William Wordsworth once instructed writers to "fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." Sounds simple, doesn't it? But putting the feelings in our hearts onto paper in a way that will truly inspire others is not as easy as it sounds. So, how do you persevere when the words won't come, the story fails to unfold, or the rejection letters pour in? As Nathaniel Hawthorne reminds us: "Easy reading is damn hard writing."
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, books or magazine articles, paranormal or romance, the process is equally challenging. For this reason, it's important to learn from others who have hung in there and successfully made the transition from dreaming about writing to being a writer.
For Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers, we want to hear about your setbacks, mentors, breakthroughs, and successes. How did you overcome writer's block? Who kept you on the right path when you were ready to give up? When did you realize that the story in your heart was ready to be shared with the world? We are NOT looking for promotional pieces. We want to know about your journey to publication, including self-publishing and blogging. This is your opportunity to help other writers -- published and unpublished -- draw inspiration and learn from your experiences.
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author (if you're not already!) and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
Please remember, we no longer accept "as told to" stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. If you ghost write a story for someone else, that person will be credited as the author. If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the "Comments" section of the submission form.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoup.com
Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.
The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2012.
|
|
