Nine Contest Entry Boo-boos (and how to fix them)

The RWA Golden Heart is open and the ACFW Genesis opens on Friday! Today we've invited Carol J. Post for a special  workshop-in-a-box  post to get your ready. No excuses. Time to contest! Take it away, Carol!

I used to love entering contests. I would carefully read the rules and condense them down to an easy-to-follow list that I would check, double check and triple check before sending in my entry. Then I would mark the calendar and anxiously count off the days until the finalists would be announced. In those early entries, I have to admit that I made almost every mistake imaginable.

It's been a few years since I entered a contest, but I've done quite a bit of judging. During that time, I've found that certain things keep popping up again and again. Here are my top nine.

1.    Openings that are not compelling

Openings are one of the hardest things to get right. Many editors and agents say if a story doesn't grab them on the first page (sometimes even the first paragraph), they won't read any further. Here are some ways not to start your story:

With lots of description – I've seen some beautiful description in openings, several paragraphs worth! Description is great, but is better given in smaller doses as it relates to what the characters are currently experiencing.

With the heroine in a car or on a plane, thinking about why she's going home – This involves lots of introspection, which never makes for a compelling opening.

With backstory – We'll cover the topic of backstory in more detail in number 8 below, but the opening is the worst place to give the reader backstory. The reader isn't going to care about what happened to your heroine in her past until she has become invested in her present.

With ho-hum everyday life – Normal day-to-day activities are not interesting enough to hook a reader, especially in the first scene. I've judged entries where the author hinted on page one that the heroine's life was about to change, but twenty pages later, that life-changing event still hadn't occurred.

When an opening isn't compelling, it's usually because the author has started the story in the wrong place. Sometimes I'll get to a point in an entry and say, “Here's where it gets interesting,” or, “Here's your hook.” That point may not be until page 8 or 11 or 25, but that's the opening. Find that point in your story, and start it there, working in the information you deleted later.

2.    Characters who are flat, inconsistent or just plain unlikeable

Characters must be flawed, but not so flawed as to be unlikable. In one of the first contests I entered as an unpublished writer, a judge slammed my hero, saying something to the effect of, “Your hero is a jerk. The only thing good about him is that he's rich.” That could have probably been said in a much more diplomatic way, but the fact is, she was right. It's a bit of a juggling act, creating characters with flaws but keeping them sympathetic. Even strengths can be flaws if taken to extreme. For example, a strong heroine can come across as stubborn and unbending, and a humble hero can appear insecure if he is constantly thinking he's unworthy of the heroine.

Oftentimes in contest entries, I see heroines who are well-drawn, but feel as if I don't know much about the hero beyond what he looks like. What makes your hero a unique man? What makes your heroine different from any other woman out there? Show your characters doing and saying things that reveal who they are. This is where a few interesting details can go a long way.

Another common mistake is having the hero or heroine act in ways that are inconsistent with who the author has shown them to be. I've seen quite a few heroines who are easygoing, likable and fun-loving who, when around the hero, suddenly turn into cranky biddies and get in huge tiffs over nothing. It's important to give the characters past experiences that justify their reactions and behavior in the present.

3.    Confusing or shallow point of view

Occasionally I see entries where the author hops from one point of view to another or doesn't make it clear which POV we're in, but the most common problem I see with POV is not getting deep enough. There are several “telling” phrases that pull a reader out of deep POV – she thought/saw/heard/remembered/recalled, etc. Instead of saying a character saw, heard or remembered something, eliminate those words and let the reader see/hear or remember it through that character's eyes/ears/thoughts. Another thing that deepens POV is not overusing the POV character's name. Sometimes it's necessary for clarity, especially when there is more than one female or male character, but it's good to not overdo it.

Below is an example of deep point of view taken from Out for Justice, where the heroine, a homicide detective discovers that the latest victim of a serial killer is her cousin. (Forgive me for using my own work, but it's easier.)

