When the Journey Feels Like a Never-Ending Story with guest blogger, Candee Fick

How do you know when you’ve turned the corner in your writing journey? Perhaps when you final in a contest—twice—or when you’re asked to guest-blog on Seekerville. I’m so thrilled to be here! Through the years, I’ve found such encouragement as one by one the original Seekers left Unpublished Island, leaving behind their vacated beachfront cabanas. This amazing community gave me hope that my dream could have a happy ending too.

It’s been ten years since I determined to get to work on my “someday I’ll write a book” dream. While I’ve accumulated a trail of non-fiction articles, books, and a blog along the way, I’m still pursuing my first love of fiction and still waiting for an agent or publishing contract. Some days it feels like this writing journey is a never-ending story, but here’s what keeps me going.

1. Remember why you began to write.

When slogging through word counts and revisions, it’s easy to forget why you wanted to be a writer. I like to go back to the beginning and remember that I began to write because I love stories. I enjoy experiencing new things, imagining the possibilities, and escaping the daily stress within the pages of a book. I love falling in love with characters, struggling alongside them to find solutions to their problems, and celebrating when they triumph. I write because the lessons shared through stories linger the longest. I write because I want to encourage others with stories of faith, hope, and love.

2. Mark the milestones and make a list.

Almost from the beginning, I kept a list of key events along the way. Brainstorming a book outline (2004). Writing “The End” on a non-fiction manuscript comparing faith and football (2005). My first writer’s conference (2006). Enrolling in a two-year mentored writing course (2006-2008). My first published article for pay (2006). Finding a publisher and watching my first book become a reality (2007). An article reprinted in German (2007). Another non-fiction manuscript to encourage other parents with special needs children (2007). A complete (but poorly-written) romance (2008). A rewritten version entered into the ACFW Genesis contest and becoming a Finalist (2009). And so on until I have a record of the journey so far.

3. Celebrate how far you’ve come.

If you are anything like me, just reviewing the milestones is proof that you’ve come a long way. My complete list includes five writers conferences, over a dozen published articles, three non-fiction books in print, two devotional e-books, five fiction manuscripts completed (three worth publishing), five years of blogging, requests for full manuscripts from both agents and editors, a Genesis Runner-Up in 2009, a Genesis Semi-Final in 2011, and a Genesis Double Final in 2014. When the journey drags on, it’s too easy to focus on how far we have to go and forget how far we’ve come. Instead, throw a party and reward yourself for having made it this far.

4. Find a cheering section to help when the ground gets rough.

Writing is a solo endeavor with hours spent staring at a computer screen, but when you hit a bump in the road, you need someone to cry with and then cheer you on. One of my lowest points came when my book-loving grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I hurriedly had my novel manuscripts printed and in the mail so she could see the rest of my books for herself. She graduated to heaven a few weeks later and I felt like I’d lost my biggest fan. When I received yet another rejection on the anniversary of her death, I honestly felt like quitting. Then, my critique partner and my husband and a few timely posts on blogs like Seekerville encouraged me to keep putting words on paper. That was ten months ago, and if it wasn’t for a cheering section including accountability from my local writer’s group, I would never have finished my latest manuscript or entered the Genesis again or become a Double Finalist.

5. Look ahead down the path.

In any journey, it helps to know where you’re headed and chart a path to get there. Learning the craft, marketing, writing another story, and sending out proposals are all good goals to pursue.  As I prepare for the ACFW Conference later this month, I’m polishing one-sheets and practicing pitches in addition to researching the market, brainstorming my next projects, and continuing to build a platform through my website, blog, newsletter email list, and social media.  Every little bit is another step in the right direction. (Shameless self-promotion here since Audra said I could … visit my website at http://www.CandeeFick.com and find links for all of the above. I’d love to connect with you! Not to mention, newsletter subscribers get a code for a free devotional ebook.)

6. Trust the One who knows what the next chapter holds.

As an inspirational author, faith is a key element in my personal life as well as the lives of my characters. While I dream big and work hard, only the Author of my life’s story knows where this journey will actually take me. I also realize that getting a contract or agent is simply the next step in a continuing journey of more books, more marketing, more contests and awards and reviews on the way to foreign language rights, best seller lists, and potential movie options. A girl can dream, right? Yet, the journey continues for each of us because our story is still being written.

I brought breakfast burritos loaded with spicy queso along with a platter of fresh-from-the-oven, gooey cinnamon rolls. So, since I’m procrastinating about shopping for a Gala dress, let’s talk.  Where are you in your journey? Why do you write? When did you start? How far have you come? Who cheers you on? What’s the next goal you’re working towards? Where would you like this journey to end? 

Audra here. Candee's journey is an inspirational adventure for all of us. AND, she's been a fan of Seekerville for years!!! This kind of combination deserves reward. Leave a comment and be in the drawing for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, winner announced in the Saturday Weekend Edition.

 Candee Fick is a football coach’s wife and mother of three, including a special needs daughter. In addition to non-fiction articles, books, and a devotional-style blog, she has been writing fiction since 2008 and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is currently a Double Finalist in the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest Short Novel category. Find her online at www.CandeeFick.com.

Why Enter the Genesis Contest for Unpublished Authors?

Picture this with me for a moment: a baby writer with her very first manuscript. Oh the potential! It was just a matter of waiting for that phone call that would tell me I was a semi-finalist. And for sure an honest-to-goodness finalist! I mean really, I was an undiscovered talent and this contest was going to throw wide all those sealed doors to publication!

You can stop laughing now. ;-)

I’ve entered the ACFW Genesis contest four years now and each year I’ve gotten a little bit better, learned a little bit more and tried a lot harder to make my writing and stories stronger and able to withstand those cranky and oh-so-righteous judges. (read: I have great respect and appreciation for contest judges, even if they don’t think I’m the next Kingsbury that I am. ;-)

We all know and understand the benefits and pitfalls of entering a contest. There’s the feedback and then there is the feedback. There is the subjection of putting yourself in front of a bunch of people that might not get your story and there is the joy of getting that call you’re a semi finalist or seeing your face blown up on that big screen at the banquet while Pam Meyers reads your name as this year’s winner.

