By the end of January, 2007, fifteen (15) large manila envelopes carried contest entries to the OWFI writing contest. Each year, the Oklahoma Writers' Federation Inc. holds a conference the first part of May, and each year the organization sponsors a huge contest of 33 categories, open to people all over the world. I entered 15 of the categories.
The good news announced at the Saturday night awards banquet sent me scrambling to my feet, even if the legs and feet didn't cooperate very well. I took first place in the Young Adult Short Story. I'm going to frame the certificate and copy of the prize check. After all, taking first place from about 80 entries with a perfect score isn't an every day occurrence, at least for me.
The other good news, and very helpful part of the contest, is I received oodles of helpful suggestions and comments on all but two entries. (Those two entries had nothing: good, bad, helpful, or indifferent.) Of course I'm going to put the score sheet and copy of my winning entry in plastic sheets for gloating purposes: a perfect score and very nice, encouraging comments. All the revisions, all the editing, all the plain hard work on "Survival at Waterloo" paid off.
The best part of the contest, other than winning, consists of pages and pages of suggestions, edits, and comments on twelve of the other entries. I'm already revising one novel I entered and plan on revising all the other works. The judges encouraged me, let me know what they liked and found effective in my writing as well as what needed improvement. I won more than a first prize: I won invaluable critiques on items I plan on submitting -- after I make all the revisions necessary to strengthen and improve.
I encourage everyone who wants to be a writer, a successful writer, to enter stories, novels, poetry, articles in contests. Test your writing, find out where more work is needed as well as what works.
Where to Find Writing Contests
Writing magazines such as The Writer, Writer's Digest, and Poets and Writers list contests in their magazines. The magazine itself often sponsors contests. Find copies of the magazines or look on line.
If you're a high school student, talk to English and/or creative writing teachers. Different organizations sponsor student writing contests each year and notify teachers.
If you're a college student, check with the English or Creative Studies department for writing contests held on campus.
Check on contests on writing sites. Perhaps the comments aren't by professional editors, agents, writers, or publishers (as found at the OWFI contest or magazine contests), but most give helpful suggestions to improve writing.
Don't be afraid to find out how to improve your writing.
About the Author
After teaching composition for twenty-five years and becoming an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ a site for Poetry, Vivian Gilbert Zabel produced Hidden Lies and Other Stores , Walking the Earth:, and The Base Stealers Club, which can be ordered through most book stores and on Amazon.com.
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