Beat the end of year budget - FREE entry competitions

As we sprint towards the end of 2011 you maybe diverting funds to other luxury items (brandy butter, mince pies and choccie logs) and have little left in the budget to pay for short story competition entry fees.  So here's my pre-Christmas LitPig helping trotter - a few last minute competitions with FREE entry.

In closing date order:
Spinetinglers Christmas Ghost Story:
We all love a ghost story at Christmas (think of the most famous ghost story of them all ... A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) so why not pen a spooky tale.  Click here for full details.

• Story must have Christmas as a central theme and a ghostly or supernatural theme.
• Max words = 5,000
• Submit through site or email entry to lauren@spinetinglers.co.uk
• Closing date MIDNIGHT 16 December 2011
• Prizes are Winner - £100 + publication in anthology, 2nd - £50, 3/4/5 - £25

Woman in Black Ghost Story:
January 2012 sees the world premiere of the new film version of Susan Hill's fabulously spooky ghost story 'The Woman in Black'.  To celebrate the release a ghost story writing competition is open for free entry, but with a slight twist ...
Click here to hear more details from Daniel Radcliffe (starring in the new film)

• You have to record your ghost story and upload onto YouTube.  Story must be no more than 2 mins in length.  (So not only do you have to write a spooky tale you also have to perform it! Not for the feint hearted this one.)
• Closing date 20 December 2011
• Winning story will be recorded by Daniel Radcliffe and available on the Woman in Black DVD.  Winning author also gets to attend film's world premiere in London in January 2012.

Five Stop Story Competition:
This site publishes short stories which can be read in five stops on the London underground.  Stories are published on the website and on their mobile app for iPhone and iPad.
Click here for full details of competition

• December theme is 'dreams'.
• Submit publishable and proof-readable stories 1,000-3,000 words in length
• Stories can be fictional or based on true-events with a clear plot, not blog style stories
• Winners, runner-ups and honorary mentions are published each month on the website and available on the mobile application for download.  
• Closing date is 31 December 2011
• Copyright remains with the writer

Quick Plug: The indoor writer has a story published under September: TEN GOOD REASONS and a further story will be published shortly under October: HURRICANE HARRY'S HEIR

And here's one to note for the New Year in that brand new Writer's Diary you're going to find in your Xmas stocking ...

Reader's Digest 100 Word Story Competition:


The Reader's Digest are running again their popular 100 word story competition, which has a tempting winning prize of £1000 (adult category).  Click here for full details.  For inspiration read on the website the excellent 100 word sagas penned by some very well known authors.

• Submit a 100 word (exactly 100 words) story via email to theeditor@readersdigest.co.uk
• Story must be unpublished and your own original work
• Winner (adult category) receives £1000 and 2 runner-ups win £100 each
• 3 categories: Adult, Schools: <12 years, 12-18 years
• Stories will be published on magazine website
• Closing date 31 January 2012
• World copyright of story becomes property of Vivat Direct Ltd (Reader's Digest) 

If you want to check out the previous winners then click here.