Flash 500 Competition Deadlines

Entries close at midnight (UK time) 3oth June

 

With the entry deadlines fast approaching, you only have just over a week left to polish up those stories and poems. Don't miss out as the Flash Fiction and Humour Verse categories both close at the end of this month.

Novel Opening and Synopsis Category

 

This category is open for entries until the end of October.

 

The judges this year will be (once again) the senior editors at Crooked Cat Publishing, who are the publishers for my own (writing as Frances di Plino) D.I. Paolo Storey series of crime novels, Bad Moon Rising, Someday Never Comes, Call It Pretending and Looking for a Reason (due out in October).

 

Crooked Cat Publishing cover a wide range of genres, from chick lit to horror, which is why they are the ideal judges for the competition.

 

Full details of all three competition categories can be found on the Flash 500 Home Page.

 

Hints from the Judges

No.4 – The Ending

 

The conclusion of any competition submission is the perfect opportunity to create a lasting impression with the judge.

 

Surprise is always likely to be a winner, providing it is relevant to the theme of the work and not farfetched. Such an ending requires great care in the development section of the work; whilst the judges should not have seen it coming, they must, on reflection, admire how you led up to it.

 

If you choose to finish your entry with a conclusion drawn from what has gone before, be sure that it is stated in an original way and, unless for a particular purpose, avoids mere repetition.

 

Good luck with all your writing endeavours.

 

Kind regards, 

 

Lorraine

Critique Service for Writers
Flash 500 Home Page: Flash Fiction, Humour Verse
and Novel Opening Chapter and Synopsis Competitions

The People’s Book Prize

I don't very often mention my other persona, Frances di Plino, on this blog, but when something amazing happens, I can't keep it to myself. Bad Moon Rising has been nominated for an award and I need your help.

 

The People’s Book Prize

Founded by Dame Beryl Bainbridge DBE, the People’s Book Prize is decided entirely on readers’ votes. I’m delighted to say that Bad Moon Rising has been nominated in the fiction category, but it’s up against some stiff competition, not least being the great Frederick Forsyth’s latest offering!

 

You can vote for Bad Moon Rising if you’ve read and enjoyed the novel. If you haven’t read it, now’s a good time to point out you can do so for the paltry sum of 77p/99c on Amazon Kindle. (All Crooked Cat Publishing's books are on sale this week, including the next in the series, Someday Never Comes.)

I hate begging for favours, but I think the only way Bad Moon Rising is going to make the final is if lots of you vote – so, here goes: please, please, please vote for my book by following the link below.

 

http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/section.php?id=6

 

To give you a flavour of the novel, it has garnered 22 five-star, 6 four-star and 1 one-star reviews so far.

 

Here’s the latest:

“As an enthusiastic detective fan, I was not disappointed by this book. The reader is kept guessing all the way through as to the identity of the killer even though his motives are left in no doubt. What I found troubling was that I was taken into the mind of the serial killer and understood it, not a pleasant trip. The twist in the end was satisfying even if I did want to slap Paolo at times and ask him to wake up in his personal life. Characters were believable and not too overdrawn. I can't wait to read the next in this series.”

 

Critique Service for Writers

Flash 500 Home Page: Flash Fiction, Humour Verse
and Novel Opening Chapter and Synopsis Competitions