Films like Memento, American Splendor, Minority Report, Rear Window, The Wild One, Brokeback Mountain, Rashomon, A Christmas Story, and 2001: A Space Odyssey all have their origins in the short story form.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Judged by: Sara Gruen, Author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (Feature film coming out 2011) and APE HOUSE, coming out from Random House on September 7, 2010.

Grand Prize: Publication and Featured Author Slot on TheNervousBreakdown.com, an Amazon Kindle, and Final Draft Screenwriting Software!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 

Second and Third Place Prizes: Powell’s Gift Certificates

BONUS PRIZE: The Top Ten Entries will ALL be read and considered for screen adaptation by a panel of four Entertainment Industry Executives! Talk about page to screen!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Deadline: MIDNIGHT - December 15th, 2010

Entry Fee: $15

What to Submit: A short story under 10,000 words (aka under 30 pages), along with a cover letter. Stories of any genre considered.

ENTER NOW! Go to the Page-To-Screen Listing on WordHustler.com!

Manuscript critiques are also available for an additional fee of $25/story. Simply add $25 to the “Additional Fee” section of the checkout, bringing your total additional fees to $40, and our WordHustler Editors will provide you with a detailed critique of your story.

WordHustler printing and shipping fees are not included in the entry fee. Stories from 10- 20 pages in length are an additional $5.99 to print/ship to judging committee. 21 - 30 page stories are an additional $6.99. Add a Reply Card for $1.29 if you’d like confirmation receipt of your story.

Finalists and Winners will be announced by March 15th, 2011 and their names posted on WordHustlerInk and The Nervous Breakdown. 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 

TO ENTER: CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Specific Instructions: Upload your project to your Hustlefolio, then press “Enter This Contest” on the CONTEST LISTING. You will be taken to the Submission Wizard and walked through the process. Be sure to modify the “Additional Fees” section if you’d like a manuscript critique.

If you have any questions, email Contests@WordHustler.com and we’ll be happy to answer them.

*Please Note: The Top Ten finalists will be determined by the WH team and then judged by Sara Gruen, as well as read by the four Hollywood Executives. We are looking for compelling writing that is original, daring, and worthy of being published. The Judging Committee consists of 20 experienced writers from every kind of writing background.

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But writing has always been her passion. And when Mary Lynn and her partner Carl decided on a whim to buy a working ranch in the country, complete with cows, cats, and wild turkeys, she sure had a lot to write about.

That’s how her memoir, ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue was born. Full of laughs, heartache, and Mary Lynn’s signature feisty honesty, this well-written book has become loved by writers and outdoor-lovers alike. WordHustler sat down with Mary Lynn to get the scoop on writing, ranching, and…cow breeding? Straight from the horse’s mouth, as they say.

Read the interview and then get moooooooving on your own writing! (Sorry, couldn’t resist). Also, answer the trivia question at the end of the article for a chance to win a free copy of ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL! Yee-haw!

WordHustler: You have a varied writing background, including being published in Chicken Soup for the Single Parent’s Soul, Today’s Home Magazine, and The Press Democrat…what do you consider your first big break, writing-wise?

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That’s right, Gayle Trent has not one, but two successful mystery series in stores now. Now before you concoct your own elaborate murder plot for this talented lady, keep in mind that Gayle has been working at not only writing, but marketing and promoting herself for years. And it’s really paying off. 

WordHustler sat down with Gayle to talk writing technique, sewing secrets, and - of course- how to land an agent and publisher (spoiler alert: it’s a lot of work and totally worth it). Read on to learn about Gayle’s killer career and then craft one of your own!

Also, one lucky WordHustler will win a FREE copy of Gayle’s latest book, The Quick and The Thread, just for correctly answering the trivia question at the end of the interview! 

WordHustler: You have a successful writing career, including being the creative force behind two cozy mystery series (one under your own name, one under “Amanda Lee”)…what do you consider your first big break, writing-wise?

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This creative celebration of prose readings, poetry performance, stand-up comedy, music, panels and more will star some of the literary, entertainment, and music world’s best and brightest. There are a few spots still open, so if you’d like to perform please email awalls@WordHustler.com.

Jose Rivera, Academy Award nominated screenwriter for The Motorcycle Diaries, will premiere an excerpt from his debut novel and Jillian Lauren, New York Times Best-Selling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem will read from her work.

