Or 'it's not the winning but the taking part.' How many times have you heard these expressions? This week I've been trying to keep both sayings in mind when I've been editing some competition entries. My Writing Magazine arrived this week along with a Competition Special 20125 supplement listing hundreds of competitions. There are competitions for all genres of writing from short stories, poetry, flash fiction, novels and articles with closing dates right through to the end of May next year.
There's so much choice so which ones do I choose? At the moment I am limiting myself to submitting short stories and flash fiction. I like writing poetry and have sent a couple of poems to Poem Pigeon but I need to hone my poetry writing skills before submitting to bigger competitions! My novel is in its embryonic stage, so-to-speak, so the novel competitions are out too. As a relatively new writer, I try to enter the smaller competitions, perhaps run by writing groups rather than the well-established organisations. The prizes tend to be much smaller as are the entrance fees and that makes me think that established or published authors will not be entering. I have also been told that the themed competitions tend to attract fewer writers whereas in the 'open' competitions, you may have a story already written that you could submit. In her blog, 'Words about writing and writing about words', Patsy Collins regularly includes information about competitions that are free to enter.
Why enter? Jonathan Telfer, the editor of Writing Magazine, has made some good points. He thinks that competitions can be:
- a 'valuable motivational tool' when competitors are asked to meet the challenge of a 'tough brief'
- a way of 'taking a break from our current work-in-progress' and 'trying new topics and themes'
- invaluable in raising your profile as a writer.
In the main edition of Writing Magazine October 2014 there is more advice in Gary Dalkin's article 'Hope and Glory' on page 12. He, too, explores the benefits - other than winning - of entering writing competitions.
'The advantage of targeting competitions is what it will bring to your writing, developing your craft in new ways. This is the real prize. Of course it will have the spin-off of making you more disciplined and dead-line focused...Along the way you may find you are more versatile than you ever imagined. You may find you thought of yourself as one kind of writer and discovered that you are actually several sorts of writers all in one...Even if you don't win you can't lose.'
It's that last short sentence that's going to stay with me as I pay the entrance fees - only the small ones, of course! - and submit my entries.
Which competitions do you enter? What benefits are there? Have you won any? I'd really like to hear what you think.
Thank you for reading my blog. You may follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.
PS Hot off the press - Congratulations to Susan Jones for making the short list of the RNA new talent awards. Good luck, Sue!
PPS Don't forget about the excellent opportunities offered in Alfie Dog Fiction's International Short Story Competition. Closing date 30th September.
Hi Jan, and thanks for the mention. I was going to say, but you beat me to it:)) I've been entering competitions for a while, and it is good practice. There's a good one at Kishboo. You can find it from twitter or facebook. Only thing is that from ten stories, the winner will be the one with most comments. So, the person with most followers will win I presume. I love our writing magazine as well. Always makes you feel like getting the pens and notebooks out doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Sue. I'll look up the Kishboo competition and I agree with what you say about Writing Magazine. There's always something in there to inspire us. :-)
DeleteThanks for mentioning me too!
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm quite keen on competitions. Winning one is how I got my first novel published and I've had lots of nice prizes - and all from free entry competitions.
That's great to hear, Patsy - well done, especially for getting the novel published in a competition. In the past, any people who'd won writing competitions were unknown to me but since I've been following writers on Twitter and on their author Facebook pages, it's surprising how often I see names I recognise. It's silly, I know, but I excited on their behalf if they've made a short list or been placed!
DeleteYou have mentioned a number of really good reasons to enter competitions Jan - I am in the same mind as you in relation to looking for those that are not so big (plus also looking for free ones!) I entered my novel into one competition but as yet have never entered any short stories.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got the Competition Special I did go through circling ones that looked good - but will I get around to entering any? Who knows! I like Patsy's comment about how winning a competition got her novel published - there's an incentive! Let us know if you enter any :)
Good luck in the novel competition, Samantha. Perhaps you will be like Patsy and get your novel published through winning. :-)
DeleteI did a blog post recently, Jan, on a similar subject, following up on an article in Writing Magazine about what winners had done since their win. You might be interested in reading it. A comp win was what got me started, anyway! :-)http://engagewritebrain.blogspot.co.uk/2014_08_01_archive.html
ReplyDeleteI've just been across to read your blog post, Wendy. What a great idea to follow up on those competition winners! I think you've confirmed how much of a boost a competition win can do to a writer's confidence. I shall follow your blog now and have added it to my list. Thanks for commenting. :-)
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