What is "Notes From Underground"?
The title comes from a novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that is part rambling narrative and part story. It's a piece of writing that is both highly experimental and deeply personal. For the contest, we want you writers to feel that same freedom of expression, taking out the judging process to the best of our ability.
To do that, we have two steps to the selection process. The second step will be completely non-competitive.
Step 1:
By August 15, we want to see a 5-page free-form application that convinces us that your writing should be included in the anthology. This will be the "contest" part of the contest. You can use words, images...whatever you want (that can be e-mailed). It doesn't have to be the story that you want to publish, even though that would be all right. It doesn't have to be a story at all. It could be a proposal, a resume, a story idea, poetry, flattery...anything. Got it? Anything.
From this first pool of applications, we'll pick 25 winners that we are excited about showcasing. These writers will be announced on September 15 and they will be guaranteed 10 pages in our anthology. Then, for them, it's on to the next step.
Step 2:
The actual writing! The 25 writers selected in Step 1 will now have 3 months to finish the story that they would like us to publish. Here, aside from the 10-page space limitation, you are the boss. We will do no judging, no critiquing, nothing unless you ask it of us. Whatever you turn in on December 15 will be exactly what we publish to the best of our ability. This writing will be an expression of you, you, and only you.
So, there you go! We hope you are excited about the contest, because we are. We feel like this is one of the few chances a writer has to really see what they would write when no one else is dictating rules to them. We're accepting applications now. Paste your 5 pages into the body of your e-mail and send them to LiteraryLab@gmail.com. All applications will be anonymous to the judges.
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If you'd like to see an example of an entry, click here.
Grab our button and help us promote!
To put our button on your blog, follow these instructions:
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If you'd like to see an example of an entry, click here.
Okay, I'm anxiously awaiting responses here! What do you guys think? Is this contest exciting to you? I'm very excited about it, but I'm also on the other end...
ReplyDeleteExciting - yes.
ReplyDeleteDaunting - yes.
Creatively inspiring - yes.
Overwhelming - possibly.
Will I participate - umm, I'll have to get back to you on that one.
I'm gonna ditto Scott on this one. Though the idea does sound incredibly intriguing.
ReplyDeleteScott: Um, isn't this perfect? No limits! I can see you jumping all over this. You know you will... :)
ReplyDeleteStephanie: I admit that it does sound overwhelming and quite intriguing. I think we may have to stress that anyone can do this - it's not like you have to have an MFA or something. Think about it - hope you consider!
Put me down for a definite maybe.
ReplyDeleteThat's three maybes! I guess it will have to do for now. Honestly, I'm glad to hear people say it's both exciting and daunting. I suppose that's what we wanted it to be. (But, I also hope some people want to give it a try!)
ReplyDeleteDavin, I think a regular contest would just be a regular contest. We're all about risks and excitement, right? Right... :)
ReplyDeleteI think three maybes is a good start!
Sounds a little freaky, but I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteThat's three maybes and an intrigue! :) Hi Mary!
ReplyDeleteNo time to comment. Working. Working. Working.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone so far: exciting and daunting! But it also sounds incredibly fun! I love the contest format. It's like an audition.
ReplyDeleteHahahaa! How much fun is THAT? Genius idea, folks. Genius!
ReplyDeleteI shall write a 5-page application redolent with virtue and spiritual themes and nobility, then turn around and write 10 pages of utter smut for the anthology.
Erm... okay, perhaps not. But I could. You guys are admirably adventurous!
:D
freeform application: scary because the possibilities are so vast. I tend to freeze up in situations such as this but maybe I'll give it a try. Be gone, fearful spirit!
ReplyDeleteJust remember:
ReplyDelete1. You don't have to fill five pages if you don't want/need to.
2. It doesn't have to be experimental; it could be a short story or other example of your writing. But it could be experimental.
3. We aren't looking for anything in particular, so don't think we are. We don't know what we're looking for. We're just looking. That's what we mean by "free-form." You don't have to break down the barriers of form and structure, but you can if you want. Hell, we don't even know what "break down the barriers of form and structure" really means.
