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October 10, 2011
 Thanks for popping by. I’ll bet you thought I’d be too busy cooking for a crowd today to post prompts for WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition. Not a chance! With the contest deadline less than two months away, I knew you’d need your Monday prompts to keep you writing.
You are writing, aren’t you? And planning to enter? Because we’ve got some lovely prize money to give away. And everyone’s a winner, because each entry gets feedback from our judging panel.
Make time to write
Sometime today, sit down with a pencil and paper and take a moment to write. Here are some prompts to make your pencil move:
- We all bowed our heads and she murmured a blessing. I was the only one close enough to hear what she was praying for
- The lion padded closer on velvet paws.
- I warned him that climbing it would be harder than he knew.
- He locked the door, closed the blinds and drew the curtains. “And now we’re alone.”
- Faith is a whisper in your heart. Conscience is a warning.
Tune in again Wednesday for Whispered Words contest tips. Now back to our regularly scheduled turkey.
October 7, 2011
 These are the last prompts before (Canadian) Thanksgiving. If you get a chance to write, between stuffing the turkey and stuffing yourself, sit down with one of these prompts. You know why? Winning Whispered Words’ $1000 first prize would make you VERY thankful.
- A hand pulled back the curtain and a face peeked out.
- Lizzie lisped. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t say it.
- A deer raised its head in the snow-dusted clearing. If he’d blinked, he’d have missed it.
- To my mind, she had it coming. If she’d listened to her friends, or even her enemies…
- Even behind the change room door I hear the whisper: “Should I tell her?”
Got a question? I’ll answer it. Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send your questions and prompts to querycontest@wcdr.org. Happy Thanksgiving!
October 4, 2011
 This week, I received the following contest question:
I am interested in submitting a short story for your contest, but have a question. The rules say the story cannot be submitted elsewhere. Can it have been submitted in the past for a different contest which is now over?
Absolutely. We accept pieces that are not currently under consideration by another contest or publication.
Here’s why
We ask our contest winners and anthology selections for first publication rights. Though it’s uncommon, stories can be chosen by two or more of the contests or publications to which they’ve been submitted. Nice problem for a writer to have, but a knotty conflict for contest administrators.
You take another entry out of the action
In the Whispered Words contest, your entry goes through three levels of judging. At each level, it has crowded out other stories. If it’s a winner or a finalist, we have to withdraw it from consideration. It’s too late to replace it with another story. In a stack of first-round picks, a Johnny-come-lately looks “second-best” no matter how you cut it.
Finding out that we can’t use your story at this point is unfair to the other contributors.
We’re already stuck on your story
By the time we announce our contest winners, we’re already settling on our two dozen or so anthology entries. We’re looking for balance and variety. Humorous pieces vs serious ones. Fiction vs non-fiction. We look for a logical flow from one story to the next. Before long, the manuscript goes to layout, to editing, to the printer.
Finding out that we can’t use your story at this point is unfair to the contest organizers.
So what do you do if you’ve already submitted it elsewhere and you get happy news from a contest or publisher? Please, let the other one know right away. They’ll withdraw your entry.
October 3, 2011
 Writers are always working to deadline, right? Well, here’s a deadline you won’t want to miss. The Whispered Words themed prose competition closes November 30. The prize is princely–$1000 for 1000 words.
Check in Mondays and Fridays for fresh writing prompts. I post contest tips on Wednesdays. Here’s a handful of prompts to start off October:
- Whenever I see shoes, they whisper, “Buy me!”
- Loons cut early-morning patterns on the lake’s still surface.
- The giggles and snickers started it. But he’d finish it.
- Tires on the rain-slick road hissed and the wipers griped their surly rhythm.
- “I’m afraid, Mama.”
Got a question? I’ll answer it. Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send your questions and prompts to querycontest@wcdr.org.
September 29, 2011
Here are Friday’s Whispered Words writing prompts:
- Bitch! I mouth and flip her the single-finger salute.
- “Has anything like that ever happened to you, Gran?” “I’ll tell you, if you promise never to repeat it.”
- She rocks the baby to sleep with a quiet lullaby. A tear drops on his head.
- The fireworks hiss into the air. The couple sits beneath a shower of stars.
- The rustle of newspapers hid his face. She heard the hiss of his breath. “What is it?”
WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition closes November 30. Your $20 entry fee gives you a shot at the $1000 first prize, $400 second prize and $200 third prize. Every entry receives valuable feedback from our judges. You’ll find guidelines, details and an online entry form at www.wcdr.org.
Got a question? We’ll answer it. Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send your questions and prompts to querycontest@wcdr.org.
Stay tuned for writing prompts Mondays and Fridays and contest tips on Wednesdays. Now get writing!
September 28, 2011
I wrote about word count on September 23, but a couple of questions have popped up today.
Does my entry need to be exactly 1000 words?
No. It looks like our contest tagline is misleading you. Your entry can be up to or including 1000 words, excluding the title.
How have shorter stories (500-750 words) fared in this contest?
Hard to say. Previous contests have had a 1200-word maximum. I checked a couple of the shorter pieces published in last year’s Wild Words anthology. Both came in under the 750 mark.
I say go for it. A story is stronger when it’s lean, not fat.
Mine is only one opinion, though. Let’s hear yours. Do judges and readers prefer longer stories? Do you sacrifice detail and depth with a shorter word count? Or can you pack more punch into a shorter piece? Which one is likeliest to take home the prize?
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Want to enter Whispered Words?
WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition closes November 30. Follow our tips every Wednesday to make your contest entry shine. Find your inspiration in one of the writing prompts we post on Mondays and Fridays. Or eavesdrop on your own whispers–they’ll tell you what to write.
Got a question? Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send them to querycontest@wcdr.org.
You’ll find guidelines, details and an online entry form at www.wcdr.org.
September 27, 2011
 Want to increase your chances of winning a writing contest? Don’t sabotage your entry with these common beginners’ mistakes:
- A wild and wacky 18-point font. Or a teeny-tiny font that can only be read with a magnifying glass
- Red ink, to go with the bloody theme of the story
- Bold print, so it really stands out
Does it matter what font I use?
Yes! Read the contest rules or submission guidelines to see if they state a preference. If not, use plain old Times New Roman. Most contests and publishers prefer this serif font because it’s easy to read and universal (most word processing software has it.)
Forget about fancy fonts—even for your title
You may think calligraphy would dress up your medieval story or a futuristic font would suit your science fiction piece. Just say no—please! Fancy fonts paint you as an amateur. Let your words, not the font, do the talking.
Size matters
Choose a 12-point font unless the contest rules tell you differently. Avoid very large or very small fonts.
The last word
Contest judges may read hundreds of entries. Yours should blend in, not stick out. If you want your story to catch the judge’s eye, follow these three rules:
- Make it standard
- Make it professional
- Make it easy on the eyes
September 26, 2011
WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition closes November 30. Haven’t entered yet? We’d like to help. Check in regularly for contest tips like this one:
- When entering a contest, print off the rules and check your entry point by point before submitting it. In most contests, you only get one chance to get it right.
We’ll also be whispering writing prompts in your ear to give your muse a tickle and make your writing hand twitch. Try one of these:
- She drew back the curtains with an efficient hiss. “Time to get up. You’ll be late.”
- The long prairie grass stretched as far as the eye could see and the breeze blew it into gentle waves.
- He shuffled forward on slippered feet. His tattered robe hung open.
- She could hear them, but whenever she turned on the lights, they weren’t there.
- The wind blew down the mountain and swirled around the lone climber. “Go back…” (contributed by Deborah Elsmore)
Got a question? We’ll answer it. Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send your questions and prompts to querycontest@wcdr.org.
September 23, 2011
WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition closes November 30. Haven’t entered yet? We’d like to help.
Follow our tips to make your contest entry shine. Like this advice on word count:
- A few words over (or under) the contest word count? Think no one will notice? Think again. Most contest administrators do a word count on every entry that comes in. If a submission exceeds the contest word count, it is disqualified. Use a tool like Microsoft Word’s Word Count to find an accurate total.
- Some contests have minimum as well as maximum word counts.
- Unless otherwise stated, a contest’s maximum (and/or minimum) word count does not include the title. The cover page? Nope. Just the words in the story itself.
- Contest administrators often set word counts for a reason. Winners are frequently published in an anthology or literary journal. A word count allows organizers to budget how much space and how many stories they will need.
 Ready for another round of Whispered Words writing prompts to get you scribbling? Try one of these:
- “Just take me home,” she whispered.
- The actor faltered. “Prompt!” She whispered his cue.
- The hiss of rain on the roof always lulled her to sleep.
- He woke to the sizzle of bacon, the smell of coffee and the unfamiliar scent of a woman’s perfume.
- As she sipped sky, her eyes whispered away into cloud. (contributed by Patrick Meade)
Need more inspiration? Someone will win the contest’s $1000 first prize. Someone will take home the $400 second prize. Someone will scoop the $200 third prize. And EVERY entrant gets valuable feedback from our judges. Why shouldn’t it be you?
But you have to get a ticket to play. Entry is $20. You’ll find guidelines, details and an online entry form at www.wcdr.org. So get writing!
Got a question? We’ll answer it. Want to contribute a good prompt? Wonderful! Send your questions and prompts to querycontest@wcdr.org.
September 22, 2011
We try to think of everything, but no one’s perfect. Here’s your chance to get the answers you can’t find in our contest guidelines. If you have a question about Whispered Words, post it here. We’ll get you the answers you need. Or contact us at querycontest@wcdr.org.
Let’s get you started with a couple of common questions:
- Does the title count as part of the word count? Not in our contest. And not generally in other contests either.
- Can I enter more than once? Yes, please do! Only one entry per person can win a prize, but each entry will receive feedback.
- Who will be providing the feedback and what can I expect? Each story goes to two first tier readers. These skilled writers and editors each offer some constructive advice on what works in the story and what could be changed to strengthen the piece. Entries that proceed to the next level of judging receive comments from three second tier judges. Pieces shortlisted as finalists receive feedback from our final judge.
- If my story is on my blog, do you consider it published? Yes, we do. In fact, most contests do.
- What do you mean by “prose”? That’s a pretty broad category that covers fiction and non-fiction, but excludes poetry. We welcome genre fiction (paranormal, romance, western, fantasy, science fiction, children’s writing.) We’re an equal opportunity contest. Our previous two anthologies have featured children’s writing, horror, speculative fiction, historical pieces, humour, essays and creative non-fiction, not just literary pieces.
- I have illustrations and/or photos that accompany my story. Can I send them? Sorry, but no. To give each submission a chance to be judged equally, we accept only text.
- I just found an error in my submission. Will you accept an amended version? Sorry, but no.
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Thanks for popping by. I’ll bet you thought I’d be too busy cooking for a crowd today to post prompts for WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition. Not a chance! With the contest deadline less than two months away, I knew you’d need your Monday prompts to keep you writing.
