  Contests & Activities
This week: Finding Time to Write Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week. |
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Finding Time to Write
It is the holiday season, and if you're anything like me you're having difficulty finding time to write. There's shopping to do, turkeys to cook, presents to wrap and trees to decorate. Some of us are leaving town; some of us have family coming to our homes. Time is precious, and there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything we want to do.
Flexibility is the key. I haven't perfected time management by any means, but I have learned to embrace each and every spare moment. Set an easily-attainable goal for yourself ... say 1,000 words a day, and push yourself to reach that goal. Take the five minutes here and ten minutes there and use them to your advantage. It may take you several mini writing sessions to get those 1,000 words down on paper (or screen, as the case may be), but 1,000 words is 1,000 words whether you write them in one sitting or fifteen. How you accomplish your daily writing goal doesn't matter as long as you accomplish it.
How many of you are participating in NaNo this month? NaNo is the mother (or is that mutha?) of all contests because you're challenging yourself. The goal is 50,000 words in 30 days (approximately 1,667 words a day). Last year I wrote 8,000 words. This year I've written nearly 20,000.
Despite our best intentions (I WILL write 50,000 words this month!), sometimes pesky little things like life get in the way. I knew early on that I wouldn't reach the 50k finish line because on November 9 my husband ruptured two disks in his back (L4 and L5) and is going in for surgery on December 7. That, coupled with the fact I work 13-hour night shifts three to four times a week, really limits the amount of time I can devote to writing.
Okay, so 50k is out of the question this year. Maybe I can do 25. So I've made a concerted effort to tap out 25,000 words, and I know I'll achieve my goal. I'm very proud of that. My biggest problem is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I can't NOT edit! So I made a deal with myself: one quick skision (skimming revision) per chapter--that's it, then on to the next. Surprisingly, this little arrangement has successfully quelled my overpowering OCD. Yay! Who knows ... maybe this year's novel is something I can enter in a contest someday.
That said, have you seen all the great contests available this holiday season? Holy smokes, where to begin, right? Take a peek, get inspired and submit those entries. You can do it!
Wishing each and every one of you a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
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Some of these contests have a deadline of November 30, so get your entries in ASAP!
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The following is in response to "Contests & Activities Newsletter (October 28, 2009)" :
Annette  says, "Thank you so much for featuring 'Fantasy & Erotica Short Story Contest' in this week's newsletter!  How do I approach contests? I read the prompt and either a plot pops in my head within 24 hours or nothing happens. Then, I procrastinate. I write two days before the deadline and rarely win. But ... I have FUN writing. I think your approach is superior to mine, as your recent wins in the WDC-run contests prove. Congrats, and now that I know your secret, watch out!  Kidding.  " Thank you, and you're welcome!
Acme  says, "'5. Channel Stephen King. Okay, so I don't really channel Stephen King, but I DO follow his advice when it comes to editing: if one reviewer out of twenty says I should revise something, then it's a tie (me vs. the reviewer) and the writer always wins in a tie. But if the majority of those twenty reviews say this section or that topic need clarifying/revising, then I clarify and/or revise.' Y-e-e-e-s(ish). Writers do have to be wary of Emperor's new clothes syndrome'--sometimes, all you need is one kid in the crowd to ask why you're nekkid, to show that you are. Another top notch newsletter, Shannon." So true, Acme! And thank you. Glad you liked it.
mariahbforre says, "Thanks for featuring my contest!" You are very welcome, Mariah. Great name, by the way. My oldest daughter's named Moriah (spelled with an "o" instead of an "a"). |
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Contests & Activities: November 25, 2009 Issue [#3364]
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