The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.
This month is my first time co-hosting. I'm a little nervous, but I have awesome co-hosts: Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, and Heather Gardner!
Plus, IWSG has a surprise for us. It's completely awesome. Read on down through this post to find out what it is!
This month I'm nervous about several things. Not just about co-hosting! I finished a project and I've submitted it to my publisher. Will they like it? It's different than the trilogy I already have with them. What will I do if they don't want it? That means querying other venues. Yikes!
I've also started a new project. One that's ambitious even for me. A serial with nine parts. I tell myself that I will outline for this story, but my muse just wants to write. She has consistently snubbed any outline I've tried to write in the past no matter how general I make them. So I end up pantsing. Which works most of the time for me, but with a nine part serial? That needs planning. Big time planning makes me anxious.
Are you nervous about anything this month?
Now the reveal....
The IWSG Short Story Contest
2015
After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and
Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story
competition with the top ten stories getting published in the
anthology.
Eligibility: Any
member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging
or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is
free.
Word count:
5000-6000
Theme: Alternate
History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative
route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything
along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence.
Story deadline: November 1st,
2015.
How to enter: Send your
polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the
deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details.
Judging: The IWSG admins will create a
shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official
judges:
·
Laura Maisano - Senior editor at Anaiah
Press for their YA/NA Christian fiction
·
Russell Connor – Author and owner of
Dark Filament Publishing Startup
·
Candace Havens - Author and
Editorial Director for the Covet, Edge and Select lines at Entangled
Publishing
·
Dawn Frederick – Literary agent and the
founder of Red Sofa Literary
·
Alice Speilburg – Founder of the
Speilburg Literary Agency
·
Michelle Johnson – Founder of Inklings
Literary Agency and Writers' Center and Bookstore owner
·
Kendare Blake - Author
·
Lydia Moëd - Associate agent at The Rights
Factory
Prizes: The winning stories will be
edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology.
Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top
story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will
also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog.
We’re excited
to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into
action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the
word!
