Friday, November 03, 2006

Historical One-Page is History

Ah well, my oh-so-clever 300-word story-that-I-thought-was-historical didn't make it into the shortlist for the Fish Historical One-Page short story contest. But congrats (again!) to Frances for making the short list, fingers crossed.

Still waiting for a few other comp results this week or next, and I have 'flu, which doesn't make things any better. I was supposed to be at Robert mcKee's STORY screenwriting seminar today, but 12 hours of it yesterday, listening to him rant and rave, plus my fever today, and that's enough to keep me home in bed.

Just found a whole load of competitions to enter in the US - except all but one of them require entries by post (by post!!) and entry fees in dollars. Do they
want non-Americans to enter? Doesn't look like it. Have they heard of PayPal? Is email a foreign concept? Some of them have been very kind when I have emailed to say that I can't get a dollar cheque, and they are trying to make alternative arrangements. I think that sometimes Americans might forget that there are other people outside America... and we want to get our hands on your prize money. Make it a little easier for us, please!

2 comments:

Vanessa Gebbie said...

Commiserations re the Fish comp... onwards and upwards!

I couldn't think of anything remotely historical this time round, so Im just zapping a few down the short story route. But have you seen they've hung drawn and quartered the prize, its now 2500 euros, not 10000. maybe with so many prizes to find now, they've had to draw their horns in a bit, and its a shame.

Huge congrats to Frances, and Im keeping fingers crossed. I know two others in there too... great writers all.

Hope the flu goes fast... or maybe has gone by now... sorry, didnt see tis post til today.

And regarding the American comps.... I actually emailed one, as I read through the last two or three years's results, and after the names of the authors was their state in the US. That worried me... no one from anywhere outside the US had ever been placed, shortlisted... nothing.

I asked whether authors from outside the US entered, and if so, why did they think their work never reached the finals.

No reply!!

hmmmm.

vanessa

Frances said...

Thanks, Tania and Vanessa! It's a pleasant feeling to be on a shortlist. There I go always moaning and groaning about how much Fish competitions cost to enter - now I feel slightly ashamed of myself.

Tania, hope you're feeling better now... So you wouldn't recommend the Robert McKee Story experience?