2013 Pikes Peak Branch National League of American Pen Women Flash Fiction Contest
A complete, but very short story of 100 words or fewer
Deadline: Postmarked/received by email by May 1, 2013
Entry Fee: $10 first manuscript, $8 each additional manuscript, $10 optional critique fee
Prizes: First-$100, Second-$50, Judge’s Merit-$25
Theme: Hidden Amongst These Worlds (Can be any genre)
Flash Fiction is a complete, but very short story of 100 words or fewer. The title is not included in the word count. The story must pertain to the theme, “Hidden Amongst These Worlds.” All genres are welcome, and multiple entries may be submitted. An entry fee is required for each entry; however, each entry after the first is discounted to $8 per entry. You can also opt for a completely optional critique of your piece by a published author for an additional $10 per entry. A self-addressed, stamped envelope must be included with mailed entries if you would like it returned by mail. Winners will be notified by May 31, 2013. For complete rules and entry blank, please go to www.ppb-nlapw.org/contests.php or www.ppb-nlapw.org and click on the Contests tab or email thewarriormuse@gmail.com
2013 One Act and 10-minute Play Competition
Deadline: May 30, 2013
CALL FOR ENTRIES
ONE ACT and TEN MINUTE Plays Sought for New Rocky Mountain Voices 2013 Competition
The Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts announces New Rocky Mountain Voices 2013, the organization’s fifteenth annual play competition. New Rocky Mountain Voices is a program dedicated to showcasing new works by playwrights in the Rocky Mountain States and is sponsored by the non-profit Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts in Westcliffe, Colorado.
A panel of jurors from the local and regional theater community will review submissions and select, anonymously, the winning plays which will be produced on the Westcliffe Center’s Jones Theater stage September 6th and 7th, 2013. Cast members will be drawn from the local actors’ group, the Westcliffe Center Players. An experienced director will be chosen to mount the plays. A special invitation to view the winning plays will be sent to directors and producers of other Colorado theatre companies.
For rules and regulations please go to our website at: www.jonestheater.com
Recent Contests
Cape Cod, MA, Branch Seventh Annual Haiku Contest
Deadline: Postmarked by April 30, 2013
Entry fee: $3 per haiku; $10 for maximum of four
Checks made out to: “Cape Cod Branch, NLAPW”
Prizes: 1st – $75, 2nd – $50, 3rd – $25 and possibly honorable mention.
Purpose: To sponsor 2 youths to the Young Writers Conference of the Cape Cod Writers Center annual writing conference in August
Rules: Type each haiku on a separate 8 ½ by 5 ½ sheet horizontally. On the back print name, address, phone, email. No previously published haiku or haiku that has appeared elsewhere (including contests, newsletters, e-zines, personal publications or e-discussion groups)
Send to: Haiku Contest, PO Box 936, West Falmouth, MA 02574. For a list of winners and judge’s comments, please include an SASE
Results: will be posted on the Pen Woman web site after May 15 and read at the branch June meeting.
Greenwich Branch Poetry Contest and Publication
Title of book: Women’s Voices of the 21st Century: Experiences That Shape Women
Prizes: One first prize — $500
Two second prizes — $200 each
Two third prizes — $100 each
The Greenwich branch is delighted to announce that Leigh Grant won first prize in their poetry contest with her entry, “The Place that You Found”. According to President Joyce French, two second prizes were awarded; to Betty Prisendorf for “Last Letters” and Marybeth Weston for “Walking Toward Each Other”. Third place winners were Josephine Darner’s, “On Turning 80” and Fletcher Ship’s, “A Song about Falling”. Contest finalists include: Judy Crystal, Nancy Burke, Dorothy Fletcher, Ariel Smart, Dorothy Kamm, Jean P. Moore, Marcia Hamilton, Lee Paine, Josephine Darner, Arlene Mark, Dotti Reiss, Sheila Phelan Wright, Mimi Aloia, Virginia Hagen and Christina Laurie. Seventy-eight entries by NLAPW members in 30 branches participated in the contest. Fifty-eight of these poets will be published this spring in “Women’s Voices of the 21st Century: Experiences that Shape Women’s Lives.”
2013 Boca Raton Branch, FL Short Short Contest Winners
Boca Raton Branch
NLAPW
2013 Short Short Contest
Winners, their branches, and the titles of their works.
Congratulations!!
1st $100–Mimi Paris, Boca Raton No Choice but Murder
2nd $50.00–Caryl Traugott, MAL* New Hampshire Summer
3rd $25.00–Marylin Warner, MAL Ties That Bind
Honorable Mentions
1st Etta Schaeffer, Boca I’m With The Band
2nd Bunny Shulman, Boca Scent
3rd Barbara Bixon, Boca Living in Florida
Certificates of Merit
1st Marylin Warner,MAL Wedding Day Blues
2nd Jacqueline Moffett,Boca Bridge of Sighs
3rd** Sheila Firestone, Boca A New Direction
Joan B. Lindsley, Boca, A Little Bit Touchy
*Member at Large
** Tied for Third
2012 Cape Cod Branch Haiku Contest Results
Many thanks to our judge Anna Di Bella, past national president, and member of All Cities Branch.
