Tag: success

Diamond Life

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People often ask, ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ Last year I came across this image on the internet and was blown away by the woman’s incredible, ethereal beauty. So much so that it inspired a short story: Diamond Life. It’s a bit of a weird one, but I liked it. So did the rest of the world, sort of… I entered it into various competitions and it was shortlisted three times, early on, then nothing in subsequent comps. Finally, despairing (and a tad disappointed) I thought, I’ll give it one more chance. I’m glad I did, it won first prize in the NAWG (National Association of Writers’ Groups) 2021 short story competition. I was so pleased. This beautiful creature deserves it.

If you’re interested in reading any of my stories, my new collection Degrees of Exposure is available now. (Diamond Life will be in my next collection but in the meantime, you can read it in Henshaw Four.)

Out now: Degrees of Exposure

~ Dianne ~ 2 Comments

Here it is – my second collection of short stories, newly published and just waiting for an audience!

A young man is seduced by a knitting sorceress. A couple weekending in Copenhagen bond through an unexpected donation of wedding cake. An old ex-mercenary, cut off by floodwaters, finds himself transformed into James Bond. Two worlds collide in an out-of-town retail park as a middle-aged woman helps two asylum seekers in their quest for a better life…

In this new collection of thirty-three contemporary short stories, readers are invited to dip into different worlds, walking hand-in-hand with an eclectic and colourful range of characters as they deal with love, hope, joy, disappointment, and loss. All the featured stories have either won prizes or been short- or long-listed in international creative writing competitions. Feedback includes:

‘Moving and Inspirational’ – Writers Forum ((That) Hollow Place)

‘Wonderfully imaginative’ – Yeovil Literary Prize (Seesaw of Isolation)

‘Someone with a magical way with writing’ – Writing Magazine (Stitched Up)

‘Beautifully paced’ – Dahlia Press (Nighthawks)

Degrees of Exposure is available from Amazon or FeedaRead in paperback or ebook format. Reviews and recommendations are always appreciated.

Recent successes

~ Dianne ~ 2 Comments

In the past few weeks, I’ve been delighted and amazed to have been awarded first place in both the Henshaw Press quarterly short story competition and the NAWG (National Association of Writers Groups) annual short story competition. And to have a previously shortlisted story included in the new Henshaw Four short story anthology.

It’s a great feeling and I’m hugely grateful to all the competition organisers and judges who make this possible. The encouragement is beyond value.

All Human Wisdom

~ Dianne ~ 4 Comments

Great news recently. My story All Human Wisdom was awarded first prize in the Hastings Writers’ Room competition, addressing the theme of Missing.

The judges commented:

“The benign setting, contrasting a rural domestic idyll with an unexplained and unexpected disappearance, provides a layered and sustained tension right up to the final line, building a profound and tortuous sense of loss, hope, and longing for resolution that continues far beyond the story.”

Wonderful comment. And a lovely trophy to commemorate my win!

First time in Yours Fiction

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Yours Fiction – popular, mass-market – and now featuring one of my stories! It underlines how important it is to keep testing new markets. I never thought this magazine was a good fit for my work, but a snappy acceptance for this piece proved me wrong. They’ve made a few editorial changes (including the title) but they are only minor and I’m fine with that. Nice to get the exposure…

1st in Writers’ Forum Fiction

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My rather strange story (That) Hollow Place astounded me by taking first prize in the fiction competition in this month’s Writers’ Forum magazine (December issue). It was its first outing and I wasn’t sure whether it worked or not.

I’m delighted that it hit the spot and was judged:
‘A moving and inspirational story with a strong plot and satisfying resolution.’

A First in Exeter Literary Festival Competition

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This year, many Literary Festivals have had to cancel events or go online. The Exeter Literary Festival – a relatively newly- established event but a great addition to Exeter’s increasingly vibrant literary scene – was one.
BUT – they kept the competition going, and I am delighted to have won first prize having achieved second place in last year’s competition.

Competition Results – 2020:

As ever, the real prize should go to the organizers, readers and judges. It’s a huge amount of work with not nearly enough recognition or reward.
Fingers crossed for the return of the Festival proper (and the competition) in 2021.

Green and Pleasant

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I was mega-pleased to see that my story, Green and Pleasant Land won joint 3rd place in this year’s Fiction Factory Short Story competition. It was also recently shortlisted in both the Writers Forum and Flash 500 short story competitions, so it was great that it finally edged over the line! The story is available to read on the Fiction Factory website.

Published in Ellipsis

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Just published: Ellipsis 7 – A collection of flash fiction from 36 of the best contemporary flash fiction writers (their words):

Nicola Ashbrook, Joe Bedford, Kim Botly, Dianne Bown-Wilson, Dan Brotzel, Hannah Clark, Christine Collinson, Eamonn Patrick Daly, Mariah Feria, Alison Gibson, Donna Greenwood, Emma Hair, Emily Harrison, Jude Higgins, Amanda Huggins, Omar Hussain, Linda Irish, Denny Jace, Jan Kaneen, Emma Lee, Cathy Lennon, Rik Lonsdale, Rosaleen Lynch, Avra Margariti, Rob McIvor, Giulia Medaglini, Emily Painton, Steven Patchett, Aeryn Rudel, Tamim Sadikali, Sheila Scott, Hibah Shabkhez, Jeanette Sheppard, Chloe Smith, Sherri Turner and Natalie Wallington.