Wanted: writing about the weird and the occult, Oakville and Halton, horrendously bad opening lines, short stories, poetry...

Open access journal Beyond Borderlands: A Critical Journal of the Weird, Paranormal, and Occult (Canada) is a forum for the interdisciplinary, artistic, and critical exploration of topics relating to esotericism, paranormality, and the culturally weird. Accepting letters to the editor, scholarly and popular articles, music, art, creative writing, occult explorations, and reviews. No payment.

Deadline: May 1, 2014. Guidelines here.

The Potomac Review (Montgomery College, Maryland) accepts submissions of poetry (up to three), fiction and nonfiction (5000 words max.), photography, and artwork. Appreciates both realistic and experimental prose and poetry.

Deadline: May 1, 2014. Guidelines here.

Oakville and Halton Region writers wanted

Oakville Public Library is hosting a program to showcase published local authors. This ticketed program for Oakville Public Library customers takes place Thursday, May 8, 2014 at the Central Branch Auditorium from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.

We are looking to feature six local authors who were born, live in or write about Oakville or Halton. Each author selected will speak about their work and have the opportunity to provide a short reading (about 15 minutes total per author). Only authors selected to present at this program will be contacted.

Authors must submit a short sample of their published short stories, memoirs, novellas, novels or poetry Friday, April 4, 2014 at 5:00 pm.

You may get a submission form from: lsutherland@oakville.ca

Bestselling novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Bulwer-Lytton (free) Fiction Contest {for horrendously bad opening lines}

Your entry should be a single sentence and should be so bad it’s funny. Try to keep it under 50 or 60 words. The official deadline is April 15. The actual deadline is June 30.

Complete rules here. Do read the 2013 winners here.

There is also the Little Lytton, for which you have to restrain your opening line to 200 characters. Entries are accepted the year round. So whenever the fit takes you to write something so ghastly it’s funny, send it along to them. Rules and links to annual winners here.

The Furious Gazelle seeks short stories, micro-fiction, flash fiction, nonfiction, poetry, short plays, monologues, novel excerpts and art. Wants writing that is “good and well written” and art that is “artistic.” Length: 8,000 words max.

Deadline: ongoing. Guidelines here.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Barrie, Brampton, Bolton, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Midland, Mississauga, Newmarket, Orillia, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Stouffville, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Algoma, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.