Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Katharine Susannah Prichard Speculative Fiction Award 2010

This award is now open for speculative fiction short stories, ranging from science fiction, fantasy, horror and supernatural right across the genre. Stories must be between 1500 and 3500 words and the closing date is 28 May, 2010. First prize $600.00, second prize $300.00 and third $175.00.

This is a serious competition, folks and the prize money reflects this. Competition Conditions of Entry and Entry Forms are available from the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre and can be downloaded here.

While you're there you might like to check out the other competitions and activities run by the Centre.

I'm Interviewed

By Nyssa on A Writer Goes on a Journey. Why not drop in and check it out.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Tangled Bank

Talking of Christopher Green in my last post reminded me that Chris Lynch (yet another Clarion South mate) of Tangled Bank Press has released the anthology The Tangled Bank. Christopher Green features, along with fellow Clarion Southers, Ben Francisco and Chris Lynch, among an impressive list of contributors. To give you a taste of the anthology you can read Christopher Green's story Darwin's Daughter on the website here.

Rejection Report

Hmm, you may remember that I started the year trying to match my Clarion South mate, Christopher Green. Chris aimed at having one hundred rejections by the end of the year. The idea is that to have that many rejections you have to be sending out work - which is how you get the acceptances you want. Simple and logical. My only variation from that plan is, because of my focus on completing my novel, I have modified it a little and I am aiming at fifty rejections.

Unfortunately - and somewhat embarrassingly - so far I have had only two rejections. There are a whole lot of excuses (all valid)I could offer but the truth is I haven't sent out enough. I'm setting the grindstone a-spinning now. Can you hear it? "I must do better. I must do better. I must do better."

It's Nice to Know Such Talented People...

Peter M. Ball (one of my Clarion South mates you may remember and a writer of elegant, imaginative stories which have been garnering awards lately) has had his story, On the Destruction of Copenhagen by the War Machines of the Merfolk, included in the Year's Best SF 15 edited by Kathryn Cramer and David Hartwell. The Table of Contents is here.

If you'd like to read Peter's story it was originally published by Strange Horizons 6 July 2009.

Way to go, Peter.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

What Can Happen in a Couple of Weeks.

While I've been away not having fun - don't ask - lots has been happening in the writing world.

My Clarion South mate, Jason Fischer, has a novella After the World: Gravesend out and available here. It will also be available from newsagents next week.

Russell B. Farr at Ticonderoga Publications has released the Table of Contents for his anthology Belong and I'm delighted to see my fellow Egoboo WA writer (and also a member of the KSP Speculative Fiction Group), Carol Ryles, on the list with her story Deeper Than Flesh and Closer. You can read Carol's latest Egoboo WA post on how she approaches a second draft here.

Also on the Belong Table of Contents is fellow KSP Speculative Fiction Group member (and a finalist in Writers of the Future in 2008), Sonia Helbig with her story Initiation. The complete Table of Contents is here.

A Book of Endings by Deborah Biancotti, edited by Alisa Krasnostein, and published by local Western Australian publisher, Twelfth Planet Press, was shortlisted for the Crawford Award.

The reports from the Judging Panels for the Aurealis Awards are now available here. Scroll down to the end of the page.

Finally, the ballot for the 40th Annual Locus Awards is here. Here's an opportunity to vote for what you consider the best work in 2009 and to nominate others which haven't been listed to date.