Short Story Competitions 2008 are giving way, like the winter itself to Contests 2009. In the bleak mid-winter, what better creative use of a writer's time can there be than dreaming up a really great gripping short story for a competition? (Particularly if there's some revenue to be gained, such as a big cash prize!) Mslexia magazine has one such story contest for short stories by women on any topic up to 2,200 words.


Judging the Mslexia short story competition 2008 to 2009 will be Helen Simpson, author of the intriguingly titled 'Four Bare Legs In a Bed'. First prize is an accolade worth striving for, as it's for £2000! That should go a long way towards stretching the credit crunched writer's meagre budget - and not only that - their impecunious strivings can be eased and pampered with a week's writing retreat accommodation at Chawton House Library and the benefit of a day in the company of an editor whose brains are worth picking .... yes, a Virago editor.

Second and third prizewinners can console themselves with prizes of £500 and £250 respectively, and another threesome of lucky finalists may be consoled by £100 each and the 'buzz' of seeing their short story competition 2008 to 2009 submissions appearing in print in Mslexia magazine. Not only will all their women wannabe writer fellow-subscribers see their short story competition entries, but the winning submissions will also be perused by well-known literary agent Carol Blake.

So with winter closing in, in some climes, it might be time to devote some 'me-time' to writing away the long, dark,impecunious winter hours in front of the fire. Longer darker evenings are perhaps a bonus only for writers - it gives them an excuse to curl up and indulge in their creative passion to write or to read and absorb all the invaluable writing tips of magazines.

A subscription to Mslexia will make the evenings fly by, it's packed with interviews, new writing,competitions, newsy letter gossip,writing help, events, writers' markets, advice on getting published and other writerish stuff no girlie writer wants to miss! After all, the best tip on how to win short story competitions in magazines is to get the magazines and read the stories to see what the judges are looking for!

January 23rd is the closing date for this short story competition 2008 to 2009, a fitting end to the winter perhaps? So short story writers, get help with your writing, get thinking, reflecting, dreaming - creating!.