This week: The Benefit of Entering Contests on WDC Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Contest & Activity Newsletter by Dawn
Looking at the benefits someone might get from entering a contest here on the site and even a little bonus from running one too. |
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Over the years of running contests here on the site, there have been different struggles with no one entering, outside in life causing delays in judging and some push from people against the rules. I've had a couple of times when someone has responded to a comment about contests rules with a shrugged remark about how it doesn't really matter because the contests online don't offer money or publication type of prizes. There is some truth to the comment because for most of us that run an activity or type of contest on the site, we can't offer those types of prizes. On occasion there might be one that is looking to publish an anthology type and a contest could be good for finding entries. However, most of the time the contests here aren't so much about the prizes (though gift points can be used to pay for memberships so are a decent prize and there is the fun of collecting badges or awardicons too). Sure it's great to win and the validation is a good bonus but there are other benefits to entering a contest, any contest, here on WDC.
Some of the benefits are:
1.Get something written
Yep, that's my number one benefit for entering contests. It might surprise a couple of people since I've been on the site and writing for a long time now, but it's actually rare for me to win or place with a story, especially during a high entry round of an official contest. But that's perfectly okay. I don't enter with the main purpose as trying to win or get praise. In fact, the best benefit I get from entering a contest comes from the sheer fact that it gives me focus on writing a single thing in particular. I get something finished... okay, finished "ish" because I write novels so what I enter for the short word counts tend to be scenes or small bits of a story that will later need expansion.
2. Feedback
While not every contest can offer feedback, those that do take the time and effort are something to really appreciate. When I judge, I do try to take time and provide as best of feedback as I can manage given the time frame allowed depending on the contest and the type of entry. A very short poem is a little harder to give long feedback for compared to a short story or longer story. However, I tend to take a lot longer when having several entries to judge because that feedback takes a good amount of time and thought. I like to think that the comments are helpful and I always appreciate anyone who provides a solid feedback for any type of story I enter. Even if the comment includes "this story feels incomplete and needs to be longer" I do appreciate when someone provides feedback.
3. Trying something new
One good thing about a contest here on WDC is that with the short word count limits and variety of options, it's a great chance for a writer to try something new. There are specific genres and types of stories I like to write with my main focus on speculative fiction. However, over the many years I have used contests here in order to try something new. This might surprise some who haven't heard the story, but long before managing the Weekly Quickie contest, I was just someone trying to write romance/erotica for the very first time. I didn't know much about it since it's not a genre I often read and with my personal orientation in the Ace spectrum, the erotica is definitely something that doesn't come to mind easily. But I decided to give it a try anyways. It was a challenge, took about a year to really get anything beyond a little romance into a story. Now I manage the flash fiction romance/erotica contest when I can manage some time and I write novels that are some day going to be self published. And it's not just that genre. I have tried horror a couple of times too along with an attempt at humor even though I tend to not be very funny. It is one definite benefit of the different contests on this site, getting to try something new.
4. Sense of community
This last one is for both entering and running a contest because it's part of what makes the site a community. Some events are special and held around certain times of the year, like the week of contests and activities that relate to the birthday of the site. There are big events where different users work together to encourage both contest entries and different writers to work together. Even activities like NaNoWriMo prep both encourage writers while bringing them together (there are a few contest rounds in that challenge as well). While writing was often seen as a solitary endeavor, really it can be a collective and community based effort when given the chance. Contests can be helpful in that regard and that is part of what makes them an important element here on WDC.
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What benefit do you get (or will you get) from entering a contest here on WDC?
“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.” — Enid Bagnold
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Contests & Activities: April 21, 2021 Issue [#10727]
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