Emerald Writing Workshops

WRITING COMPETITIONS 2012

Try your hand at Flash Fiction. Maximum 500 words. Postal entries only. Closing dates are February 28, May 31, August 31, November 30, December 3, 2012. £100 prize fund per competition. Open to anyone in the world of any age.

Terms and Conditions

1. To avoid excess postal charges send your entries in an envelope no larger than A5.

2. Postal entries only (except for four sentence story). No entry form. Entries must be in English. Enclose a cover sheet with your contact details, your story title and word count. It helps if you indicate how you heard about the competition.

3. Entries can be single or double spaced. Entries from different people can go in one envelope. Comps  with different closing dates can go in one envelope with just one cover sheet.

4. No publication route offered but first prizewinners will have their stories published on the website.
Copyright remains with the authors. No entries can be returned so do not enclose SAEs.

5. Those shortlisted will receive a brief critique and will be notified prior to final judging.

6. Entries must be unpublished originals and not currently submitted elsewhere.

7. Winners will be notified within 30 days of closing date. Maximum 500 words excluding title.
Entrants can submit up to three entries per competition.
 

8. The prize fund for 2012 is £500 which is £100 per competition. First £65; Second £20; Third £15.
Three runners-up will receive a book of short stories.
 

9. Entry fees: For one entry enclose 5 second class stamps or cheque for £1.80(payable to E.Walsh).
For two entries in the same comp enclose 9 second class stamps or cheque for £3.24. For three entries in the same comp enclose 12 second class stamps or cheque for £4.32. Overseas entrants can pay through PayPal via my email address which is edwardjohnwalsh@hotmail.com  If paypal is not an option then you can send a five euro note which will cover three entries and these can be for different comps; just remind me on your cover sheets.
Queries welcome via email but do not email your stories(except for four sentence story). Attachments  will not be opened.
 

10. Themes and closing dates are as follows:
February 28, 2012. Maximum 500 words set on a train.
May 31, 2012. Maximum 500 words to include the words NOBODY WILL EVER KNOW.
August 31, 2012. Maximum 500 words about anything you like.
November 30, 2012. Maximum 500 words on the theme TRAPPED.
December 3, 2012. Write a Four Sentence Story. £20 to each of the best five entries and publicaton on the website. For this comp only you can submit in the body of an email along with your contact details in the same email and mention a previous comp you entered. Postal entrants can put their contact details on the same sheet in this comp only. Entry to this comp is free but only those who have entered an emerald comp in 2010, 2011 or 2012 are eligible to enter.

11. Please post your entries to Eddie Walsh, 4 Abbott Street, Long Eaton, Nottingham NG10 1DF.
December 16th update. Five entries received for the TRAIN competition. One entry received for the Nobody Will Ever Know comp. One entry received for the Anything You Like comp.
Third year of flash fiction competitions. £500 in prize money.
www.emeraldwritingworkshops.co.uk

OPTIONAL CRITIQUE SERVICE
While I can only give a brief critique of those on the longlist, some entrants have said they would like a more detailed critique of their work. Therefore I am now offering critiques of all entries by post if you double your entry fees. Your stories will be returned to you post free with my comments as soon as possible after the closing date.

WIN BOOK PRIZES................ Free entry to everybody competition to win crime novels. You can enter by email or post. Closing date January 31, 2012. Answer some simple questions and submit in the body of an email(NO ATTACHMENTS)to edwardjohnwalsh@hotmail.com (put win book prizes in subject box) or enter at the same time as you submit a story( put your answers on the cover sheet).
Include your name and county or city and email. Those outside the UK/Ireland can just give their country. I will contact winners for their postal addresses. Seven entries with the correct answers will be drawn to win a crime novel each. Just list your answers alongside the question numbers. One entry per household.
1. Agatha Christie wrote a novel titled THE LADY IN THE LIBRARY. True or False?
2. Crime author Joseph Hansen writes about an investigator named DAVE. True or False?
3. The Postman Only Rings When He Can Be Bothered is a short story by Peter Guttridge. True or False?

Results will be announced on the WIN BOOK PRIZES page within 14 days of closing date. December 16th update: 23 correct entries received to date.