CW’s Life Unexpected creator Liz Tigelaar and star Shiri Appleby will be featured in the “Script to Screen Panel.”  The panel “Sophomore Success: What Happens After the First Book?” features authors Mark Sarvas (Harry, Revised), Deirdre Shaw (Love Or Something Like It), Brad Listi (Attention. Deficit. Disorder.) and Brooke Berman (No Place Like Home).

The performances will run 24 hours, as will the food, drinks, and revelry. There will be a silent auction, giveaways, and attendees can explore the amazing workspace that is The Writers Junction.  A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to The Young Storytellers Foundation.

The Writers Junction is located at 1001 Colorado Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401. www.writersjunction.com

PERFORMERS!

9 AM- Dennis Cruz - spoken word
9:20 AM- Johnny Walker - comedy
10 AM- Ashaki Jackson - poetry
11:20 AM- Karen Forman & Co - improv
12 noon- Brooke Bastinelli- 1 Woman Show
1 PM- Drew Droege - comedic essay
1:20 PM - Jim McCaffree
1:40 PM- Kat Fatland
2 PM- David Francis - prose fiction Stray Dog Winter
2:20 PM- Ben Weber- screenplay
3 PM- James Greer - music/prose
3:40 PM- Lindsey Goldstein - memoir
4:30 PM- Author Panel featuring Deirdre Shaw, Brad Listi, Mark Sarvas, and Brooke Berman
6 PM- LIFE UNEXPECTED Panel - featuring creator Liz Tigelaar & star Shiri Appleby
7 PM- Jose Rivera with Sona Tatoyan excerpt from premiere novel Love Makes the City Crumble
7:30 PM- Jillian Lauren - Some Girls: My Life in a Harem
7:50 PM- Joseph Powell - poetry
8 PM- Mark Rizzo - comedic piece (about Scranton, PA people!)
8:20 PM- Dave Yaden - music from the band Dave & Divine
8:40 PM- Garrett Socol - play
9 PM- Mahogany Improv Group - Upright Citizens Brigade improv
10 PM- Ben Loory - prose short story
10:20 PM- John Singleton - poetry
10:40 PM- Nicole Wells - comedic essay
11 PM- D. Haney - memoir
11:20 PM- Rich Ferguson - spoken word
11:40 PM- Anne Walls - comedic essay
12 Midnight- Movie Performance - When Harry Met Sally
2 AM- Brock Walters - comedy
2:20 AM - Joseph Mattson - Empty the Sun prose/audio recordings
2:40 AM - Joe Wengert - comedy, Upright Citizens Brigade
3 AM- Anna Metcalf - essay
4 AM- Karaoke Party! - musical!
6 AM- Sean Hill - spoken word
6:20 AM - Kate Gilbert - prose
7 AM- Vanessa Libertad Garcia - dark comedic fiction
8:40 AM- Nicole Scipione

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Please join The Writers Junction, in association with WordHustler and The Nervous Breakdown, on July 24th, 2010 for a 24-hour celebration to commemorate our shift to 24/7 access.

This literary event will star some of the literary, entertainment, and music world’s best and brightest including Jose Rivera, Obie Award winner and Academy Award nominee for THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. The performances will be going for 24 hours straight, as will the food, drinks, and revelry.

There will be a silent auction, giveaways, a DJ spinning and you can check out the amazing workspace that is The Writers Junction. We’ll also donate a portion of the evening’s proceeds to The Young Storytellers Foundation.

Come check out The Junction, meet some fellow writers, and perform your work in front of a live audience and members of the press!

What’s The Writer’s Junction?

The Writers Junction is an affordable workspace for writers: where writers write. It’s where you’ll find the quiet of a library, the society of a coffee shop, the focus of a daily office, and the camaraderie of a private club.  It’s where you can work in solitude within a supportive community.  It’s where you can be a member for less than the cost of a latte a day.  Visit www.writersjunction.com for a free day pass.

How Can I Get Involved with the 24-Hour Literary Marathon?

Funny you should ask. That’s why we’re sending you this info- we’d LOVE to have you involved! Whether you’re a poet, actor, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, or a little of all that- we’d love for you to sign up for an 8-minute (or less) spot. We’ll be going for 24 hours: we want you. We need you. We’ve got to have you!

Note: If your fantastical piece is longer than 8 minutes, let us know and we may be able to work something out.

