CREATIVE Writing 2014

Have you ever thought about getting published? They say ‘everyone has a book in them’, perhaps this is your chance to get in print! Or perhaps you know someone, a partner or family member that, with a nudge (and the right opportunity), could open up their talents and entertain readers across London.

We invite readers of all ages, across multiple disciplines, to present their work for our team of judges to read and select which ones will win cash prizes, and which ones can be published.

Popular genres that you may consider include Crime, Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Romance, Drama, Historical, however we are open to any and all ideas. We will be judging them in two age categories; Under 18s and Over 18s and are looking for works in the following categories:

• Poetry
• Short Stories
• Novels (extracts)
• Screenplays (extracts)
• Plays for Theatre (extracts)

The deadline is 31 October 2014 and all work must be sent to us digitally by email as a .doc, .docx, .txt or PDF file (no hard copies please) on or before that date. Please send all files to 2014@therivermagazine.co.uk

Top Ten Tips

1. Stick to the Rules. We don’t have many but any work that breaks a rule will be immediately discounted.
2. Proof read. Then get someone else to do it too. Our judges are likely to find poor spelling, bad grammar and punctuation in a work tiresome and a reason to put it down.
3. Edit. Send us work that has impact and has been mercilessly edited and tightened so it cannot fail to command attention.
4. Captivate. Give our judges a reason to continue reading from the first line to the last.
5. Be different. Avoid cliches, obvious storylines predictable outcomes.
6. Text only. We want only text to read, no personal notes or illustrations to be submitted as part of the work.
7. Entertain. Be dramatic, funny, fascinating or suspenseful – information alone will not be enough.
8. Make it real. Real people, even in fictional or fantasy situations have a truth that is engaging. Lack of this kind of truth can be very boring.
9. Quality. Beautiful language and intelligent plot development goes a long way.
10. Don’t give up. If you don’t succeed this time, persevere, we will have competitions each year.

Categories

Poem
Published Winter 2014 edition of The RIVER Magazine
Adult (over 18 years on deadline date) – 500 words – 3 Winners – PLUS £25 cash prize each
Young Person (under 18 years on deadline date) – 250 words – 2 Winners – PLUS £10 cash prize each

Short Story
Published Winter 2014 edition of The RIVER Magazine
Adult – 1,500 words – 1 Winner – PLUS £50 cash prize each
Young Person – 750 words – 1 Winner – PLUS £20 cash prize each

Play (for Screen or Theatre)
Edited version of extract published Spring 2015 edition of The RIVER Magazine
5,000 word extract – 1 Winner – PLUS £50 cash prize each

Novel
Edited version of extract published Spring 2015 edition of The RIVER Magazine
5,000 word extract – 1 Winner – PLUS £50 cash prize each

Competition Rules

• Deadline for all submitted work is 31 October 2014
• Only work submitted digitally by email is eligible
• All submitted material must be sent by email to 2014@therivermagazine.co.uk
• Any material submitted may be published by The RIVER Magazine (River Publishing House) at any time
• Only one piece of work per entrant per Category
• Authors must be living or working in Greater London, potential winners will need to demonstrate this before final decisions are made and announced

Judging

• The judges’ decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into.
• Judges are unable to comment on individual entries.
• Judging is fair and unbiased. Experienced readers assist the named judges in selecting the shortlists.

Copyright

• Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author, but the River Magazine (River Publishing House Limited) will have the unrestricted right to publish any submitted poems and stories, in future editions, publications and any relevant promotional material.

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