December Short Story Contests and Awards
Short Story Contest Deadlines for Fiction Writers

By Ginny Wiehardt, About.com Guide

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Stanford University Wallace Stegner Fellowships -- December 1
Stanford offers ten two-year fellowships each year, five in fiction and five in poetry. Fellowships include a living stipend of $26,000 and required workshop tuition of approximately $6,500. Submit fiction manuscript, totaling no more than 9,000 words, composed of two short stories, one short story and a novel excerpt, or one novel excerpt online. $60.00 application fee.

Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition -- December 1
Writer's Digest is now accepting entries in their annual short short story competition. Submit short fiction of up to 1,500 words using online form. $15.00 entry fee.

Pew Fellowships in the Arts Literary Fellowships -- December 5
Fellowships of $60,000 each are given every four years to Philadelphia-area writers of fiction and creative nonfiction to allow them to concentrate on their writing. Submit a manuscript of two to three works totaling 20 to 30 pages with proof of residence and two copies of the application form to Pew Fellowships in the Arts, Philadelphia Center for Arts & Heritage, 1608 Walnut Street, 18th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. No application fee.

American Short Fiction Short Story Contest -- December 8
First prize is $1,000 + publication; 2nd place winner receives $500. Submit online. $20 fee.

Crazyhorse Fiction Prize -- December 15
Crazyhorse literary magazine offers a yearly prize award of $2,000 and publication for a story of up to twenty-five pages. Submit online or send entries to: Crazyhorse, Poetry and Fiction Prizes, Department of English, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424. $16.00 entry fee includes subscription.

Meridian Editors' Prize Contest -- December 15
Prizes of $1,000 and publication in Meridian. Submit one story of 10,000 words or fewer or up to four poems. All entries must be submitted electronically. $16 entry fee.

Wisconsin People & Ideas/Wisconsin Book Festival Short Story and Poetry Contests -- December 15
Wisconsin People & Ideas, the quarterly magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, is accepting submissions for its annual short story and poetry contests. Winners will receive prizes of $500, $250, and $100. Their works will be published serially beginning with the first-prize story in the summer 2009 issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas. The first-place story will be reviewed by a noted literary agent, and the author will receive a one-week stay at Edenfred, a creative arts residency owned by the Terry Family Foundation. Entry fee: $10.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards -- December 18
A prize of $500 to a work of fiction to recognize depictions of sensitive and authentic personal experience either within the framework of contemporary literary standards and themes or which explore innovative literary formats. Publishers may send one copy of each title to members of the Literary Awards Committee. See website for complete rules. No entry fee.

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Ginny Wiehardt
Fiction Writing Guide

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