September/October Kudos, #84

Out now; scroll down to discover the latest details

Information is posted every day (even if the date counter isn’t altered), unless…

I’m recovering from a two hour train journey with some bloke whistling the same few opening bars of a Kasbian number, over and over and over again

1 copy (UK; post free): £3
(Overseas; airmail: £4/€5/$7)

1 year (UK; post free): £18 (6 copies)
(Overseas; airmail: £24/€25/$35)

Special Offer
Order  September/October Kudos and receive a copy of #83 emailed as a pdf so that you don’t miss out.  Still time to enter about 20 competitions (runs right up to mid September).
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‘Great to sit down with a coffee and see what competitions and opportunities are available, rather than trawl the internet which feels too much like work’ (Lyn Fountain, Norwich Writers’ Circle)

Yes, there is a lot of competition out there, from nouveau writers to novelists – but all the necessary details are in the magazine, to help you decide the best way to save time and energy.

Plus the chance to try something completely different – or a rare opportunity for a particular genre. Maybe help out a good cause or encourage young writers? And of course, it can be the means of making some money and a name for yourself.

Everyone’s a winner… we always remember that amazing moment we actually won a prize but you can’t lose out when entering competitions  - because it encourages inspiration, motivation and organisation.

If you like the look of the magazine, unlike most publications, no need to sign up for a whole year: you can buy just 1 or 2 issues.

Around 200 competitions each time - some of which you may not even know about. Plus plenty of opportunities for publication.

At £3, the cost is largely offset by savings on postage (around 80p each time) because several entry forms are usually enclosed - which also saves time and effort.

To buy or subscribe, click on the Paypal link next to the relevant amount.
Any problems (tho I do believe I’ve now managed to fix the one for subs), payment can also be made using either email address:

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Kudos 84

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010
Runs mainly from the end of September right up to mid October, and beyond in some cases –

SECRETS & LIES….

often make intriguing tales; find out more from
Chorley Writers National Short  Story Competition

Ladies, it’s all yours with stories for the Asham Award
and the long and the short and the excellent poems for Second Life

Short + Sweet? That’s the cue for a flash of genius:
Mere or Writers’ Toolkit.
Or if you fancy Fish - and Grist … angling for the nitty gritty.

Still time for Carillon, The Plough Prize, Rosenberg, Sentinel,
Southport, Speakeasy, Writers’ Clinic and WriteonSite

And book early for Silver Threads or meet your Waterloo (both, 2011);
book publication for the winners of Cinnamon, Earlyworks,
Ragged Raven or The Poetry Business

And if you want to know more about RRofihe or Rhino,
Brightoncow or Flightless Birds, Trosher or Spectra…
Enquire within

www.FlashStories.net,
organised by Dark Tales editor Sean Jeffery,
is where you can win £500 for your short story of up to 500 words.

Our open-themed competition is on a quarterly basis
and the current deadline is 31st October.

All winning entries will be published on the website
but remain the copyright of the author.

Entry fee: £5 per story, £7 for two stories,
£3 per story for three entries or more.
Prizes: £500 for first, £250 for second and £100 for third place.

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Winners of the January/February Competition

1st: Poem

Carol Carpenter

Piano Keys and Peacock Feathers

– for Zena

The peacock’s beak vibrates
against the strings of chicken wire
as he pecks a tune up
and down the scales,
a piano concerto for 161 peahens.
The notes rush into the crowd,
settle on wing feathers,
stir the females’ grey-brown squawks.

The peacock arches his feet,
saunters along the keys,
a slow shuffle of ivory
and ebony as his blue-green
feathers glitter
against the dark and light.
He slides the sweet melody
into the hot August night.

A frenzy of notes now,
a flutter of sound loud,
louder.  The peacock screeches,
rattles his tail feathers,
dances on each key.  Sage green
hammerheads strike steel wires
as the peacock
sets sound free.

