Storm anthology coming soon
Minds Shine Bright acknowledges the people of the Kulin nations, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work and where this website was made. We pay respects to their long history and culture, and their Elders, past, present and emerging.
What is Minds Shine Bright?
Minds Shine Bright is an arts business based in Melbourne Australia committed to supporting the arts and writers. We run two fiction writing competitions each year. Minds Shine Bright Confidence, a longitudinal look at confidence in fiction and a competition with a changing theme which in 2022 was Storm.
We also publish beautiful books. Confidence, Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2022 was launched at the Wheeler Centre on 28 October in Melbourne. We are working hard to get more books into bookshops and libraries.
You can purchase the Confidence anthology at the Minds Shine Bright online bookshop or at discerning bookstores that support independent publishers.
Confidence
Minds Shine Bright Confidence 2023 is now closed.
Minds Shine Bright Confidence writing competition runs from late October to February each year. Its aim is to captures and share how fiction writers explore the theme of confidence over time. Four categories including short stories, poetry, flash fiction and scripts are included. The competition is blind judged, entries are assessed against ten criteria and there are many entries so the judging process takes several months. Winners are contacted in late August or early September and the awards night and launch occur later in the year.
As writers discover and explore different elements and layers of the confidence theme we look forward to seeing how the series of Confidence anthologies evolves.
Prizes
This year we have increased our prize pool to support our aim of paying writers fairly for their work. All prizes are shown in Australian dollars. International entries are welcome.
$1600 – The overall winner, plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023
$800 – for each of the four category winners plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023 (The overall winner is excluded from all other prizes) Categories include short stories, short scripts, flash fiction and poetry)
$175 – for each commended entry plus publication in Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023
15 certificates of recognition and gifts will be sent to writers whose creativity shone in some way.
Terms and Conditions
Each entry must be original, unpublished fiction or poetry written by the submitting author and included the theme of confidence in some way.Please read the full list of terms and conditions on the Terms and Conditions Page.
Storm update
Our revolving theme writing competitions are designed to highlight the work of a smaller set of writers, poets, screenwriters and playwrights.
Judging for Storm is almost complete and we will update all entrants as the Longlist and the Shortlist are formed. Winners will be announced at an online Awards Night soon and the Storm Anthology will be launched in mid 2023.
A new theme based competition Light and Shadow will open in April 2023.
Visit our blog for writing posts and competition updates
Confidence
Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2022
Confidence Minds Shine Anthology 2022 features the winners and commended writers of the first Minds Shine Bright fiction writing competition Confidence 2022. After a couple of topsy turvy years forty-six writers from eight countries explore the theme of confidence through stories, script and poems.
Each piece stands alone yet together they weave a narrative: starting with the elements, following the life cycle and ending with redemption and hope. Confidence will make you laugh and make you cry.
Confidence is now available and readers can buy a print copy or an EPUB e-book online in the Minds Shine Bright bookshop.
Buying a copy of CONFIDENCE will help Minds Shine Bright to support and pay new and established writers and poets and helps us to build up our prize pool. You can start collecting the series or give CONFIDENCE as an inspirational gift.
Bookstores and libraries can order copies directly through Ingram. (ISBN 987-0-06455231-0-2) or email writing@mindsshinebright.com.
by M S Lang.
Poetry
Short and longer poems
up to 260 lines
Fiction
Flash fiction – up to 1000 words
Short stories – 1001 to 5000 words
Script Writing
Short scripts
up to 5000 words
Minds Shine Bright
Founded in 2021 by Amanda Scotney, Minds Shine Bright, is a creative arts business based in Melbourne, Australia
Do you have questions about our writing competitions or the Minds Shine Bright anthologies?
- Storm winners announced March/ April 2023
- Confidence 2023 writing competition preparation for judging March/April, judging May to July
- Light and Shadow writing competition opens April 2023
- Storm Anthology launched mid 2023
- Light and Shadow closes 31 August 2023
- Confidence 2023 winners announced August – September 2023
- Confidence Minds Shine Bright Anthology 2023 launched October/ November 2023
I want to ask:
Does the child have to be over 18 years of age to write an entry?
Hi Kathy, a child under 18 can submit a poem if parental approval is given on the entry form.
I’d love to enter this competition. I live in the UK, so how much does the entry fee translate to in sterling please? Thanks! Dorinda
Hi Dorinda, I think the current UK value is 2.74 UK pounds but it depends on the exchange rates. When you complete the form it should take out the right amount for you. You can contact us at writing@mindsshinebright.com if you have any further questions,
Regards Amanda
Do short stories need to be fictional or can they be based on true and actual events? Can they be like a memoir or shirt biography?
Hi Bruno, For the Minds Shine Bright writing competition the short stories need to be fiction. We don’t have any categories for non fiction or memoir.
Thanks Amanda, I have submitted my entry but haven’t received any indication that it or the competition fee was received. Do you not send out confirmation emails when you receive a submission?
Hi Bruno, we send out confirmation emails when they are requested by competition entrants.
Great! Thanks, I just wanted to make sure you received my entry.
Hi Amanda,
This is the first writing competition I have entered in a long time… I included my name at the bottom of my submission but have since realised that might render it void? Do I need to re-submit?
Hi Lauren, we will remove your name before judging so there is no need to resubmit your entry.
Regards
Amanda
Perfect – thanks for confirming!
What a great theme! I’ve really enjoyed writing a story based on this.
My daughter entered the storm writing competition, when do we find out the outcome?
Thank you
Celeste
Hi Celeste, entrants will be advised of the outcome in February 2023.
hello do you do competitions for young women at the age of 16 because i love writing story’s i wanna do my own book one day. so i was just wondering its okay if you don’t i’m just wondering.
thank you
Our competitions are open to writers of all ages.
What happened to the Storm competition? I’m not seeing anything about it here anymore. Did anyone win?
The judging process for Storm is well underway. Winners will be announced once the judging process is completed.