Do you compete in writing competitions? There are so many out there for writers. They can vary from genre, age group to paid or free. You can find them from organizations like the ones I am part of such as the SCWBI and NCWN and also in magazines such as Writer’s Digest.
It is a great way to showcase your skill to the judges. There are usually thousands of people who compete and whether you win or not it’s a good way to get you to write. I have done quite a few competitions, still looking for my first placing, and each time I am hopeful that this is the time that I will win. There are times the winners are published for all to read and I am blown away and understand why this writer won.
But before you say, “Wait just a minute Sharon. I can’t afford the entry fee” I am of the frugal sort. I will do the competitions that are free which are out there you just have to look. It could be as simple as a competition from the local paper, one that your Art Council promotes or even as easy as writing a jingle for a product off the radio. There is no harm in starting small. Bottom line it is getting you to think and getting words down.
A few of my competition pieces have been extended into fuller stories to which gets a life of its own which has been a plus.
I will keep trying who knows maybe one day I can post here that I won.
Do you ever read your stories out loud? Or as some people have suggested do you read them backward? The purpose of these exercises is to catch any errors or inconsistencies that you might have not noticed when you read it with your eyes. Granted I did scoff when I first learned of these tips.
It is easy to read our own work and miss some small and big items that need to be addressed. Yet when we read other works from writers we seem to be able to pick an error as small as a pin in a haystack.
We get so use to our stories, working on it, revising, editing and adding to it that it becomes like a second skin to us and errors just blend into the background. We can’t always spot the mistakes as readily if at all.
Hence why it is suggested we read our works out loud or backwards to find what we first missed. If one is not used to doing these methods it can be a bit awkward but you soon get over that. It’s a good way to proof your stuff and not look like a total goof when people get their turn at beta reading your manuscripts.
As a writer what books would I find in your home? Do you read the books that are in your genre, do you do a multiple of authors, select few or barely read? For me you will see a multiple of genres and authors. Though my favorites are Stephen King of which I am his number one fan, Agatha Christie, Bentley Little which was a recommendation by Stephen King and well-earned and James Patterson are the big wigs on my shelves. These I read for pure enjoyment. I do have books that are on writing for being a writer is an ongoing process of learning to improve one’s craft. When I head into a bookstore I don’t always head toward the big name authors. And if I find myself in a used bookstore the sky is the limits on the different people I will bring home
We can learn from books in so many ways. One is pure enjoyment as we let the words take us away from our present lives and takes us on adventures. Another is educational whether that be a non fiction, learning about history, or learning about writing. Others can be helpful to us with the endless amount of self-help books that line shelves of stores.
The great thing about a book is how you feel when you are done. You should feel something different or just feel period. When I don’t feel anything positive or negative it’s a let down for my expectations of books are high and as an avid reader I want something out of it. That is probably why I spend, like authors out there, endless hours trying to get it just right. We want our readers to feel and to not to get to the last page and feel meh.
Do you compete in writing competitions? There are so many out there for writers. They can vary from genre, age group to paid or free. You can find them from organizations like the ones I am part of such as the SCWBI and NCWN and also in magazines such as Writer’s Digest.
Sharon C. Williams-Author 