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AUTHOR NEWS
Mom Wins Writing Award for Gay NovelJuly 19, 2006By Kimberly Maul A mom from Maryland has won the online novel-writing contest The Next Big Writer. Dora McAlpin-Zeeks’s gay-themed novel, submitted to TheNextBigWriter.com, beat out entries by nearly 200 other competitors to win the $5,000 prize. The author, who prefers to go by the nom-de-plume Ivey Banks, wrote Out of the Dark, in which teenager Thorn MacDonnell struggles with his sexuality and the fact that he has been diagnosed with HIV and leukemia. “I’m thrilled Out of the Dark reached the No. 1 spot and I’ve very grateful to the readers who put it there,” Banks said. On the site, a community for writers to get feedback from others in the industry, readers reviewed and voted for the entries in the competition. “Beyond attracting undiscovered talent, our site enlists accomplished editors and writers for top-notch critiques,” said Sol Nasisi, the founder and director of TheNextBigWriter.com. Nasisi said since the site launched in October 2005, more than 13 pieces on the site, including novels, short stories and poetry, have been published by literary journals. “There’s a real sense of community among the authors,” Banks said, “a strong, shared commitment to becoming better writers, while helping others do the same.” | |||
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People Dora McAlpin Out Thorn MacDonnell Sol Nasisi Companies TheNextBigWriter.com Dark Concepts Writing Award Gay Novel literary journals real sense online novel-writing Categories Fiction Writers
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