May
08

Young Writers Competitions and Opportunities

Calling all young writers, playwrights and poets!  Lots of regular and new young writers’ competitions and opportunities have opened up. Some are closing soon.

So flex those writing muscles and get your entries in fast. (Only if they’ve been buffed and polished and proofed, of course.) You’ll find further details and some great new resources on my Young Writers’ Resources page, such as details of two Katharine Susannah Prichard residential places in WA, The John Marsden and Hachette Australia and Scribe Non-fiction Prizes, plus lots more comp details, events and happenings.

All fabulous opportunities to get your writing in front of judges, publishers and selection panels and there’s some not insignificant cash prizes on offer too.

So get those stories and poems in fast for the comps closing soon.

Some tips for success:

  • Follow submission guidelines (exactly)
  • Redraft, redraft, redraft
  • Read your work aloud to pick up jars and jolts and to check for rhythm
  • Vary your sentence structure
  • Be strenuous at spell-checking and proofreading
  • Give your work a few weeks “air time” (you’ll pick up things you never noticed when you go back to it after a break)
  • Flick off that fear goblin nagging on your shoulder. If you’ve put in the work – it’s ready. Repeat – flick and submit.

If you know of any writing opportunities or competitions for young writers, not listed on the YWR page, I’d love you to leave me the details in a comment or email me the link. Thnx. And Good luck!

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Categories: Competitions Young Writers Resources

Praise for No Small Shame

Christine Bell’s No Small Shame is impossible to put down. Her writing is wonderful, wise and empathetic. No Small Shame is a masterful debut novel, and an excellent addition to Australia’s historical fiction genre. Full review.

- Better Reading

Bell’s evocation of setting is an outstanding feature of the novel. Her social and physical landscapes of the years 1909 to 1919 are vivid with sensory and historical colour. Full Review.

- Westerly Magazine

Once I started reading No Small Shame, I could not stop. I was utterly swept up by Mary’s story and her refusal to settle for the life she is expected to lead.

- Kate Mildenhall, Author (The Mother Fault, Skylarking)

This is a novel of darkness and hope, full of insight, and written beautifully, with intelligence and sensitivity. A wonderful debut … Full review.

- Robyn Cadwallader, Author (The Anchoress, The Book of Colours)

Be prepared to be transported into the past, to be caught up in a slice of Aussie history but, mostly, swept away in a completely relatable and beautifully told tale that will move and, in the end, fill you. Outstanding. Full review.

- Karen Brooks - Author (The Chocolate Maker's Daughter, The Darkest Shore ...)

An absorbing, convincing and heartbreaking picture of a woman trapped in an impossible marriage. I ached for Mary and grew to love the defiant spirit shining through her doubts and fears.

- Jane Sullivan, Literary Critic and Author (Storytime, Little People)

Mary O’Donnell’s journey to self-awareness will have you turning the pages until the heartbreaking climax.

- Lauren Chater, Author (The Lace Weaver, Gulliver's Wife, The Winter Dress)

Mary’s compelling journey and her indomitable spirit are heartbreaking, moving and inspirational. This novel is a well-researched examination of the roles and rights of women at that time, the struggles and discrimination they faced, the hardships they were expected to endure and the small victories they celebrated, often silently.  Full review.

- Cass Moriaty, Author (The Promise Seed, Parting Words)

No Small Shame is a beautiful and inspiring story about female power. Christine Bell gives us a brilliant story of female heroism and shows us that women are capable of much more than we could ever really know. Full review.

- Courtney Dyer, TheBookSlut.com

Compelling and addictive. … a rich and absorbing experience. Full Review.

- Angela Wauchop: Backstory History Journal

What distinguishes the novel is its rich characterization. Each character in this carefully drawn work lifts off the page, evoking our enduring interest and empathy.

- Nadine Davidoff, Freelance Book Editor

An epic tale of a woman who finds her voice and ultimately, her agency. Meticulously researched, ambitious in scope and compelling in realisation.

- Christine Balint, Author (Salt Letters, Ophelia's Fan)

My heart hurt, my heart soared, and I was left thinking about the amazing women who paved the way for women today. Full review.

- BJs Reviews

No Small Shame is an important reminder of how far we have come in Australia … and how much we need to protect. It is a story crafted with great empathy – and immense believability. Full Review.

- Dr Wendy Dunn, author/poet (Dear Heart, How Like You This? Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters)

No Small Shame is an exquisitely written, absorbing and intelligent story of love, betrayal and the painful journey to self-awareness.

- Alison Goodman, author (Eon/Eona, Lady Helen and the Dark Days series, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies)

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