4. Mr. Larter, I look forward to your 10 pages of smut. You may email them to my private address today if you insist.
Yat-Yee, I tend to freeze up to. But, I think answering the question of what you would do when nobody is looking is an important one to answer.
ReplyDeleteChuck, I hope you give this a try if you're excited about it!
ReplyDeleteMissy, it does come off like an audition, doesn't it? It's a bit of a shame because we don't really even want to do that. But, naturally due to space, we have to have some sort of selection.
Simon, I'd love to see what you come up with. Of course we won't, since it's anonymous!
Well, unless Simon is chosen, and then we'll know. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mary, sounds intriguing. I'm a little confused with the format, I guess? I can write anything I want, and if chosen could have it printed in an anthology?
ReplyDeleteI know what I would write about, but how does it work with rights to the story and all that. Just curious. :)
Charity, I'll do a q&a post tomorrow and try to answer your questions and anyone else's. So ask away, everyone!
ReplyDeleteExciting? Yes! Confusing? Yes! But t'would appear to be something a writer can really run with (or away from!)I look forward to your Q&A and now I'm going to see how your button looks in my sidebar.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm game. It sounds intriguing and yes, daunting and... oh my! A challenge!
ReplyDeleteCharity, I'm glad Michelle will do a Q&A tomorrow. Hopefully that will clarify things. Briefly, though, as in our last anthology, we would just ask for first publication rights of your final story.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, thanks a lot for mentioning the contest on your own blog. We appreciate it!
Robin, I believe you're our first official yes! (Simon may be a yes too, but his comment is riddled with sarcasm, and it's hard to tell.)
Thanks Michelle and Davin. I will most likely send you a little something as well. :)
ReplyDeleteReally, I'm your first official yes. Cool! I just posted about it on my blog. Looking forward to seeing who else commits.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant. And brave. I hope you get content that lives up to such an awesome logo. I'm proud to be in the first Genre Wars Anthology. Readers have been impressed with the quality of all the stories. I have a feeling this is going to be a significant literary journal if you guys can keep it up.
ReplyDeleteAnne, We're honored to have your work in our first anthology. I agree that readers have been impressed with it. At first, honestly, I think people were surprised by how good it was. I was surprised at their reaction. But, then I realized that I was proud of all the stories we had collected and there was no reason I should think someone else wouldn't be. We had contributions from many great writers, and of course some great entries from other writers that we didn't have room for.
ReplyDeleteEeeep. Applications make me cringe. But free-form, well, my CV in limericks, haiku and drabble. There's a possibility. You may take that as a maybe. :D You guys are way too cool.
ReplyDeleteTricia, It can definitely be a writing sample. You've been steadily posting lovely work over at your blog for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWell, sign me up. I was a little intimidated by that 5 pages free fall, but if Scott says 2 would be fine, then I should be able to ramble in 2-3. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the long deadline.
.....dhole
What an entirely incredible opportunity. Thank you for it.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to try this...I love pushing the envelope on my writing.
I haven't felt this free since I was a little kid with a brand new box of Crayolas and a pile of construction paper...
Donna, I'm excited you're going to play along!
ReplyDeleteFebruary Grace, that's about the best response we could have hoped for!
this sounds AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteJenni
Jenni, we're glad you like it. We hope you give it a shot!
ReplyDeleteThis is so much fun! It reminds me of a visual art show I just heard about in which artists were selected through some kind of process, but then they got to submit anything they wanted to the show without any judgment or censorship. I didn't get to see the show, but it must have been wild.
ReplyDeleteGenie, I also once herad of a contest where the artist one a space in a building, and they could do whatever they wanted to fill the space using only $500. That was cool too.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I came up with something, from nothing, laying in bed (not sleeping when I should be). There isn't any other place for it, but I will wait to edit until I have a fresh mind and eyes more vigilant.
ReplyDeleteThe excitement is pliable!!! Good luck everyone!
Aimee, We've received a small handful of applications already, so you're not the only one who was ready to go! If this is anything like last year, we'll be getting a pretty steady stream of applications.
ReplyDeleteQueen Mab, I love the uniqueness you are implying here!
What a fantastic contest! I'm so glad I found out about it before the due date. Off to put up the link on my blog...
ReplyDelete