The Genesis by name and reputation can seem like a truly daunting contest and yet I encourage new and old writing friends to enter. Why? For the above mentioned reasons but also for several key elements:

Name Recognition. Yes you’re taking a $40 chance that you are going to semi, final or win, but if your writing has been refined and honed there is probably a good chance you’ll at least semi-final. As your writing becomes stronger and more authentic to your voice, you start entering contests less for the feedback and more to see if your craft is continuing to improve. Contests are incredibly subjective, so I always take any criticisms or accolades with a grain of salt, but anymore when it comes to my decision to enter contests it is because I’ve seen what my writing has done in the past: finaled and semi-finaled in several contests. I want to know if my current stories are continuing to grow and strengthen my voice. And if I don’t place, then I have invested money in valuable feedback that will help me continue to grow my craft. Name recognition however is something that money can’t buy. Hard work can. If you’ve semi or finaled in the Genesis, you’ve put in the hard work. You’re out there breaking your back (or more likely your office chair), putting in the effort to make your stories worth this award. Agents and editors and fellow published authors notice this and believe me, this makes a difference. It might not be an instantaneous difference, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. The more you put yourself out there, the more you grow your craft, the greater the chance you’ll have for placing and winning contests.

A finished manuscript. You might be hating the change to the Genesis in the last couple years with having to have a completed manuscript before entering, but if you think about it, it’s actually a really great benefit for you in two ways. One: you get that book finished that might have taken you longer if you hadn’t the motivation prompted by the contest. Two: you prove (say when you semi or final or win… ;-) to the agents and editors reading your book that you know how to finish a book. You did it.

Thinking of another excuse not to enter? Need more benefits? Feedback. I’ve gotten tremendous feedback from my last two years entering the Genesis. Challenge yourself to develop your craft and be willing to open yourself up for praise and (as is true with any contest) some criticism. Just make sure your attitude toward the judges’ notes is one open and willing for change and yet wise enough to see where their thoughts might not be aligned with where you want to take the story.

What do you need to do to get ready for this year’s Genesis?

Don’t put off entering until the last minute. Speaking personally as a contest coordinator you want your coordinator to like you and they always get flooded with those last minute entries. ;-) Have a “Once Upon a Time” and a “The End” and a contest (one page) synopsis. Take those fifteen pages and polish them until they shine. Read the scoresheet so you can see what the judges are going to be grading on.

Tighten your phrases. Nix passive verbs. Go deep POV. Make this story 100% your voice. Avoid having too many people read the first pages and then applying all their feedback, but on the flip side be willing to listen and learn from those who have placed in the contest before or have a good grasp of story.

Figure out your genre. If you have one that walks between two (example: my first semi-final story walked the line between women’s fiction and romance, but those first 15 pages leaned toward the former so that’s where I entered). Knowing your genre makes a difference in placing. Suspense probably won’t place in the straight romance category. ;-)

I personally love the ACFW Genesis contest. I’ve seen my stories consistently semi-final…now I need to figure out how to take them to that next level. Of course it’s all subjective in who judges my story this year, but one thing is never subjective: good craft. People’s interpretation is swayed. Hard work can’t be ignored and overlooked. Put in the time. Put in the effort. Put in your entry. No one can predict what will happen, but I can promise one thing: the experience from beginning to end, however you choose to look at it, will prove to be exceedingly beneficial.

Who will I see in the finalist category this year? ;-))

Stop in and comment today to have your name put in a drawing for a free-entry voucher to the Genesis contest!

   Bio: Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in rural Eastern Oregon in a town more populated with cows than people. Taking the words and stories God has placed on her heart and putting them on paper is one of her highest passions in life. Casey is a member of ACFW and an assistant to the ACFW Carol Awards. You can connect with her through her personal blog, Writing for Christ and her writing related group blog, The Writer's Alley 

Seekerville Welcomes Debut Bethany House Author, Anne Mateer + Giveaway

Cheryl here with Bethany House debut novelist, Anne Mateer. She's sharing her Genesis experiences and how they ended up leading to publication. Here's Anne!

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I almost didn’t enter the Genesis contest in 2009. And if I hadn’t, I might not be writing this post today.

But the reason I almost didn’t enter might surprise you. No, I didn’t fear low scores or harsh critiques. I’d had lots of those in the 9 years I’d been seriously writing and had learned to work through them, to use them to improve my writing instead of to beat me down. I didn’t even fear the let down of doing well. I’d done that, too, and learned a good showing didn’t portend a contract right around the corner. The reason I almost didn’t enter Genesis came down to motivation. Was I entering with a desire for a pat on the back and a boost to my ego or was I entering in a sincere effort to make my work better, to learn, to grow in my craft?

After much soul-searching and prayer, I decided to enter. Though I had finaled in Genesis in 2006 and 2008, it had been in contemporary categories. This work was historical fiction, my dream genre. I can remember as far back as my early teens dreaming of someday having a work of historical fiction published. But I knew I couldn’t view the results of this contest as the “make or break” point for that dream. I knew I still had more to learn, and I wanted to learn it!

I sent off my entry and dove into preparations for my first child and only girl to graduate from high school. Just before graduation, I received the news that my entry had finaled. Ten days after that ceremony, just after putting relatives on the plane to go home, I received an email from one of the final round judges requesting the full manuscript. Which hadn’t been written. (That was my summer goal: to have it ready by the ACFW Conference in September!) I’d been around long enough to know not to get too excited. This kind of thing had happened before, only to end in a nice rejection letter. But I pushed ahead, committing to walk through every door that the Lord opened and to trust every closed door as His hand shaping my career. I finished the book, sent it off as we loaded the car to take our daughter to college.

Fast-forward eleven months and many revisions. On the day we arrived at our daughter’s dorm room to pack her up and bring her home for the summer, my cell phone rang. That sweet editor, my final round Genesis judge, offered me a two-book contract. And I cried.

Never in my wildest dreams (well, okay, but only in my wildest dreams) did I imagine this scenario. But because this wasn’t my goal when I entered the contest, it made the experience much sweeter when it came to pass. And more humbling, because it was so clearly the Lord’s doing and not mine.

My encouragement to you? Keep entering those contests, but before you hit send, make sure your motivation is one of learning and growing in your craft, not a desire to hear others lavish praise on you or to relish a spotlight of success. Go in with a teachable heart each time, determined to fairly evaluate the feedback even when it is hard. (Oftentimes there is merit in the comments that at first stagger us. This doesn’t change with a contract. In fact, it makes it more crucial to learn how to deal with those!) When growth in your skill as a writer motivates you to enter those contests, then no matter how your scores compare to the other entrants, you always come out the winner.

About Wings of a Dream:
Publication Date: September 1, 2011 (Bethany House Publishers)

Rebekah Hendricks dreams of a life far beyond her family's farm in Oklahoma, and when dashing aviator Arthur Samson promised adventure in the big city, she is quick to believe he's the man she's meant to marry. While she waits for the Great War to end and Arthur to return to her so they can pursue all their plans, her mother's sister falls ill. Rebekah seizes the opportunity to travel to Texas to care for Aunt Adabelle, seeing this chance to be closer to Arthur's training camp as God's approval of her plans.

