WritingSpirit Resources

Operation First Novel 2008

Christian Writer's Guild Membership Deadline ($149): Sept. 17, 2008
Entry Deadline: Oct. 1, 2008
Winner Announced: Feb. 12, 2009
Submission to include complete novel from 75,000 to 100,000 words.

The winner of Operation First Novel 2008 will win $20,000 and publication by Tyndale House.

This book-length fiction contest is open to any current student or member of the Christian Writer's Guild who has not had a book published by a traditional, royalty-paying publishing house.

2008 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

Submission Deadline: May 1, 2008
Entry Fee: $100 for the first entry, $50 every entry thereafter.
Grand Prize: $3,000 plus several avenues of publicity and promotional help.
1st Prize: $1,000 to the winner in all 9 categories.
All entrants will receive a judge's commentary and a listing with a link on the Writer's Digest Web site

Book Categories:
*  Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age)
*  Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books)
*  Nonfiction
*  Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs)
*  Poetry
*  Mainstream/Literary Fiction
*  Genre Fiction
*  Children's Picture Books
*  Middle Grade/Young Adult books

Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, part-time freelancer, or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!

16th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

2008 Nelson Algren Awards for Short Fiction

Submission Deadline: Postmarked by February 15, 2008
Word Limit: 2,500-8,000 Words
Entry Fee: None
Awards: $5,000 First Prize and three $1,500 Runner-up Prizes

The annual Nelson Algren awards (given in memory of the Chicago author) are for short fiction. Submissions must be written by an American and must be unpublished.  Winners of the Nelson Algren Awards are notified late September to mid-October. The four winning Nelson Algren Awards stories will be published in the Chicago Tribune.

2008 Nelson Algren Awards for Short Fiction

The 2008 Foley Poetry Contest

Submission  Deadline: March 31, 2008
Word Limit: Submit only one poem of 30 lines or less.
Entry Fee: None
Prize: $1,000

America (the National Catholic Weekly) sponsors annually the Foley Poetry Award, given in honor of William T. Foley, M.D. America publishes about one poem a month. For the most part, these poems are selected from the runner-ups in the Foley Poetry Contest. Because America receives so many excellent submissions as part of the Foley Poetry Contest, it does not at present accept unsolicited poems for publication except those submitted as part of the contest.

America Magazine
The Foley Poetry Contest

77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

Submission Deadline: May 15, 2008.
Late submission (add $2 per submission) up to June 2, 2008.
Word Limit: Varies
Entry Fee: $15 first submission, $10 additional submissions. Poems: $10 first submission, $5 additional submissions.
Prizes: Grand Prize is $3,000 plus trip to New York City to meet with agents and editors. More than $30,000 in cash and prizes, including a First Place Prize for each category of $1,000.

There are ten categories:

• Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
• Memoirs/Personal Essay
• Magazine Feature Article
• Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
• Mainstream/Literary Short Story
• Rhyming Poetry
• Non-Rhyming Poetry
• Stage Play (* submission by mail only)
• Television/Movie Script (* submission by mail only)
• Children's/Young Adult Fiction

In 2007 there were 15,845 entries.

77th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

2008 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards

Submission Deadline:  July 1, 2008
Word Limit: Submit up to 3 poems of 30 lines or less.
Entry Fee: $15 Entry Fee Adults / No Entry Fee Youth
Prizes: $ 1,000 Adults, $ 200 Youths (13 to 18), $ 200 Youths (12 and under)

The Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award is an annual series of awards created to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. Open to people worldwide, the contest has been held since 1996. The contest honors the late Barbara Kelly, a Santa Barbara poet and longtime supporter of peace issues.

2006 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards

2009 Disney Writing Fellowship

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2008
Submission to Include: Screenplay (120 pages max.) or Play (two-to-three acts)
Entry Fee: None
Awards: $50,000 salary for a one-year period.

The Disney Company offers Fellowships in the feature film and television areas through The Walt Disney Studios and ABC Entertainment, respectively. No previous experience is necessary; however, writing samples are required. Fellows will each be provided a salary of $50,000 for a one-year period tentatively scheduled to being in February 2009.

The program boasts an impressive roster of alumni who are now enjoying successful careers in the television and the feature film-writing workforce. As the program's level of prestige has increased, its graduates have been called upon for assignments spanning every studio and network in the industry.

Appropriate writing samples for the feature film division include: a live-action motion picture screenplay (no longer than 120 pages) or one (1) play, in two-to-three acts. Appropriate writing samples for the television division include: a full-length script appropriate for a half-hour or one-hour television series, based on a current prime time television or cable broadcast series currently in production.

Disney Writing Fellowship

One of the interviews I've done for WritingSpirit.com (which I will be launching on August 8, 2008) is with film director Arthur Hiller. He directed Love Story, The Hospital, The Americanization of Emily, The Man in the Glass Booth, Silver Streak, Outrageous Fortune, Plaza Suite, The Out of Towners, Man of La Mancha, and so much more...

We talked about what he looks for in a script, the relationship between screenwriter and director, Neil Simon, Paddy Chayefsky, and, dare I say it again, so much more...

If you're interested in being kept informed of when this interview will be available, put your name and email address in the newsletter sign-up box on the top left-hand corner of my blog.

Here's the transcript cover:

2008 Utmost Christian Poetry Contest

Submission Deadline: February 28, 2008
Word Limit: Up to 7 Poems (60 lines max. each)
Entry Fee: $15 for Each Poem  (max. $105)
Prizes:  $1,000 First Prize, $500 Second Prize, $150 Third Prize, Ten $100 Honorable Mention Prizes, and Twenty $50 Merit Awards.

The Utmost Christian Poetry Contest (first called ODES of MARCH) was founded to promote and publicize poetry by Christian poets. When first founded in 1998, the contest focused on public readings. 2001 was the first year of the competition. The primary purpose of Utmost remains to provide exposure of Christian poets and their poetry.

Utmost Christian Poetry Contest

British Society of Authors Writing Awards

The Betty Trask Prize and Awards 2008

For First Novels by Commonwealth authors under the age of 35

Submission Deadline: 31 January 2008
Submission to Include: Published (UK 2007/2008) or unpublished novel
Entry Fee: None
Awards: Prize money totaling £25,000

The Society of Authors is a non-profit organization, founded in 1884, "to protect the rights and further the interests of authors." The first president was Lord Tennyson, and a great many prominent writers, including Shaw, Galsworthy, Hardy, Wells, Barrie, Masefield, Forster, A. P. Herbert, and countless contemporary writers, have assisted in its activities and campaigns. The current Chairman is Helen Dunmore and the Society’s President is P. D. James.

The Society now has over 8,000 members.

Society of Authors
Writing Awards

Big Break International Screenwriting Contest

Submission Deadline: February 1 - June 15, 2008
What to Submit: Feature Length Screenplay, accepts multiple entries
Entry Fee: $50
First Place Prizes: $15,000 total cash plus finalist prizes
Second Place Prizes: $4,000 total cash plus finalist prizes
Third Place Prizes: $2,000 total cash plus finalist prizes

Big Break is an annual, global screenwriting contest designed to support emerging creative talent. Big Break rewards screenwriters with cash, prizes and A-list executive meetings. Winners and finalists alike have had their screenplays optioned and produced and have secured high-profile representation as well as lucrative writing deals.

Since its inception in 2000, Big Break has awarded screenwriters with over $100,000 in cash and prizes and invaluable industry exposure. A panel of notable industry professionals conducts the final judging.

The 2007 contest brought in 3,500 entries.

Big Break Screenwriting Contest