Disbanding

Visit Guelph Write Now if you wish to join a writing group in Guelph.

Happy February

Last evening, nine of us met at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner. A special welcome to newcomers Lise, Rachel, Matt, Jen and Steve. The conversation was an animated one as we discussed our WIPs, writing journeys, epublishing vs traditional publishing (always on the agenda), editing, zombies, home improvement projects, writing contests, books and movies.

Congratulations to Dennis Fitter

His novel, City of Promises, is now available on Amazon. Kindle and paperback versions are available.

Contest Update...

February 8, 2013

8th Annual Accenti Writing Contest–Open to all prose works. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction or creative non-fiction. Maximum length is 2000 words. Entry fee is $20.

February 15, 2013

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable 2013 Short Story Award–Submit a “Winter’s Tale” or “Spring Story” (broadly interpreted).  Entries must be no more than 2000 words in length. Entry Fee is $10.

February 24, 2013

Toronto Star Short Story Contest–Entries must be written in English and not exceed 2500 words. The winner will receive $5000 plus tuition for Humber’s 30-week writing correspondence program. Second and third runners-up will receive $2000 and $1000. No entry fee.

February 28, 2013

Chicken Soup for the Soul–The editors have many books in development and are adding new titles on a regular basis. Check this site for 2013 deadlines.

March 15, 2013

The Binnacle Annual Ultra-Short Competition–Looking for prose works of 150 words or less and poetry of 16 lines or less. All works must have a narrative element to them. No entry fee.

March 31, 2013

Writers of the Future Contest –There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words in length.

April 1, 2013

25th Annual Short Grain Writing Contest–$4500 in prizes to be won. Categories: Poetry (to a max of 100 lines) and Fiction (to a max of 2500 words). Entry fee is $35 (Canadian) $40 (International).

Happy November!

Last evening, ten of us gathered to celebrate our writing journeys at Symposium Restaurant. The conversation was lively as we discussed traditional vs self-publishing (many of us are still sitting on that fence), memoir writing, contests, religion, politics and social media.

Congratulations to Cindy Carroll on her engagement! She is planning a destination wedding in November 2013.

Contest update...

November 30

Dorothy Shoemaker Literary Awards–Prizes are awarded in two categories, Poetry and Prose, and in two age divisions, youth (17 and under) and adult (18 and over).  The 2012 contest will be open from October 1st to November 30th.

Chicken Soup for the Soul–The editors have many books in development and are adding new titles on a regular basis. Check this site for 2012/2013 deadlines.

Motherhood Adventure–Parenthood Stories is accepting entries for their first contest. Submit fiction or non-fiction stories about motherhood, 400 to 4000 words. No entry fee.

December 31

Canadian Tales of the Heart Short Story Competition–Submissions must be between 1500 and 5000 words and contain an element of the heart. That is, the story must elicit a strong emotion such as lost love or profound sacrifice. Also the story must be identifiably Canadian. Entry fee is $15.

Writers of the Future Contest –There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words in length.

Congratulations Patricia Anderson!

This afternoon, Patricia Anderson read her short story, "Growing Pains," at the Chapel in Eden Mills. Her short story won this year's Eden Mills Literary Festival Writers Contest. Afterward, she was presented with a cheque and certificate.

One judge's description--"unusual, restrained, elusive and suggests so much more than it says. It is an amazing gem."

Happy August!

Last evening, six of us met for our monthly dinner. A special welcome to newcomers Erica, Bev and Trina. The conversation was an animated one as we discussed a variety of topics, among them our respective writing journeys, epublishing, stalkers, and British vs Canadian schools. We also listened to Bev's latest poem and encouraged her to enter it in a contest.

Contest update...

August 31
Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest–Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit poems on any subject. Total entry must not exceed four pages. Maximum length: 150 lines. Entries could be one longer poem or several shorter ones. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)
The 1812 Essay Writing Contest–Open to residents (all ages and abilities)  of Canada and the U.S. Write an essay on one of the following topics: The War of 1812: Who Really Won or Our Canada: Rocks & Roots.
Chicken Soup for the Soul–The editors have many books in development and are adding new titles on a regular basis. Check this site for 2012/2013 deadlines.