But the Spanish flue epidemic changes everything. Faced with her aunt's death, Arthur's indecisiveness, and four children who have no one else to care for them, Rebeka is torn between the desire to escape the type of life she's always led and the unexpected love that just might change the dream of her heart.

About Anne:

Anne Mateer has long had a passion for history and historical fiction. A three-time Genesis finalist, her debut novel, WIngs of a Dream, releases in September 2011. Anne and her husband live in the Dallas area and have three young adult children.

Find her online:

Facebook
Twitter
Website/Blog
Amazon Link.
B&N Link


Anne is giving away a copy of her debut novel, Wings of a Dream to one lucky commenter so chat away!
Cheryl Wyatt & Anne Mateer

2011 ACFW Genesis contest

Camy here, and I'm already gearing up for the 2011 ACFW Genesis contest for unpublished Christian writers!

The 2011 Genesis opens on January 1st, 2011, and the deadline is March 4th, 2011.

I realize not all of you are targeting the Christian market, so I'm begging your forgiveness in advance, but this is one of the highlights of my year and I wanted to share some new guidelines for the Genesis for 2011!

The major thing for the 2011 contest is that we've added a Semi-Final Round. The top 20% scoring entries in each category from the First round will advance to the Semi-Final round, where the entries will be read and scored by multipublished authors.

The top three Semi-Finalists in each category will be named as Category Finalists and will be sent to the Final round judges, who are all agents and editors in the Christian fiction publishing industry. (In previous years, it was five finalists, but this year it's only three finalists.) Each Finalist will receive a Genesis Finalist pin and a certificate.

The Category Winners will be announced at the 2011 ACFW Conference in September! Winners each get first pick of editor/agent appointments at the 2012 ACFW Conference, a plaque and a Genesis Winner pin, plus one hour of telephone mentoring time with a published author!

The Genesis guidelines are here:
http://acfw.com/genesis/
And the Genesis Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are here:
http://acfw.com/genesis/FAQ.shtml

You can also email me at genesis@acfw.com.

I've copied the full guidelines below.

2011 ACFW GENESIS Contest Rules

The Genesis Contest is the ACFW contest for unpublished Christian writers. The contest has a number of categories/genres to enter, the opportunity for unbiased feedback on writers' work by published authors and experienced judges, and the chance for the Category Finalists to have their work read by Christian publishing house editors and literary agents. ACFW has been pleased to see previous Category Winners and Finalists move further in their writing careers to become published authors.

Eligibility - The 2011 ACFW Genesis Contest is open to ACFW members unpublished in adult or young adult fiction or unpublished since September 1, 2004. If you have been published by a small press or electronic book publisher, see the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for more information about your eligibility.

Any author contracted for publication before March 4, 2011 is not eligible to enter the Genesis Contest. If an entrant receives a publishing house contract for a manuscript entered in the Genesis between March 4 and August 15, they must withdraw that entry. If an entrant receives a publishing house contract after August 15, which is after the close of the judging on Genesis, then their entry is not disqualified. After March 4, 2011, if an entrant receives a contract on a manuscript other than the one(s) entered in the contest, the uncontracted manuscript(s) may remain in the contest. See GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for a more detailed explanation.

Self-published authors are eligible, however they may not enter a manuscript that is in print or that was/is available for purchase at any time between September 1, 2004 and September 1, 2011.

Previously entered manuscripts may be entered again, but Category winning manuscripts from previous ACFW contests or FaithWords finalist manuscripts may not be entered again. Manuscripts that have been finalists, not Category winners, may be entered again. See GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for a more detailed explanation.

Prizes - Each category will have a first place winner. The first place entry in each category will receive a winner's plaque, a gold Genesis lapel pin, and first choice for editor/agent appointments at the 2012 ACFW National Conference, plus one hour of telephone mentoring time with a published author. The winners will be announced at the 2011 ACFW Conference. The finalists in each category will receive a certificate and silver Genesis lapel pin. Finalists will be announced by May 13, 2011.

ACFW and the Genesis Contest do NOT guarantee that a winning or finalist entry will receive a publishing contract.

Fees - $35 per entry for current ACFW members. Multiple entries will require multiple entry fees.

Writers who want to join ACFW and enter the Genesis may do both online at the ACFW website. Make checks or money orders payable to American Christian Fiction Writers. Do not use pseudonyms on the entry form.

Any break in membership during the course of the contest will result in withdrawal of the entry and forfeiture of the entry fee.

If an entrant must withdraw from the contest for any reason they must forfeit their entry fee.

Guidelines - Please enter using the Genesis Online Entry Form. Entrants must fill out one entry form for each manuscript they enter.
All entrants are required to check the "accept" box on the entry form for the Contest Release, indicating acceptance of terms. If the "accept" box is not checked for the Contest Release, entry will be disqualified and returned.

This is an all e-mail contest. Do not send hard copies of manuscripts. They will not be returned. Only entries from novel manuscripts (completed or projected manuscript word count at 45,000 words or longer) will be accepted, not short stories or novellas. No co-authored entries will be accepted.

All contest entries and contest fees must be received by 8:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 4, 2011. If any entry and/or fees are received after 8:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on March 4, 2011, entrant will be notified of disqualification and fees will be returned.

All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail of receipt of their entry. If an entrant does not receive a confirmation e-mail by March 8, 2011, the entrant should e-mail the head coordinator, at genesis@acfw.com.

Each entrant must upload their entry as an .rtf (rich text) or .doc (Microsoft Word document) when filling out the Genesis Online Entry Form. PLEASE DO NOT UPLOAD .DOCX FILES (WORD 2007 OR LATER). The entries will be judged using Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature. If the entrant does not have Microsoft Word, the judged entry can be returned as a .pdf file instead. See the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for more information.

The entrant must submit the first 15 pages of their manuscript, double-spaced, and a one-page single-spaced synopsis. The manuscript and the synopsis must be in the same file, not in two different files.

NEW THIS YEAR: If an entry does not have a one-page single-space synopsis, the entry will be disqualified.

The entrant may enter a maximum of 15 manuscript pages (not including the one-page synopsis) even if this is more than the first chapter. Prologues are acceptable. An entry may be shorter than 15 pages, stopping at a logical concluding point. If the manuscript portion of an entry (not including the one-page synopsis) is longer than 15 pages, the excess pages will be discarded before judging.

Manuscript must be in Courier New, or Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, with margins 1-inch or larger. For more information, see the Manuscript Formatting article.
The Genesis coordinators highly recommend that entrants submit their entries by FEBRUARY 21, 2011, so that if the entry is lost in cyberspace or if any aspect of the entry is unacceptable, the entrant can mail a replacement entry before the deadline.

