Writing contest junkie.
That's how I've taken to describing myself in recent requests for bios.
To put it in perspective, it is only March 5th, and I've already entered 3 contests, one of which is a six week long, team competition where we get to spend every weekend plus Mondays writing ourselves both out of our minds and our families' good graces.
Plus, I have a list of contests I would have entered if not for the time spent in the current ones.
How did I get here?
A young, wide eyed MFA graduate, did I mistakenly stumble into the back-alley waters of the internet where someone promised me the high of publication? Was I afraid to pass the link on to a friend, so I just inhaled? Or like all recreational addictions, did I think it would be fun, just a weekend, or "certain company" kind of thing?
For a few years, I only entered one contest annual, but then, of course, I realized that publisher ran other types of contests. So, I tried those, too.
Then, I met other contest users who mentioned even more contests. And then, I joined an official group of people who had come together over a contest, and we shared more contests, and sure a few normal lit mag calls but -- contests!
Junkie metaphor aside, there is a reason--several actually-- I keep coming back to them.
As my students well know, when the sky's the limit, you spend more time on the ground staring up, planning your trip than you do actually going anywhere. (i.e. my students hate when I give broad, vague writing assignments such as "Write whatever you want" because they immediately can't think of anything to write.) However, most contests offer prompts. Many even offer specific prompts.
A focus and a deadline.
Prompts, and deadlines. These are two rather vital things.
I've written rather often about the joy of constraints. I've said it once, and I'll say it a thousand times -- you can't think out of the box if you've never had to escape a box! So, yeah, constraints breed creativity. And deadlines make you get it done. They're not my deadlines that I can push back to infinity. They're someone else's who has no qualm taking my time or money whether I produce or not.
In short, sometimes contests are the only reason I get any new writing done at all.
They also make me push myself. I'm not just writing, wallowing in my usual this or that, but I'm trying to make someone else's idea work or writing for an audience or purpose that colors my writing in surprising and unusual ways, which are just a joy to discover. And there's a pressure to actually impress someone, or at least not embarrass myself. So, I try harder.
And then there is the more immediate audience that comes along with contests.
I've also got an awesome team. People I wouldn't have gotten to know and work with and learn from if not for the contest.
When you spend more time writing and more time with writers, you spend more time thinking about writing, more time thinking up ideas, which means more chances to get inspired, and more time thinking about submitting, and then you actually start submitting.
Proof? I went from submitting to just that one contest a year and sending out one occasional, rare extra story to getting published regularly. I did the most contests last year (4 with multiple events spanning 1-3 months, 2-3 with simple prompts), and I had the height of hanging out with writing contest junkie friends; I ended 2107 with 11 publications and one pending, 7 of which came from contest placement (I didn't even get first for most of those), and 2 of which were old contests pieces I cleaned up and submitted to journals. I'm just two months into 2018 and have 4 publications, 2 of which are old contest entries.
Now, some contests are very time demanding and some of them have entrance fees in the double digits... so that can be a hurdle.
There are a ton of potential benefits from writing regularly and participating in contests. Plus, every now and again you place or even get published.
And that's pretty cool, too.
Looking for a dealer? Er, I mean a contest to get you started?
Yeah, Write - Weekly, flash contests, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The people who run these contests are responsive and creative. And if you know how to find them, the community generally participating in them are too. Free. Feedback on all entries. Contests range from 2 days to 1 week to write. Rules about sharing work are detailed and rather strict depending on the contest, so just be sure to read carefully. That's good advice anyway.
NYC Midnight- They offer paid writing contests in Short Story, Screen Play, and Flash Fiction. Each one offers rounds. You progress from round to round until there is a winner. For the Flash Fiction competition (Fall) you actually are guaranteed participation in two rounds. You get judge feedback on all entries, and perhaps even more valuable, access to a private forum reserved for contest participants only. Here, Beta with people not in your heat, discuss writing, the prompts, and once submitted, everyone shares their stories for additional feedback, giving you plenty to read and plenty to learn. The judges reward creativity and thinking outside the box, and if you engage with all it has to offer, it is worth the more costly entry fee of $45. The contest size is really growing these past few years, so there's less chance of moving on, but more people to rub elbows with in the forum.
