Canada writes

I have just submitted my second entry in this year's Canada Writes literary competition. Both are entries in this year's short story competition. The conditions are procrustean: the story must be no more than 1500 words and no less than 1100 words. Part of me can understand why these rather peculiar restrictions on length have been set; but they would automatically disqualify almost every one of Alice Munro's stories, and almost all of the stories by all other great and distinguished short story writers living and dead. The other conditions are understandable. The story must not have been published previously or posted on a website or blog. Both the stories I have submitted were first written in modified, more primitive, form more than 65 years ago. I don't think I have broken or even bent the rules. And I won't post these stories on my blog, even though I know they don't stand a remote chance of winning a prize. I may have a better chance in the literary non-fiction competition which opens in December. I have entered one of Wendy's stories as well, her memoir, "The Smile" in the short story competition after editing it down from 1900 to just under 1500 words; I was rather perplexed about this, because it's true story that would fit equally well in the non-fiction category. But it reads like a short story. Maybe I'll enter it also in the literary non-fiction category as well, when this opens in December. I've got several of my essays lined up waiting to enter as soon as the competition opens. Wish me luck! The prizes are large enough - first prize is $6000.00 - to attract professional writers, so I don' think I have a chance. But you never know. It's worth a try.