When she reached for the tape, her eyes met Alan’s again and she hesitated. Something wasn’t right with him. It wasn’t just the customary stiffness. Deep creases of concern marked the bridge of his nose and anguish had settled in his blue eyes. What wasn’t he telling her? “It’s someone we know, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid it is.”
She ducked under the tape and when she straightened, Alan had stepped in front of her. He was trying to shield her.
It wasn’t necessary. She was a professional. And she wouldn’t let her personal feelings get in the way of doing her job. Right now, that job entailed performing the best investigation she could to catch this monster and bring him to justice.
Summoning strength she didn’t feel, she pushed Alan aside and moved past Shane Dalton. Not more than fifteen feet away lay a body, partially obstructed by a downed limb. Detective Vickers squatted, sitting on one heel to shoot another photo, further blocking her view. She moved  closer, longing with all her heart to run the other direction and never look back, while at the same time needing to know.
She took another step. It was definitely a woman, judging by the clothing: baby-blue silk sleepwear.
“Lexi, wait.” Alan put a restraining hand on her arm.
She shook him off. Took another step. And another.
A torso appeared. A silk-clad leg. A bare foot extending from the hem of the pajama bottoms, toenails painted hot pink.
Then Detective Vickers straightened and moved aside, offering her an unobstructed view of their newest victim. Her eyes locked onto the scene and her brain shut down. Alan said something, but the words didn’t register.
Matted auburn hair flowed over a blanket of dying leaves. Green eyes, one swollen almost shut, stared unseeing at the leafy canopy overhead. Blood had trickled from a cut on one cheek, but had long since dried. The mouth was hidden behind a piece of neatly applied duct tape, and a blackish-red ring circled the creamy white neck.
No.
Lexi shook her head. The ground seemed to tilt beneath her and she took a stumbling step backward to steady herself. A scream of protest clawed its way up her throat, followed by a wave of nausea that almost brought her to her knees.
Alan’s words finally penetrated her befuddled brain, several seconds too late.
“Lexi, it's Kayla.”

Notice, instead of, “She was sure there was something he wasn't telling her,” we have, “What wasn't he telling her?” Instead of “She saw a body not more than fifteen feet away,” we have, “Not more than fifteen feet away, lay a body...” Instead of, “She felt shocked and horrified,” we feel her shock and horror with her brain shutting down, the ground tilting, a scream of protest trying to come up her throat and a wave of nausea sweeping over her.

4.    Poor balance between dialogue, introspection and action

This area is usually judged under pacing. Having several paragraphs where characters are thinking about things instead of acting or speaking slows the story down. Too much action, with nothing about what the characters are feeling, thinking or saying can feel shallow and unsatisfying. When a manuscript has a page or two of dialogue without any movement or character thoughts and feelings, it seems as if all we have are talking heads. The key is balance, intermingling all three.

I have often suggested looking at books by favorite authors and studying the balance between action, introspection and dialogue. Differentiating between the three with a different color highlighter for each makes the exercise very visual.

5.    Too little variation in sentences

This is a problem that will garner lower scores if style is one of the areas judged. Many times, entries will have several sentences in a row that begin subject/action verb. This makes the paragraph read like, “She did this. He did this. He did that, and then she did that.” Not only does the construction need to be varied, but so does the length. Interspersing shorter sentences with longer ones makes for much more interesting reading and better flow. If there is a problem with sentences being too similar, it is often easier to spot while reading aloud.

Here is a paragraph taken from Deadly Getaway. Notice the difference in the lengths of the sentences, as well as the sentence construction. (The heroine is on a boat, fleeing from guys who have just killed an unknown man and her best friend.)

She ran toward the back and up the steps. Kenneth whatever-his-name-was was gone, probably thrown overboard. As she hurled herself through the opening, her purse strap caught on the door latch and held for a fraction of a second before snapping. The leather bag fell to the deck. The same moment, someone shouted behind her. She steeled herself against the pitching and rolling of the boat and stumbled across the deck. Another shot rang out, accompanied by a metallic ping. Pain like nothing she had experienced before stabbed through her, a red-hot poker into her shoulder.

6.    Trite, unnecessary or boring dialogue

All dialogue should be interesting and serve some purpose, such as moving the story forward or revealing character. Written conversations must sound natural and ring true to the person speaking, but they need to be much more “streamlined” than real-life conversations, which are often chit-chatty and mundane. This holds true for greetings and farewells. Although we generally wouldn't walk away from someone without some kind of verbal farewell, ending a written conversation with “See you later. Okay, bye.” is unnecessary and uninteresting.

