Writing Contests

I used to be really high on writing contests. I entered them several times a year. That was five years ago. Since then, I've cut back on entering, even though I won or placed in several. I found I didn't have time to prepare fresh material for each one. I don't like to submit the same material over and over in hopes new judges will love my work.

I still get lots of requests to enter all the time. I dug deeply into several and was surprised at how much each one cost. With the cash prizes very low, I realized many small contests fund their prizes through entry fees. And others use the fees to build their coffers. But when commercial enterprises, read mainly publishing magazines, offer "great" contests and prizes if you pay dearly to get your material read by a judge, well, count me out.

I reduced my participation to three contests a year. I like the groups and think they do good work outside of the contests. Imagine my surprise when one contest chair called me over Labor Day to tell me she just found my 2012 entry.

Just found my entry? I'd all but forgotten I submitted anything, but a check of my records revealed I had indeed submitted three entries. She apologized profusely for losing my entry. Seems she put it aside, had several emergencies and forgot about it.

We ended our call with both of us laughing. Stuff happens. She had the decency to call to apologize. I promised to submit entries again next year. Maybe the same ones. Maybe not. We'll see.

Well, phooey! Those entries were all winners. Better luck next year.

Golden Nib Winners

Last night Valley Writers, a chapter of the Virginia Writers club, handed out its chapter-level Golden Nib awards.

What's the Golden Nib? It's a writing award from the Virginia Writers Club. Three categories are poetry, non-fiction and fiction. First place winners go to the state contest and compete against winners from other chapters. The winning titles have been left out on purpose. This is a blind-entry contest, so only the winner's name can be posted.

And the winners are:

Poetry:
First Place: Esther Johnson
Second Place: Betsy Ashton for "Friend Surfin'"
Third Place: Wayne White for "Appalachian Senses"

Fiction:
First Place: Wayne White
Second Place: Esther Johnson for "Midge Rides the Green Tortise"
Third Place: Charmaine Davis for "Dance with Dandelions"

Non-Fiction:
First Place: Donna Knox
Second Place: Wayne White for "Where Have All the Commas Gone?"
Third Place: Esther Johnson for "Letting Go of Mom in Thailand"

Congratulations to all the winners, especially to our multiple winners. A huge round of applause to Barbara Stout who volunteered to be the coordinator before she knew what a huge task it was.

On to State.

Another rejection

Yes, another rejection. But not from a query letter this time.

I entered a short story in the Sherwood Anderson contest for grins and giggles. It didn't win, but I did receive a very nice letter from the Bland Library, which puts on the contest. Snail mail, blue ink signature.

Time to send out a query letter to replace the rejection. Must keep at least six in queue at all times.

Entering writing contests and waiting

Okay, today was filled with sending out essays, a short story and a poem to various contests. I felt like I was sitting still and my work was flying out to all parts of the U.S. by e- and snail-mail. I had put off several entries and realized that deadlines were approaching. In other cases, I entered early so that I didn't have to remember to check the dates.

And now once again, I wait.

In the meantime, I sent an essay to a glossy magazine to see if it would buy my work. Ditto with a poem to a different glossy.

And now, I wait.

Again in the meantime, query letters go forth to agents for Mad Max 1.

And I wait. And I wait. And I wait.

Sigh.

Spring Contests

'tis the season for several contests.

One is me against the oak pollen. Or, more precisely, the oak pollen against me. The oak pollen is winning. I relearned a lesson the hard way yesterday. My Velcro kitty, Nikki, wants to cuddle. She had been outside all day leaving roll-marks in the pollen on the driveway and deck. She hopped up in my lap, gave me a head butt, snuzzled a t-shirt, and jumped down, leaving yellow gunk all over me. Sneezing fit lasted 20 minutes. Maybe I won't cuddle with her for a while. Even brushing the gunk out of her no-longer-white-but-now-dingy-yellow fur brings on itchy eyes and ears, plus a fair number of explosive sneezes. Better check the tissue supply. Or use an old bed sheet.

The next set of contests are writing contests. They seem to sprout along with the dandelions.

I worked hard over the past several weeks on a short story, a poem (more as a joke, because I am really not a poet), and a personal essay. Each is targeted at specific contests. The short story already placed third in the Virginia Writers Club "Inside the Back Cover" contest (see blog entry below). I have entered it in another regional contest and am seriously considering entering a national contest.

The poem? Actually, four haiku. More of a joke because a coordinator of a contest was complaining that she had very few entries. I sent one so that she'd at least have a wee bit of content. And then I decided it too could go to a regional contest.

As for the personal essay, definitely targeted for the regional contest.

We'll see what happens. Inspiration comes between sneezes, but at least it comes.

A Contest Win

I have to brag on myself. I won third place in the annual "Inside the Back Cover" fiction contest sponsored by the Virginia Writers Club for my short, short story TOAD. I am very pleased and not the least surprised. My thanks to the judges for selecting me.