Writing Opportunities Dec & Jan
...and a sneaky mentoring window!
I know I’m not the only one to wonder where this year has gone but seriously, where has this year gone? I feel like I’ve barely got used to writing 2024 but here we are. I’m working at home today, cold fingers tapping away as I try to get this year wrapped up and make plans for the next. As always, my writing year has been up and down but I have a plan and I’m going to do my best to stick to it.
And if that doesn’t happen, I’m ok with that. It’s hard sometimes to accept that we can only do what we can do, and not to pile pressure on to perform or live up to our own very high standards. But it is ok to step back, make small steps, or change track. Whatever works for you and your writing is the right thing to do.
I’ve gathered some lovely writing opportunities below to help you get your writing into the world. I hope you’ll have time over the festive period to give your writing some attention, or even just to think about while you wrap presents or take very chilly dog walks.
If you enjoy the newsletter and find it useful, please share with your writing friends. And if you’d like to say thank you, you can buy me a virtual coffee (not promising it won’t be a virtual brownie).
Good news - I was so chuffed to hear from two lovely writers that they were successful in the latest round of DYCP applications. It was lovely to support them with individual sessions and my group workshop, and I can’t wait to see where the funding takes them!
Mentoring
I’m also opening my mentoring books for a very short time for one-off sessions. These take place on Zoom and last one hour where we’ll talk about your writing life and make a plan to help you move forward. Sessions are £25 and I can meet on the following dates - you’ll need to book by 22nd January.
December - Friday 13th / Saturday 21st
January - Monday 6th / Saturday 11th / Monday 13th / Saturday 18th
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I have a podcast called Books, Unpacked with my friend James. We’ve just wrapped up our first year and have twelve episodes packed with insights into the publishing industry. You can listen to all episodes here, and subscribe to find out when our next ones are released.
Writing Opportunities
The Playwrights Programme – a free development programme for writes who live in the Liverpool City region. You’ll work with the Everyman Playhouse over ten months to develop your craft and write a play. Free to apply, deadline is 15th December.
Write On Track – thanks to New Writing North for this one. Celebrating the Stockton and Darlington Railway bicentenary, the group is looking for poetry, short stories and memoir pieces related to trains and railways. There’s a geographical eligibility for this one, so check before you enter. Free to enter with cash prizes. Submit your work by 15th December.
Love Letters To London – this is a lovely one, found in Sian Meades newsletter. Open for all writing styles and to writers of all ages, they’re looking work on the theme ‘Dreams for London’. It’s free to enter and the prizegiving will be held at St Pauls Cathedral. Competition closes on 20th December.
Northern Gravy – the latest issue of Northern Gravy is open for submissions. They’re looking for fiction, poetry and kid lit. Free to submit work and all selected writers are paid. Send your best work by 22nd December.
Extra Teeth – after a hiatus the brilliant Extra Teeth is back and looking for short stories and essays. They’re also offering mentorships this time around. Have a read of back issues to get a feel for the style then send your work – just one submission per writer for this one. This window is open from 15th – 31st December.
Writers & Artists – if you have an article or event idea that could help other writers, W&A are open for submissions. This is on a rolling basis, and is open to writers of all genres and experience levels. Pitch your idea to Clare Povey in the first instance. No deadline for this, so just send it when you’re ready.
WrAP2025 – if like me, you love a deadline or project, this might be just the thing. An annual playwrighting scheme from London Playwrights blog, you’ll spend January working on a draft of a play. I’m signing up and hoping to finish my play, Viral, which had an extract performed at Live Theatre earlier this year. The scheme is included in regular membership, which starts at £3.63. Sign up by 31st December to receive your prompts.
Mslexia – there are some lovely calls for poetry for the next issue of Mslexia. Write an eyeverse, a poem for the planet or respond as the poet laureate. These opportunities are also a great way to flex your writing muscles and hit a deadline. Free to submit, send your work by 6th January.
Bournemouth Writing Prize – open for 2025 for poetry and short stories. There are multiple categories and prizes, and a chance to be included in a new journal. Entry costs £10 and winning entries receive personalised feedback. Send your work by 15th January.
New Writing North – there are bags of opportunities right now from NWN, so here’s a summary of how you can get your work into the world. First is the Hachette Children’s Novel award, closing 13th January. Next up is Inkubator, a development programme to give writers facilitation skills. This closes for applications on 20th January. The Emerging Creative Associate scheme is also open, with applications closing for that on 27th January. And finally, the next phase of the Northern Writers Awards is open for applications in a range of categories. This round closes on the 6th February.
Bristol Short Story Prize – a lovely award that includes prize money and publication. Your story can be anywhere up to 4000 words, with no lower limit. Entry is £12 and there are free entries for low income writers. Deadline for submissions is 31st January.
The London Magazine – the next free submission window opens soon, and they’re looking for poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Take a look at previous issues to gauge the style they usually publish. This window is open from 1st – 31st January.
Magma Poetry Competition – this annual price is open now for two categories, poems of up to 10 lines and poems and 11 – 15 lines. Entries cost £5 per poem, then decrease for each subsequent poem. Winners will be published by Magma, which would look brilliant on your writing CV! Deadline for entries is 31st January.
Cipher Press – the next submission window for Cipher press opens from 1st – 31st January. They’re looking for book-length adult fiction or short story collections from writers who identify as LGBTQI+. There are lots of guidelines on what to include and you can submit work-in-progress, as long as you’re well on the way to finishing. Free to submit.
I hope you find something that helps you get writing and maybe even the perfect place to send it. Best of luck with your writing and I’ll see you next year!
Sarah x