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We’re Looking for a Few Good Stories, Because “People Are Strange”

Each year, the Writers’ Police Academy hosts a wildly popular hands-on law enforcement training event for writers, readers, fans, and anyone else with an interest in police procedure and the forensics used to solve crimes. MurderCon 2020 is a special event hosted by the Writers’ Police Academy, and Sirchie, the global leader in crime scene technology and products. If you’ve attended in the past you already know the event is like no other. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend then you should sign up TODAY while there’s still time. It is truly an event of a lifetime.

The WPA is a massive production, one that requires multiple venues, busing, facility rentals, speaker and instructor expenses, training materials, equipment, supplies, caterers, etc. It’s expensive to say the least. Far more costly than, for example, a typical conference where the main expenses are hotel meeting rooms and A/V equipment. And we have those as well.

To help keep registration costs at a bare minimum, the WPA, in addition to an exciting auction (hint … REACHER!!!!) and raffle, we host two writing contests as fundraisers—the annual “Tales From the Graveyard Shift” anthology, and the Golden Donut 200-Word Short Story Contest.

The contests are fun and are beneficial to those who enter, the WPA, and the attendees of the Writers’ Police Academy events.

The WPA Anthology Series

Book Two …

People Are Strange: Tales From the Graveyard Shift (August 2020)

The winners of three available spots in the Writers’ Police Academy’s annual anthology contest will have their stories published in a traditionally published book, along with tales written by several top bestselling authors, such as Heather Graham, Phoef Sutton, Reed Farrel Coleman, Lisa Regan, Denise Grover Swank, and more.

Lisa Gardner is writing the foreword for PEOPLE ARE STRANGE, the 2020 WPA anthology.

Book Description

In the eerie glow of storefront neon lights and winking, blinking traffic signals, top bestselling thriller author Lisa Gardner emerges from the shadows onto a desolate, rain-soaked and uneven cobblestone street. It is from there, between the hours of midnight and dawn—the graveyard shift, that she introduces this collection of gripping tales of thrills, chills, and mystery.

*Lisa Gardner’s internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries, have won awards from across the globe. She’s also had four books become TV movies and has made personal appearances on TruTV and CNN.

*Level Best Books publishes the “Tales From the Graveyard Shift” anthology series.

After Midnight: Tales From the Graveyard Shift (2019)

Book One …

Book Description (foreword by Lee Child ):

The curtain rises on this collection of twisted tales, revealing the words of bestselling thriller author Lee Child. Child sets the stage for a series of mysterious and strange goings-on that occur between the hours of midnight and dawn … the graveyard shift.

Contributing authors in this first anthology produced by the Writers’ Police Academy include bestselling mystery and crime authors, top television writers, true crime experts, and more.

Heather Graham
Phoef Sutton
Robin Burcell
Allison Brennan

Ry Brooks *contest winner
Carrie Stuart Parks
Lisa Klink
RJ Beam

Joe Bonsall
Katherine Ramsland
Denene Lofland
Michael A. Black

Emilya Naymark *contest winner
Mike Roche
Les Edgerton
Shawn Reilly Simmons

Rick McMahan
Marco Conelli
Cheryl Yeko
Howard Lewis
Linda Lovely
Lee Lofland

Copies of “After Midnight” are available here.

Golden Donut Short Story Contest

Winners of this challenging and fun contest receive the coveted Golden Donut Award along with a free registration to a Writers’ Police Academy event (the 2020 contest winner receives free registration to the 2021 WPA).

Golden Donut Short Story Contest Rules

The rules are simple. Write a story about the photograph using exactly 200 words — including the title. Each story needs an original title, and the image must be the main subject of the story. No clues as to the subject matter of the image or where it was taken. You decide. Let your imagination run wild. Remember though, what you see in the image above absolutely must be the main subject of your tale.

3 submissions allowed per person.

Submission deadline: Midnight (EST) July 1, 2020

Enter HERE

200 Words

No more. No less. Including the title, the story must be 200 words. “Don’t” is two words. “OMG” is three words. “Smith-Jones” is two words. Count them.

Finished Product

All stories are to be polished and complete. They must have a beginning, middle and a twisted, surprise ending.

Fairly Judged

The Golden Donut contest is judged blindly. Each entry is assigned a number so the judges do not see the writers’ names.

Reader Panel

A panel of readers will select their 12 favorite stories and then forward them to the final judge. All decisions are final. The judge will review and send the winning entry to the WPA.

About the 2020 Golden Donut Judge, Linda Landrigan

Linda Landrigan, editor-in-chief of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

Assuming the mantle of editor-in-chief in 2002, Linda Landrigan has also edited the commemorative anthology Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense (2006) and the digital anthology Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Thirteen Tales of New American Gothic (2012), and has found time to be active on the board of the New York City Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. In 2008, Linda and her “partner in crime,” Janet Hutchings – editor of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine – were presented with the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic for their contributions to the mystery genre.

