  Contests & Activities
This week: Contests - They Aren't About Winning. Edited by: esprit  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter! From contests to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com
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Contests - They Aren't About Winning the Prize.
You know those members who get on your nerves by consistently winning over and over? Do you give up as soon as you see their names on the list?
How did they get to be so good; were they born with talent? Do you think they won their first contests? Uh huh - they practiced with every contest they entered. Win or lose, they kept writing.
As I browse the forums, I see questions from writers on how to begin their novel. They're stuck with no ideas or the first line just won't come. My suggestion is, don't try to write a novel. Don't even think novel. Think scene. Short scene. Short story. Flash fiction.
Take advantage of the prompted contests. The Poetry Slams. Fifty and hundred word contests. They are there for exactly this purpose. To get the imagination going. They teach deadlines and how to stick to a word count. Prompts are used to help with ideas. Everything is laid out for you, all you have to do is write the story or poem. So what if you don't win first prize? It isn't only about winning, it's about learning and practicing the craft of writing.
- We are firm believers that far too many writers dwell so much on the grammatical portion of their writing, they stop the creative juices from spilling out of their fingers. A good writer does not stop to correct mistakes along the way. A good writer WRITES until they have extracted every bit of juice from their creative selves. Only then, does a good writer stop to edit.
 Those of you who need ideas will find contests wonderful in loosening your imagination, and your fingers really will be on fire. Some contests even give you the first line. Exactly what some have trouble with. A good first line will open your imagination to all sorts of possibilities.
- We write because we love words. And sometimes we use more of them than we need! If you're looking for a contest that challenges you to "cut the fat" in your stories, you've come to the right place!
I tried to choose contests that shows the wide variety available. Whatever you need practice in, I imagine the right contest can be found.
- Ever tried to write a poem or short story from an animals point of view? The point of this competition is to try and step into the shoes of an animal. This is the perfect contest for those needing practice in writing for children.
- This contest is dedicated to spreading the craft of writing historical fiction and nonfiction. As of April 2009, there will not be a prompt, or any other requirement, other than an obvious link to History.
- After months of thought, I felt led to design a weekly challenge. The primary goal is to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ through our writing efforts. The secondary hope is that others will be encouraged and uplifted as they read the offerings found here, that within an unsteady world, stability can be found and contentment realized. And lastly, it is here to allow WDC members to enter "positive" Christian themed items for some friendly competion.
- Each of my three contests have one thing in common-they are aimed at excellence in poetry. Two of these are exclusively meant for poetry written in rhyme and meter. The present contest is confined to ghazals and Shakespearean sonnets.
- Entries must be written from the point of view of your opposite gender. i.e. If you are female, you must write from a masculine point of view, and if you are male, you must write from a feminine point of view. Each month will also have an assigned "person" to write in. eg. (first month = first person) (second month = second person) (third month = 3d person) After that we'll see what worked well and may or may not drop this requirement.
- Only Writing.Com members 17 and under may enter. This is an easy way to fill your portfolio with writing, practice reviewing, and earn GPs. The challenge will include the required prompt and item type. The item type will be one of the following, at the discretion of the judge: Short Story, Poem/Lyrics, Essay, Journal, Review.
- With all the tragedy in the world today we could all use an extra smile, right? Welcome to the "Make Me Laugh" contest, but I don't want just any old stuff--no knock-knock or dumb blonde jokes here. I want the real deal, people! I want good old-fashioned comedy. Make me laugh!
Don't enter a contest with winning topmost in your mind. Read the other entries and notice the variety of ways a prompt can go. Your imagination is growing and needs this exercise. Someday you'll win and you'll be excited and proud, but you won't be finished. Keep practicing!
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Contests & Activities: May 27, 2009 Issue [#3055]
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