Categories -

• Contemporary Fiction
• Contemporary Romance (includes romantic comedy)
• Historical Fiction (not romance)
• Historical Romance
• Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
• Romantic Suspense
• Speculative Fiction
• Women's Fiction
• Young Adult

For definitions of the categories, see the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page.

If a category receives fewer than 10 entries, it will not be judged as its own category. On the entry form, entrants may designate a second category for their entry in the event the entrant's first-choice category does not receive 10 or more entries. If the second-choice category also has fewer than 10 entries, the entrant will be contacted.

Entrants may enter multiple manuscripts in multiple categories. They may also enter multiple manuscripts in the same category. Entrants may enter as many categories as they wish. However, entrants may not enter the same manuscript in more than one category. Also, entrants entering multiple manuscripts in the same category may final with more than one manuscript, but they may only place (Category Winner) with one manuscript. See the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for a more detailed example.

Judging - FIRST ROUND: During the First Round, three judges (published authors or experienced writers trained in judging the Genesis) will score each entry, up to a maximum of 100 points per entry. All three scores will be averaged. Discrepancy judges will NOT be used due to the logistics of the contest. See the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for a more information.

A copy of the scoresheet is available as a .pdf download here: GenesisScoresheet.pdf
(You can download Adobe Reader free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.)

SEMI-FINAL ROUND: The top 20% of entries from each category will then move on to the Semi-Final Round. The Semi-Final judges will be published authors who will read and rank the entries.

FINAL ROUND: The top three Semi-Final Round entries in each category--Category Finalists--will continue to the Final Round. In the event of a tie for third place, the first round scores of the tied last place entries will be used to break the tie. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Finalists will be notified by May 13, 2011. Finalists will be allowed TWO DAYS ONLY to polish and resubmit their entries before the entries are sent to the Final Round judges.

For non-finaling entrants, score sheets and manuscripts will be e-mailed back to each entrant between May 15 and June 15. Entrants are asked to please be patient as coordinators return entries, due to the sheer volume of entries and emails. Questions can be emailed to genesis@acfw.com.

For the Final Round, the Final Round judges (editors and agents) will not use the score sheet used in the First Round of judging. Instead, Final Round judges will simply give a numerical score of up to 100 points for each Final Round entry. Final Round judges have the option of giving comments on the Final Round entries but are not required to do so. All three scores will be averaged.

If any Finalist is disqualified or withdraws for any reason after March 4, 2011, the next highest scoring non-finaling entry will NOT be moved up to fill the vacant spot as a Finalist.

Final Round judges:

• Contemporary Fiction: To be announced
• Contemporary Romance: To be announced
• Historical Fiction: To be announced
• Historical Romance: To be announced
• Mystery/Suspense/Thriller: To be announced
• Romantic Suspense: To be announced
• Speculative Fiction: To be announced
• Women's Fiction: To be announced
• Young Adult: To be announced

During the Final Round, three Final Round judges (see above) will score each entry, and the three scores will be averaged. Discrepancy judges will NOT be used. In each category, the entry receiving the top Final Round score becomes the Category Winner. The Final Round scores alone determine the Category Winners. If any Category Winner is disqualified or withdraws for any reason, the next highest-scoring finalist will be moved up to become Category Winner.

Under no circumstances should comments given by a judge be used for publicity purposes without the express consent of the judge.

The Category Winners will be announced at the 2011 ACFW National Conference. See "Prizes" for the awards designated.

All Finalists (top 3 entries in each category) will be asked to e-mail a digital headshot photo for the awards ceremony at the 2011 ACFW Conference and publicity purposes. Contestants are encouraged to complete contest manuscripts in the event they are requested by a Final Round judge.

For more information, see the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page on the ACFW website.

Submission Instructions

See the Sample Manuscript page (.pdf) and the Manuscript Formatting article (.pdf) both available as downloads from the ACFW website.

(You can download Adobe Reader free: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.)

1. Use 12 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. The contest requires the use of Courier New or Times New Roman.
2. Include a header on each manuscript with the title, category/genre, entire manuscript word count, and page numbers. NO entrant's name or pseudonym should be in the header.
3. Send the first 15 pages of your manuscript, even if this is more than your first chapter. Prologues are acceptable. Start the first page of each chapter one-third to halfway down the page. DO NOT send more than 15 pages of your manuscript and a one page synopsis (16 pages maximum).
4. Send a one-page single-spaced synopsis, included in the file with your manuscript. Do NOT send a separate file for your synopsis. See GUIDELINES AND FAQ page for more information.
5. Category coordinators are listed below.
6. Fill out entry form, upload entry file, and pay contest fee using the Genesis Online Entry form. Do not use your pseudonym on the entry form. If joining ACFW, include application and membership fee as well.
7. Do NOT place your name or pseudonym anywhere on the manuscript.

Entries not fulfilling the above specifications will be disqualified. Entry fees will not be refunded.

For more information, see the GUIDELINES AND FAQ page on the ACFW website.

If you have any questions, please e-mail the contest coordinator, Camy Tang at genesis@acfw.com.

Category coordinators:

When e-mailing coordinators, please put "Genesis" in the subject line.

For Contemporary Romance:
To be announced
For Contemporary Fiction:
To be announced
For Historical Fiction:
To be announced
For Historical Romance:
To be announced
For Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
To be announced
For Romantic Suspense:
To be announced
For Speculative Fiction:
To be announced
For Women's Fiction and Young Adult:
To be announced

Checklist for your entry:

• Is your font 12 point?
• Is your font Courier New or Times New Roman?
• Do you have a margin of one inch or larger on all sides?
• Is your entry double-spaced?
• Is your chapter heading one-third to halfway down the page?
• Do ALL pages in your manuscript have a header with the title, category, total manuscript word count, and page number?
• Did you make sure your name, personal information, and/or pseudonym is NOT in the header or anywhere on the manuscript?
• Is your entry 15 pages or less, not including the synopsis?
• Did you include a one-page, single-spaced synopsis with the same format as the manuscript except single-spaced?
• Is the synopsis included in the file with your manuscript, NOT in a separate file?

Entries not fulfilling the above specifications will be disqualified.
Timeline for the Genesis contest:

Genesis opens: January 1
Genesis closes: March 4 (8am Pacific time)
First round judging ends/(Semi-Finalists announced): April 8
Semi-Final judging ends/(Finalists announced): May 13
Category Winners announced at the 2011 ACFW Conference Awards Banquet in September.

Click here for the 2010 Genesis winners list

Click here for the 2010 Genesis finalists list

Camy here: I hope many of you will enter the 2011 Genesis contest! Feel free to email me at genesis@acfw.com if you have any questions!

