| |
|
| Tips | |
| 1. Clean it
up! If your entry is riddled with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage errors, your chances of winning will be diminished. Take the time to use spell-check and grammar-check programs. |
| 2. Get it
critiqued! Send your story or poem to someone who has good editing skills before you submit. Another set of eyes usually finds problems you've missed. |
| 3. About those
titles... Your entry should really go well with the given title. If yours doesn't seem to support it, the judges will notice. These contests involve fulfilling an assignment; therefore, pay attention to that title! This is the first thing the judges look for. |
| 4. That
opening! Some of the judges will quickly move on to the next entry if a story or poem doesn't "grab" them. Remember, reading through all the entries can take some time, especially if our voluntary judges choose to reread them before voting. Start with lines that compel the reader to keep going. |
| 5. That
closing! The most common complaint from the judges has been about poor endings. They enjoy the story until that last sentence or paragraph. It's like listening to a beautiful song and then having it end on a sour note. Pay close attention to how you finish. |
| 6. Stay
on-track! If your entry has a theme or a certain point to make, stick to it. Some entries suddenly go off on tangents that don't do anything to enhance the main theme. |
| 7. Remember the
reason... It's not about winning. It's about becoming a better writer. By entering these contests, you are writing stories and poems that you may never have written otherwise. Also, every time you enter, you end up having another addition to your portfolio. |
|
|
