Contests & Activities
This week: Long Running Contests Edited by: NaNoNette More Newsletters By This Editor
1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
There was a day, last week or nearly a decade ago, that you typed "writing" into your search engine. You wanted to show off some of your poems, short stories, or maybe even get feedback for a whole novel. You found Writing.com.
On this site you found all that you had searched for: Portfolio space, helpful reviewers, encouraging groups, style and grammar lessons from peers. But nothing had prepared you for the amazing bounty of: Contests & Activities |
ASIN: 0997970618 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 14.99
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In my last newsletter, I wrote about the abundance of activity on writing.com. Every day, every hour, and probably every minute, a new activity, a new contest, or a new challenge to our creativity is started up or dreamed up for and by the members. Today, I want to highlight contests that have been around for quite some time. Some are venerable contests with six digit item numbers! They don't make them like that anymore.
Entering into a contest, and allowing others to measure your skill against that of other writers is a tough thing to do. It takes bravery to put a story out there for the whole world to see, and see it measured against other writers' skills. Remembering a few things before entering into a contest greatly helps with the chances of placing or winning.
Read. The. Rules.
Every contest has different rules. Take the time to make yourself familiar with them.
If one of the rules is not clear to you, send the host an email.
Contest hosts are usually very accommodating and happy to explain their rules so you can follow them.
Never ask a contest host to change a rule for you.
The rules of every contest are there to create a level playing field. If you don't agree with the rules of a contest, you should not enter into it.
Try to get at least one person who has a knack for proofreading to look over your piece before you submit it to the contest.
Never just send off a first draft and think that the judge will make it their job to figure out how to read through a text that has awkward sentence structures and is riddled with typos. Usually, one or two mistakes will not hurt your chances at placing, but the amount of care you put into your story, the revisions and edits are well worth the effort. It shows in the final piece, and enhances your chance at placing, or at least to get an honorable mention.
Be a good sport.
If you didn't win, send the winners a congratulatory email or cnote. If you got a review that helped you to improve your writing, let the judge know.
Please take a look at the line up of contests that have stood the test of time. I have to say right away, that I could think of many more contests to list here, which have been around for a long time and should be on this list. To keep it manageable, I stopped writing down more once I had this many. If you know of a long lived contest (more than one year running and active), post it at the bottom with a message and I will feature it in my next newsletter.
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A contest which happens only once a year.
Write for the season in this contest that comes around four times a year. Opens next on June 21.
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Try your hand at this bi-monthly picture prompt based WdC contest.
For anything else, there is a contest too. Get ribbons for your best poll, c-note shop, auction, in & out, or other activity.
Pay a visit to these monthly contests for a wide variety of inspiration to get you writing.
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Want to have a reason to write more often? How about once each week?
For the writer who needs daily creative release, check out these contests that give you a prompt and only 24 hours to write for it.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
ASIN: B07P4NVL51 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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Amazon's Price: Price N/A
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Let me know of your long lived contest.
Thank you to all who wrote me a comment to my newsletter from May 5th.
JACE says: Well, I don't know about a system--but this idea is easy to do at home and probably as close to perpetual motion as the common man will get. Strap a piece of bread with peanut butter on the face to the back of a cat ... and drop them off the roof.
Great newsletter, Giselle.
A cat joke, I love cat jokes. Thank you for the fun. But the roof???
Jeff says: Awesome NL this week, NaNoNette ! WDC really is a nonstop, one-stop shop for everything you could ever want to do with your writing or reading. Thanks for reminding us of one of the things that makes this site so great.
Thank you for the kind comment.
NFR says: Very nice newsletter. I especially enjoyed reading the Letter to the Editor. It's SO true, but we members already know that, don't we?! Thanks to the author!
I am glad you liked the letter. |
ASIN: 0996254145 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
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