Microfiction Contest

If you like to write flash fiction or even shorter stories, you might be interested in the 250-word Microfiction Challenge starting on Friday. Writers have twenty-four hours to complete a mini-story in an assigned genre with an assigned prompt. The stories are then judged, and winning writers proceed to the next round. There are a total of three rounds, and writers can win anywhere from $150 to $4,500. There is a registration charge, but part of the fee goes to a charity of the writer's choosing. (Personally, I think it's more efficient to donate directly to the charity.) I don't think I'll join this time since I'm busy with other projects, but it sounds like it would make a great writing exercise. If you do want to join, you'd better hurry; the deadline is tomorrow. It looks like the website hosts other contests, so it might be worth checking it out occasionally.

Signal Boost: Writers of the Future "Firewall"

One of the most famous contests for science fiction writers is the Writers of the Future contest. It was started by L. Ron Hubbard, who also founded the Church of Scientology. The church continues to run this contest, though there is supposed to be a "firewall" between the two. However, as Writers of the Future winner J.W. Alden discusses on his blog, contest winners may find themselves in for more than they bargained for. The link to this blog entry was posted in a public Facebook group, so I'm boosting the signal here. I think I did apply to this contest a couple of times when I was starting out, but I'm glad now that I didn't advance. You're welcome to comment either here on on Alden's original post.