I've recently discovered this opportunity for short story writers: The Short Story - online platform dedicated to short stories (
click here), it does what it says on the tin. It also runs a
monthly short story competition closing at the end of each month. The max word count is 2,000 words. The winner gets
£250 for an entry fee of £4.99 per story (£7.99 with feedback). A real plus for this competition is the turnaround - the result comes out early the following month. You can read the winning stories online too.
The site also includes interviews with short story writers. There's even an interview with me:
read it here. I feel honoured to be included along with some really great writers such as CG Menon, Tom Vowler, Paul McVeigh and Mark Newman (to name a few).
They also offer critiques, reviews, articles and links to online free short stories (some classics are here). Follow them on twitter: @ShortStory2000
Before I sign off I have to apologise for my blogging absence through August. Wish I could blame this on the scorching summer weather or an exotic holiday or even LitPig's laziness. In reality I took a break from writing after finishing the novel (I've started submitting & you can read my theory of
Schrödinger's Agent
here). More in my next blog on what I did instead of writing ... LitPig is giving you a clue.
Well done for a very interesting interview, and congratulations for being on the TSS website with all those other talented writers.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Veronica :)
DeleteGreat interview, Tracy. I agree - finishing stories is an important step if we hope to have them published.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patsy. You can't get published with unfinished work - it definitely is the first important step.
DeleteCongratulations, Tracy, for having this fantastic interview on the TSS website. It was absolutely absorbing and I so agree with all you say, especially about not having to like a character, but still care what happens to them, and also the importance of theme.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I am also a huge fan of Penelope Lively's short stories. What a gorgeous book pile you have - I love Helen Simpson too. xxx
Thanks, Joanna. I was also lucky enough to hear Helen Simpson read at last year's London Short Story Festival. I go back to her collections all the time. And Penelope Lively is my icon of writing (both for short stories and novels).
DeleteWe forgive your absence as sometimes it's important to just get on with other writing tasks (and you've certainly been juggling a lot of things). This was an interview of yours I hadn't read. Really interesting. Like you, I only write one draft of a short story and edit as I go along.
ReplyDeleteI think we have a similar approach to our short story writing, Wendy. And thanks again for the nag ...
DeleteCongratulations - a really good interview, Tracey:)).
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah. Lovely of you to say,
DeleteAs everyone else has said, congrats on a great interview. I'm reading a Neil Gaiman short story collection at the moment, 'Fragile Things', and I'm loving it.
ReplyDeleteOh I love Neil Gaiman but haven't read a collection of his. Another one to go on my list. Thanks, Julia :)
Delete