Catherine Austen
Books & Animals
Awesome Authors 2019 – Decision Time
Every year, the Ottawa Public Library holds a youth writing contest for which hundreds of local kids write stories, poems, and comics. The winners and honourable mentions are published in the annual anthology, Pot-pourri. But the contest’s title — Awesome Authors — applies to all of those who enter.
The contest deadline for 2019 has passed (it was February 19th — if you are still thinking about entering, hold that thought till next year), and the entries are currently in the hands of the judges, awaiting final decisions.
I’m one of those judges. Read More
Young Writers Workshop: Setting Exercise
I’ll be giving a writing workshop tomorrow at the Carlingwood Library to help kids aged 9-12 prepare their stories for the Ottawa Public Library’s Awesome Authors Contest.
We’ll do two story-building exercises: one on Character, and one on Setting. Read More
Awesome Authors 2019 – Submission Call
It’s time for all the young writers in Ottawa to get their awesome on!
The Ottawa Public Library wants you to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write a poem, short story, or comic (or all three!) to enter into the OPL’s 2019 Awesome Authors youth writing contest.
The contest is open to Ottawa students aged 9-18. There will be two age categories this year: 9-12 and 13-18. There are two language categories: English and French. And three genres: poems, short stories, and comics. (You can enter one piece in each genre in each language, if you’re an extra-awesome author, for a total of six submissions!)
You’ll find all the important rules here on the OPL website.
I’ll be judging the English fiction submissions in the 9-12 age category — and I can’t wait to read your stuff! Read More
Young Writers’ Markets
If you are a young writer of fiction or poetry, here are some excellent places to submit your work The updated lists are divided into teen markets and children’s markets (with a bit of overlap).
Online and Print Magazines for Teen Writers:
The Blue Marble publishes poetry, prose and art from writers aged 13-20.
- Submission guidelines: https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/
Canvas is a literary journal that publishes prose and poetry by writers aged 13-18.
- Submission guidelines: http://canvasliteraryjournal.com/submit/
Sadly, Cicada Magazine closed in August 2018. Read More
NaNoWriMo on the Slow Track
I posted a motivational blurb on the SCBWI Canada East website today, about slogging it through the last days of November’s novel-writing challenge.
I have never actually made the NaNoWriMo journey, meaning I’ve never done a start-to-finish draft in the month of November. I’ve started books, and I’ve finished books, but never both in November.
But I’m really fond of the whole idea and how it motivates so many people–because who couldn’t use a little more motivation?
My first children’s novel, Walking Backward, began as a NaNoWriMo effort.
Read More
Inktober for those afraid to Draw
It’s the first day of Inktober. Illustrators know this. The rest of us might not — but we should, all of us. Because Inktober is awesome. And it’s for everyone.
Inktober began in 2009, by artist Jake Parker, as a challenge to improve drawing skills and practices. The gist is simple: you make an ink drawing every day of the month. 31 days, 31 drawings. And you can share it all online.
Inktober is, obviously, intended for artists. But anyone who can make a mark on a page is welcome to participate. Doodlers, calligraphers, even writers. Read More
Writing Spaces
My tiny home office was featured in this week’s “Writing Spaces,” a regular blog post from The New Quarterly.
This is a fabulous weekly feature from TNQ that offers a peek into the working spaces of each issue’s writers, along with inspiring anecdotes and tips from the authors. Definitely a blog worth following.
My writing space is among the first of many to be featured in the coming weeks from authors whose work is in Issue #147 of The New Quarterly, released this summer.
My story, On Sulphur Mountain, is one of eight fiction pieces in the current issue. (There are also great essays and poems.) Subscribe and get digital access to the magazine or a year’s worth of gorgeous print journals.)
Feel free to leave a reply here describing your workspace and what you love best about it. (I love the light in mine.)
Have a great weekend.
Catherine Austen is an award-winning author from Gatineau, Quebec. Her favourite things are books and animals.
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