You win over $1k if you're first, and decreasing amounts from there. You also get other prizes and subscriptions if you make it to the top 10 or so. I have a lovely laptop bag and a Bookbaby gift card for $300 from placing 6th once.) Organizers are not always speedy in their responses, but do respond and tend to be reasonable about tech issues, etc. Most comps offer only 48 hours to write, with prompts released at midnight EST Friday.
Writers Workout - They also offer contests throughout the year. They have both individual and teams. They publish anyone placing in the first 3 spots for each round. Some contests are round based, and some are not. All come with a specific or focused prompt designed to challenge and push your limits and creativity as a writer, and they give you an element you will be scored on most (narration, research? etc). Once you're a little more confident with yourself as a writer, I highly recommend giving the team contest a go. But, both individual and team Writers Games will push you to your limits. All of them are free. But pay attention to detail. Unlike NYC, WW rewards you for sticking to the prompt. They like creativity but they want to see it bloom from being stuck. So if they tell you to put a penguin in your story, they mean a real penguin. (NYC would take a penguin sized parade balloon for instance.) They're also sticklers for formatting and things can get you disqualified. (But try to think of this as all those places that won't read your submission at all because you got the formatting wrong. Even if DQ'd, you still get feedback here.) Your stories also have to remain private -- so NO betas of any kind, and you can't use them for anything until all their competitions for the anthology are done. Their prompts though are amazing. For many, the isolation of individual may not be bearable, but then I'd say give the teams one a try. The organizers are super responsive and easy to ask questions of, usually have a good sense of humor, offer appeals, but they are steadfast in their rules and can sometimes be emotional in concerning disagreements, so speak carefully if you have criticism to offer), and they add you to a private Facebook group where you have access to all current and past participants, motivational prompts, and tips. Most comps offer only 72 hours to write, with a 7pm EST Friday prompt and a Monday 7pm EST deadline. Their prompts are posted publicly, so even if you don't participate directly you can still take advantage of the prompts. Recommended if you prefer to share your work and don't care about competing for publication.
Furious Fiction (updated 2022): This used to be a monthly, free 500 word contest based on a specific prompt with the chance to win 500 AUD. However, they've slipped this down to only 3 -4 times a year. It's still free, still has a prize, and the prompts are the same, it's just less frequent. This is a great contest, because once you sign up once, you always get notified of the next contest and you can enter or not if you like the prompt. They not only share winning stories, but runner ups AND pretty detailed explanations for why each story won or scored highly. While you don't get personalized feedback (because they get so many entries) their Winners posts are full of extremely valuable insights into the judges' minds and advice on writing. They also send out a newsletter year round with great writing advice. 48 hour contest.
There are plenty of others. Molotov Cocktail offers contests in certain genres, with things like "invent a new monster." There is a First Line contest where you're given the first line and must use it. There are a number of micro fiction contests on Twitter. Not to mention contests that take other contest or published work (Easy Street's Portal Speculative Fiction Contest, also with very responsive staff). Paper Darts promises a professional judge.
Find one. Try it. The only thing you really have to lose is the opportunity.
That's how I've taken to describing myself in recent requests for bios.
To put it in perspective, it is only March 5th, and I've already entered 3 contests, one of which is a six week long, team competition where we get to spend every weekend plus Mondays writing ourselves both out of our minds and our families' good graces.
Plus, I have a list of contests I would have entered if not for the time spent in the current ones.
How did I get here?
A young, wide eyed MFA graduate, did I mistakenly stumble into the back-alley waters of the internet where someone promised me the high of publication? Was I afraid to pass the link on to a friend, so I just inhaled? Or like all recreational addictions, did I think it would be fun, just a weekend, or "certain company" kind of thing?