She will read the top twelve entries and then pick the winning story.

Announced at the Banquet

While the winner will be announced at the 2020 WPA banquet. The winner does not need to be present to win.

Open to All

Contest is open to everyone. You don’t have to attend the conference to win. You don’t even have to be a writer.

Let the games begin!

New Arc Books, an imprint of Level Best Books will soon be publishing a collection of Golden Donut short stories.

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2012 Golden Donut Short Story Contest is OPEN!

2012 Golden Donut

 

The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Golden Donut short story contest. The rules are simple—write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). The image in the photograph MUST be the main subject of the story. All stories are to be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted surprise ending. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199! So read the word count rules carefully.

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award.

All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to the contest judge, editor Kristen Weber. Ms. Weber’s decisions are final and may not be contested or appealed. After reviewing each of the entries, she will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member and the winner’s name will be announced and award presented at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions are a two part process. Please read carefully!

1. All submissions MUST be submitted electronically via email to >lofland32@msn.com< (You’ll need to copy and paste the address, omitting the >< symbols). Each entry will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation with two business days, please feel free to contact me.

2. Write: Golden Donut Entry in the subject line of the email.

3. Please include your story within the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened.

4. Additionally, a twenty dollar ($20) entry fee and a hard copy of the story/entry must be mailed to:

Writers’ Police Academy

P.O. Box 60091

Savannah, Ga. 31420

– Contest opens at 12 noon on April 1, 2012 (Please do not send any entries before this date).

Submission Deadline: Midnight August 19, 2012

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words.

– Every single word will be counted as a word – this includes: “a,” “and,” and “the.” To be very clear…if it’s a word, count it. If it’s part of dialog and you think it may be a word, count it. If it’s a stand-alone letter or group of letters, count it as a word. If it’s a smudge on the page, count it as a word.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story in an opening paragraph above your story (in both the email and snail mail entries). Then, please include your story, headed by the title.

– There is a $20 entry fee. You may submit the fee by money order or check. There is no Paypal option for the contest. Entries received without the appropriate entry fee will be excluded from the contest.

Please submit the entry fee and your story(s) in the same envelope. It is far too confusing to receive an entry one day and the entry fee weeks later. Entries received without the proper entry fee will not be considered. Also, you must submit the electronic submission to be considered.

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $20 entry fee. ( One entry = $20. Four entries = $80, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, Sisters in Crime, and affiliates to publish/reprint the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy or Sisters in Crime, or in other publications and media, including, but not limited to, books, magazines, newspaper, blogs, ebooks, online outlets, etc. *Sisters in Crime is not a part of the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

– No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey that’d scare the pants off Poe himself. Did I just hear a scream coming from inside? Has someone been murdered? Or, was it the howl of a troubled spirit? Perhaps, the ghosts of former mobsters are using the old house as a hideout. Maybe desperate bank robbers drove to their hideout and…well, who knows?

Good luck!

* Image courtesy of photographer Sunday Kaminski

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Golden Donut Short Story Contest

Golden Donut: Short Story Contest

 

The deadline for the Golden Donut Short Story contest is approaching…FAST! Have you sent your entry?

The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Golden Donut short story contest. The rules are simple—write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). The image in the photograph MUST be the main subject of the story. All stories are to be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted surprise ending. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199! So read the word count rules carefully.

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Don Knotts Golden Donut Award (sponsored by the High Point North Carolina Public Library and Krispy Kreme). All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to our judge, Kristen Weber. Ms. Weber’s decisions are final and may not be contested or appealed. After reviewing each of the entries, she will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member and the winner’s name will be announced and award presented at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

 

Submission Guidelines:

1. All submissions MUST be submitted electronically via email to >lofland32@msn.com< (You’ll need to copy and paste the address, omitting the >< symbols). Each entry will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation with two business days, please feel free to contact me.

2. Write: Golden Donut Entry in the subject line of the email.

3. Please include your story within the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened.

 

– Contest opens at 6pm Monday June 13, 2011 (Please do not send any entries before this date).

 

Submission Deadline: Midnight August 19, 2011

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words.

– Every single word will be counted as a word – this includes: “a,” “and,” and “the.” To be very clear…if it’s a word, count it. If it’s part of dialog and you think it may be a word, count it. If it’s a letter or group of letters, count it as a word. If it’s a smudge on the page, count it as a word.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story in an opening paragraph above your story (in the email entry). Then, please include your story, headed by the title.