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger! She runs the Story Sensei critique service, is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveaways!

Last Try Draft by Christy LaShea Smith

In 2006, I’d mustered up enough courage to join a writer’s group and actually do something about this dream I had of writing as a profession.
By 2007, I’d become brave. By brave, I mean I decided it was time to turn this masterpiece I’d been working on, out to the masses. I prepared myself that everyone may think I was great. I would handle the fame as a professional, I told myself. I’d be humble and gracious.
But I’d enjoy every minute of it…
I entered several contests that year. One was the Genesis. Here’s a piece of what I entered.

***
Prologue
The ‘69 Camaro roared as Seth Garrett stomped the gas. Tires squealing, he rounded Black Mountain’s sharpest curve, his father’s red bombshell holding her own. He chuckled, wondering what his father would say when he realized she was missing.
Seth hoped he would laugh. After all, they had a lot to celebrate and one last ride in the car his dad had spent nearly a decade restoring was better than a thousand champagne bottles popping in his honor.
Veering out of another curve, he settled back against the bucket seat and accelerated. The V8 engine roared in pleasure, a sound that was proof his father knew what he was doing when he rebuilt this lovely lady, just as he’d known what he was doing all those long hours after football practice when he made Seth run another play until it was perfect. Now all their hard work would make Seth famous.
**
Are you as bored as I am?

Some of the judges read the whole 30 pages (God Bless them, because after reading the full submission, I wondered why I let that version of the manuscript out into the masses and why in the world I thought it was so good.) The Judges commented as follows:

“No conflict set up.”
“Am I reading my manuscript aloud?”
“Read Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys. Work on Guy speak.”
“Study Scene & Sequel”
“Read these books at least once a year: Goal, Motivation, & Conflict by Debra Dixon & WriteTight: How to Keep Your Prose Sharp, Focused and Concise by William Brohaugh

My scores weren’t horrible, but they didn’t place me in the final round. The feedback I received from other contests was generally the same. I realized I had more work to do on this manuscript to make it enjoyable. The original contest submission I’ve shared above took place thirteen years before my story began when my hero was involved in a major car accident that ended his dream of playing football for the NFL. That’s nice and fine, but it’s BACKSTORY.
It’s boring.
I realized why I was getting sleepy reading the full 30 pages. I wasn’t entertaining myself!!! Why did I think some strange judge would be enthralled?

If someone wanted to read about a guy driving a car, any of us could rifle through our husband’s magazines and find something more appealing than my entry. While Seth may be an interesting character, he comes off arrogant and we just don’t care. He hasn’t captured the reader’s heart.

Plus, this information doesn’t need to be shared at this time. Riding in a car, unless you have two characters together and they’ve got great dialogue going on, is boring. Backstory truly doesn’t need to be shared until well after page 30 or page 50, unless you are famous or a polished writer and can pull it off flawlessly where the backstory is too exciting to avoid.

After I had put the scores aside, calmed down a bit, and realized the judges hadn’t grown two heads, I realized maybe my writing was the problem. I took the judges advice. To this day, I will never part with Deb Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict. Ms. Dixon’s examples opened my eyes to a whole new world of writing and I have never been able to watch a movie or read a book the same way since.

I began to learn about scene and sequel. I’m still studying on this aspect of it. Do we ever stop learning? I hope not.

There are two ways to catch errors or weird words and that is to read your work aloud and print out the manuscript. While I don’t print out my work before sending it to my critique partners, I definitely print out my work to read like a book before I enter it into a contest or mail it to satisfy a request. Words look different on paper than they do on the computer. Reading the work aloud enables me to hear the dialogue and listen to the flow. I want a steady stream, a raging river. I don’t want to be tripping down a mountain and fall flat on my face.

I didn’t submit my manuscripts to any contests in 2008. I worked. I reworked. I revised again. Finally, the summer of 2008 I realized the nugget that had been missing from my story. It was the root conflict. It was the fuel my characters needed to keep moving through the story, toward a goal.

My heroine went from being a single artist to a single mom. A single mom with a past. A single mom with a past and a sick child.

Enter my hero, who went from a selfish ex-football star, to a high school football coach who felt responsible for the death of one of his players. And of course the accident in the ’69 Camaro altered the way he viewed his life.

I revamped my beginning and it carried me through to the rest of the book. The goals of my Hero/Heroine changed completely, as did their motivation. And what do you know? I had developed a conflict that didn’t exist in the first version. About 10 revisions later, I had a workable story – which I labeled as LAST TRY DRAFT. Because that was what it truly was. I told myself this was IT. This attempt would be my LAST TRY. If it didn’t work this time, then I was stuffing the story in the drawer.
I pasted the first 15 pages of my Last Try Draft into a document and emailed it to the Genesis category coordinator. My goal was to get better scores. I knew I wouldn’t final or win, but I hoped that what I’d changed had put me in the right direction.

Here are the first few paragraphs from my 2009 Genesis entry…

**
Chapter One

Please Lord, not today. Aimee Murphy turned the ignition a second time. Click. Click. Click. “What’s wrong, Momma?” Six-year-old Luke hopped up between the driver and passenger seats, his own investigation underway. “Why are we stopped in the middle of the road? I thought we were in a hurry.” Steam burped from the hood, not a good sign. Aimee smacked the steering wheel with the heel of her hand. This makes three times in the last month her Jeep Wagoneer had stalled out. At least the other times she’d been alone, either on the way to work or home. Why now, with her son in the car? A horn blared. The rearview mirror reflected at least a hundred irate drivers stuck behind her on the bridge. “Luke,” she said through gritted teeth. “Please sit down. Fasten your seat belt.” He flung himself into the back seat, his blue eyes dancing as if they were embarking on a new adventure. Aimee couldn’t help but chuckle at him. After the last few months she and Luke had spent in and out of the hospital, it was so good to see his energy back and him acting like a normal six year old. Days like this offered her hope that Luke would beat his illness.
**

I hope you noticed I dumped my boring backstory prologue and dumped you right in the middle of the action, of my Heroine’s crisis. I also let you know something wasn’t 100% with mom and son and they’ve already been dealing with the child’s sickness. I hope you’re wondering what the illness is and how does my Hero come into play…

Weeks later, I got a call. Something about my Last Try Draft had clicked.
I’d finaled in the Genesis!!!
Dear Lord, Please don’t let this be a mistake!

And months later, the contest that had given me mediocre scores in 2007 put me in the top of my category in September of 2009.
I still worry someone’s going to call me and tell me they made an error and I didn’t really win. That I need to send back my beautiful winning plaque! ( I’m thinking I’ll just pretend not to be at home that day ;)

Until you and I can set sail off of unpublished island, we must submit our manuscript to contests, and be willing to endure the feedback which can sometimes be a bitter pill to swallow. I remember when I read through the feedback for the first time, I was confused, maybe a little angry. Obviously, the judge just didn’t get it.

