Writing Websites

Strongest Start Novel Competition

Over $3,300 in Prizes, Feedback, and Exposure.

Submit the first three chapters of your novel. Grand prize award of:

$500 cash.
$2,500 self-publishing solution from CreateSpace.
Feedback on every chapter you submit.
The chance to meet other authors, get motivated, and get noticed.
$100 cash awards for the following sub-categories:

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Romance
Memoir and Non-fiction
Everyone who enters receives feedback, motivation, and advice.

Keep Us Reading

We know that writing a compelling start isn’t easy. So, for the fourth year we’ve put together a motivational competition to help you hone your first three chapters to perfection (if you haven’t already). We’re looking for opening chapters that will create a burning need to find out what happens, how the characters turn out, how the novel resolves itself. The kind of start that gets an agent to call back, a publisher to show interest, and a reader to plunk down their hard earned money. Above all, give us three opening chapters that will keep us reading.

Submission deadline: June 8, 2010

Learn more about the Strongest Start Novel Competition

Butterfly Award

I received this award several days ago now and I wanted to say a belated thank you to Suzette Saxton and her sister, Bethany Wiggins for giving it to me. It’s supposed to go out to cool, inventive sites and I do know more than a few now:

Rick at The Public Query Slushpile has a blog that does an enormous service to those of us struggling to write query letters. Submit your query and find out if it works for John Q.(for Query) Public.

Sandi Rog at The Book Doctor also gives awesome feedback in a variety of ways and from a variety of voices including Dave King’s. He’s the co-author of “Self-Editing For Fiction Writers” and if you haven’t read it, you need to.

The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood gives great advice on a daily basis.

Ray Rhamey at Flogging the Quill is tough, but GOOD. He’ll help you whip your opening 17 lines into memorable art.

Authoress at Miss Snark’s First Victim has provided thousands of people with insight through her contests and a few blessed readers have found agents.

Obviously, I like these sites because of how much information and assistance they give to others. If you know of similar sites, let me know! I like posting the links on my sidebar, for one thing. 🙂