For a few years, I only entered one contest annual, but then, of course, I realized that publisher ran other types of contests. So, I tried those, too.
Then, I met other contest users who mentioned even more contests. And then, I joined an official group of people who had come together over a contest, and we shared more contests, and sure a few normal lit mag calls but -- contests!
Junkie metaphor aside, there is a reason--several actually-- I keep coming back to them.
As my students well know, when the sky's the limit, you spend more time on the ground staring up, planning your trip than you do actually going anywhere. (i.e. my students hate when I give broad, vague writing assignments such as "Write whatever you want" because they immediately can't think of anything to write.) However, most contests offer prompts. Many even offer specific prompts.
A focus and a deadline.
It isn't "Meet me anywhere in the universe whenever you might fell like it," like when I'm left to my own devices, but "Get to the second planet from the left farthest-most star by Sunday Midnight, EST."
Okay, then. Blast off!
 |
| Pixabay image. |
Prompts, and deadlines. These are two rather vital things.
I've written rather often about the joy of constraints. I've said it once, and I'll say it a thousand times -- you can't think out of the box if you've never had to escape a box! So, yeah, constraints breed creativity. And deadlines make you get it done. They're not my deadlines that I can push back to infinity. They're someone else's who has no qualm taking my time or money whether I produce or not.
In short, sometimes contests are the only reason I get any new writing done at all.
They also make me push myself. I'm not just writing, wallowing in my usual this or that, but I'm trying to make someone else's idea work or writing for an audience or purpose that colors my writing in surprising and unusual ways, which are just a joy to discover. And there's a pressure to actually impress someone, or at least not embarrass myself. So, I try harder.
And then there is the more immediate audience that comes along with contests.
Friends who can beta a work in progress. Other writers who enter the contest who want to Beta or Omega or whatever -- provided you aren't their direct competition of course. And some contests allow you to share your work with other contestants while you wait for judging. And if you do beta or get beta'd, then you're learning from other writers, too, learning how readers read and how other writers solve problems. An invaluable resource.
Plus other writers means talking shop.
And I can talk shop forever.
One thing about some of these deadlines is that they are compact. Here's a prompt and two days to finish: Go! Forcing yourself from conception to final editorial polish in short bursts of time forces you to recognize and respect all the steps there are in the writing process.
And whatever I end up with at the end of the time frame, it is new, and I worked for it. I feel the work I've put into it.
I just spent this past weekend with 7 other writers creating a completely brand spanking NEW world and a complete edited story to go with it in 72 hours. For anyone who's done world building, you know that first step alone normally takes weeks. And you don't have to agree with anyone else about physics or threats or religion.
I'm proud of that. Having done it.
Plus other writers means talking shop.
And I can talk shop forever.
One thing about some of these deadlines is that they are compact. Here's a prompt and two days to finish: Go! Forcing yourself from conception to final editorial polish in short bursts of time forces you to recognize and respect all the steps there are in the writing process.
And whatever I end up with at the end of the time frame, it is new, and I worked for it. I feel the work I've put into it.
I just spent this past weekend with 7 other writers creating a completely brand spanking NEW world and a complete edited story to go with it in 72 hours. For anyone who's done world building, you know that first step alone normally takes weeks. And you don't have to agree with anyone else about physics or threats or religion.
I'm proud of that. Having done it.
I've also got an awesome team. People I wouldn't have gotten to know and work with and learn from if not for the contest.
When you spend more time writing and more time with writers, you spend more time thinking about writing, more time thinking up ideas, which means more chances to get inspired, and more time thinking about submitting, and then you actually start submitting.
Proof? I went from submitting to just that one contest a year and sending out one occasional, rare extra story to getting published regularly. I did the most contests last year (4 with multiple events spanning 1-3 months, 2-3 with simple prompts), and I had the height of hanging out with writing contest junkie friends; I ended 2107 with 11 publications and one pending, 7 of which came from contest placement (I didn't even get first for most of those), and 2 of which were old contests pieces I cleaned up and submitted to journals. I'm just two months into 2018 and have 4 publications, 2 of which are old contest entries.
