Get Brave! Enter a Writing Contest!

Get Brave – Enter a Writing Contest!

by
Deborah Owen

Writing.com always has contests going on. Most creative writers have a secret desire to enter a writing or poetry contest at some point in life, yet they stifle that desire by convincing themselves they aren't good enough. It's one thing to analyze your writing and know that you are not a Thoreau or Stephen King, and it is altogether another to think so little of your writing that you won't take the chance on entering a contest.

I know - it's a fearsome thing to write and let others read your penned words – particularly when you're not used to it. This is where writing clubs come in handy. What a great place to try your wings! Post your work in your port where other writers can see it and leave comments, then truck on over to somebody else's port and read theirs and leave comments for them. Don't be concerned if you feel inadequate to critique someone else's work. It's a learn as you go thing.

All manner of writing groups hold various kinds of contests.
The prizes are very small, but the point is,
that's the place to learn.

For those of you who are ready to venture forth to something larger, search "writing contests" on the net and you will find all you want. The trick becomes, how do you sort through them? Which ones do you enter? Use this as a guide:

         • Watch out for contest scams. Some places will ask for a $50 entry fee, and virtually all of the entrants will receive a letter telling them they have won. When the "winner" replies, the scammer will want another $20 for a biography, and later on you can pay a little more and become a grand-prize winner. The "winners" are told their work will appear in an anthology (collection of short stories or poetry), but of course, you have to buy that, too. Then you are supposed to sell the anthologies to your friends and neighbors. A little common sense goes a long way in this kind of thing.

         • Follow the directions to a tee. Do exactly what you are told or your entry will be thrown out.

         • Enter smaller contests for a better chance at winning. Larger contests, such as Writer's Digest, have 20,000+ entrants. Be prepared for stiff competition.

         • What you should expect to pay: your entry fee and reading fee should be all you have to pay. These fees are what subsidize the awards, so the fees are necessary. Fees for lesser expensive contests will total $20 to $35. Yes, that is per entry.

         • Winning the lottery is much akin to winning a writing contest. Against all odds, even when you think you don't deserve to win – you may. There is no higher high, and no writer should cheat himself/herself out of this great learning experience.

Choose the contest that best suits you and your pocketbook and go for it! Contests usually come out in the spring and fall, so plan to gamble on yourself twice a year, if for nothing more than the fun of it. You're worth it!

And when you have time, drop by http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and sign up for The Writer's Choice Newsletter. Chock full of writer's tips, and I promise not to spam you to death.

Thanks for dropping by!

Deborah Owen