TODAY our community, Becoming Writer, became a year old. Becoming Writer is a membership community that turns aspiring writers into daily writers, and I'm so excited that we've reached our first anniversary.
We wanted to do something awesome to celebrate, and so today, we're announcing a new writing contest, which we're hosting jointly with Short Fiction Break. The top story will win a $300 cash prize, and the two runners-up will get $100 each.
This isn't your average writing contest, though. Read on for the details or sign up for the writing contest here.
A Different Writing Contest Experience
This will be the fourth writing contest we've hosted this year, and the reason we keep doing them is because we've found they are amazing practice.
When I talk to writers, they tell me their biggest struggle is almost always finishing their projects. They don't have a hard time coming up with great ideas, but actually getting those ideas down in finished form is an almost insurmountable challenge.
This is why writing contests can be so helpful. They give us a deadline, a prize to motivate us, and a fear of missing out if we procrastinate too long.
However, what makes our writing contests so unique is that you don't just turn in your story, you get to workshop it and get feedback on it from an amazing community of other writers. No other writing contests (that I know of) offer this kind of feedback.
Plus, we partner with literary magazines, like Short Fiction Break, to make sure that EVERY writer who enters gets published . Which means that even if you don't win the main prize, you won't be wasting your time. You'll grow as a writer and have a published story to show for it at the end.
That means this experience is less about picking winners and losers and more about helping you grow as a writer.
What Writers Are Saying About These Writing Contests
Since hosting our first contest like this early this year, I've been surprised at how life changing people find them to be.
“I found the entire experience to be invaluable,” said Loretta. “My writing improved faster in one week than a whole year's worth of studying.”
“Just to have my work published somewhere, and to be able to point people to it is great for me as a writer,” said Michelle.
“It motivated me to start writing,” said Jodi, “and taught me how to do it with an amazing community of writers.”
“It's a safe place to fail, and the feedback lets me turn my failures into success and craft a better piece of writing,” said another writer.
“Thank you so much, Joe, for providing this platform where we can participate and glean support and constructive criticism on our writing,” said Cindy.
I've heard similar things from dozens of other writers. In short, these writing contests change lives. They help people turn their desire to write into a writing habit.
How to Enter the Writing Contest
To enter the Anniversary Writing Contest, we ask to write a new story up to 1,500 words long based on the contest theme, Creatives: your story’s main character must be a creative—they may be a writer, a painter, or a poet, but they must be some kind of a creative.
After you finish your story, you will get a chance to workshop it within the Becoming Writer community, getting personalized feedback to help you make your story better.
After making your story as good as it can be based on the feedback you received, you can submit your story to our contest judges from Short Fiction Break.
The esteemed judges will then choose two runners-up, who will each win a $100 cash prize, and one grand prize winning story, that will win $300 and featured publication here on The Write Practice.
But the twist is that ALL the writers who submit a story to the contest, not just the winning story, will be published by Short Fiction Break if they choose. This is your chance to show off your best work and get the exposure you deserve.
I hope you’ll join us!
Ok, I want in … but … I’ve done this before and because of the membership I have, end up getting my entrance fee refunded. So … given my membership, do I need to pay the fee or just submit my work?
You’re a member, Gary, so you’re already in! I sent Becoming Writer members details with everything you need. Send me an email if you need more help finding the details.
Yeah I got. Seems things crossed in the email … 🙂
No disrespect intended but Joe Bunting could you please proof read your announcement for the writing contest? To Qoute: After making your story as good as it can be based on the feedback you received, you can you submit your story to our contest judges from Short Fiction Break. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SENTENCE? Thanks!
Thanks Cari. Fixed!
Ah, the downfall of correcting others is the possibility of making errors in our criticisms. I admire your gracious response, Joe, even though the request for you to correct contained two obvious errors. 🙂
Typos happen, even to the best of us. 🙂
Joe you sent me a link with a download called something like, Becoming a Writer or something like that. I had problems downloading it. I emailed you with the problem but there was no reply.
So may I have that link again please.
Hey there. Sorry about that. I’ll check for your email. It may have just been delayed. Are you talking about this book? thewritepractice.com/download-how-to-become-a-writer
I really want to join the contest but I am terrified!
That just means you’re supposed to do it!
OK, done! I entered!
Joe, how do I get my story to the workshop or viewed by the becoming awriter community?
Hey Georgia. Once you join the contest, you’ll get the links to workshop your story. Let me know if you need to be pointed in the right direction.