However, once my emotions settled, I realized the feedback was constructive and pointed out my strong points. That nice balance of bad with good helped me to move forward. I remember sitting the manuscript aside for a while and tried to work on a new piece, but I knew this story had to be completed.

My advice to you: Don’t get mad. Get busy. Keep writing. One by one, we will wave to our friends as they set sail off unpublished island.

And one day, I pray, they’ll be waving at you and me.



Christy LaShea Smith writes contemporary and historical romance. Though unpublished, her dream is pursuing her passion for writing to enthrall and entertain others while celebrating the Word of God. In 2009, Christy won the Genesis Competition in the Contemporary Romance Category and was given Honorable Mention in the Inspirational category for the Maggie Award of Excellence. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and serves as treasurer for her local chapter. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers. She lives in Georgia with her husband, daughter and is expecting her second child in January.

Lacy Williams: One Road to a Contest Win

Good morning, Seekerville--Myra here. Please join me in welcoming today's guest blogger, Lacy Williams, winner of the 2009 ACFW Genesis in the Historical Romance category for her manuscript Marrying Miss Marshall.

My contest experiences have mostly been with ACFW’s Genesis contest, although I’ve entered a few others, too. After I joined ACFW in December 2006, some gals from my local chapter encouraged me to enter (the 2007 contest).

I did, and spent an anxious couple of months thinking that OF COURSE my entry would final. When the notification date arrived, I waited and waited for a phone call. None came. I thought maybe it was a mistake. Maybe they were running late in notifying the finalists. Then I got the judges’ scores back.

I was shocked. The scores were LOW!

For the next few days, I went through phases of anger, hurt, questioning myself, and thinking the judges just didn’t get my story. Then I went back and reread the comments. They were insightful. Accurate. Some were painful. But it was obvious that all of the judges hadn’t just ripped apart my story for fun. They’d spent time on it and were genuinely offering help so I could get better.

So I kept working. I joined two critique groups, attended writing workshops, read books on writing and studied fiction books I loved.

In 2008, I planned to enter again, this time with a different story. Before I sent my story off, I went back to that first entry to see if I could glean any nuggets of wisdom from the judges’ comments or my story itself.

I was shocked. That first story was AWFUL!

Boy, I’d learned a lot in one short year – my writing had come so far, and I was much better now. I was sure 2008 was my year to final or even win! I tried to keep my mind off of the contest while I waited for the notification date to come. No phone call. When my scoresheets came, I was disappointed, but knew that I would find helpful criticisms from the judges. And I did. My scores went up, but not enough to be a finalist.

I continued working. I found that my critique groups weren’t what I needed, so I quit them. I found my focus – historical romance. I kept attending writing workshops, and it was at one of these events that I found my critique partner, Denice. She is perfect for me – knows good writing, treats her own writing like a business, doesn’t choke my voice, and loves romance.

So the 2009 Genesis contest rolled around. My local chapter again encouraged me to enter. I did, with the same hope as always – that I would final. My day job was particularly busy around the time that finalists were supposed to be notified. I knew the date was coming, but when I got a voicemail that I was a finalist, well…

I was shocked!

And when my name was announced at the 2009 banquet as the winner in my category –

I was even more shocked!

I was so honored just to be a finalist. I knew several of the ladies who had finaled with me, and they were GOOD writers. I felt sure I wouldn’t win. But they announced MY name. I still can’t believe it, but now I just have to look at my plaque to remind myself.

Several things that I feel sure helped to achieve my win:

I never stopped learning, and I hope I never will. Sure, I thought about giving up after I read my first scoresheets. In this case, it’s probably a blessing that I’m so stubborn.

Having a critique partner who challenges me, knows me, encourages me. Based on her advice, my winning entry was actually a second version of the first chapter.

For the 2009 contest, I also utilized a small group of friends to read my contest entry and give me their honest feedback. These girls aren’t writers, but they enjoy reading a good book. And they gave me great insights about what was working and what was missing in my entry.

Lastly, one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my writing journey is to learn to give it to God. Whatever it is I’m doing, whether it is writing, submitting, or waiting, I can’t do it without Him. It’s when I forget that fact that I feel the worst. When I consciously give Him control, I find a peace that I can never achieve on my own. And He takes care of me each and every time.

Thanks for inviting me to Seekerville to tell my story. God bless!

Lacy Williams is a wife and mom-to-be from Oklahoma. She writes historical romance with the tag-line "Happy Endings Guaranteed." Visit her website at www.lacyjwilliams.com.

Congratulations, Lacy, and thanks so much for being our guest today!

What I learned from the Genesis contest this year

Camy here, your friendly neighborhood Genesis contest coordinator. Well, the contest is now over and the frenzy of assigning judges, emailing judges, confirming receipt of entries, and reassigning entries when judges recognize them has settled down a bit.

(LOL Did that sentence make your head spin?)

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few things that I’ve learned so far this year as head coordinator.

1) Entrants FREAK OUT when they see all the rules and guidelines.

I KNOW there’s a lot of information, but much of it is stuff we’re required to include (as in legally for clarification so we don’t get sued). That’s why there are SO many questions on the FAQ page—those are all details we have to put out there in black and white so no one can say we made a “judgment call” or were “biased” in any way.

So, USE YOUR HEAD and filter out unimportant stuff.

For example, the Genesis is required to include in the rules things like:

“The 2009 ACFW Genesis contest is open to ACFW members unpublished in adult or young adult fiction in the last seven years (no published fiction print works of 20,000 words or more by publishers paying advances, paying royalties, and not offering subsidy contracts). Authors of non-fiction or library bound fiction dissertations are eligible. If you have been published by a small press or electronic book publisher, see the FAQ page for more information about your eligibility.”

Now, doesn’t that make your eyes cross???

But if you look closely, you’ll see: “The 2009 ACFW Genesis contest is open to ACFW members unpublished...”

The rest of the paragraph is about people who HAVE been published—in the last 7 years, and how many words, non fiction and library bound fiction dissertations, etc.

If you have NEVER been published, you can pretty much ignore the rest of the paragraph.

So be smart and filter out what doesn’t pertain to you. The rules won’t seem so daunting that way.

2) People tend to forget until the last minute.

I totally get this. I do this all the time myself.

But this year, approximately 30% of ALL the entries came in the last week before the deadline.

30%!!!

That’s a lot of work that last week for me and the other category coordinators. If we were a bit terse in emails, that’s why.

