There is much to be praised about Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “All the Light We Cannot See.” From its memorable protagonists to its epic World War II setting, the novel has all the elements of a great read. But what struck me the most is Doerr’s effective use of the unpopular omniscient point of view. Most writing teachers, editors, and literary agents advise writers to avoid the omni POV.

Writing is many things to many people—a job, a career, a calling, or perhaps a hobby or a fantasy. Paula Munier says writing is so much more. “Writing is nothing less than a path to enlightenment,” she says in this ruminative and inspiring book. And the best writers are those who write with quiet hands, she adds.

Although WOW! is primarily for women, its 2016 Flash Fiction Contest is open to both men and women who write short stories in English from anywhere in the world. The contest is limited to the first 300 entries, so enter now.

The Chicago Tribune is looking for original and unpublished short stories no longer than 8,000 words for the Nelson Algren Literary Awards. A grand prize of $3,500 and possible publication in the newspaper will be awarded to one winner. Nine other prizes will also be given.

Three digital imprints owned by HarperCollins, a Big Five publishing company, are seeking manuscripts for romance, mystery, suspense, thriller, and visionary or “transformational” fiction. If you have an unpublished manuscript in those genres, start the New Year right and prepare your work for submission.

I’m not a sports fan, but a recent story quoting a soccer coach who said he “appreciates the enormity of the task at hand” caught my attention. What evil task did this coach have? Or did he mean to say enormousness?

Get ready for this year’s #PitchMAS! If you have an unpublished manuscript, this online pitch fest might be what you’re looking for. It will give you a chance to present your work directly to participating agents and editors.

The days are shorter, but the weather is nicer. It’s fall—are you ready to submit your manuscript? Check out these three small publishers that are open to fiction and nonfiction submissions.

In “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald introduced us to the fictional places East Egg and West Egg, which refer to Long Island, New York. In Anne Tyler’s “Accidental Tourist,” we are told straightaway that the setting is Baltimore, the author’s beloved hometown. Is it better to invent a location or use a real place in your novel?

Ink Smith Publishing is seeking entries for its first annual contest—the 2015 ISP Book Publishing Awards—for unpublished science fiction, horror, and fantasy manuscripts written in English. The publisher will pick a first-, second-, and third-place winners for each of the three genres and give away a total of $4,000 worth of prizes, which include a three-year publishing contract and a full marketing campaign and book tour.