Monthly Archives: April 2009

Writers of the Future Contest

Posted on April 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: June 30, 2009

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy

Guidelines: http://www.writersofthefuture.com/rules.htm

If you’re a new writer, and you’ve not been professionally published in a novel, more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, then you can enter this popular contest. It is judged by some of the biggest names in science fiction today, such as Kevin Anderson, Orson Scott Card, and Anne McCaffrey. The contest began in 1988 and is still well respected.

The website has forums for writers, and plenty of tips for those who want to learn more about writing in these genres. A short YouTube book trailer is on the main page, and an interview with Orson Scott Card is on the “How to Win” page. He talks about reasons why to enter this particular contest.

If you win, your story will be published in the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Anthology. Prizes are $1000 for first place, $750 for second, and $500 for third. In addition, the winners will receive a trip to the award ceremony in Seattle, and be registered for a week-long workshop. So what are you waiting for? The future is yours!

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Posted in Contests, Contests Anytime, Contests June

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QueryTracker.net Musical Query Contest

Posted on April 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

Writing and sending out queries is one of the most dreaded tasks many writers will ever face. QueryTracker knows that, and they have designed a program to make it efficient, less dreadful, and in some cases, even fun.

 

QueryTracker allows you to research agents, organize them into a priority list, send them a query, and track the progress of responses and non-responses. It has a free version as well as paid options. They also have an informative blog, and they’re on Twitter.

 

QueryTracker sponsors contests from time to time, and today is the beginning of a new contest. Here’s the theme:

 

Can you write a query to music?

 

Somewhere, a writer was having a slow day, and started humming a little ditty, and now we have this contest so we can all try it out. It’s better than “Name That Tune.” This could revolutionize the music industry. It could bring back the musicals of the 50s and 60s. NOT.

 

However, if you’re having a bit of writer’s block anytime between now and May 5, why not give the musical query contest a go? Even if you’re not interested in silly contests, check out QueryTracker. It’s an invaluable site for me.

 

Disclaimer: These are not REAL queries. It’s just for fun.

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Posted in Writing, Contests

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Casual Year-End Chess Club

Posted on April 28, 2009 | 2 Comments

 

chessrobotNow that testing is over and we’re in the last half of the last trimester of the school year, I’m allowed the luxury of starting a chess club. Now this is elementary school, mind you, and we only have a few weeks, so the emphasis is on basic rules and having fun.

 

ChessKids.com is a terrific resource. Even if you have never been a competitive chess player, or if you haven’t played in years, this site will give you what you need to get started. It’s fun for the kids to learn the rules and play against the computer.

 

I start by teaching the kids how to place the board and the moves for the pawns, bishops, knights, king and queen. That’s lesson 1.

 

Lesson 2 is teaching them the moves for the rook, and the en passant move for the pawn.

 

Lesson 3 is learning a few checkmate situations. I have some overheads that have examples of pieces on a board and the students have to say if it is a check, checkmate, or neither.

 

Lesson 4 is some basic strategy.

 

We have the chess club once a week until the end of the year, plus we play with chess buddies one or two times a week. The kids practice online at ChessKids.com during their computer period.

 

I love this time of year. This is when we can finally relax and have fun learning some art, music, and games. I’ll write more on the art projects in a future blog.

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Posted in Teaching, Teaching Tips

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The Bradt Travel Writing Competition 2009

Posted on April 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: May 15, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.bradt-travelguides.com/infopage.asp?PageID=101

“Destination Unknown” is the theme of this year’s Bradt Travel Writing Competition. This is no ordinary travel writing contest. The prizes are lucrative, fun, and unique.

The first place winner will receive a vacation for two in Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia. In addition, The Independent on Sunday, a UK-based paper, “will offer a commission for a 900-word article based on the winner’s prize holiday,” according to the guidelines.

It gets even better. If you are previously unpublished, and you are a winner, you will receive a weekend-long writing course in Cordoba, Spain, sponsored by Traveller’s Tales, a UK-based travel writing agency.

Make sure to read the winning entries from 2008 and 2007, and notice how they evoke emotion as well as visuals. That’s what makes a narrative non-fiction piece stand out from the rest.

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Posted in Contests, Contests May

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Professional Development for Teachers

Posted on April 21, 2009 | Leave a comment

Now is the time of year that teachers begin to think about professional development plans for the summer. Some teachers just want a few weeks off to recuperate after logging 60-70 hour weeks for ten months. Other teachers are ready to dive into something more.

