry, I know you'll enjoy re-reading it months--and years--down the road.
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"Mom, you wouldn't say no if I wanted to give you a Christmas present early, would you?" My son has just returned from an evening at the roller-skating rink and is hiding something behind his back.
"Oh, I suppose not..." I let my response trail off. Christmas is still two weeks away, but my eleven-year-old is so eager he can't stand still. Remembering the rink's selection of game-token prizes, I prepare myself for something plastic and gaudy.
"Good. Here. Merry Christmas!" The box he proudly hands me holds a five-inch resin Santa figurine, a "Made in China" sticker on its underside.
"Do you like it? It cost almost 100 tickets, but Jesse gave me some of his. I had to play the fat lady game five times. You should've seen me!" He stops to take a breath and waits for my response.
Though the figurine isn't one I'd purchase for myself, there's an angelic sweetness to it, and I tell him his gift is wonderful, a perfect addition to my nightstand.
"But you didn't need to spend all your money on me," I add, acknowledging the amount of time and money he spent at the game machines.
"Oh, that's okay. I wanted to. I know how much you like Santas." He throws himself into my arms, the excitement of his evening and its secret coming to an end.
Journal Entry: How do you choose gifts for those you love? Do you make lists? Do you window and catalog shop? Is it a hassle, or is it exciting? Then, describe a time you found the perfect gift and presented it. Note the recipient's response when he/she unwrapped it.