Got a little time to do a little writing?
Coquitlam Public Library (CPL) is holding a Tiny Story Contest from through July 14.
Tiny stories — also known as flash fiction, postcard fiction and micro fiction — are extremely short stories. The story must be 420 characters or fewer — approximately one paragraph —with every letter, space and punctuation mark counted. The first 420-character stories were written by author Lou Beach as social networking site status updates. These stories were collected and published in a book called 420 Characters, which serves as inspiration for the Coquitlam library contest.
In the CPL contest, which is sponsored by The Tri-City News and open to residents of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore, or Belcarra, each entrant can submit up to three stories (entries already published, accepted or submitted elsewhere are ineligible).
Winners will be invited to read their stories on stage at the Kaleidoscope festival at Town Centre Park on Aug. 12 and winning stories will also appear on the library’s website, Facebook page and in The Tri-City News.
The Tiny Story Contest is free to enter and there are prizes to be won. For story samples and full contest rules, go to www.coqlibrary.ca/home/tiny-stories-contest.
TINY STORY WORKSHOP
If you need a bit of help to craft your bite-sized masterpiece, Coquitlam Public Library will be hosting a free tiny stories workshop at the Poirier branch (575 Poirier St.) on June 22 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Local writer Rebecca Wood Barrett will lead participants through a series of playful writing exercises that will help spark ideas and lead them to create bite-sized stories, complete with captivating characters and pithy plots. Space for the workshop is limited.
To sign up, leave a message on the library’s registration line at 604-937-4155.
