Submit Your Darlings

In the summer, and with school out, and my writing schedule eaten up - I love turning to shorter work, stories, poems, hybrid tales that are neither one or the other. There are plenty of places to send work at the moment. I posted previously about submitting to magazines  (and must update the list of Irish magazines - they've tripled in the past few years, a really good sign.) 

Words Ireland have a good list of magazines HERE. In the meantime, Mslexia are currently inviting submissions from women writers for their showcase section. They want stories of up to 2,200 words, poems of up to 40 lines, and short scripts of up to 1,000 words. 

The themes are...

Issue 76: YESTERYEAR
It’s often said that the past is another country. For this theme we invite you to take your imagination on a journey to history or prehistory and tell us about the poignant, tragic or amazing people and events you discovered there.  CLOSING DATE: 4 September 2017

Issue 77: BEWITCHED
For this theme we’re look for stories and poems with a mythical, mystical or paranormal aspect to them. So channel your inner Rowling and Pullman and open the door to daemons, dungeons and dragons.  CLOSING DATE: 4 December 2017

Submitting your work

Entries are judged anonymously, so please put your name on a separate cover sheet and omit your name from your poem or story. To send us your submissions online, fill in the form below and upload your submission document .

To send your entries by post, write to
Mslexia Publications
PO Box 656
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 1PZ.

For more info click HERE

THE CREATIVE FLOW

Here's a nice opportunity for short story writers and poets. 

Dundalk FM100 is open for submission, they are looking for original short stories and poems for their programme, 'The Creative Flow'. Send...
 

Short stories (between 1500/1800 words) typed in double space
Poetry submissions (between 3  & 5 poems.) 

The authors will get to read their work, and should be available for interview during the programme. 

Send submissions to jacinta@dundalkfm.com or hand a hard copy into the station reception.

Roadside Fiction & Alternative Classics

Have you a story (500 to 2500 words) looking for a home? Well, Roadside Fiction is a realist literary magazine with 'a passion for the wild, outrageous, yet realistic story.' They publish an issue of short stories and photographs quarterly and are currently seeking submissions - 

They like -
modern, urgent, honest realism. Stories need to move. We’re not interested in reflection.Tell us instead about a wild night, the strange events in your life as an expat, that house party, travelling without knowing where you will sleep that night, in short madness.

Think Kerouac, Bukowski etc and you’ll be on the right track.

More details here 

And - this has cheered my cold and rainy Friday morning - Bleach House Books have included The Herbalist on their list of Alternative Classics, I'm particularly thrilled to be alongside Beloved, one of my favorite novels. There are some great reads on the list, you can check them out  HERE

I'm working away on a novel, back writing by hand, I know a lot of writers would think that's mad, as its so much slower, but its a part of the writing process I really enjoy and I'm not willing to sacrifice it for speed - especially as I write better, freer this way. There's something about the pc screen, that brings the editing part of my mind to the fore, and I don't want to edit until I have at least 100.000 words of a fat and free first draft, so many words to go before I'm home :)