  Contests & Activities
This week: Prompt-Based or Prompt-Less? Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week!
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Prompt or Not?
This newsletter is inspired by feedback on my last newsletter! (If readers have any topics they'd like to see explored in a future newsletter, please submit it using the feedback field at the end of this newsletter!)
Do you prefer prompt-based contests or prompt-less contests? As a judge as well as a participant?
They each have their strengths and weaknesses, I believe.
 Prompts can inspire creativity. When you're feeling stuck, in the grips of the dreaded "Writer's Block," a prompt can spark some inspiration in your mind and get you back on track.
 As a judge, it can start to feel like you're reading the same theme over and over. The first thing that comes to mind to one writer may also be the same thing that comes to mind to many other writers, too.
Using a prompt can help steer writers toward something you'll enjoy reading as a judge. Particularly, using a genre as a prompt can ensure that you'll get entries that are suited to your interests and tastes. (It may also be helpful to list any genres that are outside your tastes, too. For instance, if you don't enjoy reading about certain topics, like violence or death, you may want to let your participants know about that in your rules!)
If you're an "outside the box" type of writer, you may find it difficult to find acceptance in prompt-based contests. Some judges like when you twist the prompt to your own style and interests, but some don't. You may not find inspiration as easily from prompt-based contests, too, as the topics that are often presented may not suit your writing.
As a judge, I did like to see creative interpretations to my prompts. I liked to see how different writers could write about the same idea. I loved when writers could make me see a new perspective on an idea or topic!
Also as a judge, sometimes I couldn't see the connection to the prompt. Then came the decision to either contact the writer to ask how their entry related to the prompt and/or the decision to disqualify. I'm fairly certain that very few judges like to disqualify contest entries!
I've always felt there was about an equal amount of negatives and positives to prompt-based contests. Like anything, they have their place. They can often be an inspiration to great writing! What are your thoughts? Please let me know by replying to this newsletter or filling out the feedback box below! And don't forget to submit an item of your own so it can be featured in a future newsletter!
As always, keep on writing!
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My last newsletter, ("Contests & Activities Newsletter (March 18, 2015)" ), discussed polishing your entries.
Great advice for WdC members entering contests, Spidey. 
Everyone can make mistakes and may not be able to see the shortcoming of a piece as well as another objective eye, in which case, asking for help is a remedy. ~ Joy 
Thanks, and I couldn't agree more! 
I like to think of entering contests as a practice for submitting for publication.
I know I speak up more when I disagree with a point. In this case this statement matches my contest philosophy. It's actually one of the big reasons I do not have prompts for my contests. I want potential entrants to actively reflect and revise their work when entering a contest I host, and I feel that's easier with something that's previously written (as long as it meets the word/concept requirements). Sometimes I wonder if the abundance of prompt contests takes away from that focus to make a piece really shine. On the other hand, I've seen entries in my contest that started their life in a prompted contest that ended up winning. While I'd really like to see more prompt-free contests that encourage people to write what's actually on their minds, I'll meet the community halfway and say that prompt-free contests contests are a great way to polish/revive writings created for other contests. ~ Elisa: Snowman Stik 
I tend to agree with that viewpoint, and I do think that prompt-less contests can often garner "better" writing, for lack of a better word. At least from a judge's perspective, I can't help but feel like prompt-based entries are more contrived and perhaps feel a little less authentic and personal (It can start to feel like you're reading the same theme over and over). Of course, it's a great writer who can take a prompt and really make it their own! Or take a piece that is based on a prompt and edit to make it their own.
Questions to think about:
Do you prefer a prompt? Why or why not? (From both perspectives: As a judge and as a participant) |
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Contests & Activities: April 15, 2015 Issue [#6933]
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