Writing Resources on iTunesU

For those of you interested in developing your writing style there are a number of podcasts produced by the Open University that are available for download free of charge from the iTunes store.

These podcasts replicate some of the course material for a number of Open University courses, from introductory modules such as Start Writing Fiction and Start Writing Plays to some of the advanced creative writing courses that are offered.

Topics covered range from from developing your ideas and characters to the process of re-drafting and revising your work and are often produced using input from established authors and playwrights such as Alan Ayckbourn and Hanif Kureishi.

To get these podcasts, visit the iTunes store. Click on iTunesU from the home page and select Literature from the categories.

Duotrope Digest

Duotrope's Digest is a free writers' resource listing over 2575 current Fiction and Poetry publications. More details on their website.

I haven't used this site, so if anyone has and is able to supply feedback to post on the StOW blog, please do so.
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Crimewave: submission guidelines

From their website:

We are always open to submissions of new modern crime and mystery short stories of up to about 10,000 words in length. Follow these simple guidelines:

• Send your manuscript mailed flat or folded no more than once, in standard manuscript format — typed (not handwritten!), double spaced, good margins all round, printed in black ink on one side of white paper, numbered pages, keyword from story title and author's name on each page — with a covering letter and adequate return postage (ie a stamped, self-addressed envelope).
• Please include a covering letter but don't worry too much about it, just introduce yourself and list any relevant credits, things like that. If you've never been published before tell us this too — we've published many debut stories over the years.
• Use a paper clip to hold pages together, not staples or any kind of binder. There is no need to place your manuscript inside a folder. An ordinary paper envelope is sufficient, don't use bulky padded envelopes.

There are more guidelines. To read these go here.

Next meeting: a reminder

The next StOW meeting is scheduled for the 4th September, at 10.00 am at the usual venue -- the Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre. All aspiring writers are welcome -- just come along and bring something you've written. You may want to read it out to the group (you don't have to!).

Google versus authors

"This is the settlement administration website for the Google Book Search Copyright Class Action Settlement. The purpose of this website is to inform you of a proposed Settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by authors and publishers, claiming that Google has violated their copyrights and those of other Rightsholders of books and inserts, by scanning their Books, creating an electronic database and displaying short excerpts without the permission of the copyright holders."

To read more, go here.

Writers' workshops at WHC2010

From today's press release:

The World Horror Convention 2010 is excited to announce that we will be holding three different Creative Writing Workshops over the convention, to be tutored by MORT CASTLE, NANCY KILPATRICK and JO FLETCHER.

Mort Castle has been a writer for over four decades, and a writing teacher for almost as many years. He developed and edited Writing Horror for the HWA in 1997 and the expanded and revised edition, On Writing Horror, published in 2006 by Writer’s Digest. Mort will be holding two separate four-hour courses on Creative Writing.

Nancy Kilpatrick is the author of the four-book vampire series “Power of the Blood” and several other volumes featuring the Undead. She has taught various writing and editing fiction courses for twenty-two years through George Brown College in Toronto. Nancy will be teaching a four-hour course on Writing Vampire Fiction.

Jo Fletcher, has worked as an editor of fantasy, SF and horror at such major UK publishers as Headline, Mandarin and Penguin Books. She is currently Associate Publisher of Gollancz, Orion’s award-winning fantasy and science fiction imprint. Jo will be running a two-hour course on Publishing and Editing.

Places are strictly limited for individual seminars on a first-come, first-served basis. Information about fees, times and further details are available on our website along with advance registration through PayPal. Whether or not you want to attend the Workshops, you can still have any of the three tutors critique your manuscript for a small fee. Again, all the details can be found on their individual pages on the website.

Steampunk Tales: submission guidelines

The following is taken from the Steampunk website:

If you have authored an original story and would like us to consider publishing it in Steampunk Tales, please follow these submission guidelines. We'd love to consider publishing your Steampunk Tale!

Guidelines:Submission content shall follow the following guidelines:

Stories shall be a minimum of 4,500 words in length. The word count for the story should be displayed at the top of the first page.

Submissions must not have been previously published or posted publically in any form. All content published in Steampunk Tales must be first run.

Stories must be submitted by the author(s) who wrote them. Stories submitted by a third party will not be accepted.

Submissions must consist entirely of original content.

Submissions must not contain any profanity, offensive or obscene content. Steampunk Tales is not intended solely for mature audiences. Content shall not exceed what would be generally found in a PG-13 movie.

For further information on manuscript presentation, visit their website.
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Writing course at Hanley

Pencil this in your diary: a writing course is being planned for Hanley Library for 28/29 November. The cost will be around £20. When I have further details I'll post them here.
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The Hugo Awards

The winners of the Hugo Awards have been announced. They include Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book for Best Novel and editors Ellen Datlow and David Hartwell. The complete list can be found here.
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Angry Robot Short Story Competition

On Friday August 7th, at the World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal, Angry Robot author Lauren Beuke launched a short story competition. The prize includes a chance to have your short story published in Lauren's next book, Zoo City. In order to enter, all you need to do is write a short story (up to 3000 words) based in the Moxyland universe, using characters, themes and settings from the book to create your own work. An excerpt of Moxyland is available to read on authonomy now. Or, if you prefer, you can read the whole book using browse inside.

You can enter the competition by posting your entry into the comments section of the Moxyland book page. Over the next couple of months, Lauren will be on the site and reading every story with her favourite 3 going into her next book, out in Spring 2010. The closing date for entries is September 11th 2009 and we will only accept one entry per person.

The winners will be announced by the Angry Robot team at FantasyCon 2009.

Aesthetica Annual Creative Works Competition

Aesthetica magazine are running their annual creative works competition, which is looking to discover unpublished writing talent. The competition is looking for short stories up to 2000 words in length, with any genre considered. There is a £500 first prize and all winning entries will be published in an anthology that will be available nationwide through Borders bookstores. The closing date for entries is 31st August 2009 and full details of the competition can be found by visiting http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm