Pick Up The Gauntlet. Entering contests can improve your craft.

There is a common refrain in literary circles, identified by every pundit who has penned a blog, published in every book of advice to aspiring authors, and alluded to by every speaker specializing in the written word. That common refrain is…

Whatever you do, keep writing.

It’s not a secret. An author has to do the work.

What I want to convey goes beyond just doing the work. I want to reaffirm an idea I’ve stated in previous blogs. You have to step outside of your comfort zone to grow in your craft.

My suggestion is to search the internet for writing contests. I don’t care about genre and any “That’s not what I write” statements you come up with. I don’t care what prizes are awarded, even if the only prize is a one-line blurb in a literary magazine. All I care about is the thing itself.

The first contest I entered as a young writer was sponsored by an Industrial Supply company. They were publishing a holiday cookbook of favorite original recipes. The entry had to include a short blurb about the recipe being submitted. The prizes awarded were 1) publication in the cookbook and 2) two free copies of the cookbook, one for the entrant and one they could gift to a friend.

I’m not so naïve as to think anyone was excluded from the publication. And that is exactly my point. While the primary goal of putting ink to paper is to receive acknowledgement for one’s efforts, another goal should be to stretch beyond the confines of your writing closet, no matter what the prize.

Recent contests I’ve entered include short fiction (any genre), short science fiction, short horror fiction, thriller fiction (novel), Southern fiction (short subject), and soon, poetry. All of the short fiction contests had time limits, subject limits, specified word counts, or other such guidelines for entry.

What I’ve gained is a flexibility in my work. I feel comfortable writing in any voice and in any genre. If I’m ever stuck on a project, I have five others in mind that will flow just as easily.

I’ve received prizes for submissions, although I’m still searching for that elusive first place entry. I have no doubt I will find it one day. Until then, I'll enjoy the challenge.

My hope is that you feel comfortable enough to step out, with faith in your own abilities, and discover new worlds and new adventures. And just maybe, you will uncover a new layer of imagination within yourself.

Good luck. And no matter what else, keep writing.

My Click Here involves exploiting a character to move the story line ahead. In this excerpt, Nadine Dicks has gathered her children into the car and is fleeing Brettinger. She hopes to escape attention, but I need to find a believable way to put her at the scene of a murder. 

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