RPLA Top Five Do’s and Don’ts

It’s that time again—submitting entries, monitoring email, planning the perfect outfit, imagining the feel of that engraved trophy, practicing your handshake for Chris Coward. Just me? The excitement surrounding the Royal Palm Literary Awards is palpable at each stage of the process from sending in your work to getting notifications of advancement to that glorious banquet day. In order to save you time and possible frustration with the process, we’ve gathered a list of do’s and don’ts to help you … Read More »

Hear ye, hear ye! The list of 2016 RPLA finalists is out!

The list is out! The list of Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA) finalists, that is. What’s next? Winners will be announced at the RPLA Awards Banquet October 22, 2016, during the annual Florida Writers conference at the Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs. The Banquet is included in the full conference and the Saturday-only conference packages. Or you may attend the Banquet a la carte. To get in on the fun, please click here. You may register for the full conference, Saturday … Read More »

Author by Beda Kantarjian

I looked at my husband. At seventy-five, still the handsome man who once set off a frenzy in 7-11 when mistaken for Sean Connery. He slumped in his usual spot on the couch. Lying flat had become uncomfortable. He even slept there at night. The concentrator panted like a dragon, pumping oxygen to his only lung. “Hey, look at this.” The morning paper rustled as he flattened the page. “They’re having a Florida Writers Conference in Lake Mary week after … Read More »

RPLA Update

We’re rounding the bend with RPLA—you know, the Royal Palm Literary Awards. It’s FWA’s flagship writing competition, where entries are accepted in 26 genre-categories for adults and 15 for youth. Where published and unpublished works are judged separately. Where semifinalists, finalists, and winners earn electronic badges. Where the trophies are beyond cool, and for every entry, the feedback is priceless. More so every year. For the 2016 competition, we’re definitely approaching some milestones. If you’re familiar with RPLA, you may … Read More »

Confessions of an RPLA Anonymous Judge

  NOTE: The following is a submission by one of our RPLA judges. As they are anonymous, no author name, picture, or other information has been included. Enjoy!   I have a secret. I’m a judge for the Royal Palm Literary Awards. Judging is hard. It’s time-consuming. My brain labors and smokes as it makes the shift from critiquing to judging and absorbs whatever changes to the process FWA has made since the previous season. But judging for the RPLA has … Read More »

The Drive by John Hope: A Collection Story

I feared this drive. Shivering, the cold Sunday morning after Christmas made my teeth chatter. The minivan’s wheels crunched over salted streets. I passed houses weighed down in slushy white. My wife and kids were still asleep, warm in their beds. I breathed and raked a hand through my thinning, graying hair. Marriage.Kids.Mortgage.Bills. How’d I get this old? I turned onto the onramp. The highway lines blurred and my mind cleared, leaving nothing else to think about but him. Granddad. … Read More »

1 2 3