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Following the Star by Paula R.C. Readman,A Sidecar

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  Following the Star     At the crossroads, without slowing, the sporty MG Midget’s headlights carved through the winter fog. Lucy Laylock was on a mission. She leaned forward over the steering wheel and squinted. Suddenly, out of the darkness, the turning she needed appeared. Lucy swung the steering wheel hard right, causing the car’s wheels to lose traction. Grit and dirt flew, rattling off the car’s body. Now wasn’t the time to lose control and put the car into a ditch. The chase was on. Unfamiliar country lanes flashed by as the fog thinned, allowing the moonlight to shine through arching branches and gaps in the high hedgerow. The chase had started eight hours ago when Lucy witnessed the theft of a diamond-encrusted star from the jeweller’s shop next to her mother’s milliner shop on the high street. She had been busy helping her mother out with the Christmas rush of orders. “Christmas 1932 will be our best ever,” Lucy’s mother, Penelope, called from the b...
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  FUll detailsls 2th Man is launching Happy as Larry , a new creative project delivered in partnership with Norwich University of the Arts and National Centre for Writing. The next phase of the project will bring together six writers, each commissioned to produce two short stories exploring the theme, with all work illustrated by Malik Furtado from NUA. Happy as Larry is designed to blend storytelling and illustration to create engaging, relatable content that connects with people in an accessible and creative way. We are currently inviting submissions from writers who would like to be part of the project, with full details available in our Call to Action and Character Profile .    
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Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Literary Festival Poetry Competition

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 FUll detils
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riting for children prize: The Octo Books 2026 Competition

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 full details and under The Octo Books Competition is being run by independent children's publisher Octo Books, and is inviting entries from Rising Authors (aged 7-17) and Adult Storytellers.  Entries may be up to 800 words, on the 'Hidden Worlds' theme, and must be original and unpublished. Winners will be published online and receive prize bundles.  
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Six Word Wonder

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  FUll details   Tell a Story in Exactly Six Words Win $100 cash + Publication in the next Anthology Free to enter • Open worldwide 2026 Six Word Wonder Contest Deadline: 30 September 2026 • Midnight PST “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” — The most famous six-word story ever told SUBMIT YOUR SIX-WORD STORIES NOW
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Anthology Nature Writing Competition

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 F ull Details o enter the Anthology Nature Writing Competition, submit an original, previously unpublished work, written in English with a maximum of 1,500 words. Adapted, revised or otherwise reworked versions of previously published material are not eligible for entry. There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit. Each submission will require a separate entry form and will be subject to a separate entry fee. There is no age limit. In order to minimise administrative costs and maintain affordable fees, please note that entry fees are non-refundable. Submissions will be judged on their emotional impact, creativity, and the ability to captivate the reader.  Once selected, the winner will be contacted by email or telephone. Copyright remains with the author but  Anthology  reserves the right to be the first to publish or arrange a broadcast of selected works.  The use of Generative AI is not permitted for e...
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The First Page Challenge

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 FUll Details you want a reader to buy your book or an agent to offer you representation, then it only makes sense to have a stunning first page. That's what the First Page Challenge is all about—we're open to fiction or narrative nonfiction, short stories or full-length manuscripts.  Our judge, Michelle Barker, will be asking herself one question: how likely am I to turn this page and keep reading? First place: $700 CAD Second place: $200 CAD Third place: $100 CAD All three finalists win publication on the Chopping Blog and receive complimentary access to one of our craft books. The Finer Points • Entry is $5 CAD • One page: double-spaced, 12-point font • Multiple submissions accepted • Original, unpublished, unrepresented work only • Once you've paid, send your docx/pdf to editors@darlingaxe.com • Submission deadline: September 30 Check out the 2025 winner here . And the 2024 winner here . And the 2023 winner here . And the 2022 winner ...
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