As I previously stated, I find being alone to be more conducive to productivity. As I am currently in two weeks solitary confinement for the crime of traveling to Bali, I wondered if this would make me more productive? Or if I would slip into a stupor of procrastination, fueled by Netflix, books and chocolate?
Well, I’m halfway through my confinement and I have to say, so far so good. I had a couple of days where nothing could tear me away from binge watching an Icelandic crime drama on Netflix. But other than that, I have managed to balance Netflix, reading, and writing.
As of today, I have entered seven short story or flash fiction competitions in March. I have one more to complete to round it out to eight. These writing competitions run throughout the year, so here are their details if you are interested. These organisations/companies also offer editing and other services for writers. They are really good resources to keep for the when you need them, or join their mailing lists.
- Limnisa Short Story Competition – www.limnisa.com
- Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction – www.writerscentre.com.au
- Globe Soup Travel Writing Competition – www.globesoup.net
- World Writers Collective Short Story Competition – www.worldwriterscollective.com
- Flash Fiction 500 – www.flash500.com
- The Arcanist Western Flash Competition – www.thearcanist.io
- Retreat West Themed Flash Fiction Competition – www.retreatwest.co.uk
- Darling Axe Flash Fiction Competition – www.darlingaxe.com
So, I’d have to say isolation suits me, creatively at least. I’m fairly happy with my output in both quality and quantity. I think for the second week of my confinement I’ll focus on my book(s) and give the short stories and competitions a rest. Let’s see if I can keep the momentum going without a deadline to meet!
David McK Writes 