Helen Foley has been in touch from MULTI-STORY.co.uk to tell me about the current short story competition that is running on the site.
She says, “It is for an open-themed story of no more than fifteen hundred words, the entry fee is £5 for one story or £8 for two and the closing date is 30th April 2012. There are cash prizes of £300 for first place, £100 for second, £50 for third and the winning entries will be published on the site. The judge is the author, Jim Williams, whose ten novels, including the Booker Prize nominated Scherzo, have all been internationally published.”
Entry fees are payable via PayPal and submission is by email. Full details are on the website along with a few words from Jim about what his is looking for in the winning entry.
He says, ‘A prize-winning entry will show a knowledge, and understanding, of what makes a short story work. I’ll be looking for a distinctive voice, sharply drawn characters and the best possible use of language. Any dialogue should be engaging and appropriate.’
As well as being a successful author, Jim also has a brilliant sense of humour. Take a look at his blog post, Why I am Glad I’m a Writer and not a Plumber – I challenge you not to laugh!
So maybe a slightly humourous story might be a winner in the competition…
It’s a nice prize pot so, Good Luck!
Sally Jenkins 
#1 by Patsy Collins on March 5, 2012 - 8:55 pm
I’m sure competition judges need a good laugh every now and then, so humour is often a good bet.
#2 by Sally Jenkins on March 5, 2012 - 9:02 pm
Patsy – thanks for dropping by. It’s not just competition judges – I think we could all do with a good laugh every now and then!
#3 by johnlmalone on March 8, 2012 - 12:13 pm
I like what he says about a prize winning story. I’d have to agree with all of that