I wrote this short story (1250 words) for a contest going on at http://thewritepractice.com/show-off-contest/. (Contest deadline is Feb.10 for those interested in submitting an entry with a Love them- for Valentine’s Day, of course.
My entry is available for a free read at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131273 , along with 3 other free reads. All the short stories were contest submissions.
I have recently begun to enter writing contests. The reason- because I’ve learned that peer reviews from other contestants and readers who frequent the sight- are priceless. Most are kind in their criticisms (Yes, it is possible to be kind while telling the author that they really need improvement!). I have received some insights that I would not have gotten otherwise. My writing has improved since I’ve added contest entries to my weekly work assignments. Of course I’m still plugging away on a longer novel (Hannah’s Storm) and my novella Molly Watkins Chronicles (steampunk fiction). Molly will be a series and I’m very excited about getting to know her better by writing about her- but that’s beside the point…
I wonder if anyone else has found that writing for contest entries has improved their writing? Please let me know…
P.S.- Yes, I actually won a contest recently over at Miss Snark’s Blog http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-secret-agent-11.html , in case you were wondering:)
Filed under: Novellas Tagged: | authors, contest, fiction, indie, steampunk, writing
Hi Stacey – I read your winning entry in the SA contest and loved it. Congrats! I’ve never read any steampunk, but I will be on the lookout for Molly Watkins! I was entry #44 in the contest. I seem to have developed an email checking compulsion waiting for a response from the SA. Did you get any acknowledgment of the chapters you sent? Best of luck to you! elizabethandsam@aol.com
Thanks Miss Betsy:) No, I haven’t heard anything yet…I am so impatient, lol. Congrats on #44! (Let me know when you hear something, I keep my fingers crossed for you, too). I liked the concept of Steampunk in that things were powered by steam and I figured I could become creative. (I do admit my work on Molly isn’t exactly hardcore Steampunk, but I had a lot of fun writing it) Also, there is not a lot out there for Steampunk, so maybe I’ll get lucky and there will be room for Molly someplace. -Let’s hope we hear good news soon:) -Stacey
Hi Stacey- I just read “Cherry Cheesecake”. I thought it was really sweet (no pun intended). I’ve always wanted to enter writing competitions but I’ve never been able to make the deadline. Good luck with future contests!
Thank you, Kara:) I find I work better with a deadline…the pressure is good for me! If not, I keep polishing until the original story is lost. I just took a tour of your blog Ink and Paper and I really like it!
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it
I polish most of my writing endlessly regardless of a deadline. I’m usually halfway through a second draft when I want to take the story into a second direction, and then another… and then the deadline is tomorrow.