I recently read an article that said one of the best things you can do to help yourself get published is, well, to get published. Writing contests are a great way to get short stories out there which helps build a name for yourself and makes publishers feel a bit more comfortable about investing in your full book. Plus, stretching yourself to write a short story is a really good writing exercise. And for those of us who focus on full-length novels, a short story is a stretch, believe me.

I found a wonderful writing contest and am punching away at the keyboard to try to finish my submission before the April 15 deadline. This contest does not lead to any financial payout. And, if selected, your name will not be included on the published piece. But, the contest is for charity. And if I win, I can still list it as a publishing credit, even if my name is not on the published piece.

Kindle for Kids

The contest is to write a short story fairy tale to populate kindles that are going to be donated to a children’s hospital. Now, I don’t know if you’ve spent any time in a hospital, but I have. And boring doesn’t even begin to describe what a dull place hospitals can be. Now imagine being in a hospital as a child. Or imagine being that child’s parent, struggling to entertain your child while also trying to conquer your fear so your child doesn’t pick up on it. And in steps Kindles for Kids. By supplying Kindles to hospitals, children can have books to read or have their parents read to them while they wait for countless hours for all those scary hospital things. Who wouldn’t want to support this, right?

I’ll keep you posted on how the contest goes. And in case you were wondering about the title of this post, my short story is called Once Upon a Cupcake. I do love my cupcakes.

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