Sixth annual Sean O’Faolain short story competition
Sponsored by the Munster Literature Centre, the annual short story competition is dedicated to Sean O’Faolain who was one of Ireland’s most accomplished story writers. Main prizes: €1,500, or €500 and publication in the literary biannual Southword.
Closing date July 31, 2008
See here

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A short story is a form of short narrative prose.

Stories tend to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction need be.

Having their origins in oral story-telling traditions, short stories, which can be long, or very short, usually feature a situation that comes rapidly to the point.

A properly delivered short story should leave a reader satisfied that no more was left of the tale to tell.

More often than not, a short story will focus on a single incident, with one setting, a limited number of characters, and cover a brief period of time where something happens to instigate or resolve a story or situation

Many lovers of the form say a good short story should be capable of reading in a single sitting.

It is a form attractive to beginner writers simply because some effort can translate into a finished piece of writing, however much the resultant story may be in need of further editing.

Still, a beginning has been made.

For lively club discussion on writing short stories see here.

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