And the winner is…
Contests. Love them or hate them, they are all around this crazy writer world. And this last week, contests were high on my to-do-list. Here’s the breakdown…
I entered a chapter of my current WIP into the Mills and Boon New Voices completion. Think American Idol meets Hemmingway. What I’ve learned so far? This stuff is addicting. I’m checking the website to see how many entries (over 200 as I writing this Sunday night…) and worse, where my story ranks in the votes.
Now I know that the editors pick the top ten. So although the votes and comments are nice, they don’t have any affect on if I’m going to be one of those chosen. That’s based on what I submitted. But it doesn’t stop me from see what people are saying about me, I mean my story.
In between checking www.romanceisnotdead.com, I served as the YA contest opener for my chapter contest that closed Friday, Gateway to the Best. Believe me, if a contest coordinator tells you that a job will be easy, ask her if she has a bridge to sell in California. (My coordinator is a lovely hard working woman who I admire greatly.) I spent hours getting the entries ready and sending them out to the judges. And I’ve volunteered to judge entries in said contest.
Of course I had to enter the contest. It’s my Chapter. So I spent one night pouring over my first 7000 words, wondering if my characters were likeable, the conflict as strong as or stronger than the attraction, and if I’d started the story in the right place. Hitting submit, I checked one more item off my white board.
Then after the entry deadline had passed, I wondered if I should have entered a second manuscript. I got a case of the ‘should haves’…luckily, I was too busy to let the disease take over my weekend.
Opening my email, I found the judged submissions from the Maggies. A contest I’d entered months ago. I’d found out several weeks ago that I didn’t final by reading a list of the people who had. I still have to print out and closely read the judges comments, but from what I scanned, there’s a lot of positive feedback out there for me. And some ideas on how to write a stronger story.
Right before I set down to write this blog, I judged my first assigned entry. I hope I was thoughtful, helpful, and kind in my comments. Before I opened the entry, I uttered the Judges Prayer, “Please don’t let me become the East German judge…”
Let’s hear your contest stories. Anyone judging this year? What’s been your biggest takeaway?
9 comments:
Good for you, for entering all those contests. They're great for feedback (when that is part of the deal) and they're great for preparing writers for deadlines.
Thanks for stopping by Laura...
I worry that sometimes I can get lost in the busy work and forget about why I'm writing -- and about my goals.
But you're right on about the deadlines. And the worry once you send the entry...
I actually just got an email from someone whose entry I read in a contest last month.
I'd left my email in her entry so she could email me because I loved her entry so much. She wrote me to thank me not only for my supportive comments, but for my critical ones. All I could remember was that I really enjoyed it. But when I went back into the entry to read what I read, I realized that I really didn't shy away from giving my opinion when I was reading. I tried to be constructive instead of critical, but I was very honest.
And yet she thanked me.
Not that I was surprised, I mean, I'd enjoyed the entry enough to sign my name to it, so I knew that I couldn't have said anything all that critical. Still, it was definitely a balancing act. I think it made me more honest when the entry was really good, but had a couple of really tough parts, like this one did. Great voice, great writing, but a couple of sections that just needed to get cut.
I'm so grateful that she contacted me to tell me she appreciated my comments and made some changes. It makes me want to keep judging contests, because my ultimate hope is to be helpful. When I enter contests, I'm looking for help, so when I judge them, I want to be helpful. :-)
Anyway, great post, Lynn. Thanks!
Lynn, I enter a few each year and I judge a few. For the most part I get wonderful constrictive feedback. I love it when a judge points out something that makes a lightbulb turn on in my head. Every now and then I get some comments that make me wonder if the judge actually read my entry.
I spend hours judging one entry. I think it is really disappointing when you receive your mansucript back and there are no comments. So I try to offer the writer good constructive feedback.
LOL! I almost blew coffee out my nose when I came to the "Judge's Prayer". Best of luck to you, Rebecca in ALL your contest adventures.
Mauve... thanks for the praise... spitting coffee all over your keyboard is more than a writer could want...
Thanks for the luck... even though I'm not Rebecca... I'll take as much as I can get. (grin)
Rebecca - thanks for the reminder to THANK your judges. I know I can be remiss on this. In fact I have two thank yous from my Maggie entry I have to get out.
Renee, I know I hate getting back no comment entries. So I probably go overboard with my judging comments.
I only have five left to judge in the gateway...then I signed up to judge for the Get your Stilleto in the Door... and Golden Heart...then I'm done...
Lynn,
The Maggie is my local chapter contest. They work hard to find published judges for the contest. I find that most published judges tend to concentrate on the strengths while gently guiding in the right direction. It's a great contest with valuable feedback. I'll admit this year I was a little frustrated. I received only positive comments with no real guidance, but I didn't final. With no scores to compare, I have no idea if I 'almost' finaled or didn't even come close. How do you feel about feedback with no scores?
Tamera,
Your question on the Maggies?
I'm a little disappointed without a score. I got great feedback. But if it was that great, why didn't I final?
And, it doesn't focus my energy to problem areas. If I get fives everywhere except dialogue, I know I have to work there.
I like numbers I guess.
I've entered contests, judged contests, and lined up judges for contests. Of the three, I'll take entering any day. Much less to fret over when it's only your own work and ego on the line.
When I knew my comments could influence another person's approach to their work--or I had to find people to offer those comments--I found it a bit unnerving.
But I did it. And I learned more from judging and reading my judges' comments than I did by prepping my own entries.
Like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put in.
Post a Comment