Wow! We're already three weeks into 2018. Time for a round-up of a few free contests.
    Playwrights can enter the Drip Action Theatre Trail 2018 for plays of 30-40 minutes. There's £250 first prize, plus £150 for another seven plays chosen for performance. The closing date is 31st January with entry by post. Check http://www.dripaction.co.uk for details. Papatango is looking for full length plays for its contest, closing on 28th February. In addition to production and a share of the box office, the winner will be commissioned to write a further play. Details are at http://papatango.co.uk. The 10x10 Playwriting Competition has a theme of 'Hidden Worlds' and a closing date of 30th March. Details at http://chesiltheatre.org.uk/10x10-2018.html.
    If you have a novel languishing in a drawer, Writing Magazine and Lulu.com have teamed up to offer a publishing package for the winner in their competition. Full details are at http://writ.rs/lulucomp and the closing date is 31st January. Poets have until 28th February to enter the Spirit First contest for poems on a theme of meditation or mindfulness. The first prize is $200 and details are at http://www.spiritfirst.org. If short fiction is your thing, then the Readers Digest is offering £1,000 to the winner of its 100-word story competition, which closes on 19th February. Visit http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/100-word-story-competition for details.
    There's one more closing date to remind everyone about, although it isn't for a contest. The code at the end of the Smashwords edition of Discord's Child is still valid until the end of January. If you downloaded a copy of Discord's Child from the site since 25th December, don't forget to visit https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ksdearsley to get your FREE copy of Discord's Apprentice. And if you haven't bought Discord's Child from Smashwords yet, you still have nine days to receive a BOGOF.