Lost on the Rock Contest 2011

Lost on the Rock Contest 2011

It recently occurred to me that it’s been nearly a year since I held the Land's Edge contest to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog. It was also about a year ago my writing group buddy, Laurita Miller of Calling Shotgun, ran her Seaside Flash Fiction contest.

This year we’ve decided to share a contest based upon the theme of ‘Lost’. We believe that this theme will lend itself to many types of stories in all genres. It may mean that one is physically lost—but it can also refer to the loss of one’s job, or of one’s freedom, or even the ‘loss of innocence’.

The Lost on the Rock 2011 contest starts today (April 16) and the deadline for submissions is end of day on Sunday, May 8th. Please send forth your best short stories or essays that pertain to the ‘Lost’ theme. We leave the use of the word open to your interpretation (but remember: my mother and her associates from the ‘blue rinse brigade’ may read it).

The contest is open to all, from South Africa to Australia and Great Britain to Peru. That being said…the farther away the winner lives, the cheaper the form of transportation we will use to send the prize (a certain European prize winner in my last-year contest didn’t receive their book for nearly two months. A donkey and three carrier pigeons gave their lives to deliver the weighty novel).

Speaking of prizes…Laurita and I have emptied our children’s penny jars and pooled our money. There will be prizes for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishers. After the judging is complete, we will contact the top four with a few interview questions. These winners (and their interviews) along with two honourable mentions will all be published on this blog and at Calling Shotgun after the winners are announced on Saturday, May 21st (the Victoria Day week end for those in Canada). The contest rules are as follows:

1. Stories that fit the ‘Lost’ theme, of any genre, 1000 words or less.

2. We would prefer previously unpublished stories, however you may send a gently ‘used’ story if it meets the contest theme (and we’ll try not to hold it against you).

3. Send entries to lostontherock2011(at)yahoo(dot)ca with Contest Submission, Story Title, and your name in the subject line of your email.

4. Place your story, and its title, in the body of the email...no attachments please. And please, your name goes on the subject line…NOT in the body of the email.

5. Spitting on the contest judges is strongly frowned upon.

All submissions sent to that newly created email address will be forwarded to the judges by a trusty Land’s Edge staffer. The stories will be 'blind judged' by Laurita, myself and Ellen, the third member or our writing group. No pandering to the judges, please, as we are honest  moral  nearly impervious to such things (and a twenty doesn’t go as far as it used to).

The 1st , 2nd, 3rd and 4th place entries earn bragging rights and will each receive either a book or a Newfoundland prize pack (we’ll iron out the sordid details later). The honourable mentions? They will also get to brag after their stories are published on our blogs. I hope all of that was clear…if not, email myself or Laurita with questions. Please tell others about the Lost on the Rock Contest 2011...through Facebook, blogging and the evil Twitter…and start writing.