The Willesden Herald, deadline, Dec. 19th, 2008

It seems the patrons of the Willesden Herald were so disappointed by the lack of talented, though certainly eager story entries received for their 2008 contest that they pulled the £5,000 prize out of commission.... well, at least for a little while. With a lengthy letter from volunteer judge and phenomenal writer, Zadie Smith, we learn of their disappointing travails across the Internet desert, of a fruitless search for an oasis of genuine talent, of a depressing encounter with the reality that there's nothing truly refreshing out there.
Overdone on my part?
Perhaps, but here, according to judge Steve Moran, are 27 common faults engendered by novice writers entering their contest.
Check it out:
http://willesdenherald.blogspot.com/2008/02/common-faults-in-short-stories.html

and here's the link to Zadie's honest letter:
http://willesdenherald.blogspot.com/2008/02/breaking-news-short-story-competition.html

For more information about their 2008-2009 fiction writing contest click the link.