– There is a $20 entry fee. You may submit the fee by Paypal (click the link on this page – Paypal link will be available sometime during the day on June 13, 2011)), money order, or check. Entries received without the appropriate entry fee will be excluded from the contest.

Please submit the entry fee and your story(s) at the same time. It is far too confusing to receive an entry one day and the entry fee weeks later. Entries received without the proper entry fee will not be considered.

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $20 entry fee. ( One entry = $20. Four entries = $80, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, Sisters in Crime, and affiliates to publish/reprint the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy or Sisters in Crime, or in other publications and media, including, but not limited to, books, magazines, newspaper, blogs, ebooks, online outlets, etc. *Sisters in Crime is not a part of the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

-No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey that’d scare the pants off Poe himself. Did I just hear a scream coming from inside. Has someone been murdered? Or, was it the howl of a troubled spirit? Perhaps, a killer is using the old house as a hideout. Maybe, vampires live there. Who knows?

Good luck!

Writers’ Police Academy

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Rick McMahan: 2010 Golden Donut Award Winner – Being Safe

Rick McMahan: 2010 Golden Donut Award Winner - Being Safe

 

The winner of the Writers’ Police Academy 2010 Golden Donut Award was Richard McMahan. The rules of the contest were simple, but the task of writing it was a bit more challenging. The stories had to be exactly 200 words, including the title. Each entry had to be a complete story, and they had to be about the photo we posted.

We received dozens of entries and our judge, Hallie Ephron, picked McMahan’s story from the pile as the clear winner.

Thanks to everyone for entering and for supporting the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

Congratulations, Rick!

(Contest sponsored by the High Point North Carolina Public Library and Krispy Kreme. Contest photo by Maryland photographer Sunday Kaminski).

Being Safe

“Nine one one, what’s your emergency?” Janice asked as she glanced at the wall clock. Almost shift change. Thank goodness. The only decorations on the blank wall were a pair of uniform shirts tacked up on either side of the clock. A blue city police shirt and a tan sheriff’s one.

“Uh,” a woman’s voice said, bringing her back. No panic. “I’m not sure if this is an emergency.”

The computer said the call was from a cellphone.

“I’m near the wildlife preserve.” Janice knew the place. The county road was straight and flat with tall wetlands bending off to either side. Pretty in the day. Desolate at night.

“There’s a cop behind me with his blue lights on. Can you tell him I’m pulling into the park entrance where the lighting’s good”

“It’s good to be safe,” Janice replied.”I’ll advise the officer.” Scanning her monitor, she looked for the sheriff’s unit initiating the traffic stop in the county.

There was a sigh of relief across the line.”It’s okay,” the caller said, “He’s out of his car and I can see his blue uniform.”

Janice jerked back. Sheriff’s deputies’ uniforms were tan.

“Good evening, officer…”

Click.

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Writers’ Police Academy Short Story Contest Officially Open!

Writers' Police Academy Short Story Contest Officially Open!

The Writers’ Police Academy is pleased to announce the opening of the Golden Donut short story contest. The rules are simple. Write a story about the photograph above using exactly 200 words, including the title (each story must include an original title). All stories must be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted ending that would make our keynote speaker proud. Again, all stories must be exactly 200 words. Not 201 or 199!

The contest winner will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award (sponsored by the High Point North Carolina Public Library). All entries will be screened by a panel of authors who will select their ten favorite stories and then forward their picks to our mystery judge (identity will be revealed at the academy banquet). The masked decider will present the winning story title to the appropriate Writers’ Police Academy staff member. The winner’s name will be announced at the WPA banquet. The contest is open to everyone, not just attendees of the academy, and the winner need not be present to win.

Submission Guidelines:

Submission Deadline: September 10, 2010

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– Hyphenated words, for the purpose of this contest, will be counted as two words.

– Be sure to include your name, address, email address, telephone number(s), and title of your story on a cover letter that’s separate from your story page. DO NOT include your name anywhere on the story page or it will not be read by the judges.

There is a $10 entry fee. Checks or money orders MUST BE made payable to “Writers’ Police Academy” and must accompany the submission in order for your submission to be considered.

– Send all entries to:

Writers’ Police Academy

P.O. Box 60091

Savannah, Ga. 31420

att. Short Story

– There is no limit on the number of entries by any author. But each individual entry must be accompanied by its own $10 entry fee. ( One entry = $10. Four entries = $40, etc.)

– Any entry not meeting the exact 200 word requirement will be disqualified.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland/the Writers’ Police Academy, and affiliates to publish the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and/or as advertisement for the Writers’ Police Academy.

*All rights to all work/short story shall remain the property of the author. The Writers’ Police Academy reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

-No refunds. Proceeds go to the Writers’ Police Academy fund to benefit the GTCC criminal justice foundation.

