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 Welcome to The House. What is this?


Whether you are a poet or fiction writer or essayist or non-fiction or memoir writer or editor or publisher or bookstore owner – in other words, if words are your passion — The House is your place:

• To share your work amongst a supportive and engaging community;
• To raise your voice and comment on topics suggested by the editors or other participants;
• To ask questions about or offer solutions to stumbling blocks encountered in the writing process;
• To reflect on the big picture of writing—or on the nitty gritty;
• To talk about the business of writing and publishing;
• To announce pending readings or publication of your work;
• To network with other members of the writing community;
• To make an uproar—or, if you prefer, just quietly have your say.

 New Submission Categories as of February, 2021


• Uproar will now be one of four component parts of the larger literary blog, now called The House.
Publishing once per month, Uproar will feature the best works submitted in response to the monthly theme and vetted by the Literary Arts Committee. Submissions to Uproar are welcome from writers everywhere and may include previously published work for which the author retains copyright. The same writer will not be published in Uproar more than three times in a 12-month period.

• Young writers from Sarnia/Lambton aged 9-16 are invited to submit to the Young Authors section. We hope to involve schools in encouraging their students to work on submissions.

• Starting in January we are adding a new section, Community Corner, which is open to submissions from emerging and aspiring Sarnia/Lambton writers who wish to share their work with the local community of writers. Writers who would welcome feedback or commentary from the community as they work on honing their skills are especially encouraged to submit to this section, which will have no limitations on the number of works submitted. All participants are encouraged to provide commentary on one another’s work, much like a Writers’ Circle. Also coming soon to this section will be recordings of the revived Spoken Word, organized by Rhonda Melanson.

• The Writers Forum section of The House will continue to serve as a place where all Sarnia/Lambton writers can post discussion points on the craft of writing, as well as news about forthcoming publications or readings. We are planning Zoom interviews/readings with local writers, beginning with Phyllis Humby and Norma West Linder in the very near future.

• A monthly theme will apply to Uproar. Submissions for Young Authors and Community Corner can be on any topic.

• The House allows users to submit comments to all blog posts. We ask that when commenting on an author’s post you provide thoughtful and meaningful feedback. 

Submission Specifics (All Blog Sections)


• We welcome original submissions in any genre: poetry, short or long prose, fiction or non-fiction, with the following limitations:
o Poems – up to 50 lines (separate submission for each poem)
o Prose – up to 2000 words (separate submission for each piece)
o Writers’ Forum – up to 300 words

• All posts, both submissions and comments, will only appear when approved by the moderators.

• All submissions will be acknowledged, with information about whether the submission will be published

• Comments posted must be respectful: no slanderous comments; no axes to grind. This does not mean you shouldn’t be impassioned or political or otherwise outspoken. It means simply that we want contributions that further discussion, not shut it down or otherwise hijack it. Excessive use of swear words is boring. Please don’t be boring.

• Uproar does accept works that have been previously published, as well as simultaneous submissions. Please notify us on the form if your work has been submitted elsewhere for publication. Please include the source of publication and confirm that the copyright has remained with the author.

• The copyright of The House as a collection of works belongs to Lawrence House. The copyright of individual posts remains with the author.

The House is administered by The Lawrence House’s Literary Arts Committee comprising Lois Nantais, Ann Towell, Rhonda Melanson, and Kathy Shailer. 

Among the chief objectives of the Literary Arts Committee are the following: to encourage new writers, provide them with a forum for presenting and receiving commentary on their work, and—through the Uproar blog—to showcase quality writing, both from Sarnia/Lambton and beyond.

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