Now, some contests are very time demanding and some of them have entrance fees in the double digits... so that can be a hurdle.
For time, plan ahead and get contests on your calendar. Just as you would for any important event in your life. Or if you find yourself with a free weekend, do a quick search. You would be surprised how many contests are 1 weekend only and keep registration open until Friday night.
Yes, it is taking your time. Time you should be writing anyway.
For money, there are also plenty of free contests. And if that's your budget, stick to it. Free doesn't mean low quality in the writing world. Not one bit. If you are concerned, just check out Writer Beware's list of predatory contests and awards: CONTESTS AND AWARDS - SFWA . But, if you have some cash to spare, or rather invest in yourself as a writer, you'll find that many paid contests come with extra perks, such as detailed feedback from judges and access to private writing forums. Or the prizes themselves have monetary value in greater quantities. And no paid contest is wasted money if you give it your best effort, learn something along the way, and get the chance to network or get eyes on your work.
Think of it like a writing class.
There are a ton of potential benefits from writing regularly and participating in contests. Plus, every now and again you place or even get published.
And that's pretty cool, too.
Looking for a dealer? Er, I mean a contest to get you started?
Yeah, Write - Weekly, flash contests, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The people who run these contests are responsive and creative. And if you know how to find them, the community generally participating in them are too. Free. Feedback on all entries. Contests range from 2 days to 1 week to write. Rules about sharing work are detailed and rather strict depending on the contest, so just be sure to read carefully. That's good advice anyway.
NYC Midnight- They offer paid writing contests in Short Story, Screen Play, and Flash Fiction. Each one offers rounds. You progress from round to round until there is a winner. For the Flash Fiction competition (Fall) you actually are guaranteed participation in two rounds. You get judge feedback on all entries, and perhaps even more valuable, access to a private forum reserved for contest participants only. Here, Beta with people not in your heat, discuss writing, the prompts, and once submitted, everyone shares their stories for additional feedback, giving you plenty to read and plenty to learn. The judges reward creativity and thinking outside the box, and if you engage with all it has to offer, it is worth the more costly entry fee of $45. The contest size is really growing these past few years, so there's less chance of moving on, but more people to rub elbows with in the forum.
You win over $1k if you're first, and decreasing amounts from there. You also get other prizes and subscriptions if you make it to the top 10 or so. I have a lovely laptop bag and a Bookbaby gift card for $300 from placing 6th once.) Organizers are not always speedy in their responses, but do respond and tend to be reasonable about tech issues, etc. Most comps offer only 48 hours to write, with prompts released at midnight EST Friday.
Writers Workout - They also offer contests throughout the year. They have both individual and teams. They publish anyone placing in the first 3 spots for each round. Some contests are round based, and some are not. All come with a specific or focused prompt designed to challenge and push your limits and creativity as a writer, and they give you an element you will be scored on most (narration, research? etc). Once you're a little more confident with yourself as a writer, I highly recommend giving the team contest a go. But, both individual and team Writers Games will push you to your limits. All of them are free. But pay attention to detail. Unlike NYC, WW rewards you for sticking to the prompt. They like creativity but they want to see it bloom from being stuck. So if they tell you to put a penguin in your story, they mean a real penguin. (NYC would take a penguin sized parade balloon for instance.) They're also sticklers for formatting and things can get you disqualified. (But try to think of this as all those places that won't read your submission at all because you got the formatting wrong. Even if DQ'd, you still get feedback here.) Your stories also have to remain private -- so NO betas of any kind, and you can't use them for anything until all their competitions for the anthology are done. Their prompts though are amazing. For many, the isolation of individual may not be bearable, but then I'd say give the teams one a try. The organizers are super responsive and easy to ask questions of, usually have a good sense of humor, offer appeals, but they are steadfast in their rules and can sometimes be emotional in concerning disagreements, so speak carefully if you have criticism to offer), and they add you to a private Facebook group where you have access to all current and past participants, motivational prompts, and tips. Most comps offer only 72 hours to write, with a 7pm EST Friday prompt and a Monday 7pm EST deadline. Their prompts are posted publicly, so even if you don't participate directly you can still take advantage of the prompts. Recommended if you prefer to share your work and don't care about competing for publication.
