Firewords Competition 2016: Shortlist Announcement

Our competition, in partnership with Bloomsbury and Writers & Artists, has now come to a close! Reading so many stories that all originate from one prompt image has been such an exciting and fun experience. We were blown away by the quality of submissions and it's been a real challenge to choose only 10 entries to make up the following shortlist...

  • The Visit by Toni Allen
  • Last Man Standing by Jen Falkner
  • After the Dark by James Hatton
  • Stars by Liam Hogan
  • Homeland by Katherine Mezzacappa
  • A Mother Whale Lifts Her Head by Jeanne Panfley
  • A Good Thing by Megan Parker
  • Mountain Ash by Nicole Pearson
  • The man with no shadow by Stephanie Percival
  • The Seventh Sense by Dee Takemoto

Next, we have to narrow it down even further! The two runners up and overall winner will be announced at the end of November. Watch this space!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter this competition. If you didn't make the shortlist, please don't be too disappointed. We received over 550 entries so a lot of amazing stories didn't make it.

Pen Names: A Question of Identity

Pen Names: A Question of Identity

Many writers use pen names. I’ve actually never written anything under my real name. But why do writers feel the need to use an alternative guise?

Speaking for myself, the main reason was confidence. A writer bares their soul when they put pen to paper. It doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, what the genre is, or what the setting is; the moment a writer puts pen to paper it’s personal. I went into this writing lark expecting a sea of rejection slips. I didn’t want that level of rejection under my real name.

Writing under a pen name allowed me to hide, but it also gave me a freedom to express myself in a way that I wouldn’t have been able to under my real name...

Step out of your comfort zone, you coward

Step out of your comfort zone, you coward

My intention is not to insult you with that tongue-in-cheek title but to make you think. How much are you pushing yourself and your writing abilities?

This is your chance to do something out of the ordinary in one easily-attainable step.

Why do we gravitate to our comfort zones?

It’s not rocket science: a comfort zone feels safe and secure. It’s human nature to avoid stress and risk. We know we are good at a certain style of writing so we stick to it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as we develop our skills in that area and hopefully build a reputation for that style.

Developing a personal style and voice is important, but so is trying new things every now and then. If you find yourself falling back on the same tried and tested characters or similar plots, it might be time to mix things up...

What (if anything) makes a cover letter effective?

What (if anything) makes a cover letter effective?

While I will go on to say what makes the most effective cover letter, it is important to remember that your short story will speak for itself. The ‘greatness’ of a cover letter may slightly colour the editor’s preconceptions and help to either add or detract from how memorable your writing is, but shouldn’t have any bearing on the acceptance or rejection of the piece (and, if it does, it is a reflection on the editor of the publication you are submitting to rather than any reflection on you).

Why even have a cover letter, then? Well...