Also, if there were problems with the entry, entrants didn’t have much time to fix them, and if the problems weren’t fixed, their entries were disqualified. We HATE doing that, but we have to adhere to the Genesis rules.

3) Most people feel that manuscript formatting is like a stick in the eye.

This was something I couldn’t quite relate to, but I saw this frustration a lot in the entrants whom I communicated with.

As most experienced writers know, there’s a publishing industry standard for manuscript formatting. Most contests adhere to the same general guidelines as when you’d submit to an agent or editor: double spaced, 1 inch margins on all sides, header with title and page number, chapters starting on a new page about halfway down.

As head coordinator, I didn’t want to have to disqualify people. One of the most heartbreaking things about RWA’s Golden Heart contest is that they will disqualify you—without refunding your entry fee—if your formatting is not EXACTLY the way they describe in their rules.

The Genesis is not so strict—we will usually try to ask the entrant to correct formatting, if there is time before the deadline. (See point #2 above) We are also nicer in that we’ll usually refund your entry fee if you’re disqualified.

The Genesis had a formatting checklist in TWO different places on the website—at the bottom of the main Rules page and at the top of the FAQ page. So it was rather frustrating when entries came in that weren’t according to formatting guidelines.

The Genesis had formatting guidelines not to cause you pain and suffering. We don’t really enjoy torturing writers, no matter how it looks.

We had formatting guidelines because:

(a) a standard format enables all the entries to be about the same length, and so no entry would have an advantage over the others by being a page or two longer

(b) the contest mimics publishing industry standard formatting guidelines.

(c) the Genesis judges want a standard format that is easiest on their eyes. They’re judging entries on the computer, and anything that reduces eye strain is a good thing.

That being said, there was nothing to prevent a writer from “pimping” their entry. They just needed to read the rules. Writers could add extra lines to their entry by setting it to 25 lines per page rather than double spacing (instructions for how to do this were even given in the Genesis Manuscript Formatting Article). They could also use Times New Roman font to squeeze more words in than with Courier. They could also have the chapter headers come only 1/3 of the way down a fresh page rather than halfway, since that was in the rules and in the Genesis Manuscript Formatting Article. And writers could also include an optional 1-page single spaced synopsis with their entry.

So next year, please make things easier on the coordinators by following proper manuscript formatting.

My Seekerville sisters probably have more quick tips. Anyone want to share?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her novel Single Sashimi is out now, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly giveaways!

What sets the Genesis contest apart

Camy here. As many of you know, I’m the head coordinator for the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest for unpublished writers. I’ve coordinated the Genesis for 4 years now, and I love it.

Not only do I like interacting with writers, but I love having the ability to push a little further each year and make the Genesis one of the premier contests for Christian writers.

Here are some of the things that sets the Genesis apart from other writing contests.

1) The Genesis has more categories for Christian fiction than any other contest. We have nine categories right now:

Contemporary Fiction (anything non-romance)
Contemporary Romance (both single title and category length)
Historical Fiction (non-romance)
Historical Romance (both single title and category length)
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller (includes cozy mysteries, any non-romance suspenses, and all thrillers)
Romantic Suspense (both single title and category length)
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Women’s Fiction (can have romance, but focused primarily on women’s issues)
Young Adult (both contemporary and fantasy settings)

2) The Genesis first round judges are all hand-selected and invited to judge. We do not allow just anyone to judge the Genesis. At least half of all our first round judges are published authors, and the rest are trained unpublished authors, many of whom have finaled in contests or have agents or both.

We also try to select judges who will give lots of feedback, both on the scoresheet and in the manuscript.

Why do we do this? Because we know that feedback is important to an entrant, and we do our best to ensure the Genesis contest judges give the best possible feedback. We also want the scoring to be as accurate as possible. We don’t want an unprofessional or inexperienced writer to give incorrect feedback or a skewed numerical score.

3) The Genesis Final round judges are all industry professionals, editors or agents or both. The first round judging determines five finalists in each category, and for the Final round, each finalist will have his/her entry seen and judged by editors and/or agents. All the Final round judges work specifically in the Christian publishing industry, and all are agents or editors who are actively acquiring clients or authors for their publishing house.

4) Each category has THREE Final round judges looking at the five finalists’ entries. Last year, we only had two Final round judges, but the Genesis reputation has grown so much that we had an overwhelming number of editors and agents who wanted to judge the Final round this year, and we increased it to three judges per category.

5) The Genesis is an all electronic files contest. No trees dying! No printing out pages! No copying your entry! No postage fees! The only thing you pay is the $35 entry fee.

6) The Genesis contest has a terrific reputation in the Christian publishing industry, and many entrants have received name recognition by editors and agents because of their final, placement, or win in the Genesis contest.

Here’s my own personal example: When I won the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category (back then the contest was called the Noble Theme, and the name was changed the next year), it got the attention of a Steeple Hill editor (she wasn’t one of my judges, but she saw that I had won). I didn’t sell my first novel to her, but I kept up a professional acquaintance with her, and she later bought my romantic suspense novel, Deadly Intent, which is releasing this July.

So what are you waiting for? The deadline for the Genesis contest is MARCH 31ST, 2009! Get your entries in early, just in case something gets lost in cyberspace!

Here are links with more information on:
Genesis guidelines
Genesis Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Manuscript Formatting guidelines
Sample Manuscript (.pdf file download)
Sample Track Changes scored entry (.pdf file download)
Online entry form


Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her novel Single Sashimi is out now, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly giveaways!

