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Historical Fiction:

This is a new category added to the monthly contests. Same guidelines for Fiction and Creative Nonfiction apply. Here is a definition of the genre:

It can range from pre-Neolithic influences all the way up until just before 21^st century. Historical fiction is not 'fantasy historical fiction' – events in the piece you are presenting must be appropriate for the time period. And no alternate history or 'what ifs' such as what would have happened if Julius Caesar had not been murdered.

Introduce us to a lesser known historical figure, or historical event. Was Abigail Adams really a spy for her husband and, if so, how would she have gone about it?

There's room for artistic license but not so much so that it takes away from the actual history – we can't change history but we can enlighten others with different perceptions of its events.

Give a one or two sentences introducing the piece – whether it's about Catherine the Great, War of the Roses, or Napoleon on his deathbed. But allow enough space so that the reader can separate the introduction from the piece itself. Click here for an example of what we're looking for.

Please contact Persephone if you have any questions or comments.

Fried Fiction Serialized Stories Contest:

We are very excited to announce our partnership with Fried Fiction in this new exciting opportunity for our members. We are looking for well written, open ended stories (or serials) of any genre, with a few exceptions, such as fan fiction (which may infringe upon copyrights) and erotic fiction. Post the first part of the serial, 1000 words or less, and the winner (or winners) will be published on the Fried Fiction website.

This is an open-ended contest. Every month, Notes and Grace Notes Administrators will select finalists to be reviewed by Fried Fiction staff. They will select the story (or stories), which they feel are most appropriate for their site. Winners will then have their story published on their site. Fried Fiction offers $25 for the first part of the serial.

Remember the first episode does not need to tell a complete story, but should leave the reader wanting more. Stories should have a strong focus on characters, and abide by the general rules of style (i.e; show, dont tell; minimize passive verbs -- is, was, etc..). Further parts of the serial can be added at the author's pace to Fried Fiction through their web interface. ONLY THE FIRST PART OF THE SERIAL IS TO BE ENTERED IN OUR CONTEST. If selected as a winner, all other parts will appear only on Fried Fiction.

I think you all will have a lot of fun with this idea and I can't wait to see what you'll do with it. If you have any questions, feel free to email Allan at allanshapiro@hotmail.com.