This is a good place to mention dialogue tags. Scoring for dialogue often includes “effective use of tags.” I've seen paragraphs of dialogue, each one ending with “he said” or “she said.” People communicate with actions as well as words, and these action beats give a much clearer picture of what is going on. Other types of beats (emotion beats, setting beats, etc.) enrich the writing even further, giving insight into what the characters are feeling and seeing as they converse. Interestingly enough, sometimes writers will use great beats, but still follow them with a dialogue tag, for example, “He ran his fingers through his hair and said...” In those instances, the tag is unnecessary.

Here's an example of an excerpt from Shattered Haven rewritten using tags, then again with beats. The hero has almost gotten arrested while out searching for his escaped dog on his first night in town .

With dialogue tags:

“Now you decide to show up,” Blake said to the dog. “You almost got me arrested. No more jerky treats for you. At least till tomorrow.”
“Sorry about that,” the officer said. “We don’t get many break-ins here. In fact, we don’t get any break-ins. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“No problem. You were only doing your job. But I have to admit, this was my first time on this side of the handcuffs. Blake Townsend, Dallas P.D.,” he said, extending his hand.
“You’ve got to be kidding. I was arresting a cop?”
“Former cop, actually. Injured on the job. And you, milady,” he said to Allison, “deserve a big thank you for getting me out of hot water. I at least owe you dinner.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she responded. “Your words were thank you enough.”

With beats:

“Now you decide to show up. You almost got me arrested.” Still laughing, he maneuvered to his feet. Not easy with two large paws in his lap and his hands cuffed behind his back. “No more jerky treats for you. At least till tomorrow.”
Hunter stepped behind him and inserted a key into the handcuffs. “Sorry about that. We don’t get many break-ins here. In fact, we don’t get any break-ins. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The stranger shot him a forgiving smile over one shoulder as the cuffs clicked open. “No problem. You were only doing your job. But I have to admit, this was my first time on this side of the handcuffs.” He clipped a leash onto the dog’s collar before extending his hand. “Blake Townsend, Dallas P.D.”
Hunter’s brows shot up again. “You’ve got to be kidding. I was arresting a cop?”
“Former cop, actually. Injured on the job.” He turned toward Allison. “And you, milady, deserve a big thank you for getting me out of hot water. I at least owe you dinner.”
The smile he gave her reached his eyes, creating fine lines at their corners. His manner was joking, but something told her he was dead serious about dinner. And she was suddenly hit with a case of teenage shyness. She reached to smooth her hair, then dropped her hand. Why bother? The first impression was already made—barefoot and bedhead. Not that it mattered.
She returned his smile with one that she hoped projected confidence. “That won’t be necessary. Your words were thank you enough.”

7.    Not planting the reader solidly in a scene from the get-go

Most people form images in their minds when reading a story. When a scene begins, “For the past two weeks...” then goes on to explain what happened over the past two weeks, the reader doesn't know where the character is now, and it's hard to form that image. When time has passed between scenes, it's often necessary to fill readers in on events that have occurred during that time, but it's best to cement them in the scene first. If that introspection is more than a short paragraph or two, intersperse it with actions the character is making in the present.

Sometimes an author will set the scene but leave out an important detail so that the reader's mental image will have to be amended later. My editor occasionally catches me on this. I'll get a comment two pages into a scene something like, “I didn't realize such-and-such until right here. Can you include this earlier?” As an example, in a book for which I turned in edits last week, the reader knows the hero is in his truck, filled with angst because the heroine has just left town, but I didn't mention the fact that he is pulling his boat until he gets to the city marina and starts to back it down the ramp. Revising to mention the boat in the first paragraph was an easy fix and gives the reader a truer picture of what is going on.

8.    Backstory not woven in seamlessly

This one is a biggie. Backstory is important. After all, it's what has made the characters the people they are today. But the reader is only interested in backstory as it relates to the present. I've seen entries where the majority of the first scene is backstory. I once heard someone give the advice to write out all the backstory, then cut it up into little pieces and insert it a sliver at a time throughout the story. The idea is to weave it in seamlessly, where it doesn't feel as if the present story comes to a screeching halt.

