Hint Fiction Contest- Guest Judge, Joyce Carol Oates!

Song of the Day: The Math by Hilary Duff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyxr20hoC9E

   Okay, I’m supposed to be blogging today about how to find time to submit your work while trying to write your WIP amongst other things…BUT…I have to talk about this new contest! So, I recently went to Barnes and Noble and stumbled on this book, more specifically this anthology. It’s called Hint Fiction. What’s Hint Fiction? I wondered. I flipped over to the back and here’s what it said:

“The stories in this collection run the gamut from playful to tragic, candid to enigmatic, but they all have one thing in common: they are no more than 25 words long. Editor Robert Swartwood termed them “hint fiction” because the few chosen words suggest a larger, more complex chain of events. The 125 gemlike stories in this collection come from such notable contributors as Joyce Carol Oates, Ha Jin, Peter Straub, and James Frey, as well as emerging writers.”

   REWIND. Did they just say Joyce Carol Oates? As you all know she is my writer idol, and one of my favorite past times is stalking her, though it’s difficult since she doesn’t have a twitter. (JCO if you’re reading this, get on twitter!) After reading that her work was included in the anthology, I marched straight up to the register and purchased the book. Also on the back cover was the website for the editor, Robert Swartwood. I decided to check it out because I had to know more about hint fiction. Something about very short fiction just fascinates me.

Here’s Stwartwood’s definition:

Once I’d read the definition I noticed something on the sidebar. It said:

   I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn’t wait to get home and start writing hint fiction. I’d already tried out six word stories how hard could it be to write one in 25 words? Well, EXTREMELY HARD. It sounds a lot easier than it looks. I’m in the process now of preparing my entry and I’m SO nervous because the writer that I look up to the most may actually read over my work! Talk about pressure! Anyway, I think I’ve gone on long enough. I’ve listed some details of the contest in case you want to check it out or enter!

First Place: $100
Second Place: $50
Third Place:$25

*The first place winner will also receive journals and anthologies donated by publishers*

  Writers may submit up to two entries of no more than 25 words each. For more information and official rules visit the link below!

http://www.robertswartwood.com/hint-fiction/hint-fiction-contest-the-third/