The Group Grows Some More!

Hello readers,
This group, Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse is growing, both in the number of members, and in terms of people who're connecting with us. Our short story competition, 'Fairy Tales Twisted Sideways' is attracting a lot of interest, from writers interstate.

As the months go on, the word will travel across Australia, and I expect the entries from all states will arrive in my letterbox. After being involved in an annual Poetry competition over the past 7 or so years, it's been interesting to see how much interest has been shown in this short story competition.

I'm not sure whether it's because more people like short stories rather than poetry, or whether it's the theme of twisted fairy tales that attracts the interest. I just know that this twisted fairy tale competition is exciting lots of tale tellers, with entries rolling in already, with months still to go until the closing date (30 June).

So, if you live in Australia, and you like twisted tales, why not have a go at twisting your favourite fairy tale! The best entries will be published in a book (free copy to all who get in the list of the best ones). There are also first, second and third prizes, with a good sized prize pool...

I look forward to receiving your competition entries!

Another New Member

Well, at our meeting yesterday, we were missing a member, but we had a potential new member arrive. She hasn't handed in for membership form or membership fee yet, but I certainly think she'll be coming back!

We had fun again, and some of us read our homework from last week. We all seem to have had a good think about the books we read way back when we were kids, and it was fascinating to hear what books members remembered from when they were younger.

We did a writing exercise too, one from the wonderful book 'Poetic Medicine The Healing Art of Poem-Making' by John Fox - many many thanks Colleen for passing that one on to me! I feel like Colleen was fated to find this book at the Gawler Community Centre, so she could pass it on to me!

We talked about how our 'Fairy Story Twisted Sideways' is going - we've already received an entry! I've been getting emails every day from people wanting more information about it, and I'm getting even more excited about it.

I hope we get hundreds of great twisted fairy stories to choose from, to put into our collection! If you'd like to know more about this competition, feel free to send me an email about it jeebers@aussiebb.com.au

Fairy Tales Twisted Sideways

What would happen if you took the a Fairy Tale and told it from the point of view of a minor character? What would happen if the Prince and Princess DIDN'T live happily ever after? If you love watching Grimm on TV, you might have your own ideas about how to take a fairy tale and give it a hard wrench off in another direction. 

These are the kinds of stories we want for our 'Fairy Tales Twisted Sideways' competition. Short Stories (2,000 word maximum, with shorter tales looked on kindly, as long as they meet the conditions) that take a fairy tale and twist it sideways are what are needed. The judge is excited about this competition, and we're excited too! 

Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse has announced its first competition and we're so sure the stories will be fantastic, that we're going to publish the best of them. So, if you live in Australia and you love to write, give our competition a go - the best entries will be published and the writers of those stories will receive a free copy of the anthology, plus writer's of stories judged first, second and third will receive monetary prizes as well.

Entries close on 30 June 2013. If you'd like to know more, you can contact the competition secretary at jeebers@aussiebb.com.au 

We have a Facebook page as well, where more information about the competition and our group appears at times.  http://www.facebook.com/groups/320657958040450/

Looking to a Brand New Year!

Well, we've almost finished 2012, and 2013 is looking so sweet, for Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse!

At our meeting last Thursday (20/12/12), the members present discussed the proposed plan for the group to run our first short story competition. There were ideas thrown around, shot at, hugged and kissed. The final result is one that will, we hope, appeal to a vast number of people!

For 2013, the Adelaide Plains Chapter and Verse group will run a national Short Story Competition, with rules and guidelines, and a theme. The rules and guidelines may not be finalised until after this seasonal madness/ Christmas fun is over, but in general these are the important points that have been decided.

• There will be a maximum word limit for each short story of 2,000 words. Shorter stories are fine, but stories longer than 2,000 words will not be judged, and there is no refund for such entries. The judge's opinion is final, as are the opinions of the competition secretary.
• It will be a competition for adults, with no student or child sections, adult only.
• Australians only please, because the competition secretary is somewhat compromised in regards to numeracy and needs to have Aussie money only or her head might explode, and we son't want that, do we? If people from overseas know ways to get around that without causing confusion, then hey, why not have a go! No promises though.
• The fee for each story entered in the competition will be $10. If you want to write more than one entry and can afford to pay the money for each entry, then go for it! The wonderful news is that after the first entry at $10, the cost goes down to $8 per story entered.
• There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes, with selected other entries awarded as the judge sees fit, with the best of the stories received being published in a book. Everyone with a story in the book gets a free copy of the book, with further copies available for purchase if those published want to get something great for gifts next Christmas or birthdays!
• Most important point of all is the theme for this competition is. So, drum roll please, the theme of this inaugural competition is  . . . Fairy Tales Twisted Sideways! This means the stories we want for this competition are Fairy Tales that are not sweet or good or necessarily meant for children. We want bad arse fairy tales!
• There will be an example of such a story written by one of the group members posted on this site soon, but in the meantime think perhaps about Little Red Riding Hood selling drugs and getting busted by Detective Woolff. Or maybe the Ugly Duckling grows up to be even uglier, leading to some confessions from Mama Swan. Or you can tell a story from a different point of view, not Cinderella, but one of her stepsisters. As long as you take a Fairy Story we know and give it a big twist sideways, then you're getting the idea!

That's it for now, except to say, Merry Christmas, and I hope all of your hopes and dreams come true!

I'd like to say a big thank you to Nick Champion MP and his staff for their offer of assistance in the publishing of this fantastic fairy tale book!