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Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing

The Internet 001 SE Cyberspace Lane, Portland, OR, United States

Our Fall 2019 reading period is open until October 31st. The Gravity of the Thing accepts defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share up to three poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: brief essays for our Baring the Device column; click here to learn more.

Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Spring 2020

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Spring 2020 reading period is open until April 30th. The Gravity of the Thing accepts defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share up to three poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: brief essays for our Baring the Device column; click here to learn more.

Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: New Writers Issue and Fall 2020 Issue

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

From June 1st to July 31st, The Gravity of the Thing welcomes submissions for its first New Writers Issue. As it is our goal to support emerging writers, this is our way of creating a welcoming space for writers and artists who are new to publishing. If you like to experiment with language and discover through writing, we encourage you to share your work with us! To be eligible, your submission must be your first creative publication, not including blog posts or literary journals you are associated with academically. That is, if you have never had your writing published in the past, or your creative writing has only ever appeared on websites you curate or in student-run magazines housed at your school or college, then you may submit to this issue. The Gravity of the Thing is…

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Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Fall 2020

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Fall 2020 reading period is open from September 1st to October 31st. The Gravity of the Thing accepts defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays for our Baring the Device column; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A majority of submissions are read during the months of February, May,…

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Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Winter 2021

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Winter 2021 reading period is open from December 1st to January 31st. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about literary defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about craft, storytelling, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A majority of submissions…

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Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Spring 2021

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Spring 2021 reading period is open from March 1st to April 30th. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about storytelling, literary craft, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column and resources; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A…

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Free

Strange Love: A Short Fiction Workshop

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

“Life is a flower,” wrote Victor Hugo, “whose honey is love.” Yet too much honey can make fiction syrupy, saccharine, cloying. In this month-long workshop, we’ll use model stories, generative exercises, workshop critiques, and focused revision to defamiliarize love stories through point of view, voice, plot, situation, sensory details, and genre. By the end of the class, writers will have completed several writing exercises, drafted a short story, and learned strategies to make love stories “strange”—fresh, unexpected, and original. Access Program We want our writing classes to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class registrations at a reduced rate. The access program for writing classes…

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$290

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing: Summer 2021

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

Our Summer 2021 reading period is open until July 31st. We accept defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: a fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending story under 500 words. Poetry: share one or more poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: a story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: essays about defamiliarization—or defamiliarized essays about storytelling, literary craft, or publishing—for our Baring the Device column and resources; click here to learn more. The Gravity of the Thing publishes work on a rolling basis throughout its quarterly reading periods. A majority of submissions…

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Free

Submission Deadline: The Gravity of the Thing

Online N/A, Portland, OR, United States

We are open for submissions for our seasonal online issues during the months of March, June, September, and December. To submit your work, please visit this page during our open reading windows, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive email updates. The Gravity of the Thing accepts defamiliarized works in the following general categories: Short: Tell us a story in 3,000 words or less; we are interested in fiction, creative nonfiction, self-contained excerpts, and genre-bending forms. Flash: A fiction, creative nonfiction, or genre-bending piece under 500 words. Poetry: Share up to three poems, prose poems, or multimedia works for a combined count of 500 words or less. Six Words: A poem or story in six words; you may share up to five stories per submission, but only one will be chosen. Baring the Device: Essays for our…

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Free

Stranged Writing Release Reading

The Stacks Coffeehouse 1831 N. Killingsworth St, Portland, OR, United States

The Gravity of the Thing celebrates the release of its first anthology, Stranged Writing: A Literary Taxonomy (bit.ly/3d6z94O) on October 13th. Join us at The Stacks Coffeehouse in Portland, Oregon to hear contributors Joshua James Amberson, Alex Behr, Lucie Bonvalet, Benjamin Kessler, Matt Rebholz, and Eli Ronick read their experimental prose, poetry, and cross-genre works. The event is free to attend, and food, drinks, and Stranged Writing will be available for purchase. About the collection: Stranged Writing is an anthology of defamiliarized creative writing curated according to biological taxonomy (species, genus, family, order, class, phylum, kingdom, and domain) using word count. Each hardcover edition includes a screen-printed dust jacket that transforms into unique literary organisms or book sculptures, the goal being a dimensional and tactile…

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Free
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