What does it mean to be a writer? If you’re a writer yourself, then you’d know that there is more to being a writer than meets the eye. There’s more to being a writer than simply knowing how to write. Getting an A for your essay doesn’t make you a writer. It’s not even about having great writing skills. I’m not saying that you can make it out as a writer even if you have bad writing skills. What I’m saying is your writing is just one fourth of the whole equation. Being a writer has more to do with ideas. It is about having something to say. It’s about finding yourself having thoughts about important stuff. It doesn’t even have to be important stuff. Even the unimportant stuff will do. These ideas usually come when the clock strikes 10 in the evening, ideas that comes when you are all alone, giving you no choice but to write it down. Otherwise, you’ll lose all of your ideas the next morning. Being a writer is all about having the most absurd yet logical ideas. It’s about being a fountain of ideas. It’s no wonder that one of the trickiest parts about being a writer is to stay focused. I mean, distractions are everywhere. How can you ever hope to finish what you’re writing? Don’t forget that you also have other things to worry about: the noise. Your head is already noisy enough. Add that to environmental noise that you are surrounded by. I mean, they are just everywhere. Go with the tide If you try to resist the chaos, then there is no way you are going to finish that book. Instead of trying to combat the noise and distractions, why don’t you just let everything be? Now, I know what… read more →
Writer’s block can happen to anyone but this doesn’t make it easier. There’s nothing pleasant in staring at the blank Word document and trying to think of what to write, especially when you need to write it as soon as possible. Moreover, it can affect all kinds of people: experienced writers working on a book at a slow pace, bloggers who have a certain writing schedule, and students who have a lot of essays to write. If you are a student, it’s not as scary as it seems. You can always ask for help with your research paper or an essay. However, if writing is your job, you need to overcome the block as soon as possible. How do you do it? With the help of simple strategies that I’m going to share with you. Not all of them are actually about writing, but don’t be surprised by that: they still can help you. 1. Eliminate all distractions When you cannot afford to wait for inspiration to strike, you have to force yourself to write. However, if you have a writer’s block, it’s hard to do so: when you don’t feel like writing, everything distracts you. That’s why it is so important to make concentration easy for yourself by eliminating all distractions. To do so, clean your room first: this way you won’t be tempted to go clean some dusty shelves instead of writing. Second, organize your workplace: surround yourself only with things that can actually help you with your writing. Third, turn off all the notifications and resist the urge to check your social media once in a while. You can also use special tools that can help to make your writing process more productive. For example, Chrome add-on called StayFocusd allows blocking websites for a certain period of… read more →
We are constantly working to develop this list and keep it up-to-date. If you’d like to add an event to our list of creative writing journals please let us know using this submission form. Publication Country Categories accepted Submission Fee Washington Square US Fiction, Poetry — Phoebe Journal US Fiction, Poetry, Nonficion, Visual Art $2 Third Coast US Fiction, Poetry, Nonficion, Reviews, Interviews, Drama Free flyway US Fiction, Poetry, Nonficion, Visual Art Free Barnstorm Journal US Fiction, Nonficion, Poetry Free The Fourth River US Poetry, Literary short fiction, Creative nonfiction, Visual art Free Connotation Press The Internet (?) Poetry, Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Play writing, Screenplay, Interview, Book review, Music review, Video Free TriQuarterly US Fiction, Creative nonfiction, Poetry, Short drama, Video essays, and Hybrid work Free new south US Fiction, Poetry, Essays, Short drama, Reviews, Interviews Free View the full list Subscribe to our mailing list and receive updates about future dystopian short story competitions and new releases (we don’t send spam) [mc4wp_form]
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new short story collection, Broken Worlds. In a future of bleakness and roboticism, a totalitarian government enforces upon the people a lifestyle that lulls them into a state of obedience. Your career and social status are predestined and you cannot alter it – this is a reality that walks a fine line between evoking sensations of fear and inducing a sense of futility. Broken Worlds takes a peep into an all too possible future. Narration and style change from story to story, but the core of this volume is human emotion. Coloured by their cultures and backgrounds, the storytellers featured in this volume take the idea of a society at extremes and weave a variety of outcomes. We invite you to read and hope you enjoy this collection. link=”http://www.amazon.com/After-Fall-Apocalypse-Collection-ebook/dp/B00FBOU8Z2″ size=” large” target=”_blank” icon=”book” color=”black” lightbox=”false”]Amazon[/button]
We are delighted to announce the winning stories of the Broken Worlds short story competition, and a very creative competition it has been. This year’s winning story is by Thomas Brown. Thomas has not gone unnoticed in our previous competitions, but his entry this time around, The Sad Man, is a story that truly captivated our imagination, a brilliant and darkly escalating creation. Let us offer our sincere congratulations! We were looking for stories which made us see things a little differently, for writing that enabled us to transcend the ordinary and be transported elsewhere, and for characters who would remain in our mAinds afterwards. The 25 writers chosen for the shortlist have crafted works that offer a great deal of reading pleasure to the dystopian mind. We look forward to sharing their work with you. We would like to thank all who entered and commiserate with those who were not placed. Please keep writing, and we look forward to reading your stories in the future. Here are the shortlisted stories for ‘Broken Worlds’. We would also like to share with you the cover art for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy. Broken Worlds Winner: The Sad Man – by Thomas Brown Vision of Paradise – by Clare Banks The Deepening Well – by Sam Hurcom The Paperboy – by Gemma L Thompson The Farm – by George Vernon Dreg Town – by Steph Minns It Was the Best of Times – by Konstantine Paradias Urbanova – by Christian Cook Carved in Ice – by Doxa J. Zannou Watch – by Miles Gatrell Water Rats – by Terry Holland Pioneer – by Joe Saxon Leadership Gene – by Francis Beckett Equity Lamp – Adam “Bucho” Rodenberger Graduate Scheme – by Holly Seddon Silva’s Plague – by Ian Green Meat is Murder –… read more →