March Newsletter

Dear writer,

I hope you’re enjoying the Spring sunshine and managing to find some time to write. Here’s a quick round up of my upcoming workshops as well as a list of writing competitions you might be interested in.

Biscuit Factory Workshops: I’ve got two Thursday morning workshops coming up at The Biscuit Factory Gallery in Newcastle. Tickets are £30 and available from the Biscuit Factory website (click on the titles to take you to the relevant page).

Thursday 23 April, 10.30am-1.30pm Writing the Past: An Introduction to Historical Fiction

Thursday 11 June 10.30am-1pm Flash Fiction (please note this will feature the same content as my previous Flash Fiction workshop at The Biscuit Factory in October 2024)

I’m also planning a five-week short story course at the same venue for September/October, so will share the details once everything is confirmed.

Gather & Time to Write Writing Groups: My online writing group, Gather, meets on the first Thursday of the month between 6.30pm-8.30pm and you can attend regularly or as a one off. Tickets are £14 (email me to book) and upcoming dates are:

2 April

7 May

4 June

Or, if you’re local, I run a monthly Sunday morning Time to Write group at Koru Pizza in Gosforth. These sessions tend to book up quickly: the next date with free spaces is 26 April (11-1). Tickets are £20 and, again, you can email me to book.

Jesmond Library Events: My friends at Jesmond Library have let me know about some upcoming author events that you might be interested in. More information and booking details for the following can be found at: Friends of Jesmond Library Eventbrite

• Storytelling on Stage, Screen and Page with Peter Dillon - Tuesday April 7 at 7.15

• Performance Poetry with Len Pennie and Open Mic Session - Friday April 17 at 7pm

• Trevor Wood – Crime Fiction Hits Home - Wednesday April 22 at 7pm

Publication Opportunities: This month’s list is of places that charge entry or submission fees. Why pay? I think there’s a few reasons:

1. If an entry fee comes with additional benefits. For example, some competitions or magazines provide feedback on your entry as part of the fee or for a small additional charge. Or a competition might publish an anthology of winning and commended entries (but check that you retain copyright).

2. It’s a charity competition or publication you want to support financially.

3. It’s a well-known or prestigious competition that publishes a long list – giving you a good chance of adding to your writing CV even if you don’t win.

4. You have a piece of writing you’re happy with and it’s particularly appropriate for the theme of a competition or style of a magazine.

5. You’re happy to take a chance because the entry fee is low or the prize is worth it.

Do also look out for competitions that have a fee waiver or discount for people who couldn’t otherwise afford to enter. With all that in mind, have a look at the following:

• If you have a short story ready to submit, the Henshaw Press Story Competition is open for stories of up to 2,000 words on any subject. Entry fee: £6 or £20 with critique. Deadline: 31 March.

• The Wells Festival of Literature Competitions open for entries on 1 April for poetry (up to 40 lines), short stories (1,000-2,000 words) and books for children (first three chapters or the first 30 pages plus a synopsis) on any theme. Entry fee: £8. Deadline: 30 June. There’s also a Young Poets category for poets aged 16-22. Entry fee: £3. Deadline: 31 July.

• Ware Poets Open Poetry Competition is for poems of up to 50 lines on any subject. Fee: £5 per poem. Deadline: 30 April.

• The Bridport Prize has categories for poetry (42 lines max), short story (5,000 max), flash fiction (250 word max) and novel (5,000-8,000 from opening chapters plus a 300 word synopsis. Entry fees: £14 per poem, £12 per flash fiction, £15 per short story, £26 per novel. Deadline: 31 May.

• Writing Magazine runs regular themed short story competitions throughout the year that typically cost £8.50 to enter (or £7 for subscribers). Upcoming themes are first person story (15 April), journey (1 May) and character comes first (15 May).

• The Anthology Short Story Competition is for stories of up to 1,500 words on any theme or in any style. Entry fee: €18. Deadline: 31 July.

• The Winchester Poetry Prize is open for poems of up to 40 lines on any theme. Entry fee: £7 for first poem, £5 for subsequent poems (there are also free entries available for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to enter). Deadline: 31 July.

• Inkspot Flash Fiction Writing Competition invites flash fiction of up to 500 words. Fees: £10 for general entry, £20 for entry + a paragraph of feedback from a competition judge. Free entries available for writers on low incomes. Deadline: 17 May.

Good luck! If you’re looking for competition tips then I shared some in last December’s newsletter.

As always, please get in touch if you have any questions about my courses and workshops - I’m always happy to provide more information.

Happy writing!

Amanda