 Contests & Activities: May 23, 2012 Issue [#5064] |
  Contests & Activities
This week: An Apex Entrant Edited by: Leger~  
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The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.
This week's Contests and Activities Editor
Leger~ |
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An Apex Entrant
How can you become an Apex Entrant? An apex is the point of the pyramid, the top of the food chain or the alpha in the pack. How do you become one? Use everything you have to your advantage. Some contests have a lot of competition. A host offers great prizes and you have a great idea for an entry. But how do you reach for the winners trophy? Start at the bottom of your pyramid. At the bottom, there should be a block of time. Anything rushed is a job half-done. Add focus to the base, you need to focus on writing the best entry you can. Read all the instructions carefully and make sure you understand them. The only silly question is the one unasked. Now get busy writing.
The next level of the pyramid should be details. Are you using the full word count to flesh out your stories and make your characters pop? Is your formatting neat and easy to read? (Have mercy on those judges and don't use crazy, light-colored font.) Do you jump right into action in the story or plod along with some mundane narrative? Does the ending work or just drop off at the end of the word count? Use your red pen and edit carefully. Are the early entries competitive? Make sure you take time and have your work shine. If you have a few more days until the deadline, ask a peer to take a look. Sometimes the simplest error can be overlooked.
You're nearly there. Now, how to get your entry sifted to the top. Who is the judge or judges? Will your story appeal to them? Judges are human and sometimes it's hard to be impartial if you love puppies and one just "got sent to the farm" in the story. Does the judge love teddy bears? Hey! Don't be obvious! But if the little girl in the story is clutching a teddy bear, make sure it's a really cute one. Not fair, you say! Really...if you were submitting a story to a hunting magazine and know they favor white tail deer articles, wouldn't you write one with that in mind?
You've reached the top. Are you standing in the apex? Is your entry perfect? Do you believe it is a winner? Positive thoughts can carry weight when you are trying to write the best entry and be a great contestant. Even if you don't win, did you go back to the forum and congratulate the winners? Did you thank the contest host? If you had time, did you review the other entries? Contests that have repeating rounds love to see "regulars". They get to know you and your writing and understand when you've sent in a really stellar piece. Hopefully, if they think it's publishable, they'll encourage you to do so. Sometimes it is that little nudge that gives you the courage to send it out.
Check out the "Writing Contests @ Writing.Com" at Writing.com and become an Apex Entrant. Write on!
This month's question: What do you do with your entry to make sure it is on the top of the slush pile?
Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback! |
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I have chosen three from the last part of the controversial exhibit: Death. Your task is to use one or all of these paintings as inspiration for your short story entry.
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Gift points will help support "Anniversary Reviews" .
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Write a story in which your main character loses someone/something they love.
Here's the hard part - your story must be 300 words or fewer.
Try this poll!
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This is a weekly writing contest for short stories, articles or essays on any subject, any genre, fiction or non-fiction, as long as it's rated 13+ or less. There are NO PROMPTS and NO SPECIAL WORDS.
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Please put Alice, her shop and her cat in your story.
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May Prompt: Write a poem that involves anything about water (sea animals, giving a dog a bath, the beauty of the ocean . . . etc.)
Remember that you still need this to be all-dialogue and that it needs to be a story, with a plot, not a vignette.
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This month's question: What do you do with your entry to make sure it is on the top of the slush pile?
Last month's question: Tell me your good and bad experiences in activites - and what have you learned?
Humming Bird  responds: Well, I mainly participate in raffles and auctions for the fun, and the opportunity to support others. People hosting other activities have taught me to be a better host myself.
How true!
Mara ♣ McBain  sends: I've met some really good friends through activities and interacted with members that I wouldn't pf otherwise or ones that I was intimidated by. My good outweighs the bad. BUT ..I've been involved in an activity where the owner disappeared from WDC for a while without a word. When she returned the activity disappeared as well and not a word was said about it. Running an auction I've had someone not follow through on their responsibilities. I've seen the same person do the same thing elsewhere. I am cautious of the raffles I buy into and there are those that I won't bid on in an auction because their past history says they're not to be trusted. You live and you learn and sometimes you get burned. 
It's often a gamble, but we hope members of WDC are trustworthy and uphold their offerings. Communication is key.
blunderbuss answers: I haven't really had any 'bad' experiences - or at least, I don't know about gps not being used correctly for prizes - referring to what you warn about in the newsletter. My only big disappointment was entering one poetry contest on 2 separate occasions and, although I did not win anything (I don't expect to), I did think I might get an e-mail with just a brief acknowledgement for entering that contest. I have entered a lot of contests - in quite a flurry of late - and all the others acknowledge and some even do a review as well; I mean even if you don't win anything.
It's hard on both sides of the coin regarding reviews. A contest host doesn't always have time to review numerous entries, but if the contest promises one, contact the host regarding the review. Sometimes items slip off the list! If a review isn't promised, perhaps reviewing other entrants will gain some reviews for your item.
Steve adding writing to ntbk.  writes: Good experience is I have a C-Note shop from winning one in an auction. Bad experiences is I've had two prizes won never fulfilled. The one I understand but the other was a surprise to me. I've learned to be aware of the actions/raffles I participate in and avoid the one's I know do not fulfill their package promises.
Sometimes package fulfilment gets lost in the shuffle. Be sure to contact the person offering the auction package and see if something can be worked out.
dblameck (David) says: Writing contests are a great way to break in to the idea of writing under requirements. a prompt, a time period are all out in the world for writers. Things like the 55 word challenge and the daily contests build us as writers. My problem is limiting the number of contests I enter so I have time to make each entry worth while. I usually have entries in four or five monthlys and two weeklys.
It's best to limit yourself to fewer entries but better quality. It will improve your writing. |
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