  Contests & Activities
This week: Finding Balance Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week!
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Finding Balance
As I write this, I'm celebrating Labor Day, my first Monday holiday at a new job. I'm appreciative of having work, but I also appreciate a day off every once in a while! I'm using my time off to catch up on Writing.Com! 
Going from being unemployed to working a 40-hour work week can be jarring. All of a sudden, I feel like I have no free time, and I'm struggling to keep up with what's going on with my favorite website! There are some handy ways you can keep up:
 Favorites - A great way to keep an eye on items you want to keep up with. Click on the little plus sign, or "+", at the top right of the main column of the page to add that item to your favorites list. Access your favorites by using the Navigational Tool on the left of the screen. Click on "My Account" and then "My Favorites."
"Site News & Announcements"  lists all the official new things and news of Writing.Com! (Have you noticed all the cool new emoticons?!) 
Starting anything new in life requires you to find balance between the old and the new. You'll need to assess your current duties and responsibilities and see how they'll fit in with the new ones. For instance, if you host a daily contest in which you post a daily prompt at 8am, but that is now the time you'll be arriving at work, you may need to change that time.
There is often a period of adjustment when you start something new. If you're not sure yet how your time will be affected, post a message in any activities or contests, letting contestants and participants know there may be slight changes. Odds are, they'll be very understanding.
A few things you can do if it seems like you might be struggling to keep up:
 Take a break. Temporarily suspend activities and contests while you assess your situation. Be sure to let participants know that you're closing the contest or activity so they're not wondering.
Get some help. Ask for a co-host or co-judges to help with the duties of hosting a contest or activity.
Adjust. You may need to adjust aspects of the contest or activity in order to fit it into your new schedule. One idea may be to limit the number of entries you'll accept in a contest, reducing the time it will take to read and judge the entries.
For many, Writing.Com is a place to have fun and relax, while building writing and reading skills. It's important to find a good balance between responsibilities on the site and those in our daily lives.
Always keep on writing!
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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, ("Contests & Activities Newsletter (August 10, 2011)" ), discussed training in writing.
I love these newsletters! They're so much help to writers, especially to beginners or at least amateurs like me. Thanks a lot. They really help! ~ lordshadow55
You're very welcome and thanks!! 
I think my writing has improved since 2005, but only my readers can tell since I'm rather biased. Any improvement I credit to the daily prompts of "The Writer's Cramp" . As soon as the prompt was posted, I'd sit down and quickly push my imagination to write those 1,000 words. Often over the years I'd win; more often I wouldn't, but that didn't stop me.
~ J. A. Buxton 
That's a great idea, and way to focus on what's important!
Congrats on your personal best in the 5k and 4th place! I loved the connection to writing and your encouragement to stretch outside our comfort zones. Great NL! ~ Mara ♣ McBain 
Thank you very much! Running and writing have a clear connection in my mind, and I'm glad someone else sees it, too!
I think my writing has definitely improved since joining Writing.Com. I have learned how to "show, not tell" - haven't we all heard that at least a dozen times? Entering contests has been a tremendous help because when you enter a contest I think you tend to do even better than you normally would - a little competition never hurt anyone. Also, I believe that one of the best things a writer can do to improve their writing is read and you can do this by reviewing other writers' work, which I think is a tremendous help. ~ blainecindy
Great points!! I totally agree!
I have been encouraged to write in a specific genre outside of my comfort zone. Due to this newsletter, I may start submitting some of these into contests, so as to PRACTICE and work on my writing skills. Thank you for such a great newsletter. ~ ~WhoMe???~
Great!!
Questions to think about:
How do you balance Writing.Com and your offline life? |
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Contests & Activities: September 07, 2011 Issue [#4602]
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