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Submitting Pieces for Competition
Hi all,
So I think I've only posted once before, but I am fairly new to writing. I have been writing since I was a child but stopped for a few years then rediscovered my passion for it this year after joining a writing class.
Well the class is now over; and I have been writing non-stop since it finished. Working on small pieces of fiction while working on one very long piece that I hope will become a novel.
For practise, and story ideas, I have been reading submission guides for comps, writing stories, and if I think its good enough I've been submitting them. Its not to win or for the prizes, but for feedback, for the publishing opportunity and for practise as my writing will only improve if I keep writing.
Has anyone else done it this way and gotten some decent results for themselves, or found that their writing has improved? I'm trying to write as much as possible; it's a dream of mine to be published in some form and not just online which is another reason I'm trying so hard and I intend to enrol in a follow on course in October. Would anyone else have any other ideas or experiences they could share?
Thanks
Caroline
Comments
A published writer said, it's hard to be a small fish in a big pond with bigger fish, so start in a smaller pond and when you're big enough (have more experience, successes basically) then move up into the big pond where you won't have such a struggle.
You could start here with the One Word Challenge competition on here each month. Quite a few writers have gone on to get these short stories published by rewriting, or developing them to a longer length.
And I was doing some stuff on wordpress but then someone one another forum said that using wordpress for my work, no matter how short was a bad idea because if its published online, then no-one else would want it.
The 'big' prestigious ones will have thousands of entries and your chances of doing well are much smaller than with a smaller comp.
Erewash Writers (run by our very own dora) does a variety of comps including ones for new writers. http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/
The trouble with entering comps for feedback is that you will only know how far your story got in the comp, not why. And the majority of stories won't get a mention. So it has some uses but may not help that much to begin with. Some comps offer paid-for critiques as part of the comp and that might be more useful, but can be expensive.
And your friend is right about publishing work online in any form - for most comps/magazines that will then be ineligible for entry/publication.
I went to several courses with him - and have never seen another children's writing poet course ever! What luck!
I've since done an MA in writing for children. To pass an MA you have to be writing at publishing standard.
So i would say that along with writing, learning still and forever is crucial, and it sounds like you know that.
So my advice is - see if there is a course in your area by someone in the industry writing NOW. You learn a lot more. And get contacts.
The writing competitions in WM are very good. If you are a subscriber I think some are free. (Maybe all?)
Any competition is good for practising writing and keeps you going, but if it was me I'd be aiming as high as possible, reading as high as possible, because I think that's the way you get good.
I'd recommend concentrating on competitions where you can read previous winning entries, either online or by buying their anthology. This will give you an insight into the kind of story they tend to go for, and if you're honest with yourself you can decide whether or not you are writing at that level. Of course, nothing is guaranteed - I've been entering the Bristol Prize competition for the last eight years with exactly that approach and I'm yet to even reach the longlist!
Don't be afraid to submit to writing journals, too, although the same advice about getting to know them before submitting applies. Quite often you will get an impersonal "No thanks" as a rejection, but some editors will take a moment to give some feedback and this can be equal to or better than the advice you might pay for from a competition that offers a critique. In my experience competition critiques are often tick-sheets that might focus your efforts on a particular area (e.g. dialogue or the way you begin your story), but don't offer any in-depth guidance.
A follow-on course is a good idea, and also look out for workshops near you (perhaps as part of a local literary festival). These can range from a few hours to a couple of days and the prices vary wildly. You don't get the kind of immersion you get with a longer course, but even if you just pick up one or two gems or a new way of approaching a specific aspect of your writing it will be worth it.
Good luck!
I've entered one or two other competitions but I was lucky to win this one after finally deciding to take my writing seriously.
The only advice I can give from my limited experience is to find small competitions as you are more likely to get listed I think rather than say Bridport prize that may have a lot of entries.
Also if it's a theme try and find a different angle. I had this advice from somewhere: mindmap the theme to come up with various ideas. Write anything and everything down.
Practice makes perfect and like you said it's not so much about winning. For me it's about actually finishing something! I since joined the writers' group that was running the competition and I've finished another piece for a internal, no prize, competition. I won a voucher for a writing course but I'm not doing it yet.
I did a writing course years ago (I keep forgetting) but it didn't help. Futurelearn have a free course which was more helpful than the course I paid for. This is because my tutor never really told me if my work was any good and gave me the impression that it wasn't.
I submitted to Writers' Forum (ages ago I've now rewritten the story again) and got good feedback, ( nothing from Writing Magazine).
Just keep going. I'm hoping my success wasn't a one-off.
On my blog I regularly post links to free to enter writing competitions. Obviously these can attract a lot of entries if there's a decent prize but you don't lose anything by having a try and might find the experience worthwhile in some way. http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk
Here's an article I wrote on the subject. http://www.kishboo.co.uk/issue_2/article_7.php
http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/2015-summer-loving-themed-short-story-competition-with-andrew-campbell-kearsey.html
It's free entry and you can experiment with trying to write to a theme.
Or there's this one, which is £3.00 per entry/£2.50 for multiples
http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/2015-open-short-story-
competition-with-simon-whaley.html
Erewash Writers' Group also hold a New Writer comp. All entrants can opt to receive a free critique. Here is details of the 2015 comp. Their 2016 New Writer comp closes in June 2016 (details yet to be announced)
http://erewashwriterscompetition.weebly.com/2015-new-writer-comp.html
Good luck with your writing.
I am going to try to keep learning as I go; there is a follow on course for the CW course I did earlier this year which is open for enrolment from August (I intend to sign up even though my baby is due in November lol).
Sorry, its funny someone should mention Future Learn as I am signed up to that too
I have subscribed to two magazines, I have been reading and writing consistently, I have the Writers and Artists Handbook 2016 that I am going to really comb through. I think I am about as committed as I can be with a small family and apart time job. I guess I just need to keep writing and submitting and hopefully something comes out of it.
Thanks everyone for the advice, I will go look at the one word challenge.
Are there any decent horror themed magazines around? I've been googling but can only find sci-fi and fanfic type things....
Thanks everyone
Caroline
I really admire your drive and persistence and wish I could sustain mine and not get let down by my worries that my writing is terrible.
Let us know how your writing is getting on. I like to write horror too. If I find any other markets I'll let you know.
I have a problem with rewriting and get put off. Maybe I'll get over it. Maybe I just need a big kick.