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‘Less is More’ for postcard writing contest

Tip for writers in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows - keep your story simple, short and snappy

The Writers’ Union of Canada is pleased to launch its 13th annual Postcard Story Competition, which invites writers to create a dramatic, short, snappy piece in 250 words or fewer.

A $750 prize will be awarded to a writer, and the winning entry will be published in postcard format and distributed in Write, the magazine of The Writers’ Union of Canada.

The Writers’ Union of Canada initiated its inaugural Postcard Story Competition in 1999 to discover, encourage, and promote writers of fiction and nonfiction in this form.

The Postcard Story format strips a story to its essentials, in the name of clarity and simplicity.

“Nothing can be extraneous in a postcard story,” says executive director Kelly Duffin. “Every word has to be considered and be essential to the whole.”

The jury includes  Montrealer Clayton Bailey, Nova Scotia-born, B.C.-based poet John Lent and Ottawa writer Nerys Parry.

To be eligible, submissions must be written by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, published or unpublished.

Any text, fiction or nonfiction, up to 250 words, in the English language, which is original and not previously published in any format, is eligible.

A typed, double-spaced entry in a clear 12-point font on white paper, not stapled or exceeding maximum word length, along with an entry fee of $7.50 (cheque or money order) per entry, should be sent to The Writers’ Union of Canada at: 90 Richmond Street East, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1P1. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 14, 2012. The winner will be announced in May 2012. Electronic submissions will not be accepted. For more, visit www.writersunion.ca.