Inspired by Paula Brancato and James Fischer, two award-winning writers, The Writers Place is now in search of the most promising, up-and-coming screenwriters. As a part of its competition program, The Writers Place offers awards, prizes, and recognition to the top three scripts demonstrating sound screenplay structure, creativity and good storytelling.

Application cutoff dates run 1 April & 1 October. We will announce the winning scripts two months later, 1 June & 1 December respectively.

Applications for The Writers Place screenplay competition are available on The Writers Place Web site, www.thewritersplace.org. Submission fees are $45 for full-length screenplays and $25 for film shorts or half-hour teleplays.

In conjunction with its screenplay competition, The Writers Place also provides one-on-one script consultation and a screenwriter mentoring program designed to help the aspiring professional screenwriter break into the New York and Hollywood screenwriting communities.

The Writers Place also provides writer and film maker amenities, e.g., copyright registration assistance; Writers Guild of America registration assistance; a talent and/or job bank for writers, actors and directors; white papers on screenplay and logline structure; how to pitch your script; market positioning; and a Red-Eye Orientation to assist newly arrived visitors in Los Angeles.

Visit The Writers Place at www.thewritersplace.org, and see the advantages this organization can off.

Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do: Do you have a funny story? Have you done something that was dumb but really funny? We all have. And now Stephanie Marston, Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Empowered Woman's
Soul is seeking stories for Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do. Now you have an opportunity to contribute to this new series by sharing your humorous, true-life experiences.

What makes a good Living Stupid story?

A Living Stupid story is a humorous, true story, that tickles your funny bone or makes you laugh out loud. It's a story about something you've done that later makes you smack your head and laugh at yourself. (It can even be a funny story about someone else.)

Chapter headings will include dumb things people have done At Work, Around the House, At Play, In Love, Outdoors, On Vacation, In Friendship, With Children, With Your Parents, With Your Pets, By Yourself, During Sex.

Anecdotes should be fun-loving--the more outrageous the better, but keep it clean and "printable."

If you have a humorous life experience and would like to be included in Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do, send your story to Living Stupid, P.O. Box 31453, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87594-1453. Please keep a copy of your story, as submissions cannot be returned. Or email stories to samarston@earthlink.net. (We prefer emails!) The maximum word count is 1200 words. For each story selected for the book a permission fee of $100 will be paid for the rights. There are no limits on the number of submissions. Stories must be received no later than March 15, 2004.

PS: You can write your story anonymously is that's more comfortable!!