Thursday's Children: Conference Contests

Doing well in contests in inspirational, wouldn't you say? Last year around this time I had been querying DEADLY SPLENDOR for two months. I stumbled upon information for a writing contest with big benefits, and that's when I formed a plan of attack.

I would enter the contest, and if I finaled...

I'd get to sit at the editor's and agent's table to share lunch with them during the conference.

And...

I'd get an extra long pitch appointment with the editor/agent of my choice at the conference.

And...

I'd get a lovely purple ribbon attached to my very visible name badge that indicted that I was a finalist, to wear during the conference.

I just really wanted to final.

The conference holding this contest took place in Seattle, so it was within driving distance. Perfect.

I polished my first seven pages and sent them in, right around this time last year. A while later I got an email indicating that I was a finalist in the YA division. (YAY!!!) Then I went to the conference. I got to pitch to two agents and an editor, and on top of those, I got an extra long pitch with another agent. I got to sit between Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency and Liz Pelletier of Entangled during lunch. Chatting with them was a blast. And DEADLY SPLENDOR won second place in the YA division!

But most of all, I was encouraged. See, by the time the conference rolled around, I had been querying my ms for seven months. I had grown tired and wondered if it wasn't marketable. But being a finalist and meeting professionals in the business helped give me the encouragement to keep going.

This is a timely post because that contest is accepting entries until the end of this month. Whether you're within driving distance or not, you can enter. (One of the finalists in my division was from the east coast.) It's called the Emerald City Opener and it's an amazing opportunity. One of the finalists in my division went on to sell her ms. The other, Amy Deluca, went on to be a finalist for the RWA Golden Heart this year.

And...

This year I'm a judge for the YA division. :)

So, if you want more information about this contest, or entering contests in general, let me know. If you've already entered a writing contest, which was it and how did it go?

Constructive Criticism: Judges Feedback

So a couple days ago I went to my email inbox and saw something from the Frasier contest. Cool. I opened it and was glad to see they'd sent me the judge's feedback. All in all I had the input of four judges and each had their own page, word document. Of course the first page I opened happened to be the harshest, because that's how life can be. But, no, it was like tearing the band-aid from a hairy arm and I'm glad the first was the worst.

I went on to read the three others' and the smile on my face continued to grow. One of the judges stated that it was gripping and rated it as ready for publication which gave me hope.

I loved the constructive criticism I received too; there was one piece of advice in particular that I found helpful and I wanted to share it with my blog friends. Now, know that this isn't the easiest thing for me to do. I'm sharing my manuscript weakness' for all to read and that in itself scares me a little. But the advice is so helpful that I can't not share it! So, with a deep gulp, here it is:  

"Phrases like I saw, I noticed, etc signifies telling. For example:

I noticed the older passengers helping the younger ones.

To make the sentence more active, just say Older passengers helped younger ones. Or you could be more specific and show one passenger help a younger passenger with a specific activity.

Showing and active sentences create a much stronger, powerful scene."

Now, I've heard it a thousand times, "show not tell!", and I've tried to do just that, but this judge actually gave me an example which brought it to a whole new level. I will definitely be hunting for those hints of telling rather than showing and eradicating them pronto!

As I re-read the feedback over and over again, I'll continue to post the advice I find particularly helpful. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this judges show not tell advice?  

 

Frasier Bronze Medal Award Winner!

Yesterday I received an email from the Frasier contest I'd entered back in March.

I heard about the Frasier contest online through a group I belong to. They judge your synopsis with the first 1500 words of your manuscript for all types of attributes that make up a good story. The winner would be announced at the ACFW conference in front of many agents and editors. Score. I figured if I won, I'd have my foot in the door, and if I lost I'd still receive helpful feedback on my submission.

I'd never entered a writing contest before so I figured I'd give it a shot. Which brings me back to the email in my inbox yesterday.

The email explained the process of judging. All of the contestants pieces were reviewed by two different judges. The top 10% were then sent on to the second round of judging. Those 10% were then whittled down to six contestants. Those six were the finalists and the winner will be announced at the conference in September.

They were happy to inform me that although I didn't final, I did make it to the second round of judging, so I am a Frasier Bronze Medal Award Winner. She said my writing showed solid writing craft.

Now, when I first read the news, I wondered if I should be excited or upset. After reading all about this contest and talking to other authors though, I'm excited! Not only will my name be mentioned at the conference awards ceremony, and on the conference pamphlet, but I'll be receiving feedback from the judges. I can't wait for the feedback! No, literally, I can't wait! I've already emailed asking when I get my feedback. :)

I want to be the best writer I can be, and I'd like to know what kept my work from being among the finals so I can fix it. I also realize that not being a finalist doesn't necessarily mean there was much wrong with it. It could just mean the judges didn't prefer first person narrative, etc. Either way, there's always room for improvement and I can't wait to do it!

So, I wanted to announce to everyone in blog land that I placed in my first ever writing contest! WOOHOO!