The Friday Roundup

So, the New Voices Competition is over, and first order of business must be to congratulate the winner! Leah Ashton's wonderful story Secrets & Speed Dating will be published by Mills and Boon as part of her prize, and we're all dying to read Sophie and Dan's story! Many congratulations, Leah!

In Harlequin, the So you think you can write week is on its final day, do pop over if you haven't already to read the advice and articles before they're gone.

We got news from Ian Skillicorn (thank you, Ian!) about the Short Story Radio Romance Award, 2011 - details are below...

Now in its second year, this writing competition offers romantic fiction writers the chance to have their work recorded and broadcast, as well as to receive a cash prize. We are looking for an engaging and entertaining romance story, told in no more than 4,000 words, similar to the type of romance story you will find in a women's magazine.

The winning story will be recorded and broadcast on the Short Story Radio website and podcast. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £50 (approx. 78 USD or 57 EURO) and the title of winner of the Short Story Radio Romance Award 2011. The short-list judge is Pat Richardson, former Fiction Editor at Best magazine (UK) and the founder of Perfectly Worded Writing and Editing Consultancy.

We are now accepting entries for this competition. The deadline is November 15th 2010 and the winning story will be broadcast from February 14th 2011. Enter now at http://www.shortstoryradio.com/short_story_competitions_romance.htm

Hear last year's winning story All Good Things by Linda Mitchelmore at: http://www.shortstoryradio.com/player/stories/all_good_things/player.htm

And Stylist Magazine are running a microfiction competion - and there are only a few days left on this one, so check it out quick...Here's the info:

If your manuscript is still a long way off completion, why not wax lyrical in just 100 words or under? That's the maximum you need to pen to be in with a chance of winning our microfiction competition. As well as being published on stylist.co.uk, you'll win a creative writing course at the London School of Journalism to set you on the path to the bestseller charts

Microfiction - or flash fiction, sudden fiction or the short, short story as it's also known by the literati - is the art of telling a story, complete with gripping plot and jump-off-the-page characters in as few words as possible.

We've set the limit at 100 words per story for our series of daily microfiction competitions, the first of which will run from 10am - 5pm on Wednesday 3 November.

We'll be looking for creative flair, surprising twists, razor sharp observations and a fresh voice. If you're up for the challenge, check it out!

Find out more here : http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/article/350/tell-us-a-gripping-story-in-100-words

And last, but by no means least, the lovely Gilles Marini is the winner of the Ultimate Romantic Hero Poll!

And he certainly looks happy to hear it...