Furious Fiction (updated 2022): This used to be a monthly, free 500 word contest based on a specific prompt with the chance to win 500 AUD. However, they've slipped this down to only 3 -4 times a year. It's still free, still has a prize, and the prompts are the same, it's just less frequent. This is a great contest, because once you sign up once, you always get notified of the next contest and you can enter or not if you like the prompt. They not only share winning stories, but runner ups AND pretty detailed explanations for why each story won or scored highly. While you don't get personalized feedback (because they get so many entries) their Winners posts are full of extremely valuable insights into the judges' minds and advice on writing. They also send out a newsletter year round with great writing advice. 48 hour contest.
There are plenty of others. Molotov Cocktail offers contests in certain genres, with things like "invent a new monster." There is a First Line contest where you're given the first line and must use it. There are a number of micro fiction contests on Twitter. Not to mention contests that take other contest or published work (Easy Street's Portal Speculative Fiction Contest, also with very responsive staff). Paper Darts promises a professional judge.
Find one. Try it. The only thing you really have to lose is the opportunity.
A Contest to Avoid:
Fiction War: This contest started out strong with excellent prompts for flash fiction. Seasonal contests. Publishing the first 15 placing stories. No rules against betas, but no direct access to other contestants, either. Then, they started to fall apart. They got really slow on the editorial end of things. (I had a story that placed for 2017 Summer and was told I wouldn't hear anything for awhile still because they just published 2016 Winter. (this was in 2018 that I had this update.) Then, they made some serious content based edits to a winner's story that she disapproved of, and still published it that way despite her protests and not signing off on the changes. They then added a note to their editorial letter to winners that if you don't like their changes you can pull your story. No negotiation. So, black mark there. But it got worse. While they do offer Prize money, it's a paid entry. And a lot of contestant waiting on those later editions never got paid. Since originally writing this post, Fiction War went on to commit so many atrocities against authors that I pulled a winning story from publication (and payment) in protest. They have not paid a number of winners, ghosted and did not publish grand prize winners, looked down their nose at writers' and their story intentions in some pretty nasty follow up emails, and after saying the issues were because they were short staffed, refused offered help from professionals who wanted to help make things right. They have been pulled from reputable submission sites and services, and flagged by Writer Beware. Avoid this competition at all costs.
Fiction War: This contest started out strong with excellent prompts for flash fiction. Seasonal contests. Publishing the first 15 placing stories. No rules against betas, but no direct access to other contestants, either. Then, they started to fall apart. They got really slow on the editorial end of things. (I had a story that placed for 2017 Summer and was told I wouldn't hear anything for awhile still because they just published 2016 Winter. (this was in 2018 that I had this update.) Then, they made some serious content based edits to a winner's story that she disapproved of, and still published it that way despite her protests and not signing off on the changes. They then added a note to their editorial letter to winners that if you don't like their changes you can pull your story. No negotiation. So, black mark there. But it got worse. While they do offer Prize money, it's a paid entry. And a lot of contestant waiting on those later editions never got paid. Since originally writing this post, Fiction War went on to commit so many atrocities against authors that I pulled a winning story from publication (and payment) in protest. They have not paid a number of winners, ghosted and did not publish grand prize winners, looked down their nose at writers' and their story intentions in some pretty nasty follow up emails, and after saying the issues were because they were short staffed, refused offered help from professionals who wanted to help make things right. They have been pulled from reputable submission sites and services, and flagged by Writer Beware. Avoid this competition at all costs.
Comments
Post a Comment