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You've heard about romance writing
contests - specifically contests sponsored by RWA and RWA
chapters for unpublished romance writers. You've seen the
lists of finalists and winners. You even may have considered
entering one yourself -- some day. Then again, maybe you've
heard the stories: the friend who was told to go back to her
day job by some unfeeling judge, the critique partner who
got a perfect 100 from one judge and a 25 from the second,
the chapter member who was given a failing score for basic
mechanics-and she's a high school English teacher.
Why would you, a perfectly sane person, subject yourself to
this? And if you did decide to join the insanity, how would
you choose a contest and what can you reasonably expect to
gain from the often confusing experience?
We're so glad you asked! There are
several good, even great, reasons to enter one of these contests,
not the least of which is…you might win.
So, why should you consider entering
one of these babies? First, there's the feedback from someone
who doesn't have to sit across the critiquing table from you
and watch the hurt in your eyes. Second, there's the possibility
that you'll final in the contest, giving you an opportunity
to get your entry in front of an editor or agent who has promised
the contest coordinator she'll read it. Third, you may win
the grand prize (usually a medallion, pin, trophy, small amount
of cash, etc.).
First, let's discuss the feedback.
Every contest, with the exception of the Golden Heart, gives
you some kind of feedback whether it's a score sheet with
comments or a full-blown critique. You'll get opinions of
what you're doing wrong, suggestions for what you can do better,
and hopefully, praise for what you're doing well.
Great, you're thinking. All
I have to do is enter a contest, find out what I'm doing wrong,
fix it, and I'll sell.
Hang on there, partner. It's not quite
that easy. Judging and critiquing manuscripts is a very subjective
task. Just as we don't necessarily agree on what makes a good
book or movie, your judges are unlikely to agree completely,
if at all, on what's good or bad about your work.
Now seems like a good time to hit you
with the bad news about contests. You will probably get discouraged.
You will get bad scores some of the time, if not often. You'll
get judges with a wide range of expertise, opinions, and abilities
to critique. Some people are natural teachers and will be
able to clearly identify what's not working in your manuscript.
Others are natural writers who've never studied the craft
and can't begin to say why a piece doesn't work - just that
it doesn't. Above all, don't expect to get a definitive list
of what's right and wrong with your manuscript. Even most
editors aren't capable of giving you that.
Wait! Don't throw that contest entry
in the trash just yet. Despite the subjective nature of this
beast, you can still make it work for you…in a big way. Here's
what we suggest (and what we've done). Enter two or three
contests at a time if you can afford it (more on that later).
Most contests offer you two judges, whose opinions could differ
greatly. When you enter two or three contests, you're increasing
the number of opinions - and increasing your chance of finding
some consensus among the judges' opinions.
When the score sheets/critiques come
in, sort through the comments. Look for consistencies. Do
four of the six judges question your hero's motivation? (Better
work on that motivation.) Does only one judge question your
heroine's? (Sounds like this might not be too much of a problem.)
Now it's time to make revisions, right? Not necessarily. If
you completely understand the comments and feel perfectly
capable of making the changes, then go ahead.
But most of us are still learning,
right? If your judges are telling you your hero's motivation
is weak and you don't know what to do to fix it, then it's
time to study character motivation. That's right…study.
Go to the public library, or contact Julie Stewart to borrow
books from the WRW Library. If you haven't studied writing
books, you'll be amazed at what you can learn.
Once you thoroughly understand the
subject, go back and read your work. Can you see why the hero's
motivation was lacking? Do you understand now what the judges
were talking about? Do you understand what you have to do
to fix it? Now it's time to start making changes-not from
one judge's (or even six judges') advice, but from your own
understanding. Never lose sight of the fact you're learning
a craft. The keyword is learning.
NEXT MONTH: What to do if you final
or win, how to prepare your manuscript for submission.
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