Squeezing Through The Contest Wringer

By Nicole Young
Every writer’s loop seems to eventually debate the importance of contests. I’m impartial on most writing issues, but this is one topic on which I have a definite opinion. I am completely in favor of writing contests.
If you’re a fledgling writer still sensitive about your work, still protecting your words like a mother lion guards her cubs, afraid to share your manuscript in fear of attracting criticism, and paranoid that someone will steal your idea or swipe your self-esteem, there’s only one word for you: contests.
Enter them. Lots of them. Contests are the cure for both a bloated writer’s ego and a woe-is-me attitude. There’s nothing as liberating as being told, in so many words, that your work stinks. It takes pounds off an overinflated head. And, flipside, there’s nothing more encouraging than hearing that your audience was moved to tears – in the best possible sense.
Contests develop that trait which all artists must possess to one day collect a paycheck for their work: a backbone. The purpose of a backbone is to hold your head upright when you would otherwise collapse into a pile of unsupported cells. The meltdown is generally accompanied by a wailing and gnashing of teeth as the brain rants against criticism, real or implied, from anyone who does not gush and coo over your masterpiece.
With a backbone firmly in place, an author can sift through the words of a critic for useful comments, apply the information, and emerge a more confident, succinct writer. The buffing and polishing brought by disappoint, rejection, and criticism is blended with equal parts of encouragement, compliments, and awards. And in time, the writer graduates from the amateur arena to the professional realm.
How do I know this? I’m a three-time published author whose big break was a contest win. The first chapter of Kill Me If You Can won Best of Show at a writing conference. The agent who sponsored the event found a home for the Patricia Amble Mystery Series. But that contest wasn’t my first. In my quest for progress, if not perfection, I squeezed myself through the contest wringer. And with a final turn of the crank, I emerged with a backbone and a three-book contract.
Of course there’s more to be said on the topic of contests and there’s plenty of writers out there to say it. Do some research and plot your best course. After all, if you can’t handle the comments of contest judges, how are you going to handle criticism of your newly published novel? Now get to work on that backbone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nicole Young is the winner of the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Noble Theme Contest (now the Genesis Contest) for Best Romantic Suspense and she won the overall prize, too. What was the name of that category, Nicole? Monster-Big Shot-Best-Book-Ever-Written, something like that. Beating…who else...ME-Mary Connealy. That’s the year I won for best historical romance. And Nicole and I were critique partners so I knew what I was up against. I love her work. After Love Me If You Must came her prize winning Kill Me If You Can and now here she is AT LAST with the third book her Patricia Amblin series Kiss Me If You Dare and I’ve loved the first two and the third just came in the mail this week. YAY! I have got to find out what happens to Patricia.

Guest Blogger Carla Stewart on Characterization

Seekerville. What a lovely place to visit and greet old friends. Hang out with new ones. You girls thrill me with your cyber banquets and encouragement to one another. Congratulations on an excellent first year! I counted and think I met at least nine of you last month in Minneapolis, and you are just as much fun in person as you are here. Thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts.

This year I was fortunate enough to place first in the Young Adult category of the Genesis contest. You probably noticed a faint glow in the sky over the center of the U.S. following the conference. That was me, polishing the faux gold wreath on my plaque, sitting on a cloud, reveling in my accomplishment. Trust me. It didn’t last long. Before I got my suitcase unpacked from the conference, I received my scores from the finals’ judges. Whoops! Falling off the cloud is not nearly as much fun as getting up there. And that, my friends, is what entering contests is all about.

Fame is fragile . . . fleeting. But the judges’ scores are the gold mine . . . the nuggets that show me where my weaknesses lie and what I need to improve on. So now, I am heavily into revisions, taking my scores and seeing what I can do to improve my writing.

It had been awhile since I’d studied Donald Maass and his Writing the Breakout Novel. I had even purchased the workbook, but not cracked the spine, so I blew the dust off the cover and dug in. The first section is on character development, and the questions and exercises are worth noting. My apologies to the great Maass for summarizing here. You can learn much more from reading his theory and examples, but for today, I’ll just hit the high spots.

From the second chapter of the workbook, Multidimensional Characters:

1) What is your protagonist’s defining quality? What trait is most prominent in his personality?

This struck a chord with me because I had developed a character whose most prominent trait was self-centeredness. Not good if you want people to like your character.

2) What is the opposite of that quality?

After making some adjustments, I made my character one who takes responsibility seriously (more likeable). Now, the opposite of that is being irresponsible.

3) Write a paragraph in which your protagonist actively demonstrates the opposite quality.

Oh good. I could show my character being self-centered and irresponsible, but as an opposite trait that I want her to be loved for.

Note from the workbook: Often, after completing this exercise, writers will incorporate this paragraph into their novels. It shows that a character is multi-dimensional, more realistic, and more human.

Inner Conflict:

1) What does your protagonist most want?
2) What is the opposite of that?
3) How can your protagonist want BOTH of things simultaneously? What steps would she take to pursue these conflicting desires?

This was much more difficult for me to grasp, yet when I started working with it, I saw that in gaining what a character wants, she must concede other desires. For example, my character wants to find a hidden letter, but as she pursues this, she gets negative attention which reflects back on her as a responsible person. If she gives up her goal, she will no longer be in trouble, but must admit she failed. Showing both sides of her wants makes her a character that is memorable and lingers in the reader’s mind.

Creating larger-than-life qualities:

1) What is the one thing your protagonist would never, ever say?
2) What would she never, ever do?
3) What would she never, ever think?
4) Find places in your story in which your protagonist MUST say, do, and think those things? What are the circumstances? The consequences?

I had a lot of fun with this, but it also made me quite uncomfortable. I found, though, that this is the golden opportunity we have as writers to write those zingers we would never say in real life, but wish we could. Put your protagonist in the hot seat and see what happens (remember there are consequences).

Other chapters on character development take you through raising the stakes, handling character exposition, and developing antagonists that are worthy of their own story. For the essence of time, though, I want to share the last exercise that really helped me in honing my cast of characters. Since I write about small-town America, where people know everyone in town and all their family members as well as pets, I end up with too many characters. Here is a way to reduce your cast and enrich your story.

Combining Roles:

1) Make two columns. In the first, list the names of all major, secondary, and minor characters. In the second, write down the purpose for each character in the story (ex: support the protagonist, support the antagonist, provide special knowledge, etc.)
2) If you have ten or fewer characters, cross out the name of one. If more than ten, cross out the names of two. You get to decide which ones go.
3) You now have fewer characters, but their functions remain. Assign those functions to one or more of the remaining characters.

This makes the characters you are left with more interesting (multi-dimensional). I eliminated three from my current WIP and immediately saw a difference. I haven’t worked out all the details, but I’m having fun with it.

This should get you started on making memorable characters. To bring the point closer to home, my goal (want) in entering a contest is, of course, to win. I’ve put myself out there to be judged by others, and I cannot say enough in the way of thanks to other authors, agents, and editors who give of their time to judge contests. Their experience and opinions are invaluable. But if all I ever do is file the critique and not use it, I have missed the most critical part of entering a contest—using the information to point out the weaknesses in my writing and correcting them . . . even when the critique stings and the rewriting is hard work.

A study of Donald Maass’s book is the avenue I’ve chosen this time to examine and improve my writing. What about you? Do you have a favorite way to distill the information you receive from writing contests? What are your favorite ways to improve your writing?

Thanks again, Seekers, for having me here. You have a lovely island and I see some of the natives are preparing to launch to the mainland. God’s speed to all of you!


Carla Stewart writes women’s and young adult fiction. She lives in Tulsa, OK, where she can be found plotting writing strategies with her critique partner, Myra Johnson. You can learn more about Carla at www.carlastewart.com. She’d love for you all to visit her blog, Carla’s Writing Café.