Photo by Sunday Kaminski

Sunday Kaminski’s mysterious work has been featured in publications such as the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

So there you have it. Now get busy and take us on a journey down that winding road in the photo. Will anyone make it back? Who knows. That’s up to you.

Good luck!


*It may take a few hours before these details and guidelines show up on the WPA website, but we’re working on it and hope to have it there by the end of the day.

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Hide-and-Seek With Blue Lights

The question of where to conceal emergency lights on unmarked police cars was the topic of discussion on a popular writer’s discussion group this week. So, I thought it might be helpful to show some of the lights used in those situations. Thanks to Wally and crew over at crimescenewriter for the idea.

Visor lights are often used by detectives in their unmarked cars. These lights can be either built into the actual visor, or as an attachment as shown in the photos above and below.


Fog lights, such as the ones pictured above, appear white or clear when not activated. However, when the switch is flipped they display their true purpose. Red and/or blue lights are easily concealed in side mirrors as well. When not in use they appear as normal turn signal lenses.

Deck and grille lights come in many shapes, sizes, and configurations. You often see these mounted to the deck inside the rear window.

Dual windshield LED light plugs into a cigarette lighter and come with a shroud for the times when the light is not in use.

Yep, the old standby beacon is still out there!

And I thought the few blue lights I had hidden in my car were distracting…

*     *     *

Notice!

Details for the Writers’ Police Academy short story contest will be posted on this site tomorrow, 8-12-10.

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Writers’ Police Academy Short Story Contest and a Police Pursuit

Writers' Police Academy Short Story Contest and a Police Pursuit

It’s almost here! Yes, the Writers’ Police Academy short story contest opens in just a few days. So sharpen your pencils and your imaginations. This one’s going to be fun.

Each story must have a great opening, a fantastic middle, and a truly twisted Jeffery Deaver-style ending. Now for our own twist. You must tell your story in exactly 200 words, including the title. Signatures, author names, etc. may not be included in the word count.

Contest details will soon appear on this site and on the Writers’ Police Academy website, so please check back often.

The winner of the contest will receive the prestigious Golden Donut Award sponsored by The High Point North Carolina Public Library and The Graveyard Shift.

* Registrations are still available for the Writers’ Police Academy. More exciting plans for the academy are currently underway!

By the way, the photo above is a clue.

*     *     *

 

Of course, the fact that you’re reading about the contest means everyone made it home safely this week. Sure, there were plenty of bumps and bruises along the way, but families remained whole. And that’s what it’s all about.

Now, let’s end the week with a video of a pursuit in L.A. I know, police pursuits are a dime a dozen in L.A., but it’s the end of this one that’s of interest. The suspect does not give up, even to a couple dozen police officers who have a pretty difficult time extricating him from his car. This all started when the driver entered a police station, made a threat, and then ran out. And you think your day at the office was rough…

 

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200 Word Story Contest

It's Time For A 200 Word Short Story Contest

The Graveyard Shift is pleased to announce our first 200 word short story contest. The rules are simple. Write a story about the photograph above using no more than 200 words, including the title. All stories must be polished and complete, meaning they must have a beginning, middle, and a twisted ending that would make my friend Jeffery Deaver proud.

The judge for this contest is Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine editor, Linda Landrigan. The contest winner will receive a signed copy of Police Procedure and Investigation. (All entries will be screened by a panel. Only the ten best stories will be passed to the judge for her review).

*This contest is presented solely by The Graveyard Shift blog. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (AHMM) is not affiliated with The Graveyard Shift blog in any way.

Contest rules:

One entry per person.

– Send all entries to lofland32@msn.com in the body of the email ONLY. No Word Docs, photos, or attachments please.

– Emails must include the phrase ‘200 Word Contest’ in the subject line. If not, they will be deleted.

– Each entry must be 200 words or less (all entries over 200 words will be disqualified).

– Entries must be received by 8am on Wednesday October 29, 2008. The contest winner will be announced on November 13, 2008.

– Please, no profanity, horror, or erotica. The Graveyard Shift is often viewed by school children who someday hope to become police officers or forensic professionals.

– The top five entries will be posted on The Graveyard Shift at a date to be determined.

– By submitting an entry to this contest authors agree to allow The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland to publish the story as a part of The Graveyard Shift blog and as advertisement for the Graveyard Shift blog.

*This contest is for amusement only. All rights to all work shall remain the property of the author. The Graveyard Shift/Lee Lofland reserves the right to exclude or delete any entry without cause, reason, or explanation.

I look forward to reading your entries. By the way, there are exactly 200 words in the above listed contest rules.

Have fun!

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