  Contests & Activities
This week: Edited by: Diane  
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Welcome to this edition of the Contests and Activities newsletter. Each edition highlights contests and activities open to members of Writing.Com.
~ ~ Diane ~~
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Choosing a Contest
I linked a poll, "Choosing a Contest" in the last newsletter and received a variety of responses to the "Other Reason" category. Since I also received thanks from many for sharing reasons why people enter one contest over another, I thought I'd share these responses with the readers of the Contests & Activities Newsletter.
One reason given by alicengoreland was "I look at the prompt first. If I like the prompt, I can find a couple of stories to tell and find the one I think is the strongest." So it sounds like Alice might be motivated by interest in the prompt as well as the potential of creating a winning story.
appolloslady says, "I put 'Other' and here's why. I'm looking for contests that I have time for and that fit into my life. So while Genre is rather important, so is flexability but it also needs to challenge me and motivate me!" Motivation is important, but she also touches on an important fact of time availability. Most of us on the site are not able to exclusively write for contests on the site, so fitting it into our daily life is important. It's also important to consider this when creating a contest. If you set a deadline of a day or week, rather than the typical month, chances are that you won't get as many entries, or if you do, they won't be as polished. I usually give a new prompt each month, which allows for entrants to think of a response and have some time to review it for grammar/spelling and plot inconsistancies.
On the other hand, Fish*sWife - I'm Baaaaack! is looking for inspiration with less of a focus on time limit. She replied, "The thing that I look at is deadline. I like shorter contests because it forces me to start writing and get a good story out in a minimal amount of time. That's what I love about a lot of the Flash Fiction contests. Writer's Cramp, Daily Flash Fiction, those ones are great. More contests like that with different genres would rock, and I'm sure there are some out there, I just have to find them."
Many others responded that it is a combination of genre, prompt, and clear guidelines that steer them toward a contest. Prizes, while important, don't seem to be as important to the entrants as I would have thought. Instead, I received many responses that indicated inspiration for a story that might be publishable was a priority. Goofy prompts are fun, but something that made the writer think and resulted in a work that made the reader become involved emotionally in some way was desireable. I know I hadn't considered this in my contests. I think inspiration for a good story can come from anywhere, but certainly something that would inspire a work that appeals to a wider audience would be welcome.
I thank everyone that responded and hope that the results are helpful to contest creators on Writing.Com.
Until Next Time,
Diane
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The editors work hard to make sure the newsletters are informative and enjoyable. We appreciate your responses.
Since I discussed my feedback above, I'll leave you with a question.
What is the best contest you've entered on the site and what made it the best in your opinion? |
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Contests & Activities: May 23, 2007 Issue [#1734]
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