Scott, Michelle and I are excited to announce our 3rd annual writing contest and anthology. This year, we present "Variations on a Theme".
As opposed to last year's celebration of free creativity with "Notes From Underground", this year we wanted to offer writers a more concrete jumping off point. Entries for "Variations on a Theme" should be inspired by one of two stories:
"The Tinderbox", a classic fairy tale
or
"The Huntsman" by Anton Chekhov
As there are different versions of both of these stories, you're free to use any version you choose as inspiration. If you click on the links above, you'll be taken to public domain versions you're welcome to use. (Or feel free to search for other versions of the story if you wish.) And, we're interpreting the phrase "inspired by" rather loosely, so writers definitely shouldn't feel too restricted by it.
Stories can be written in any genre and can be up to 3,000 words long. We do, however, prefer short stories as opposed to poems or visual artwork. The contest is open until December 31, 2011 at midnight PST. Paste your stories in the body of an e-mail to LiteraryLab@gmail.com.
We plan to announce our selections around the end of January, but please be a tad patient since we do this during our free time. Once again we have the wonderful Becca Brown serving as our organizer so the three of us won't know who writes what story.
We'll be publishing roughly 20 of the stories in our 3rd Annual Literary Lab Presents... anthology, which will come out in the first half of 2012. Additionally, this year, we're offering two cash prizes.
Our favorite story will receive $200, and our first runner-up will receive $100.
The three of us will also be including our own attempts at the contest, simply because we want to play along. Our stories won't be eligible for any prizes, and we'll make it clear in the anthology that they were not part of the official contest.
We hope you'll try out "Variations on a Theme"! We're excited to be able to reward at least some of our writers this year. We look forward to your entries!
Also, please help us spread the word.
Questions? Or just general excitement? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks for opening this adventure for us. I look forward to participating and am still in awe of your willingness once again to take this project on. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally in, and I'll put the widgets on my blog! I'm going through a big contest frenzy right now. Don't know if I'll ever win any of these contests, but it certainly doesn't hurt to try.
ReplyDeleteooh - I like this contest. I've already posted the button on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very intruiging contest!
ReplyDeleteOn a semi-related note, I just blogged about an amazing collection of short stories by Pakistani author Daniyal Mueenuddin called In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. (His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Zoetrope, Granta, etc.) For the post, I had to google something and came across an inteview in which Mueenuddin said that he is "never not reading Chekov."
Thought Scott might enjoy that!
Judith: Happy writing if you plan on sending in a story!
ReplyDeleteTiffany: Oh, that's fantastic! I won't know what's yours until after the contest is entirely completed, but I'm still excited to read your work. :)
Mary: Thank you for your help in spreading the word!
ja: I think Scott will like that a lot! I even like that. :)
I'm glad to hear some people are excited about this! :) I always have a hard time starting my stories from a source like this, but I see it as a good challenge for myself.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, congrats to whoever designed this contest logo; it is very appealing.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I applaud your idea for this year's theme. I find this a very interesting idea and am already anxious to see the anthology. :)
I like Mueenuddin's stories. I'm never not reading Shakespeare (this weeks it's MacBeth!) and I'm going to be reading a lot more Chekhov in the future.
ReplyDeleteI hope we get a lot of participation in this contest. It could be tons of fun. Both of the stories we've picked as "themes" are heavily indebted to previous stories and they also have a lot of elements in common. People should feel free to borrow from both sources; I know I will. Mashups welcome!
I had planned to not participate this year, but the idea is pretty cool... My resistance is already wearing down. Hmm................
ReplyDeleteYay, I was too scared to enter last year. I'm excited to see if I can come up with anything this year. Off to read the stories.
ReplyDeleteI command no one to be afraid!
ReplyDeleteI have an idea, let's see if I can turn it into a workable story for this...
ReplyDeleteEnglish: I designed that super-fast yesterday before church. I had totally forgotten that I needed to get it to Davin for today...lol. So I'm glad you think it looks good!
ReplyDeleteScott: I'm very happy you're reading the Scottish play. It's my fave, you know.
Nevets: If you ever don't participate, I will give you the angry eyes.
Oh, that is exciting! And y'all have picked great source materials.
ReplyDeleteI commend everyone to their inner bravery: onward Mighty Writers!
ReplyDeleteNo! Not the evil eyes!
ReplyDeleteExactly, Mr. Nevets. Be very afraid.
ReplyDeleteMichelle: The MacBeths were the only really happily-married couple in all of Shakespeare. I say that without a drop of irony or sarcasm.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think my hubby and I chose that play to model our online names from? Yes, we're crazy, but we're not murderous, at least. :)
ReplyDeleteThe real-life MacBeths were heroes, too. Just like you and Adam!
ReplyDeleteScott, there is a book I want to read about Lady MacBeth.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2102468.Lady_Macbeth
If you have any other suggestions, I'm happy to take them.
I'll see what's on the shelf at home, though we surely own many more books about Eleanor of Aquitane than we do about Scottish history.
ReplyDeleteSome of the old histories about the MacBeths are the most interesting, but it's been years and years since I've looked at those to remember the authors or titles. If any come to me, I'll mention them.
ReplyDeleteEspecially if it helps buy me a little evil eye insurance.
Michelle, have you read "King Hereafter" by Dorothy Dunnett? It's long and I can't remember how much you get of Lady Macbeth in it but it's filled with fascinating Macbeth backstory and tons of obscure early Scottish history. -M.R.
ReplyDelete*sob* Three words for you, Davin. Picture book anthology. *wink* Costly yes, but oh so worth it.
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely put the button on my sidebar even though it isn't a picture book anthology. <3
And I was hoping for The Life of Secret Chambermaids...
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent idea. I'm not afraid - I'm in!
I'm not surprised, Michelle. I find I quite like most of your artwork I've seen. I love your Cinders cover, for example. You have a really good eye.
ReplyDelete(P.S. My father is both a fine artist and a commercial artist, so I've spent an entire lifetime looking at artwork. I do have a good background in this sort of thing. Plus, you know I have zero tact and say exactly what I think, so this is a very valid compliment from me.)
Well done, indeed.
Scott, May I suggest the following general sources on Scottish history?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rampantscotland.com/
I especially like this section on Scottish authors and other famous Scots:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/famousscots.htm
This is a pretty good link on MacBeth from the Scottish POV:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfammacbeth.htm
and this one:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/clans/blclanmacbean.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/
If you want Scottish history more recent than MacBeth, this book is an easy and fun choice:
http://www.amazon.com/How-Scots-Invented-Modern-World/dp/0609809997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312254704&sr=8-1
And I find this one a very easy-to-use reference book:
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-History-Scotland-James-Mackay/dp/184204043X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312254775&sr=1-1
Hope this helps. I just pulled my favorites off my bookmarks and off my bookshelf.
(Why, yes, I did my master's in Scotland. Why ever do you ask? :) )
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ReplyDeleteThe MacBeth link should read:
ReplyDeletewww.rampantscotland.com/famous/blfmmacbeth.htm
I also struggle to start from a source, but I shall see if I can come up with something.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI messed up my last comment. Yikes! No sleep.
ReplyDeleteEveryone could do their take on my favorite picture book. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. They have Halloween costumes based the characters now. Jammies too. Just a thought, you guys...
Robyn, that's not a bad idea! :) We should keep that in mind for the next time this contest comes around. I like your gumption!
ReplyDeleteI shall not fear! I shall not fear! I shall not . . . oh, crap. I feared.
ReplyDeleteHello. Just found your site through a widget on someone else's blog. I write fairy tale retellings so this is right up my alley. Now to work!
ReplyDelete