What Kind of Material Can I Perform?

Since The Writers Junction is a workspace for writers and artists of every kind, that’s the vibe we’re celebrating in the 24-Hour Literary Marathon. Screenwriters can read a few scenes from their latest work, musicians can play some of their jams, poets and spoken word performers can read their brilliance, novelists, actors, and journalists can wow. If you wrote/composed/compiled it, we want to hear it.

What’s WordHustler?

WordHustler is the world’s first online submission management platform for writers. We’ll help you find markets, compose letters, and physically and digitally send your projects out. We’ve helped people get agents, win contests, and more.  You’re a writer…you should be spending your time writing.

What’s The Nervous Breakdown?

The Nervous Breakdown is an online literary magazine featuring the work of published and emerging authors and poets from around the world. Authors are featured in TNB’s Arts and Culture, Fiction, and Poetry sections.  Check them out!

What Are the Details for the 24-Hour Event?

The 24-Hour Literary Marathon will begin on Saturday, July 24th at 9 am and run for 24 glorious hours through 9 am on Sunday, July 25th.

The Writers Junction is located at 1001 Colorado Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Contact them at 310.451.0999.

Parking is on the street and in the parking lot directly behind the building.

Note: If you are reading/performing, you need to arrive at least a half hour before your time slot, but you’ll want to come before that since we’re having the best entertainment around! Be sure to bring your friends/fans/groupies!

Okay, I’m IN! What Do I Need to Do?

Huzzah! We’re so excited to have you! To reserve your spot, email awalls@wordhustler.com and we’ll send you a Sign-Up Sheet to fill out.

We can’t wait to experience your literary genius. Be sure to bring your friends to cheer you on (yes, even you 4 am kids!). Thanks so much for helping us make this event great

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In the two years WordHustler has been open and in business, we have:

• helped hundreds of writers find agents and get their work published in various literary magazines, online journals, and other publications
• awarded over 60 writers prizes and accolades through our various writing contests, including our Literary Storm Novel Contest
• connected our Top Ten Finalists with indie publisher Flatmancrooked for publishing consideration
• connected writers with our fantastic Editorial Maven Joyce Sweeney, who has helped over 27 people get published
• gained almost 10,000 clients, world-wide
• interviewed top-tier editors, agents, and writers on our blog, WordHustlerInk
• been written up by top writing, Hollywood, and technology sites
• debuted our Digital Submission System, allowing writers to seamlessly track their Digital and Physical Submissions
• reached and been used by writers in almost every country in the world

We have big plans for our next two years and beyond, so stay tuned for new and exciting features, contests, interviews, writing tools, and more!

We appreciate you being a WordHustler and to show our appreciation, we’re taking 10% off your physical submissions for the rest of the month of May. Simply enter the coupon code WORDHUSTLER2 in the orange coupon box when you check out. It’s just our way to say thanks for using us to help get your brilliance out to the world.

So come on, compose the perfect cover letter, upload your material, search our markets, and then send your poems, screenplays, novels, non-fiction books, articles, and other projects to our over 5,000 markets. Writing destiny is within your reach now that you’re organized, streamlined, and effectively submitting through WordHustler. It’s certainly a happy day for ALL!

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WordHustler sat down with deNikolits to talk fame, fashion, and being famished. This savvy South-African-turned-Canadian author has done an amazing job of churning out many projects while still maintaining her other career as an art director for top fashion magazines. Read on to find out how this talented writer is taking the fashion world- and the world at large- by storm!

WordHustler: You have an amazing and eclectic background from growing up in multiple countries, working as a writer and an art director in the fashion magazine world…what do you consider your first big break, writing-wise?

Lisa deNikolits: My first big break came, oddly enough, in the form of a rejection letter from Carolyn Jackson, the managing editor of a publishing house in Toronto. With characteristic generosity of spirit, she pointed me in the direction of Inanna, and The Hungry Mirror came to be as a result. My second big break would of course be the offer by Luciana Ricciutelli and Inanna to publish the book.

WH: You’ve written a few short story collections and some other novels- what made you decide you HAD to write this book in particular?

LD: If anything, it was The Hungry Mirror who made the decision for me! The Hungry Mirror wanted to be written and it was insistent. There were times when I wished it hadn’t “chosen” me as its conduit, because it was a tough book to write and the writing spanned a very long time. But I feel the book explores a number of important and controversial social and mental  health issues, and I am very pleased to be the author.

