The Ventura County Writers Club (VCWC) announced its 12th Annual Short Story Contest closes September 30, 2011. The contest draws entries from around the country as well as internationally. The Ventura County Star newspaper will publish the first place winning entry in a January 2012 Sunday edition. The paper will publish first, second, and third winning entries in their online edition. The top three winners will receive a cash prize: first...

TRUE CRIME postmark deadline: September 30, 2011 For an upcoming issue, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays about true crime–detailed reports of premeditation, follow-through and aftermath, whether gleaned from police blotters or the news, passed down as small-town legend or family lore, or committed in cold blood. We want true stories of petty theft, identity theft, embezzlement or first-degree murder; of jaywalking, selling (or...

Autumn Short Story Competiton Story: Open Theme/Genre, 3000 words max Prizes: £100, £50 & £25 plus firstwriter.com voucher Fee: £5 per story Eligibility: Open to new and published authors, see website for full details Closing Date: 30th September Website: www.meridian-writing.co.uk

INKTEARS SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2011 Now open for entries – winner’s prize increased this year to £1,000 Deadline: 30 November 2011 Type: Short story (UK + International) Prizes: £1,000, £100, £25 x 4, plus all prize-winners get their story published to the InkTears Readers and consideration for a short story collection/anthology publication.   Full results will be announced by 30 March 2012. Fee: £4.50.   Length:1000-3000 words, any theme...

Tales & Mousterpieces Anthology Submit your non-fiction writing pieces less than 1,500 words. Subject should either be about “Italy” or about “a mouse”.This is in honor of the blog,  Mousterpieces (http://mousterpieces.blogspot.com/p/submitto.html) .Humor is preferred, but essays can be serious, quirky, humorous or somewhere in between. Include a brief bio, because best essays will be featured on the blog.Anthology...

Introducing the 2012 Bat City Review Art & Writing Collaboration Prize Judge: Tomaz Salamun Award: $1000 for the winning entry and publication in the 2012 issue of Bat City Review. Deadline: November 1, 2011 Cost of Entry: An issue ($8) or subscription ($14) What We’re Looking For: A bold, intoxicating combination of written text with visual art that engages and expands each medium in concert with the other.  Collaborative submissions...