This is probably a bad question, but anyways; I’m not the best at choosing ideas that are small enough to be classified as “short stories”, for this particular competition, does the story need to come to a conclusion, or can it end with a cliff hanger?
Thanks!
Good question. I would definitely recommend ending it with some kind of resolution. That doesn’t mean your story can’t have open questions, but would highly recommend coming to some kind of end.
Joe please respond to the posts about how to submit the short story.
What are the submitted stories published on?
They’ll be published by Short Fiction Break, an online literary magazine. You can see their magazine here: shortfictionbreak.com.
This sounds fantastic! Definitely entering! 🙂
Awesome! Thanks MV. 🙂
I had a quick technical question about the theme of the contest. If my protagonist were a dancer, would you consider her a creative? I want to make sure before I submit something that doesn’t meet the requirements!
What happens when we submit our entries? If I don’t win, id like to expand on what I have. I can’t very well do that if someone is using my story for their personal gain.
Hey Lynn. Thanks for your question. Let me clarify a few things. When you submit your story, you’ll have the option to exclude your story from publication if you don’t win. Also, if you do decide to publish, Short Fiction Break will only be granted one-time non-exclusive rights, meaning the publishing rights will revert back to you as soon as they publish it. You’re free to do whatever you want with your story afterward. Finally, Short Fiction Break is a free literary magazine with a mostly volunteer team. No one will be personally gaining from publishing your story. This is a way we want to give back to the community. Hope that clarifies things. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Joe,
Since you are unwilling to respond to a certain person’s personal request, I shall post the complaint here publicly where you seem to have your priories focused. Since this individual is having such difficultly being able to participate in this contest and has been the victim of your studious attempts of ignoring his request, I hope you will soon answer his questions of participation in this contest. I assume you wouldn’t like the hassle in which I will be taking personally in redeeming the entry fee in that has been given in order to enter this contest.
Hi Joe I signed up for the writing contest and paid the $20. I received my receipt and an email welcoming me from you but when I went to introduce myself I got an oops so what do I do now?
I’m having this problem also. Tried to go on the orientation so I could post my story to the workshop, but couldn’t get to the orientation page.
This is a great opportunity
to all the writers who are going to participate as well as making the right
progress of precise techniques in terms of offering the absolute way out in all
the way. It does not seem unreasonable to suggest that one of the most
functional and operational task to make the writers ease along with productive
to show and guide them smoothly in all the way. Thanks for sharing the
information to all.
I was impressed by the quick response and encouraging comments. I am going to make several changes recommended by the reviewer do I resubmit? Do I have to pay a second fee?
Thanks
MIchael Elmer, I, along with a number of other contestants, have been unable to submit my story for workshopping. Would you tell us how you were able to submit your story. I’m guessing we would all appreciate it as the deadline is today, Dec 29. Thanks
Agreed, I have been in contact (two emails) from Joe Bunting, I have gotten log in details at quarter to six this AM. 29 December 2015. Now just need to find where to submit on the webpage.
I wrote the 1,500 word (Slightly less, I started hacking the fat away after a day) in a couple hours after I paid the fee.. So, my question is to where does the little contemplation of a story go to be submitted?
Where do we go to post what we’ve written so far and get some critique on the work?
When I signed up, I tried to enter the ‘Becoming Writer’ website because it was explained we would have a sort of free trial when we entered the contest? But when I tried to log in it said my email was not signed up after I paid the $20 and such, and when I clicked ‘Retrieve new password’ it wouldn’t send an email with the information I need to log in. I’m worried now because the due date to start getting them critiqued is either here or coming soon and I don’t know when it is and can’t send it in without paying for a full membership. Please help.
Hi Joe , I paid the $20 entrance fee and have a receipt. Now how can I submit my story? This is very concerning. I should have received a link but am getting the run around! Please help!
I *think* it goes to here. But I don’t see any comments that the two are connected in any fashion. YMMV and good luck.
http://shortfictionbreak.com/want-to-submit-a-story/
I paid the $20 fee and would like to be able to submit my story. Please help! Joe I am feeling like I have fallen victim to a scam!
I don’t have a link or any information on where to submit my story
DId you get the link I posted for Short Fiction Break?
I guess I’m not the only one who can’t get in to get story critiqued, or possible submitted.
Joe: are the stories submitted here? Or are they submitted to Short Fiction Break? If it is SFB, how is the judging done after they …if they… publish it?
Thank you.
Dash McCallen
Okay, submitted the story to Short Fiction Break, how is it judged? Does it need to be “Contest entry the write practice” in the subject line?