The Chico Writers Group on Facebook

Back in November we announced a contest [Like Us and Win!]. While we had a notable increase in fans on Facebook, we didn’t come anywhere close to the targeted mark. And then on Facebook, we posted a question: should we try with another contest in 2011. Aside from one jubilant response, it was whisper quiet. Crickets chirped.

Perhaps everyone was too busy with the holidays and the aftershock of NaNoWriMo to be bothered. That’s the best we could come up with, surely it couldn’t have been the prizes!

So come February 2011 we’ll announce a different contest. But because we didn’t reach the goal of 1,000 fans, sadly that contest is over, there were no winners.

Perhaps we can have a writing contest where entrants must post to the fan page on Facebook. We’ll leave that idea out there and see what you have to say about that idea.

Until then, write on! And Happy Holidays, too.

Your friends at the Chico Writers Group.

Here are the rules:

• Only available to persons living in the continental United States, void where prohibited.
• Entrants must have a Facebook account, be 18 years of age or older, a human being (sorry, pets, cartoon characters, and other non-human entities are not eligible) and “like” us (http://www.facebook.com/ChicoWritersGroup). 
• When we hit 1,000 total fans in the month of November, we will draw a name and that person will receive the two books.

That’s it!

And coming in December, we’ll run another contest, so stay tuned for more information.

Additional rules and restrictions:

• In the event the person whose name is drawn is not a resident in the continental United States, another individual will be chosen.
• We will notify the winner via Facebook private message.
  • The member has 14 calendar days to respond to the message, providing us with their USPS mailing address and phone number (never shared with anyone).
  • Should the winning member fail to respond within the specified period of time, another member’s name will be drawn.
• The books will be mailed via PaperbackSwap.com, standard rate media mail service with delivery confirmation. Recipient need not be a member of PaperbackSwap.com.
• In the event the total fans does not reach 1,000 by midnight Pacific Coast Time, November 30, 2010, this contest will be null and void.
• The administrator of the group, the “Chico Writers Group” on Facebook, reserves the right to block and/or remove any individual from the group should the individual appear to be spamming or otherwise attempting to interfere with the group’s members and or goals.

Contact: For further information, clarification, and questions, please contact us via Facebook or write to us at TheChicoWritersGroup@gmail.com and include “FACEBOOK” in the subject line.

Good luck!

• Cordon off your work area.

• If need be, stop off at your local animal shelter, offer to house a dog, the meaner the better (or perhaps the more loyal to it’s caretaker) for the month and set up a kennel just at the door/opening to your work area to keep visitors at bay.
• Post Do No Disturb signs liberally about your work area.
• Offer to water potted cacti for the local nursery for the month on the condition you can take the cacti with you, then set it about your work area. This is something most anyone, even those with the blackest of thumbs can do, seeing that much like camels, cacti don’t require a whole lot of watering.

• A word to the wise, do not offer to host Thanksgiving dinner at your house. Only an insane person (yours truly) would even contemplate such a ridiculous thing.
• On that note, also don’t be tempted to hit the stores, shopping centers, malls or any other commercial wasteland of consumerism. Yes, there are incredible Black Friday deals, but you were going to run over to that POD (publish on demand) site online and have your novel printed and bound as a gift for each and every one of holiday “shop for” list, weren’t you?

• Unabridged dictionary
• Rand McNally Global Color Maps
• 2008, 2009, 2010 Writer’s Market Editions (preferably the deluxe edition)
• Thesaurus
• And/or several Encyclopedia Britannica volumes

Be sure to get plenty of exercise as that keeps the blood circulating in your cranium and fingers. Remember that dog? Grab up a rubber ball and toss it around. That’ll do it. Now get back to writing!

Cheers and the best of luck! Let us know how your venture is going by leaving a comment. Care to pick up a few supporters along the way? Leave your NaNoWriMo screenname with your post and let the real fun begin.

PNWA 2010 Literary Contest:

It’s your chance to shine. Every writer knows there comes a time to send their work out into the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to put your work to the test and compete with some of the best at the Annual PNWA Literary Contest. There are 12 categories, cash prizes and accepted entries receives two valuable critiques. In addition, finalists’ entries are read and judged by an agent or editor to determine the top three in each category. Winners are announced every year at the Summer Conference in front of writers, agents and editors
Featuring Twelve Categories:

1. Mainstream
2. Historical Genre (NEW THIS YEAR)
3. Romance Genre
4. Mystery/Thriller Genre
5. Science Fiction/Fantasy
6. Young Adult Novel
7. Non-Fiction Book/Memoir
8. Screen Writing
9. Poetry
10. Short Story
11. Children’s Picture Book or Chapter Book
12. Adult Short Topics (Article/Essay/Short Memoir)

Please visit our website (www.pnwa.org) for details and contest entry form.

Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition
10 categories for the 78th Annual Writing Competition
More than $30,000 in cash and prices.
Deadline is May 15, 2009

Listing of writing contests that may be of interest:
http://www.oncewritten.com/WritingContests.php

And as always, Duotrope.com always keeps a huge database full of short story, novel and poetry contests.  Be sure to stop by, throw them a bit of your cash to keep this wonderful free service going and if you haven’t already, sign up for their free newsletters.

Write on!

10/1/2008: Christmas – Twisted Tongue
10/1/2008: Illustrators and imagination – Frame Lines
10/1/2008: Roar (erotica, 5-18k words) – Phaze
10/6/2008: Journaling the Apocalypse – qarrtsiluni
10/10/2008: Pirate Package – Writer’s Digest "Your Story"
10/15/2008: As a writer, who do you steal from? – Tiny Lights "Searchlights & Signal Flares"
10/15/2008: The shared world of New Ceres – New Ceres: The Anthology
10/17/2008: Property Lines – MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine
10/20/2008: Demons, exorcisms, real-life vampires or real-life zombies – SNM Horror Magazine
10/20/2008: Music Around the World – Faces Magazine
10/24/2008: War & Peace – Liars’ League
10/30/2008: Let’s Play! The Biology of Fun – Odyssey
10/31/2008: Color Wheel: Cultural Heritages in the Twenty-First Century – Crab Orchard Review
10/31/2008: Dia de los Muertos – Dia de los Muertos Anthology
10/31/2008: Lovelorn Anthology – New Concepts Publishing
10/31/2008: Masques – Masques

Upcoming Themed Publication Deadlines:
9/10/2008: Horror and Dark Fantasy – Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Magazine
9/15/2008: 25 Beautiful Girls – New Moon Magazine for Girls
9/15/2008: Cold Shoulders and Evil Eyes (experiences with exclusion, ostracism or stigma) – Wising Up Anthologies
9/15/2008: Ekphrasis – Mississippi Review, The
9/15/2008: Food – Shakespeare’s Monkey Revue
9/15/2008: I am the Walrus – Hiss Quarterly, The
9/15/2008: Queer & Loathing in Wonderland – Polluto
9/15/2008: Reverie – Ruminate
9/15/2008: Sovereign – Moondance
9/15/2008: The "Religion" Issue – sub-TERRAIN
9/15/2008: The Power of the Center: The Power to Include – Wising Up Anthologies
9/15/2008: Where does humor come from? – Tiny Lights "Searchlights & Signal Flares"
9/19/2008: The Four Elements – Mslexia
9/20/2008: Ghosts/hauntings, supernatural events, or something involving Halloween – SNM Horror Magazine
9/22/2008: Poetry featuring the semicolon – CRIT Journal (Crossing Rivers Into Twilight)
9/25/2008: Horror contest – Demonic Tome
9/25/2008: Sabotage – Diet Soap
9/26/2008: Jekyll and Hyde – Liars’ League
9/30/2008: Bloom Memorial Hospital – Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror
9/30/2008: Cybernetic Anthology – New Concepts Publishing
9/30/2008: Revelation: One or more characters discover that something believed to be true is actually false. – On The Premises
9/30/2008: Wicked Rogue Anthology – New Concepts Publishing

Currently there are a few upcoming contests you might be interested in with fast approaching deadlines.

94 Creations has 3, two of which have a deadline of April 25, 2008. You can submit your manuscripts via email and can pay the required reading fee via Pay Pal. For more information, go to http://www.94creations.com/Guidelines.html.

About Duotrope: This is a wonderful service for writers. With your free subscription you can save publications to your favorites, track your submissions and record rejections and acceptances which help other writers get a “feel” for the publication’s track record as this information is managed by Duotrope. Very cool.

If you have a favorite website you like to use to help you submit your manuscripts, please leave us a comment. And if you have submitted a manuscript, please let us know about your experience.