September 14
SiWC Writing Contest–Open to all writers 18 years and older. Four categories: Storyteller’s, Non-fiction, Writing for Young People, Poetry. Entry fee is $15

September 30
Writers of the Future Contest –There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words in length.

Happy July!

Last night, Cindy Carroll, Linda Johnston, Dennis Fitter and I gathered around the table at Symposium Restaurant. We discussed our WIPs, novellas, e-publishing and movies. We are an eclectic group, but still manage to find common topics of discussion. As always, I left inspired to continue writing and submitting my work.

Congratulations to Patricia Anderson!
 Her short story, "Hiding Places,"received second prize in the Ten Stories High Short Story Contest sponsored by the Canadian Authors Association--Niagara Branch.

Upcoming Contests...

July 5-31
Eden Mills Writers Festival Contests–EMWF provides a venue for unpublished and modestly published writers to showcase their work. They sponsor the Student Poetry, Literacy and Fringe contests. Check for different July deadlines.

July 31
Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize–Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit stories on any subject. Total entry must not exceed 20 pages. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

Arborealis Prize for Poetry–Open to Canadian poets only. All prize-winning entries plus up to 60 additional runners-up will be published in an anthology. Entry fee is $15 for up to three poems. First prize–$200, Second prize–$150, Third prize–$100, Three $50 Honourable Mention Awards

Narrative Spring 2012 Story Contest–Open to all fiction and non-fiction writers. Entry fee is $22. First prize–$2500, Second prize–$1000, Third Prize $500, Ten finalists will receive $100 each.

August 1
Alice Munro Short Story Contest–Theme: Renewal Open to all writers with a Canadian connection. Entries must not exceed 5000 words. Entry fee is $20 for adults. There is no fee for teen entries.

August 31
Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest–Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit poems on any subject. Total entry must not exceed four pages. Maximum length: 150 lines. Entries could be one longer poem or several shorter ones. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

The 1812 Essay Writing Contest–Open to residents (all ages and abilities)  of Canada and the U.S. Write an essay on one of the following topics: The War of 1812: Who Really Won or Our Canada: Rocks & Roots.

September 14
SiWC Writing Contest–Open to all writers 18 years and older. Four categories: Storyteller’s, Non-fiction, Writing for Young People, Poetry. Entry fee is $15

September 30
Writers of the Future Contest –There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words in length.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Happy June!

We filled up a table at Symposium Restaurant last night. It was great to see the regulars and two newcomers: Sarah and Nathaniel. The conversation was an animated one as we discussed high concept, ebook vs traditional publishing,  and nailing that first page of the novel. Cindy Carroll talked about the Bloody Words conference she attended last weekend in Toronto.

Upcoming contests...

June 30

Writers of the Future Contest --There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words in length.

July 31

Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize--Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit stories on any subject. Total entry must not exceed 20 pages. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

Arborealis Prize for Poetry--Open to Canadian poets only. All prize-winning entries plus up to 60 additional runners-up will be published in an anthology. Entry fee is $15 for up to three poems. First prize--$200, Second prize--$150, Third prize--$100, Three $50 Honourable Mention Awards

August 31

Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest--Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit poems on any subject. Total entry must not exceed four pages. Maximum length: 150 lines. Entries could be one longer poem or several shorter ones. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

The 1812 Essay Writing Contest--Open to residents (all ages and abilities)  of Canada and the U.S. Write an essay on one of the following topics: The War of 1812: Who Really Won or Our Canada: Rocks and Roots.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Happy May!

Last evening, five of us met at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner meeting. We discussed our respective writing journeys and covered a variety of topics, among them Twitter, Facebook and tattooing. We ended with a Twitter exercise. Each of us composed a tweet pitch for our upcoming novels.

