[azaz]

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/whs/Go.asp?Menu=Books&pagedef=/books/awards/show.htm&data=rawtalent

Chapter One - The Challenge

When Ian Rankin wrote the following, he was a student and part-time grape picker.
"The girl screamed once, only once. Even that was a minor slip on his part. That might have been the end of everything even before it had begun."

The WHSmith Raw Talent Competition is an invitation to write the novel which you always knew you had in you, but never dreamt you'd see in print. We are looking for an undiscovered talent, a future author who may not even be aware of his/her gift. There's only one way to find out whether that writer is you. Simply submit the first chapter and a brief synopsis by 30 November 2001 and you could win a £5,000 cash prize, editorial consultation as you complete your work, even a writing course. So, whoever you are, whatever you do, make sure you get your book down on paper.

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I just thought you guys may be interested in this.

[An8el]

I checked it out. You have to be a UK resident, but you don't have to complete what the quote comes from - you can write anything. First chapter would be from 500-750 words, etc.
darn, I don't live in the UK....but somebody must on this site...

[Hans]

Get a UK friend to enter it for you, someone you trust that is.

[Sammie]

If i put my idea for an entry for this up on the net then

a) will you guys take a look and tell me (HONESTLY) whether i should bother polishing it/finishing it off and sending it

and
b) do i risk getting my idea stolen by some other internet user? Is there some way of stopping this?

Sammie

[Erebus]

Sam, I'm sure many of us will be happy to take a look at it!

In answer to your other query: anything published on the net becomes public domain, but its creator/author still owns the copyright. As long as you can prove your work is yours there shouldn't be a problem. But, ideas and titles cannot be copyrighted, only content, I believe.

Hope this helps?

[Peregrine]

Actually if you want to get reader/editor feedback the best place I have found is the writing workshop run by DelRay.
www.delray.onlinewritingworkshop.com/ (http://www.delray.onlinewritingworkshop.com/)

I have found this forum to be infinitely useful both in terms of getting feed back on my writing AND more interestingly in seeing what other writers do over and over and over again - thus also what editors must see over and over and over again and are surely sick of.

My pet hate 'cliche-scene' at the moment is whenever a character says 'goblins/whatever, those are just mythical.' you can bet goblins/whatever will jump out of the woodwork some time soon. I have seen this so much I am sick to death of it and will never put a similar comment into my writing.

Peregrine