Pockets Magazine | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I cannot believe it’s already August, but calendars don’t lie (they do, however, mock you) so we need to get down to some writing business. Happily, it’s writing funny business!

I saw where Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader is having an Inanimate Object Photo Caption Contest. How fun is that? You only need to come up with a caption. Just a couple of brilliant words. That’s easy enough for the beginning of the end of summer, right? So take a look at the examples (I laughed out loud at the drunk octopus), grab your cameras, and start clicking and captioning.

I also saw that Pockets is having their Fiction Contest once again, and that should be fun if you’re in the mood to write a children’s story. Or maybe you have a story that just needs a bit of polishing before you send it out. Or maybe you’re going to take the story that you sent to the last Pockets Fiction Contest, change the names, and try again.

Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, take a look at their Writer’s Guidelines to get a feel of the Pockets kind of story and get ‘er done before the 15th.

And extra points (and a bronze medal, at least) if you can get those done while watching the Olympics.

So, I did not win the Highlights Fiction Contest. Again.

I’m heartened by the fact that I know TONS of fabulous writers. But I do not know anyone on this winners list. So I think that means that there are TONS of fabulous writers who are authors, and editors, and publishers even, who are not Highlights winners. When I look at the situation through that lens, I feel downright perky.

In fact, I feel excited enough to try the Pockets Annual Fiction Contest. Entries are due by August 15th if you want to try. You can win $500 and a publishing credit if you win. And you know what else? Past winners are ineligible. I’m feeling positively thrilled about that. And best of all, you can send multiple submissions (though they must be unpublished).

It just so happens I have a wonderful story (or two) lying about.