Judge’s general comment:
The judges decided to present three Honorable Mentions, as these best iillustrated the concept of the haiku form. In looking over the body of work, many submissions were not haiku, but were short poems, which, however, are very worthy in poetry. Many submissions did not adhere to rules. For example: haiku have no titles; an “ah-ha” reaction is anticipated in the third line; there should be no overuse of prepositions; use of clichés and/or trite phrases should be avoided.
A haiku is a moment in life, which creates an immediate reaction and refreshes. Many pieces did not stay with the moment, but traveled over time – past, present, future. Some pieces were narrative, others didactic. Neither is acceptable in haiku.
Haiku does not introduce human beings, although there are other Japanese forms of poetry which permit this. The traditional haiku is written in a 5-7-5 syllabic sequence. Westernized haiku no longer adheres to that requirement. A more perfect haiku will not utilize punctuation.
First Prize
Flock of terns gather
Squabble over shore dinner
Waves lick leftovers
Katherine Sherin-Zauner, Venice, Fl, Sarasota Branch
Judge’s comment:
Writer is on target on noting images in nature. It’s arresting because there are new images.
Second Prize
Proud male peacock struts
Parading brilliant feathers
On the prowl again.
Jane Allen, Arab, AL, Huntsville Branch
Judge’s comment:
Good active verbs: “struts,” “prowls.” Although the haiku lacks the ah-ha moment, the subject is interesting and it captures an instant in time.
Third Prize
Nightly collections;
Fireflies dance in jelly jars,
Coffee cans spill snails.
Sharon Anthony, Sandwich, MA
Judge’s comment:
I chose it because I can feel the moment-in-time action. It would work better if the lines were reversed: line 1 coffee; line 2 fireflies; line 3 nightly. The third line would then be an ah-ha. Remove punctuation. Please note that haiku don’t happen over a period of time. Yet, this piece is innovative and lacks the failings prevalent in many of the submissions.
Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)
Judge’s comment: Three H.M. which were representative of the genre, were awarded. They properly illustrated the haiku form. Many of the submissions were “out of sync” with the requirements of the haiku.
Mouse prates her hymn
squeals in latticed crocus wings
deafens ignorance
Rose Klix, Johnson City, TN, Watauga Branch
Icy fence
mourning dove alights
sidesteps rosehips
Susan Tingey, Quincy, MA, Wellesley Branch
Hungry butterfly
Brilliant majesty alights
Food for jealous crows
Maria Mercuri, Edgartown, MA
Past Contests
Short Short Competition – From the NLAPW Boca Raton Branch, Florida
Make it sweet, sad, sassy, silly, satirical, informative, but
MAKE IT SHORT! 350 WORDS OR LESS
DEADLINE: ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY March 21, 2013
Winners will be notified by email
MAIL TO: Carol White, Letters Chair
Boca Raton Branch, NLAPW
5284 Bodega Place, Delray Beach, FL 33484
ENTRY FEE: $5.00 per short, or three for $12.00
Make check payable to Boca Raton Branch NLAPW
Send only one copy of each short
Email polowhite@aol.com for information ONLY
PRIZES:
First Prize: $100.00
Second Prize: $50.00
Third Prize: $25.00
Three Honorable Mentions *** Three Certificates of Merit
ENTRY RULES: Any Pen woman (including Patrons) in good standing may submit original, unpublished short pieces. NO POETRY
YOU MUST HAVE EMAIL ACCESS TO ENTER
GUIDELINES: 350 words or less. Double-spaced, typed on one side of regular 8 ½ x 11 bond paper. SEND ONLY ONE COPY OF EACH ENTRY
Short Shorts: Fiction – any genre, or essays, or travelogues, or children’s stories. Any questions: email me polowhite@aol.com
• Do not send SASE or originals – Entries not returned
• Winning entries not published, you retain all rights
• Use 12 point font – New Roman or Arial
• Entries must be mailed with check
• Entries over the 350 word limit will be disqualified
• Two cover sheets must be included for each entry
• Word count must be listed on both cover sheets
• For example: if more than one essay is submitted, then each essay must have two cover sheets
Cover sheet 1: NOT to be stapled to your entry – Must indicate:
• Title of short, your name, address, phone number, email, and name of your branch, plus word count
Cover sheet 2: MUST be stapled to your story – Must indicate:
Title of short ONLY, plus word count
