  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week. I'd like to discuss Spring Cleaning. |
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Spring Cleaning
Ah, Spring is in the air (for many of us, anyway)! It's a good time to take a look at ourselves, at our writing, our portfolios and at our contests & activities. Spring is a great time to evaluate our goals and make any necessary changes.
I can easily think of two reasons to make changes to our contests & activities:
To attract more participants - Maybe participation is declining or it wasn't always that high to begin with. Either way, changes may help attract more participants.
To make it easier on ourselves - Perhaps you're finding you have less time to judge or host an activity, or maybe a different schedule would work out better. It's a good thing to examine your time and the requirements that go along with an activity or contest. Maybe you need to shorten length limits because you have less time to read and judge. Or you could be feeling restless reading the same types of material over and over, leading to a change in genre or item type.
A few things to consider changing or updating:
 Prompts - Just like you can get tired of the same old prompts, so do participants. Try to liven up your activities & contests with unpredictable or unusual prompts. Think outside your own realm! You may inspire others, as well as yourself!
Rules - Give some thought to your specific rules, like item length, rating, etc. Look at the types of items you're attracting with your rules and make sure they're what you want. Make changes if needed.
Genres - Sure, we all have preferences when it comes to reading, but we can also get bored easily reading the same genre all the time. Think about whether you're in the mood for a change in genre.
Prizes - Are your prizes realistic yet enough of an incentive for participants?
Title/Intro - Is your title all its cracked up to be? Does it grab the readers' attention and is it appropriate for your contest or activity?
There are lots more things to look at when updating your contest & activity, and this is just the time to do it! Keep an eye out for new & revamped contests & activities!
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Contests & Activities :
| | Pass the Write-Baton [18+] #1530602
Write what you wish, do your best, and pass the baton. 1000 gps prize per addition. Enjoy!
by Joy  |
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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
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My last newsletter gave information on Reviewing. 
Woo, Spidey! Thanks for including a couple of my items. I appreciate it very much.
Re: Your question: The benefit for me is learning to read more comprehensively with each new item. What keeps me reviewing? The same stuff that keeps a writer writing. I must. What holds stops me back? Sleep and taking time out to write a newsletter. ~ esprit 
You're very welcome, and thanks for the feedback!
Hello! Thanks so much for including my new review forum, "Invalid Item" , in your newsletter! It was a great honor and a pleasant surprise!  Thanks again! ~ pink-moon
You're very welcome!
Hi Spidey,
Enjoyed seeing "reviewing" as an activity. Perhaps you'd also like to inform readers that they need to have their "Review Preference" set to "Display Publicly" in the 'my accounts' area. Several active reviewers aren't aware of this. Also, how about covering 'review raids', too? Various groups have them and they're fun! - Sonali ~ THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! 
Very good point, Sonali! Thanks for that important info! And covering review raids sounds like a good idea, too! 
Ace newsletter, Spidey. I not only like what you have to say regarding reviewing as an activity, I also like how you say it. Thanks, too, for some fab links! ~ Acme
Thanks much, Acme!
Very informative newsletter. I find that when I read something I don't like, I don't want to review it. Do other people have this problem and do you have any tips for overcoming it? Thanks... ~ An apple a day.... 
Thanks! As to your first question, I think these poll addresses that very subject: "What makes you stop?" [E] and "Invalid Item"
Both have surprising results, at least surprising to me, and they relate to your second question:
For your other question, personally I find it a good motivation to write a review when I don't particularly love an item. If I think something could be strengthened, it motivates me to let the writer know what I think. Reviewing is meant to help other writers. When I feel a piece can be improved, I feel compelled to write a review. I actually have a more difficult time reviewing something I really like! Also, try to think of it this way: In creating items here, authors are (in most cases) seeking feedback. They want your help and your thoughts, so you're doing them a favor by reviewing. I hope these tips help you!
Question to think about: What changes can you make to your own activities & contests to improve upon them?
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Contests & Activities: March 25, 2009 Issue [#2958]
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