Runner up:
Harriet E. Rose:  ALWAYS WITH US

1st: Prose

HEADS & TALES

by Joyce Troughton

“Faustina Pia, Empress from 161 AD.”
That’s me. Unseen.
“Wife of Marcus Aurelius. Little known about her.”
If you knew … .
“Gold coin, good condition. Peacock on obverse … ”
Peacock - some protector!
” … consistent with royal females.”
Evil-eye more likely. Ten of my babies died.
“Let’s start the bidding.”
Caveat emptor!

Runner up

Holly Dawson: Chin-Mai Nursery Will Be Closed Today

Honorable Mentions

Aidan Baker; Tanja Cilia; Myfanwy Cook; John Green;
Oz Hardwick; Julie Noble; Jennifer Rossington
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Winners of the 2nd Kudos Competition:

1st: Prose Poem, a whole year of Orbis subs

Sidekick by John Walsh

When I was a student, I played Kiro, Basho’s
gawky, little sidekick monk in Edward Bond’s
‘Narrow Road to the deep North’. I fitted the part
perfectly. Every night for a week I had to fake
hara-kiri. It’s the closest I want to come to death.

Joint runners up; 2 issues
Gabriel Griffin (Stork) and Oz Hardwick (A Child’s Atlas of Dreams)

1st: Short Story, a whole year of Orbis subs

Going Gently by Rosemary Badcoe

Misunderstanding the instructions, they’ve brought a goat, a rope round its gawky neck. They’re at the terminus, luggage intact, all kin accounted for. Was this the intent, to reach death cautiously? They move towards the waiting room. Seraphs descend; the Angel of the North raises arms in greeting.

Joint runners up, 2 issues
Sonia Hendy-Isaac (Burlesque)
and Karen Sands-O’Connor (Green is the Color of Escape)

Honorable Mentions,
Copy of current issue of Kudos
Derek Adams; Aidan Baker; Alexandra Benedict; Lynne Hackles; James Miller; Noah Tipton

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Winner of the Manga Jiman competition is Helen Buckingham  of Bristol.

Several people had similar ideas, but I felt this was spot on:

manga jiman
opening the comic
her eyes widen

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Kudos - for people who prize writing

You may know one of these winners, and you could be one of them
Many congratulations to our subscribers (Orbis and Kudos)

Roger Elkin: 1st, Diversity House Poetry Competition

Barbara Daniels: 1st,
Writer’s Bureau Poetry & Short Story Competition (poetry)

Julia Painter: 1st, Writeonsite

Jeremy Worman, 1st, Cinnamon Press Short Story Competition

Derek Taylor, 1st, Carillon Minisaga Competition

Gol McAdam, 1st,
Sussex Playwrights Club 2008 Television Screenplay Competition

Annette Keen, Winner of The Yeovil Literary Prize (novel category)

Oz Hardwick, Winner of the Dawntreader Poetry Award;
Alan Spencer, Joint Winner of the Indigo Dreams Booklet Competition

Look forward to your comments: send us your contest details, judge’s reports and success stories

About the Editor
Carole Baldock is the author of Making Money from Writing - and a second hand copy from Amazon will cost you 25 quid…
But it can be yours for just a fiver, emailed as an updated pdf file.

She is currently Editor of Orbis International Literary Journal, one of very few publication which provides proofs:

‘This is the poem I meant to write. Thank you so much.’ (UK)

‘I’m so impressed by the painstaking care you’ve devoted to my poem; your suggestions are the sort of thing a good workshop session would provide.’ (Ireland)

‘Your editorial expertise has been invaluable for improving my work’ (New York)

‘Wow – I thought it was all finished but you have made it so much better.’ (New Zealand)

Other books
How to Succeed as a Single Parent;
How to Raise Confident Children;
Writing Reviews.
All half price, also £5, plus £1 pandp

As a freelance for over 15 years, she has had a wide range of writing published home and abroad: news items; reviews for The Stage, Whatsonstage, BBC, etc; features in national newspapers.

Her work also includes marketing -
one book from an American publisher has sold over 25,000 copies.
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Available for readings and workshops:

‘The A to Y of Getting into Print’

Anything at Any level to help You succeed:
magazines; collections, via competitions; books

The way to publication is paved with good intentions…
and the best way to set off in the right direction
is making sure you have enough information