Contests & Activities: May 13, 2020 Issue [#10177]
<< May 6, 2020Contests & Activities Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueMay 20, 2020 >>




 This week: Happy Account Anniversary!
  Edited by: Leger~ Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.

This week's Contests and Activities Editor
Leger~ Author Icon


Word from our sponsor

ASIN: B01DSJSURY
Amazon's Price: $ 5.99


Letter from the editor

Happy Birthday! Happy Account Anniversary!


Everyone deserves a happy, don't they? Not only can you celebrate the day of your birth, you can celebrate the day you joined Writing.com! Some people like to hold a contest or activity to celebrate their account anniversary. Think about it! Perhaps feature some of your writing in your activity. You could give gift points to people stopping in to send good wishes. To see who is celebrating a WDC account anniversary, go over to the left side navigation panel > click Writing.Com Tools > and click Account Anniversaries.

On top of that, if you're a regular visitor to other ports, you can jump over to a member's notebook and leave a message for them. Perhaps they'll stop in your portfolio and have a look around. If you have your contest or activity listed on the top of your list (using the Reorder feature by clicking the gear icon next to the word PORTFOLIO) or have it highlighted at the top of your portfolio (using the gear icon next to the word HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS), they might have a look and join your activity or contest.

If you like the content in a member's portfolio and would like to make them a favorite, click the PLUS sign next to the right of their name, in the same way you make an item a favorite. To be a fan, click the hand icon again and it will become a megaphone and let everyone know this is an item you fan'd. There's more about favorite/fan here: "My Favorites and FansOpen in new Window. I love using my favorites list to keep up with forums that are busy.


This month's question: Do you send anniversary wishes on Notebooks? What else do you post there? Send in your answer below! *Down* Editors love feedback!


Editor's Picks

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Short Shots: Official WDC Contest Open in new Window. (ASR)
Use the photo to inspire your creativity. Write a short story and win big prizes!
#1221635 by Writing.Com Support Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: The task is simple: Write a short story using the (photo) prompt above as inspiration!

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FORUM
Newbie Contest Challenge!! Open in new Window. (13+)
Contest Open To Newbie's Only.
#2219272 by Richard ~ Thankful!! Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: This will be a prompt based contest, with a new prompt each month. Prompts may be written or pictorial, subject to the whims of the Leprechauns running it. It will not however be genre specific, you may choose your genre as long as you stick to the rules below. The contest will alternate between prose and poetry.

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Holiday Short Story Contest - closed Open in new Window. (E)
Write a short story based on a random holiday; prompt provided.
#2142083 by Lilli 🧿 ☕ Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Write a story that takes place in a classroom. Any grade K-12, writer's choice.

Please don't just 'tell' the reader it's a classroom, 'show' us the classroom. We want to feel like a fly on the wall.

Any genre. Use your imaginations!


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WEIRD TALES CONTEST  Open in new Window. (18+)
A Contest Inspired by the Old Pulp Fiction Covers of Weird Tales Magazine
#2083492 by Beacon's Anchor Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: You're probably not old enough to remember, but in the 1930's thru the 1950's pulp magazines were all the rage. Many of the great authors we hold dear today got their first paying jobs writing for pulps like Weird Tales, Astounding Tales, and True Detective, just to name a few. Speculative fiction writers like Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, H.P.Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard all began submitting their stories and honing their skills.

THIS contest is designed to take you back to those days. So now you TOO can write for the old pulp fiction magazines just like the 'master story-tellers' did back in the day.


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1871736 by Not Available.
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Excerpt: Entry must be NEW poem written for this contest One entry per person, per day. State poetry form in subject line of the entry post

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The Humorous Poetry Contest Open in new Window. (18+)
The contest where the rating doesn't matter! ~ Next TBA~
#1875093 by Lornda Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: This contest was originally created as a challenge for a WdC's Comedy Newsletter. Since then, it's grown into a fun contest and I have a blast reading anything funny--including poetry! Consider entering today!

 
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STATIC
Good Deeds Get CASH! Open in new Window. (E)
Write reviews to win cash prizes!
#1908150 by Writing.Com Support Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Authors on Writing.Com are looking for good, useful feedback... and of course, exposure within Writing.Com. You can do a good deed by reviewing any qualifying item* on Writing.Com and you might win! Enter as many times as you want to increase your odds of being selected as a prize winner!

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Request An Upgrade From RAOK Open in new Window. (E)
Where you can request an upgrade from RAOK.
#787735 by Writing.Com Support Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: RAOK ("RAOK Upgrade Brigade Group" ) was originally created as a "Random Acts of Kindness" way to grant lucky Writing.Com members with an Upgraded membership. Over the years, RAOK has gifted over a thousand Upgraded memberships to our authors and we plan on doing so for many years to come!