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WordHustler had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Deneen in his offices in New York’s famous Flatiron Building. How did this talented, savvy Hollywood-turned-publishing industry insider get so lucky? Read on to find out!

WordHustler: Thanks for sitting down with us, Brendan! How did you get your start in the industry?

Brendan Deneen: I moved to New York to be a writer and an actor circa 1997. I did that for 3 years while working a day job at an investment bank. Then I produced a couple of short films that I wrote and directed. Eventually, I started temping. The temp agency was looking to place people in permanent jobs and asked if I’d be interested in interviewing to work at a literary agency. I thought maybe I could get an agent out of it. They didn’t tell me the name of the company but gave me an address and said I’d be interviewing to be the assistant of a literary agent. It turned out to be the William Morris Agency. I got hired and was older than your average assistant since I was 28. I worked there for a year but then the department changed after WMA bought another agency out and I eventually left.

I went on Mediabistro.com in 2001 and saw an ad for a film company hiring in NY and again, no specific company was named but they wanted someone who was interested in books. I faxed my resume over and was Number 19 of 20 people who was interviewed at Scott Rudin Productions for a Story Editor position. I had to write coverage overnight. It was interesting because it was a manuscript that two executives at Rudin’s liked but Scott himself didn’t like it. I didn’t like the book either and said that. They liked the fact that I had an opinion so they hired me.

I worked there for 2 years as a Story Editor. It was an awesome job. I was a book-to-film guy, which meant I was tracking the book world, doing notes on books and scripts, etc.

WH: And this was the beginning of the book-to-film craze, or at least when it started to really blossom, right?

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WordHustler sat down with Ms. Self to get the skinny on the convergence of Hollywood and the publishing industry, the kind of queries that hook her, and the lure of a good, old-fashioned zombie story. Read on to fill your cup with the elixir of publishing (and Hollywood) SUCCESS!

WordHustler: How did you get your start in the industry?

Sarah Self: I went to school at Northwestern University and got my start in the industry by working/interning for Lynda Obst, Jodie Foster, and Stacy Sher and Michael Shamberg at Jersey Films. In college I knew that this was the business I wanted to work in, so every summer I would come to LA and do internships. I did a lot of coverage and started building my resume.

Then when I graduated everyone told me I should get agency experience but didn’t think that I wanted to be an agent. I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do- maybe more in line with being a producer- I definitely knew I wanted to create. But agency experience really helps, despite what some may think. Agencies put it all together. Of course the project starts with the writer, but the agency is really the link that connects everybody. That’s where you have directors, writers, talent and they all come to an agency as the center point. It’s the perfect place to start if you’re not sure what you want to do, because you work with all the elements. So I started working at CAA for Bob Bookman, who’s the head of CAA’s Film Department and still my mentor today. He’s at the top of his game.

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Drum roll please!

The Winners:

Grand Prize Winner: Tatiana Blackington for THE SANCTUARY

Second Place Winner: Scott Thomas for KILL CREEK

Third Place Winner: JoAnn Chaney for HEAVEN SENT

Tatiana wins a free manuscript critique from Joyce Sweeney, while Scott and JoAnn win Barnes & Noble gift certificates!

Here is the complete list of Top Ten Winners, all of whom are being considered for publishing by indie publisher Flatmancrooked.

Top Ten Winners:

Susanna Fantich for A CAT’S TALE

Ann Gimpel for ECHO OF HOPE

Dennis Frohlich for HAVINA VIVANT

Joseph Carey for BANQUO’S BANQUET

Kathleen Murphy for THE LAND OF LEVAN

Meghna Pant for ONE AND A HALF WIFE

Chris Nunley for NOWHERE, AZ

Tatiana Blackington for THE SANCTUARY

Scott Thomas for KILL CREEK

JoAnn Chaney for HEAVEN SENT

Honorable Mentions:

Ann Eskridge for THE RAVEN

Donald O’Donovan for NIGHT TRAIN

Mickey Marie Dodson for NICARAGUA IS MINE

John White for PRODIGIOUS SAVANT

Remi Oyedele for GOAL DREAMS

Congrats to each of our winners and a huge thank you to all of you talented writers who entered. This contest was more of a success than we ever imagined, due largely to the huge flood of fantastic entries. You made this contest a smash hit! Keep on writing!

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