I left inspired to continue writing and editing my work.

Upcoming contests...

May 15

Writers Digest Competition--Enter your best fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more in this annual contest hosted by Writer's Digest. You could win $3,000 in cash, get an agent and a paid trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City. The contest fee is $25. Save $5 and take advantage of the early bird deadline--May 1st.

May 28

Peter Hinchliffe Fiction Award--The $1000 top prize will be awarded for a work of short fiction by a Canadian writer who has not yet published a first novel or short story collection. All submissions will be considered for paid publication ($250) in The New Quarterly. Entry fee is $40.

May 31

Poetry Anthology Contest--The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association is holding its Poetry Anthology Contest for Ontario residents. The entry fee is $15 for up to three poems and $4 for each additional poem.

Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize--Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit stories on any subject. Total entry must not exceed 20 pages. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

June 30

Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest--Sponsored by Antigonish Press. Submit poems on any subject. Total entry must not exceed four pages. Maximum length: 150 lines. Entries could be one longer poem or several shorter ones. Entry fee is $25 in Canada, $30 in the United States. All other countries: $40 (U.S. Funds)

Writers of the Future Contest --There is no entry fee.  They welcome all types of science fiction, fantasy and dark fantasy up to 17,000 words.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Update

The following contest entries are due May 1st. Good luck!

Break-up Contest–Sponsored by the Alaska Chapter of RWA. Enter your best black moment, all-is-lost or break-up scene. Entry fee is $30.

CBC Writing Contest –Submit your best original poem or poetry collection. The first prize winner will receive $6,000 and a two-week residency at the Banff Leighton Artists’ Colony. His/her poetry will also be published in enRoute magazine. The four runners-up will each receive $1,000. The contest fee is $25. The contest is open to all Canadians.

Canadian Stories Contest–Submit your art, poetry or short story. Over $3000 in prize money. Entry fee is $20.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Happy Second Anniversary

It's hard to believe that two years have passed since we started this group.

While the original group came from Dennis Fitter's creative writing class (February 2010), we have been joined by Cindy Carroll and other members of Guelph Write Now.

Last night, we shared our writing experiences and encouraged each other to start twittering, join Facebook, send out query letters, write more regularly...All in all, it was an enjoyable evening and we left inspired to write and send out our work.

A reminder...Dennis Fitter's book, Mexico City, is now available.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Happy March!

Seven of us gathered at the Symposium Restaurant last night for our monthly dinner meeting. Welcome back to Dennis Fitter who has been away for three months. Since that time, he has edited and completed his novel, Mexico City: The Golden Years. It will be launched tomorrow in 13,400 ebookstores worldwide. Congratulations and best of luck!!!

Upcoming Events and Contests...

• On March 18, Cindy Carroll and the Guelph Write Now group will have a poetry workshop at Lucie's Restaurant. The session starts at 1:00 p.m.
  

• The deadline for the Gemini Short Story Contest is March 31st. The contest fee is $4 and there are no restrictions on content, style, genre or length.
  

• The deadline for the Ten Stories High Short Story Contest is March 31st. The stories can be of any genre and between 1000 and 3000 words in length. The entry fee is $15.
  

• The deadline for the Grain Magazine Writing Contest is April 1st. The contest fee of $35 includes a free subscription to the magazine. They are looking for poetry (up to 100 lines) and fiction (up to 2500 words). $4500 in prizes to be won!

Literary Fiction vs Commercial Fiction

At our monthly dinners, we have often discussed the differences between literary and commercial fiction. While we have shared many ideas, we haven't been able to pin it down and come up with a satisfactory explanation.

I would like to share Brian Henry's explanation which he gave at Saturday's editing workshop.

He started by asking the question: Is your writing closer to that of Margaret Atwood or Danielle Steel? These authors represent the extreme ends of the continuum.

He then went on to explain the difference between the two types of writing.