Here is the opening of Motive for Murder, with several backstory details woven in as they pertain to the present:

The house stood silhouetted against a cloudless sky, the landscape frozen and still under the onslaught of one of Central Florida's infrequent cold fronts.
Just like the last time she had stepped foot on the property.
Jessica Parker drew in a deep breath and threw open the car door, stopping short of dinging the shiny red Lotus sitting next to her Bug. As she stepped into the frigid night air, she pulled her coat more tightly around her, the cold outside mirroring the chill within. Eight long years, and nothing had changed. The same huge oak shadowed most of the front yard. The same potted plant waited by the front door, hiding the key to the house. And as she made her way up the cracked cement drive, she was hit with the same lack of warmth that she had always associated with home.
She squatted to tilt the pot, then heaved a sigh. The key was gone. Priscilla was still messing with her, even from beyond the grave. She straightened and walked back to her car. It had been years since she had picked a lock. But that wasn't a skill easily forgotten—like riding a bike.

On the first page, the reader learns that the heroine left home eight years ago and has not been back, that home was not a warm and happy place, that someone, likely a sister, had died, and that the heroine had, at one time, done some things that may have put her on the wrong side of the law. But none of this information (I hope) stopped the flow of the present story.

9.    Lack of compelling conflicts

Conflict is an area that is scored in virtually every contest I've entered or judged, and for good reason. If you don't have conflict, you don't have a story. Here are the most common mistakes I see:

There is no obvious external conflict and no hint at what the internal conflicts will be. Conflicts need to be laid out pretty early, because they are the core of the story. I've read 30-page entries that contain some beautiful writing but no conflict. Sometimes the hero and heroine have a relationship such that each is annoyed by the presence of the other, and every meeting ends with insults being hurled. Bickering, however, is not conflict.

The conflict stems from a misunderstanding which could be easily resolved if the characters talked. Misunderstandings can create additional conflict and add twists to the plot. But if a misunderstanding is the primary reason the hero and heroine can't be together, by the time the reader hits page 30, she'll be asking, “Why don't these people just TALK?”

The conflict is there, but it's not serious enough to sustain a whole book. Good conflicts can't be solved easily without great risk to the main characters. If a simple decision on the part of either the hero or heroine would give them their happily-ever-after, the conflict isn't strong enough. Some great conflict occurs when the hero and heroine's goals are in direct opposition to one another. For example, he wants her, but they're attorneys on opposite sides of a big case. Or she's attracted to him, but he's the CEO who just bought her company in a hostile takeover.

I hope at least one or two of these points hit home with you and will help you make your writing stronger. The Golden Heart entry deadline is just around the corner. Are you planning to enter? What is the most helpful feedback you've gotten from a contest?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Shattered Haven, Book 1 in my Cedar Key series. From now until January 15, all new subscribers to my newsletter will receive a free e-book, Deadly Getaway, the prequel to the series. (The link to sign up for the newsletter is on my web site, www.caroljpost.com. I promise I won't sell your info or spam you!)

Shattered Haven

 Allison Winchester's old Victorian house contains a valuable secret code, one that someone is dead set on uncovering. After her house is ransacked and her life is threatened, she has no choice but to accept the protection of injured ex-cop Blake Townsend. Allison never thought she'd trust a man with secrets again--and Blake is as much a mystery as the man who is stalking her. The lawman vows to shield her from the dangerous criminal. But can Blake and Allison decipher the mysterious code before their island safe haven becomes their ultimate resting place?


Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.



Bio:  Carol J. Post writes fun and face-paced inspirational romantic suspense and lives in sunshiny central Florida. She sings and plays the piano for her church and also enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of two fat and sassy cats and one highly spoiled dog.

You can find Carol on the web at www.caroljpost.com, or connect with her on facebook (www.facebook.com/caroljpost.author) or twitter (@caroljpost).

