I love a novel that deals with real life issues - good and bad - in a sensitive and believable way.There are several books that are my inspiration as to how to tell my story which is based on a true passage of time and varied events interwoven into fiction. There is beauty and cruelty in true life.

Do you know any books that can deal with extremely violent and troubled issues and yet do so in a such a gentle way you do not need to look away, just be moved by the circumstances and end with a feel good or bitter sweet experience?


Read Life Retold as Fiction www.kathrynshell.com‎

My NaNoWriMo novel draft is romping ahead with multiple chapters set up in Scrivener with copious notes in all of them.  I am working across the entire novel at once so it is hard to calculate word count as some of it is only jerky words that will trigger a memory when I am ready to construct the information into sentences.  I wouldn't be surprised however if I hit the 50,000 word mark in less than 2 weeks the way i am going.  Sure I am tired. That is because I have not been 'switching off' and sleeping well at night..wanting to stay up and keep writing, not because I am not making a firm effort to get to bed early so as to be up early to write.    I hope that my body will adapt to this routine soon.

While my NaNoWriMo month is in progress I have decided I can do it and maintain my normal work which currently ios selling some items on EBay and writing short stories and essay length work for a small fee for service and for competitions. 

I am back from the post office following posting two parcels of downsizing goodies to my EBay clients and another writing competition short story entry.  I loved writing that short story.  I sent two entries, one was called "Wake Up Darling," and the second entry, a far better edited version of the first and coming in at exactly the word limit of 1,500 words, I called "Wake Up." 

As it was a rush to make the deadline and I did enjoy the short story writing experience so much, I have decided to write with another short story competition in mind.  I could also join these short stories together in an anthology of short stories.  Some of these short stories if not published could even be used as a chapter in a novel, with a little rework.

I have done a search of my mail box and found another short story competition and I am about to begin work on this one.:-
The Stringybark Short Story Award 2011 is for any short story of a maximum of 1,400 words, written by anyone, of any genre that has some reference to Australia.n  The winner receives A$300 cash, a certificate, publication in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy of the book.  Second place receives  A$125 cash, a certificate, publication in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy of the book.  Third place, A$50 cash, a certificate and publication in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy of the book.
Stories must be sent via email.   Closing date for entries is 18 December  2011.  Winners will be notified by 31 January 2012.

For further information click here.

I love it when I can send my entries by EMail. That makes it easier for me.  I plan to begin my writing for this short story competition, today and spend time both in my eBaty store and writing my novel. lol...it is all comnnectwriting and I LOVE IT. :-).

I had fun writing a short story entry to a competition this morning and popping it into an express post envelope to just make the deadline tomorrow. It was fun. No time to edit...written straight though without a word changed aside from the proof edited typos fixed. It was fun writing.

Now if it doesn't make the grade as a short story I can even work it into a novel. I think I'll do a few more short writing competitions I thoroughly enjoyed doing this one.


Who would choose to be a writer's dog? We have some tough days to get though. Writing competition deadline days..thay are the worst forms of doggie neglect. It was a flurry of activity today, Mum...read more here,
Odyssey House, Short Story Competition, a Dog's Perspective. www.doggiesblog.com

I frequently end up with chapters I cut from my main story and feel these will convert well into a short story.  I also write long blog posts that can be extended to a short story.  So when it comes to looking at the opportunities for short story writing I find there are many competitions about and half my work is usually done for me as there will be something part written I can use.  I need to begin entering some of these story writing opportunities, it could be a good way to build my writing reputation. Here is an opportunity from Pan Magazine.  If you join a professional writers organization in your home town or country you will receive notification of opportunities like this one.

PAN Magazine is a cultural biannual with a literary bent which includes the work of emerging and established writers. Each issue, we place a small selection of poetry and prose alongside articles, essays and photography.

Space is, as always, at a premium. They consider stories up to three thousand words and poetry to fifty lines (negotiable), although nothing curls their toes like some snappy mini and microfiction.

PAN's theme is 'Why?' They accept a very broad interpretation of this theme.

  They admire inventiveness, uncertainty and tension; conversely, are wary of didacticism, deus ex machinas and melodrama. As a non-profit journal, they can only offer contributor copies to their published authors, although this situation may change.

Send your short fiction to: PANstories@gmail.com
and poetry to: submissions@panmagazine.com by 31st December, 2011.

If you prefer snail mail, post to: Submissions Team @ PAN magazine, PO Box 1003, Newtown, NSW 2042. They reply to all contributors, successful or not, about a month after the submission window closes.
Have an idea for an article or essay? Send a pitch to submissions@panmagazine.com

I am writing a sequel to my NaNoWriMo 2010 winning book for my 2011 NaNoWrMo participation. 

I foreshadowed things in the first book, introduced minor characters who will take on a more important role in the sequel  I closed off all the main story points in the original book but in closing I opened a door on the last page, and refereed to it on the last line, a story left unresolved and of course the main characters had the future ahead of them still. 

So my first novel is not disconnected to the sequel and yet each will stand alone.  I have not decided the exact passage of time between works, possibly just a few years...it isn't relevant the time, it is the story and the continuity to the first book that is important in a sequel, I believe.

What do you think?.