Literary fiction deals with deeper and more accurate psychological coverage. There is also more original use of language. The reader gets to know the characters very well.

Commercial fiction has fast-moving plots and the writing is seamless. The author does not want the reader to stop and think about it. She wants the reader to continue reading and not be able to put it down.

Any thoughts?

Written by Joanne Guidoccio·

Happy February!

Last night, six of us met at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner meeting. The conversation was a lively one as we discussed our writing journeys and shared advice on writing query letters. As always, I left inspired to continue writing.

Upcoming events and contests...

• On Wednesday, February 8th , the Friends of the GPL present Zumba in the Pool with Carlos! at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. The play starts at 7:00 p.m.

• The deadline for the Postcard Story Competition sponsored by the Writers' Union of Canada is February 14. Use humour, poetry, dialogue...to create a short, snappy piece of 250 words. The winning entry will receive $750 and publication in Write. For an example of a winning entry, read "The Invasion of the Snotty Badgers" by Karin Weber. Get more details about submission here.
  

• The deadline for The Binnacle's Free Ultra-Short Competition for prose or poetry is February 15. All entries must be no more than 150 words or 16 lines per poem. There is no fee. Full contest details can be found here.

• On Thursday, February 16th, the Guelph Guild Storytellers presents The Art of Storytelling, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library.

• On Thursday, February 23rd and Friday, February 24th, the University of Guelph presents Writers Workshop 2012.

• On Thursday, February 23rd, Melinda Burns will facilitate a Poetry Workshop, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library.

• On Monday, February 27th, there will be a Grant Writing for Community & Multidisciplinary Arts, starting at 7:00 p.m. at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library.

• The deadline for the Toronto Star Short Story Contest is Sunday, February 26th. The winner will receive $5000 plus tuition for Humber's 30-week writing correspondence program. Second and third prize winners will receive $2000 and $1000 respectively.
  

• The deadline for the Grain Magazine Writing Contest is April 1st. The contest fee of $35 includes a free subscription to the magazine. They are looking for poetry (up to 100 lines) and fiction (up to 2500 words). $4500 in prizes to be won!
  

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

More Contests with February Deadlines

The deadline for the Postcard Story Competition sponsored by the Writers' Union of Canada is February 14. Use humour, poetry, dialogue...to create a short, snappy piece of 250 words. The winning entry will receive $750 and publication in Write.

For an example of a winning entry, read "The Invasion of the Snotty Badgers" by Karin Weber.

Get more details about submission here.

The deadline for The Binnacle's Free Ultra-Short Competition for prose or poetry is February 15. All entries must be no more than 150 words or 16 lines per poem. There is no fee. Full contest details can be found here.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Information Update

Yesterday, the Toronto Star announced its 34th annual short story contest.

The winner will receive $5000 plus tuition for Humber's 30-week writing correspondence program. Second and third prize winners will receive $2000 and $1000 respectively.

Get more details.

Happy January!

Last night, three of us braved the cold temperatures and met at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner meeting. Patricia Anderson, My Linh Huynh, and I discussed the latest books, movies and our respective writing journeys. We left inspired to continue writing.

Upcoming Events and Contests

On Wednesday, January 11th, Alison Pick will read and discuss her books at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. This event, sponsored by The Friends of GPL, will start at 7:00 p.m.

The deadline for the CBC Writing Contest is Wednesday, February 1st. The First Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the 4 runners-up will each receive $1,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts. Submissions to the Creative Nonfiction prizes must be between 1,200 and 1,500 words.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Congratulations Patricia!

Patricia Anderson's short story, "A Guelph Boy's Christmas Hat Trick Ends Up in the Mail," appears in today's Guelph Mercury. She is a finalist in this year's Christmas Story contest.

Read her story.

Happy December

On Tuesday, five of us gathered at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner meeting.

