Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Dysfunctional Family Anthology

Almost everyone thinks their own family is dysfunctional, or at least has a dysfunctional member or two.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is looking for true stories and poems about your family. Stories can be serious or hilarious, or both, and should help readers understand that their families are not so different from those of other people. Many of us have the same in-laws, siblings, parents, etc.

Submit under your real name, but rest assured they expect most of you to use pen names for publication and change the names of family members to protect the innocent (or guilty!). They prefer stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words.

Here are some suggested topics, but they know you can think of many more, since there is no way we can think of all the ways that families can be dysfunctional:

Wedding woes
Compulsions
Holiday meltdowns
Mean or controlling family members
Crazy but lovable
Interventions and family meetings
Abandoning a family member, sometimes to preserve the rest
Funny foibles
Serious family issues such as abuse, mental illness, substance abuse
Reconciliations
Funeral flare-ups and estate issues
Acceptance
... Anything else that you think is interesting about your
dysfunctional relatives

They are not looking for stories about divorce or the normal trials and tribulations of raising children and teenagers.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the
right to resell it.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO
http://chickensoupf orthesoul. com/form. asp?cid=submit_ story.

DEADLINE IS JUNE 30, 2009. Book is tentatively scheduled for publication in fall 2009, in time for the next holiday season!

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To support the author of this blog, consider buying her books.

Pumping Your Muse (Creative writing book)

Windwalker (Fantasy)

Beyond the Fifth Gate (Fantasy)

For more about the author of this blog check out Theinkslinger.net.

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