RAOK gifts Upgraded memberships and does not give Basic or Premium upgrades. This enables us to give out more individual two-month upgrades and thus help as many Writing.Com authors as we can. In addition, upgrades are only given to primary accounts, not authorized secondary accounts.

If you know of someone whom you think needs or deserves an upgrade, post their USERNAME portfolio link in the forum.


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30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS Open in new Window. (13+)
WDC's Longest Running Blog Competition - Hiatus
#1786069 by Fivesixer Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: This is a bi-monthly contest having a month-on, month-off format. The blogging community is a thriving one and the challenge to blog for 30 days straight is what keeps people coming back, month after month after month to the most intense battle of the bloggers. Are you ready to join us?

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Just the Facts! - CLOSED Open in new Window. (E)
A prompt-driven short story competition!
#2215710 by Lilli 🧿 ☕ Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: This is a short story competition. You will be presented with a set of facts and must weave these facts into your story. The genre and facts will vary from month to month - so read the prompt carefully.

 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
         https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form

Don't forget to support our sponsor!

ASIN: B00KN0JEYA
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99


Ask & Answer

This month's question: Do you send anniversary wishes on Notebooks? What else do you post there? Send in your answer below! *Down* Editors love feedback!

Last month's question: How do you deal with contest or activity problems?


jolanh Author Icon: Take it with a grain of salt. Most people are trying to

TheBusmanPoet Author Icon: I don't usually have a problem with any contests or activities. If I do, I'll ask questions to learn and clarify what I need to know. Only ones who complain to me are when my 3 cats gang up on me meowing in all different tones. It's like listening to a choir...lol

willwilcox:
I think it's less the contestants and more the host of the contest. It's amazing, and irritating, to see entries that never read the rules or understood what the prompt was. I shouldn't complain, having two different contests, I see all sorts of weird stuff. As far as handling disqualified entries, I always read and review them regardless. *Cool*

GeminiGem🐾 Author Icon: People do have trouble following directions sometimes, willwilcox, I've seen that in my "day job" in spades *Laugh*

I find asking people to contact me with any questions regarding the rules works pretty well. I do get emails asking for clarifications, which I am happy to provide. Sometimes it has to do with my rules (which indicates I need to rewrite them), sometimes it is a newbie that is just unfamiliar with how things work. I'm especially happy when they reach out.

I also have a statement that "the judge's decisions are final." I don't know if it makes any difference or not, but I have never had anyone argue with the results of the contest. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Mr. Jones Author Icon: I've had complaints about the contexts of my writings before. The issues and taboo things I write about are not very tasteful in the eyes of victims or people who've been impacted. I decided early on I would always be respectful and understanding to this situation. If I'm writing about abuse, of any kind, and someone messages me that its very triggering, I'm gonna respect my audience and remove it for them.

I don't think you should censor your item because others have an issue with it. Perhaps put a trigger warning at the beginning of the item. As long as the item is rated correctly within the WDC bounds, you shouldn't have to take something down. ~Leger~

~Brian K Compton~ Author Icon: I try not to complain now. I see people mean well. It's easy to dehumanize or characterize a person or situation by the limited amount of information available. With patience and time, things usually get sorted.

Some activities don't go how you expect. Unfortunate to lower one's expectations when a contest doesn't get judged or an activity pitters out. Maybe, someone's ill, something's on the fritz. Maybe, not enough participation or person in charge can't wrap up results from an activity in a timely manner.

I offer help. I know others extend an offer in forums. The least a person can do is respond.

So you can see reasons to complain. It might seem these people are indifferent. Why over commit if you cannot follow through? I think taking care of business is all you can do. Can't please everyone.

Questions like these elicit activity or help people help one another or to self teach. For whoever is watching out there, my two cents.

~Brian K Compton~ Author Icon: Actually, I wish people would complain more. Indifference and lack of participation are way worse. No one should have to repress the simple instinct to ask why. You don't actually have to complain. Just seek explanations. If they don't address your complaint satisfactorily, move on to something else.

And really, who are the complainers? People who are either new and don't know how things work (English not so good?), maybe someone not wise to the ways of the internet and/or how WDC functions (believe me, so much to take in), or someone who is difficult to satisfy (I've been that person).

Isn't there support for people who operate activities on here? A FAQ or some knowledgeable person? You can throw a concern in any direction and almost always find someone who'll lend advice.

Look at that. Two more cents.

Thanks to everyone for your input! It's nice to know my editorials are being read and love reading your responses.



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<< May 6, 2020Contests & Activities Archives | More From This Day | Print This IssueMay 20, 2020 >>

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