Pros and Cons of Writing Contests
When you find the right places to look, it's amazing how many creative writing contests exist today. For nearly every style of writing, there are countless contests, ranging from free writing contests to ones with expensive reading fees. When considering whether or not it's worth trying your hand at writing contests, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here's a list of some of the pros and cons of entering writing contests.
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Many free writing contests out there, doesn't cost you anything to try
One of the biggest pros of free writing contests, is that you've got nothing to lose. With monetary prizes in some of them, and the pride of winning from others, you don't lose anything by entering the contests.
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Gives you the chance to validate your writing, get approval from others
Another nice perk of writing contests is the validation it offers. For many writers, it's a solitary process with no one else giving you feedback on your writing. By entering writing contests, you're able to get someone else to read your work and provide some feedback. This feedback helps you determine if you're moving in the right direction or if you are simply wasting your time.
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Forces you to complete your stories, push them to new heights
For many people, writing is a journey of beginnings. With hundreds of story ideas bouncing around in our heads, it's easy to begin a story, let it run its course, and abandon it five hundred words before the finish line. When you decide on writing contests, you will be forced to complete the work, and get it sent out for review.
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Can get you experimenting in a different writing form, pursuing short stories
Reading about available writing contests, you will quickly discover that there are so many different styles and options available for stories, none of which you've ever even tried. You'll see contests about family life, halloween, romance, and more. Some might require a first person perspective, and others might ask that your story be under 500 words. With the variety of requirements you will be introduced to, you will be challenged to try new things. Every contest that leads you to write a new story is a successful story in your growth as a writer.
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If you win, looks great on your query letter to agents
Even when contests don't offer prizes, they offer tremendous benefits. As you work on query letters to agents, being able to say that you won a writing contest will make you look really good. It might cause the agent to give your story a second look, or look into your writing further to find out if you're a diamond in the rough. When competing with hundreds of other writers for an agent's attention, a contest win can be instrumental in getting you published.
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Does cost you time, could be working on sending query letters out, working on novels
It's not all fun and games when it comes to writing contests. Even when dealing with free writing contests, they can cost you a lot of your time and effort. The work that is put into writing a new short story for a contest is time that could have been put into revising your novel, or beginning work on another one. As such, it's worth giving contests some attention, but don't let them consume you.
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Could invite discouragement as you are facing a very competitive field
Not everyone wins a contest. In fact, only one person wins every writing contest. So when you're competing with hundreds of other people, there will be a lot of rejections that come your way. Dealing with all of the rejections can get discouraging and so, it's important not to take it to heart. Don't let writing contests decide your writing future, and keep working even when they say no.
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Some cost money, could be dumping money into a fruitless effort
While there are some free writing contests, a number of contests have a reading fee. Even just a few contests can cause your budget to run dry, so choose your submissions wisely. Keep in mind that even free writing contests have some expenses when they require a mail submission.
Pros of Writing Contests
Cons of Writing Contests
Overall, writing contests are a great venture for most writers. They give you the chance to promote your writing and get a chance to receive feedback from big names in the industry. However, they are not without their faults, so approach with caution.
Latest Articles About Creative Writing Contests
- Five Tips to Winning Writing Contests - 2011-02-13 10:16:24
We know how hard it can be to win a free writing contest, and how demoralizing it can be to constantly get rejected. With these tips, hopefully you can see your "no" turn to "yes."
- Where to Find Writing Contests - 2011-02-16 08:36:12
As you try and find writing contests to send your writing, it can be a daunting task to find ones that work well for you. We've built up a list of the best resources available to find online writing contests, free writing contests, and literary magazines. Check out the information, find what works best for you, and get to sending out your writing!
- Adapt Old Pieces for Contests - 2011-03-17 09:09:11
Just because a writing contest has a silly requirement doesn't mean you can't use old pieces. You just need to adapt them.