A WRITING competition launched earlier this month is already attracting huge interest from authors.

The Short Story Competition is organised by Darlingtonn firm Inscribe Media Ltd, backed by The Northern Echo, telecommunications company Orange and Darlington Arts Centre.

Designed for writers aged 17 or over, the free competition is open to anyone in Britain, with a first prize of £300. The closing date is March 31.

Since its launch, there have been more than 2,000 impressions on the website created by The Northern Echo to promote the competition.

In addition, there has been a steady flow of postal requests for entry details from writers from across the North-East and North Yorkshire as well as elsewhere in the UK.

The theme for the national competition is communication and the maximum length of stories is 3,000 words.

Full details of rules and conditions are available on The Northern Echo website at www.theshortstory.co.uk or by sending a stamped addressed envelope to John Dean, care of The Northern Echo Newsdesk, PO Box 14, Darlington, County Durham DL1 1NF.

Leaflets will be available at arts venues across the region. Regular updates will be published in The Northern Echo and on its website.

Mr Dean said: "Writers are delighted at another opportunity to showcase their writing.

"The idea behind the competition was to offer them that opportunity and already we are receiving a steady stream of entries. This really has captured people's imagination."

To visit the site go to www.theshortstory.co.uk and for tips on writing try www.orangelabyrinth.co.uk