Dennis Fitter talked about the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar that was held in New York City last month. He enjoyed the experience and received valuable information about query letters, pitches and the first two pages of a manuscript. He encouraged us to join the Backspace online writing community. An annual subscription of $40 provides access to discussion forums with over 1600 writers from New York Times Bestsellers to aspiring authors in all genres. Dennis also gave each of us a copy of his book, A Colorful Shade of Gray. Great holiday reading!

Patricia Anderson talked about her misadventures when she participated in the OHBA Humanitarian Build in the Dominican Republic last month. Can you find her on Youtube?

Upcoming Contests...

The magazine, Our Canada, is sponsoring their first Short Fiction and Poetry Contest. Entries are due December 16th. For more details, visit their website.

The deadline for the Open Heart 6 Poetry Competition is December 25th. They are looking for poems that include a heart theme. All styles are welcome. Poems must not exceed 36 lines.

The deadlines for the Mysterious Short Story Contest is December 31st. To be considered, a short story must contain an element of mystery and be identifiably Canadian. All winning entries will be published in an anthology.

The deadline for the Here be Monsters Anthology #6 is January 16th. They are looking for unpublished works of speculative fiction in any genre.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

Happy May

Last night, four of us gathered at Symposium Restaurant for our monthly dinner meeting. We discussed our respective writing journeys, covering a variety of topics: literary agents, query letters, social networking, NaNoWrMo and Patricia's upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic.

Upcoming Events and Contests...

• On Thursday, November 3rd, Edeet Ravel will be reading and discussing her work at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. The fireside chat starts at 7:00 p.m.

• On Thursday, November 10th, Eveline Adomait will be reading and discussing her books at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. The fireside chat starts at 7:00 p.m.

• On Tuesday, November 15th, Anita Rau Badami, Wayne Johnston, and Ami McKay will be reading at Norfolk United Church. Tickets are available at the Bookshelf Cafe.

• On Thursday, November 17, Nicholas Ruddock will be reading and discussing his books at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. The fireside chat starts at 7:00 p.m.

• On Sunday, November 20th, Cindy Carroll and the Guelph Write Now group will conduct a workshop on pitches at Lucie's Restaurant. The workshop starts at 1:00 p.m. Visit the website for more information.

• On Tuesday, November 29th, the eReader and eGifting Options presentation will take place at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. It starts at 7:00 p.m.

• The magazine, Our Canada, is sponsoring their first Short Fiction and Poetry Contest. Entries are due December 16th. For more details, visit their website.

Written by Joanne Guidoccio

All About Horror

On Wednesday night, Patricia Anderson, Cindy Carroll, Judy Emery and I attended the Inspiring Screams: Horror Writing workshop at the main branch of the Guelph Public Library. Teacher and writer, Erik Mortenson discussed the goals behind horror writing and how to get underneath people's skins.

A knowledgeable speaker, Mortenson referred to a number of films among them Jaws, Nightmare on Elm Street, Lizzie's Story, Carrie, Fatal Attraction, The Good Son, Psycho, Hostel, Pet Cemetery, Silence of the Lambs and The Stepford Wives.

Here are some of his tips for wannabe horror writers...

• Readers are afraid of death and losing control. In your writing, play with the illusion of control and make the reader confront the unknown.
• Fear inspires the most action.
  
• Take the everyday and turn it diabolical. For example, in Stephen King's novel, Kujo, a dog gets rabies and starts attacking people. Keep in mind that any animal can turn.
  
• Great horror is built on anticipation. In Jaws, the music played whenever the shark was approaching.
• When you limit what the reader knows, he/she will fell helpless.
  
• Anyone is capable of murder.
• Effective horror tries to bring out lessons.
  
• Play with...How much do we take for granted?...How much can go wrong?
• To make an even greater impact, have no definite conclusion or closure. For example, in Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is not caught. The unknown makes everyone uncomfortable.
• If you are looking for a topic, ask yourself: What scares you? What do you fear?
• Play with the idea of science going bad. For example, what could be put in food? How terrifying would it be to lose all consciousness?

Written by Joanne Guidoccio