Questions

If you want to learn a lot about writing take a stab at a Fiction Writing course.  My instructor was great and the students all eager to improve upon their writing.  It was an intenstive course where we had 10 stories to be completed in a 10 week course.  The April course was perfect for me as it finished before all the hot weather.  Eagerly I would wait in turn to read my truly wonderful fiction story.  You should never take the critiquing that follows to heart as every student is there to learn where they can improve in their writing.  I would listen and write down the comments from both the students and the instructor.  By critiquing other students work I would learn through them what I was doing right or wrong.  The course taught me how to examine my writing as well as how others wrote.  Some of the things that come to mind that make you a better fiction writer are the following:

write in the active voice keep it short its not an novel put some good little details into your characters like how she twirled her hair and moved her lips in that funny way she had make sure you don’t put too many characters in your story and enough information so your reader knows who the protaganist is don’t name people with the same letters like James and jim, it gets confusing put lots of emotion into your character show it don’t tell it try to stay in the same tense try to stay in the same time sequence if your a beginner mix it up, some scenery, some plot, don’t drag it out too long write something that inspires you, it will be more passionate try not to end with a sermon (although a morale to the story can shine through) do every assignment show up for every class enter writing contests

Remember, in order to succeed you must first be willing and able to accept that sometimes you will fail.  Most great writers, Stephen King comes to mind, was rejected a lot before he became famous.  Hope you find this both inspiring and helpful. Good luck to all you novice writers.  I wish you great success. 

 

 

 


- Gladys Bates

If you want to learn a lot about writing take a stab at a Fiction Writing course.  My instructor was great and the students all eager to improve upon their writing.  It was an intenstive course where we had 10 stories to be completed in a 10 week course.  The April course was perfect for me as it finished before all the hot weather.  Eagerly I would wait in turn to read my truly wonderful fiction story.  You should never take the critiquing that follows to heart as every student is there to learn where they can improve in their writing.  I would listen and write down the comments from both the students and the instructor.  By critiquing other students work I would learn through them what I was doing right or wrong.  The course taught me how to examine my writing as well as how others wrote.  Some of the things that come to mind that make you a better fiction writer are the following:

write in the active voice keep it short its not an novel put some good little details into your characters like how she twirled her hair and moved her lips in that funny way she had make sure you don’t put too many characters in your story and enough information so your reader knows who the protaganist is don’t name people with the same letters like James and jim, it gets confusing put lots of emotion into your character show it don’t tell it try to stay in the same tense try to stay in the same time sequence if your a beginner mix it up, some scenery, some plot, don’t drag it out too long write something that inspires you, it will be more passionate try not to end with a sermon (although a morale to the story can shine through) do every assignment show up for every class enter writing contests

Remember, in order to succeed you must first be willing and able to accept that sometimes you will fail.  Most great writers, Stephen King comes to mind, was rejected a lot before he became famous.  Hope you find this both inspiring and helpful. Good luck to all you novice writers.  I wish you great success. 

 

 

 


- Gladys Bates

I would like to know where to send in my writing or poetry into “tween” aged contests or magazines. Please advise only ones with free submission and not one that asks for too much personal information. Thank You!
- K L

I just need to find this.
- seanpcrowley@sbcglobal.net

Do you have contests or something for writing the best story or play? What do you get for winning? How many prizes are there?
- thosewerethedays

Most creative writers have a secret desire to enter a writing or poetry contest at some point in life. Yet they stifle that desire by thinking they aren’t good enough to enter. It’s one thing to analyze your writing and know that you are not a Thoreau or Stephen King, and it is altogether another to think so little of your writing that you won’t take the chance on entering contests.

It is a fearsome thing to write and let others read your writing - particularly when you’re not used to it. This is where writing clubs come in very handy. Join with other writers. Post your work in your port where other writers can see it and leave comments on it. Then you can read their work and comment on theirs. Don’t be concerned if you feel inadequate to critique someone else. You will learn as you go.

The writing groups hold lots of different kinds of contests. The prizes are very small, but the point is, it is a wonderful place to begin entering contests.

But for those who are ready to venture forth to something larger, search “writing contests” on the net and you will find all you want. The trick becomes, how to sort them out. Which ones do you enter? Use this as a guide:

· Watch out for contest scams. These contests will want you to pay $50 entry fee, and virtually all of the entrants receive a letter telling them they have won. When you reply, they will want another $20 for a biography, and later on you can pay a little more and become a grand prize winner. The “winners” are told their work will appear in an anthology (collection of short stories or poetry), but of course, you have to buy that, too. Then you are supposed to sell them to your friends and neighbors. A little common sense goes a long way in this kind of thing.

· Follow the direction to a tee. This cannot be expressed strongly enough. Do exactly what you are told or your entry will be thrown out.

· By entering smaller contests, you will have a greater chance of winning. Larger contests such as Writer’s Digest has over 16,000 entrants.

· What you should expect to pay: your entry fee and reading fee should be all you have to pay. These fees are what subsidize the awards, so the fees are necessary. Fees for lesser expensive contests will total $20 to $35. Yes, that is per entry.

· Winning the lottery is much akin to winning a writing contest. Against all odds, even when you think you don’t deserve to win and then you do, it is the ultimate high! No writer should cheat himself/herself out of this great learning experience.

Choose the contest that best suits you and your pocketbook and go for it! Contests usually come out in the spring and fall, so plan to gamble that much on yourself twice a year. See more free writing tips below.


- Deborah Owen

which it is possible to submit online.
- screenager

I have a friend who’s written a novel, and he wants to find a decent contest, so that he might have a shot at publication. If possible, can someone come up with a list of well-known, respected writing (preferably novel-writing) contests –ones aren’t scams and won’t exploit my friend’s good ideas–that will help him get his book out there?
- simslosh45

I am 13 in case there is any contests for people my age. I really want to enter a poetry contest or a writing contest.
- J.B.Willowwood