During a recent meeting, teacher-mentors discussed things they do during their breaks. Here are some ideas that were shared:

  • Teach English in a foreign country. These positions typically pay all expenses plus a stipend. Bonus: you get immersed in another culure.
  • Begin working on National Board Certification. Scholarships are available for teachers pursuing this.
  • Travel to a foreign country for a language immersion class. Some of these offer residencies in a local home, or at a local school.
  • Join a consortium for a writing project, a science project, or a math project.
  • Join a lesson study group. I joined a science lesson study program two years ago, and it was a remarkable experience.
  • Take summer courses at the local university or college. (Does swimming count?)
  • Volunteer in a local program. Professional development for teachers includes being active community members.

All of these are wonderful choices of ways to spend some of your time off. Anything that expands the mind and spirit, and renews your sense of self, qualifies as part of an educator’s professional development. Plan now for an enriching summer.

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Posted in Teaching, Teaching Tips

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The Crucible Fiction and Poetry Contest

Posted on April 20, 2009 | Leave a comment

Contest: The Crucible Poetry and Fiction Competition

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: May 1, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.barton.edu/academics/english/crucible.htm

Jump on this one right away. Barton College’s literary journal, The Crucible will accept entries for its contest until May 1, 2009. Guidelines are very specific, so be sure to read them carefully. The fiction word limit is 8,000 words, three copies of the manuscript must be submitted, and winners will receive up to $150 and publication in the Fall issue.

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Posted in Contests, Contests April, Contests May

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Turn Off Your TV Week

Posted on April 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

Get ready to turn off that remote and pull out some family activities!manwithtvclarita

Turn Off Your TV Week is a semi-annual event, happening this year on April 20-26, then again on September 20-26.

TVTurnOff.org has plenty of ideas for ways to celebrate this week at school and in your community. For information about television viewing statistics, see this article.

There’s no doubt about it…turning off the TV for a week will be hard. I’m a big fan of movies, so I’ll have to forgo a few this week. As for television series, I only watch one. And I can DVR that.

Buena suerte for National TV Turn Off Week! Have fun.

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Posted in Teaching

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Lunch Hour Stories 2009 Short Story Contest

Posted on April 16, 2009 | 3 Comments

Entry Fee: $10 (or submit to the e-zine for free)

Deadline: June 30, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.lunchhourbooks.com/shop/home.php?content=short_story_contest&osCsid=208475bfa6590538e1a0a4c0083fe907

Lunch Hour Stories hosts an annual short story writing contest. This year’s opens on April 1, 2009, and all entries are due by June 30, 2009. They are looking for mainstream stories between 4,000 and 8,000 words; something that a person could read on a lunch hour. The grand prize winner receives $150 cash and publication. They also publish a selection of other entries that did not win. They allow up to three submissions in each envelope, however, each entry requires a $10 fee. If your wallet is clamping shut at the mention of a $10 fee, you might want to consider simply submitting your story for publication in the magazine. You must include a short synopsis of the story with your submission. The Lunch Hour Stories website has Tips for Better Stories to help you craft a story they will accept.

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Posted in Contests, Contests June

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Tony Hillerman Prize for First Novel

Posted on April 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

 

Deadline: June 1, 2009

 

Guidelines: http://www.wordharvest.com/index.php/contests/novelcontest

If you have been working on a mystery novel set in the American Southwest, you may want to consider entering it into the Tony Hillerman Prize for First Novel contest. Sadly, Tony Hillerman passed away last October, but his contest will live on, co-sponsored by St. Martin’s Press. Last year’s winner, Roy Chaney, will see his winning novel, The Ragged Edge of Nowhere, published in the Fall of 2009.

The prize is $10,000 plus a bag of Tony Hillerman’s books, as well as publication. Surprisingly, there is there is no entry fee for this prestigious contest. So you have nothing to lose. Even if you don’t win, you’ll gain experience in the submission process.

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Posted in Contests, Contests June

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Glimmer Train Fiction Writing Contest

Posted on April 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

Entry Fee: FREE

Deadline: April 30, 2011

Guidelines: Glimmer Train

Glimmer Train is a literary magazine that runs a highly competitive quarterly contest. Publication in Glimmer Train is definitely a feather in your writing cap! The winner of each contest wins $700, publication, and ten copies of the issue in which the story appears. Stories may be as long as 12,000 words, but no shorter than 500. You may submit up to three stories at one time. If you miss the April 30 deadline, there is another contest ending on July 31. It’s excellent practice to submit to contests and Glimmer Train is one of the best.

Good luck!

 

(This post was edited on March 14, 2011, to reflect the current closing date.)

 

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Posted in Contests, Contests April

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