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This week: Don't Shoot Yourself in the Foot! Edited by: Fyn-elf  
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Your competition is not other people but the time you kill, the ill will you create, the knowledge you neglect to learn, the connections you fail to build, the health you sacrifice along the path, your inability to generate ideas, the people around you who don't support and love your efforts, and whatever god you curse for your bad luck.~~James Altucher
The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give.~~ Howard Cosell
Literature isn't a moral beauty contest. Its power arises from the authority and audacity with which the impersonation is pulled off; the belief it inspires is what counts.~~Philip Roth
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Let's face it --most contests have rules. Someone spent time and energy setting the rules up for a specific reason. Contests have built-in expectations. These too should be followed. If the point of entering a contest is to win, then such rules need to be followed - because if one doesn't then one will not get far.
Following rules and guidelines shows respect for the contest one is entering. Honestly, one never wants to give a judge any reason to not like their work. Defeats the purpose of entering, does it not? And yet, people do this. Following proscribed guidelines or rules is expected. This follows true whether it is a site contest, submission for publishing a manuscript or just playing a game. Cheats, shortcut or deliberate disregard will never serve one well. Other will follow the rules and then where does that leave the one who doesn't?
Contests or manuscript submission--following guidelines is key. That beleagured junior editor has no problem consigning the poorly edited, non-conforming manuscript to the circular file. A tired judge at o:dark-thirty wants to be reading something fresh, new and tantelizing!
For example - if the word count for a short story contest is 2000 words then that limit is set for a specific reason. Writing more than 2000 words will get you disqualified. Writing far less will make one wonder why the writer did not use the words available to them. Did they just throw something together just to enter? Did they not take the time to fully explore the possibilities of the story? If so, one wonders 'why' that is the case.
Unfamiliar with a genre, style, quote or form? Do the research. Worst thing that will happen is that you'll learn something new! Unless writing in science fiction, fantasy or time travle, be very careful not to have time-anomelies. If something was invented in 1900, don't have a character using one thirty years earlier. Don't have someone getting in a car accident at the first ever four-direction traffic light in Shipshewana when it was in Detroit. ABC agencies often had murky, unclear beginnings with the letters getting shuffled or rearranged-- double check dates! There are things one can take a writerly licence with --undisputed facts generally do not work well for this. Proof read your work! If something is 'right' but may appear wrong, work an explanation into your story so that this is clear. Remember - you never want a 'stopper' to pull the reader out of the story. You want them staying firmly enmeshed into the fibers you are weaving!
Be fresh, creative and memorable! Very important! You want your entry to stand out! For all the write right reasons!
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Walkinbird 3 Jan 1892  writes: A quote from both George Lucas and Orson Scott Card (as well as the others) about the walls that block our progress is a sweet find
QueenOwl ~ A New Day Dawns says: You hit the bull's eye. I, for one, seem to stumble into pulling weeds in the yard, sweeping the floor, vacuuming the carpet, or cleaning the bathroom instead of facing that computer screen and hitting the keyboard at the opportune time. It's my brick wall and it never fails!
Thank you for reminding us to drop whatever is preventing us from penning those volatile ideas into paper and to plug along. We need each other's pushing and nudging to reach our destination.
Thanking you on multiple levels! *grin*
GabriellaR45  comments: Thank you once again for an exceptional newsletter!
This is a brilliant piece, full of good advice and
excellent examples to help us benefit from your
wisdom. When we were kids, my dad taught us to
think of brick walls as glorious opportunities, and
great adventures. Climbing over a wall that is taller than me
continues to be one of life's most gratifying experiences.
I have always relished looking for a job that
is over my head, and outside my comfort zone. Along with
seizing a challenge, I think how fortunate
I have been to be hired by folks who believed in my potential.
SM and SMs, along with charismatic writers and teachers
like you, provide an open vista for growth, program
development, and opportunities to learn to write
and publish. Here on W.Com we thrive thanks to a rotating
series of brick walls waiting to be scaled.
Thank you, dear Fyn. How fortunate we are to have you
here with us.
Bravo !! G. |
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For Authors: April 04, 2018 Issue [#8839]
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