Cornucopia, Creative Writing

Mormon Creative Outlets

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I was just thinking that I keep stumbling across LDS creative outlets, and that it might be useful to put a list of these in one place. Here are a few that I’m aware of; please let me know, by comments, of any others that I’m missing and they’ll be added to the list:

The church music contest.
The screenwriting and movie making contest at LDS Box.
Irreantum contest (possibly not continuing).
AML unpublished novel contest.
Meridian, I’m told, may accept submissions if you ask nicely and have something to say.
Deseret Book for music, novels, etc (though perhaps less accessible, as there is not a “contest” or other easy breaking-in point).
Sunstone.
Dialogue.
BYU Studies for poetry, and an essay contest.

Okay, folks, what am I missing? If I want to write a poem, novel, hymn, rock song, opera, short story, essay, play, musical, or screenplay; paint, draw, lithograph, or sculpt a piece of art; or make a film, short film, animated film, or whatever (I’m sure I’m leaving out a number of possibilities), where are the LDS outlets? Not that I’m intending to do all of the above — for now — but hey, you never know.

11 comments for “Mormon Creative Outlets”

  1. Sunstone. Dialogue. BYU Studies (although it would seem that they only publish poetry now — no more short stories). LDS Film Festival.

    Irreantum has sponsored an annual short creative work contest [i.e. short story, or excerpt from novel, screenplay, stage play] for the past three years, but it’s not clear if that will continue.

    The AML also sponsors (thanks to Margaret Brown) a bi-annual unpublished novel award.

    But, yeah, it’s kind of a problem. It’d be nice if there were at least a couple of more legitimate venues to which one could submit work.

    This is setting aside, of course, the Mormon publishing houses, but obviously periodicals and contests [and there are several contests I haven’t mentioned] are a much friendlier place for artists that are just starting out.

  2. Oops. I forgot that LDS Box is the LDS Film Festival so that’s a repeat.

    I should add that I’d be willing to accept creative submissions for A Motley Vision, but can’t really recommend myself as the best venue for anyone’s creative work. ;-)

  3. I don’t have a list of all of them, but there are a number of journals for undergraduates at BYU. The one sponsored by the Philosophy Department, Aporia, accepts submissions from those outside the university, though I believe they are mostly interested in submissions from undergrads at other institutions. Many of these journals are very good, though they are also relatively limited in circulation (as are a lot of academic journals).

    Those interested should contact the Honors Program about their magazine and the publication center sponsored by the Honors Program which almost certainly has a list of publication venues.

  6. BYU Studies sponsors a yearly personal essay contest, as well as publishing the poetry already mentioned above.

  7. I’ve heard there’s this place called timesandseasons.org that will publish your stuff if you’re sufficiently elitist, and have a high tolerance for discussions of SSM. Apparently, there’s a website called “BCC” that will indulge you as well, but only if your “liberal” Mormon credentials are impeccable.

    Aaron B

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