FOLLOW ME!!

**********I'm blogging at MichellePendergrass.com and Visual Prayer now!**********

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Coach's Midnight Diner




After I submit the Relief Sacrament Story, I'll be sending an entry to Coach's Midnight Diner--Due April 1st.

Can you guess what I'm writing?

Here's what Coach is looking for (and what not to send)

What I am looking for:

Unpublished Short Fiction 10,000 words or less in the following categories, written with a Christian slant:

*Hardboiled Detective/Mystery (Examples:Raymond Chandler, Janet Evanovich)
*Horror/Weird Fiction (Examples:H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King)
*Conspiracy/Aliens/Paranormal (Examples:X-Files, Millennium)
*Suspense/Adventure (Examples:Dan Brown, James Patterson, Dean Koontz)
*The Fantastic/Archetypal Exploration (Examples:Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Neil Gaiman)
*Futurist (Examples: Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits)
*Crime/Police Procedural (CSI, Law and Order)

Combinations of the above genres are also welcome.

In addition to the above categories, I am also offering three cash awards for writing for the following prompts:

* Jesus Vs. Cthulhu: This one's wide open. There are so many ways to approach this prompt. Open up the creativity box and let's see what you've got.
*
* That One That Happens In A Diner: The story has to happen in a diner. Blinding flash of the obvious, right? All before-mentioned categories are eligible.
* ...and one category that will be decided based upon the work received.(Think Editor's Choice with a fun name.)

The three category winners will receive $100. I reserve the right to change the award categories based upon work received (I can't give out an award in a category I don't have quality work in). All those published will receive a contributor's copy free of charge, their name and optional face plastered on the Relief website, and bragging rights.
What Not To Submit

* Hardcore Sci-Fi: I do not want to read about what happened after the Reticulan War on Beta 3.
* Sword and Sorcery: This is not the place for Eldor's quest to find the enchanted jewel protected by the green-blue dragon. A better place for work in this genre is the The Sword Review., a great webzine dedicated to this category.
* Fan Fiction: We are not going to pay licensing fees or chase down copyright for fan fiction, so don’t even think about it. Captain Kirkster or Sculder and Mully stories will be summarily rejected.

For clarification, the timeline you have to work in can be as early as the mid-1700's all the way into 2020. Your story must take place on Earth, around the Earth or at least in this solar system. Yes, you may include other dimensions. You should have original characters, but you may use historical characters as well. Spiritual warfare is allowed, but let's see some orignality to it, eh? Shining swords are not allowed.

If you think your work is questionable in terms of the parameters, go ahead and submit it anyway. I might accept it even if it's outside of these parameters. The worst I can do is say no.

Also, pansy sanitized work will also be summarily rejected. Do not send me a gangster story in which a hardened assassin says things like "fiddlesticks" or "gosh golly." Write for adults, not 6-year-olds. This anthology will not be "safe for the whole family," so don't pull your punches.


Wish me luck!!

No comments: