Its the first day of spring. The primroses are blooming in the hedgerows and banks and the willow tree is shaded with green. Have you a story draft that’s a possibility for entry to our £1750 prize fund 2023 Award. It closes in five weeks, Monday 24th April. 
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Monthly Archives: March 2023
The Leak
Some writing competitions have a theme, a given title, words that must be included etc. or they stipulate that entries should be written in a specified genre, such as fantasy, magical realism or Gothic. The Bath Short Story Award does none of that ─ our rule is that stories should be written in English and not exceed 2200 words ─ as this allows writers complete freedom of choice in subject matter and style. Continue reading
By Hook or By Crook
Pardon the title. I couldn’t resist this phrase, first recorded in Middle English in 1380, the meaning to do anything necessary to achieve a goal. Translating the idea into writing for a short story competition with the hope of a prize, here I concentrate on how you can hook our initial readers (who may have a batch of 50 stories to read in their inbox). Let’s have a look at ‘Dead Dog’ the 2022 Bath Short Story Award first prize winner, by Kate 0’Grady Continue reading