WriMo Ireland

I’m running a writing competition on my blog.  It launched today and will run until the 21st of March 2008.  Check here for the rules – one of the judges might be a familiar face

Anyone can enter.  There is no entry fee.  Short stories must be a minimum of 1,000 words but other than that the rules are quite flexible.

Prizes include a year’s free hosting & domain for a wordpress blog, $50 Amazon vouchers, Entrecard credits, etc.   The prize list will change as the contest continues.  Anyone who enters, sponsors a prize or advertises the contest will get full credit and a link back on my blog.

Swiped from an email from the Creative Writers Network:

“The Linen Hall Library [Belfast], has recently launched the 2008 Michael McLaverty Short Story Award – a nationwide search to find the best new short story by an Irish writer. With a terrific chance for the overall winner to capture a lucrative prize of £2000 and an exciting possibility of having their work published by Linen Hall Library, this award seeks to unearth the best emerging new talent, whilst also celebrating the legacy of one of Ireland’s most important writers.”

See http://www.linenhall.com/displayNewsRecord.asp?ID=41 and http://www.linenhall.com/displayNewsRecord.asp?ID=25 for more details.

(X-posted to my LiveJournal)

Still swamped in school assignments, I’ve hardly the time to work on my novel plot, but I recently found this quick fix in last month’s Writer’s Forum. Hope these few tips by Vanda Inman (her words in bold) will help me and other writers struggling with their novel’s storyline :

1) Keep writing and trust that your creativity will step in – you may be surprised.
(Tested and approved by your humble blogger during NaNoWriMo 2007 )

2) Transport one of your characters to a completely different situation and see how they react – you might gain some insight which will drive the plot in another direction.
(See what I wrote in How to increase your word count about writing gratuitous scenes )

3) Decide on the ending, then allow the middle to unfold.

4) Identify the theme of the story – what it’s really about – and how you want your characters to change by the end.

5) Draw a mind-map or flow chart of possible scenarios and endings. Then try making an outline of how the story could work in different combinations.
(That’d be like writing a RP chronicle scenario, wouldn’t it ?)

6) Use the ‘what if’ thought – what if a character does this instead of that ? What if the ending is poignant instead of happy ?
(I’m doing that all the time and I get so confused and entangled I just wanna scream !! >_< You might also want to follow Cavantucky’s advice and ask yourself the following question : What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character ?)

7) Don’t always go for the most obvious ending – try an alternative that hasn’t been used before.

Remember – the plot is never is never really lost. It has simply taken an alternative route for a while, and searching for it will take you a number of paths which will make your story all the stronger.
(I totally agree )