The 12 Stages of the Writing Contest Journey

The Winding Road in front of Pam's House

by Pam Hillman

Do you enter a lot of writing contests? Have you ever wondered about some of your weird reactions to contest scores but have been too embarrassed to share them with friends and family because…well, you know, it’s just weird! lol

Having entered hundreds of contests before receiving my first contract, I put together the 12 stages of the Writing Contest Journey. See if you relate to some of these.

Stage 1: You enter your first contest. You’re absolutely terrified, hoping for a kernel of encouragement that you MIGHT have a tiny bit of writing talent.

Stage 2: You survive your first couple of contests and throw your hat in the ring a few more times. Still terrified, but you’ve used every bit of advice from the first few contests and are hoping to up your scores. Here is the time where you have to research POV, GMC, head-hopping, clichés, scene and sequel, sagging middles, black moments. Ack!!!

Stage 3: But you persevere and move forward for another round. The mechanics (punctuation/grammar) are much better, so now you can now concentrate on cliches and craft.

Stage 4: You still don’t know why one judge dings you for a cliché and the other one doesn’t, or why one judge loves your heroine, but the other thinks she’s too stupid to live, but your scores are better (most of the time) and you’ve got a pretty good handle on POV. Now you really have contest fever, and you’re dreaming of a finalist slot, but you’re still not sure if you’re ready yet.

The fenced in "lane" behind Pam's house going toward the hay field.

Stage 5: Finally, you snag a finalist slot!!! But was it a fluke? Can you do it again? With that first finalist slot, you’re just thrilled to final. If there are 4 finalists, you know you’re not ready to win (what would you DO if an editor asked for a complete????), but you’d rather not end up #4 either. 2nd or 3rd place would be perfect.

Stage 6: You are a star! You finalled in a writing contest. You’ve proved to yourself and the publishing world that you can write. It’s just a matter of weeks (or the next contest) where big name agent or editor discovers you. Then one of your manuscripts that has already finalled and/or won in a couple of contests crashes and burns and comes in dead last in a field of 52. You’re a has-been before you had a chance to be. Sigh.

The old Natchez Trace north of Natchez, MS. Wagons and travelers
wore this trail down over hundreds of years.

Stage 7: This is where you get serious. You get a little bit mad at how hard this is, how subjective, and you get a lot hardheaded. This is where you decide to fish or cut bait. All these thoughts run through your mind as you’re shredding your latest masterpiece. Breaking in is too hard! There’s too much to learn! But there’s something there that makes you want to try for one more rung of the publishing ladder. So you do. After all, that manuscript just won 3 contests. By this time, you’ve developed some writing buddies who can help pull you through this stage.

Stage 8: You pull up your big girl panties, grit your teeth and declare you’re going out there again. You’ve realized this is BUSINESS, not just fun-and-games, and that it is subjective, and everyone isn’t going to like what you do, but you’ve got enough feedback under your belt to know that SOME people do like what you do, and that’s enough to keep you going.

Stage 9: Now you get strategic. You develop a plan. You figure out which genre you’re most passionate about, you figure out what houses you’re best suited for, you figure out which of the half-dozen manuscripts you’re working on are the best you’ve got, and you run with that. Here you start finalling and winning more and more contests.

Beautiful shaded lane between Pam's house and her mother's house.

Stage 10: You’ve got a lot of contests under your belt, maybe even signed with an agent. Editors are requesting your stuff. Here, you’re likely to cut down on the number of contests you enter, just entering the big ones like the Golden Heart and the Genesis, and maybe a couple just because a certain editor or agent is judging. If you have an agent to send your stuff out, entering lots and lots of contests isn’t as critical.

Stage 11: You’re still in contest mode, but you’re very selective, and you only enter your absolute BEST work. It’s not exactly smart to enter a half-baked idea that MIGHT get in front of that editor who’s already got one of your best stories sitting on his or her desk.

Stage 12: Well, since these stages were about entering CONTESTS, I guess this is the last stage. At some point, an editor is going to pick up the phone and call you or your agent and offer a contract, and when you accept, you are ineligible to enter contests for the unpublished. And you enter a whole new set of stages as a published author.

Like the hero’s journey, these stages can be reversed, you can go through the same stage more than once, and you might even skip some of them, but for most of us, they’re probably much the same. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you make it to stage 12, the odds of you crossing the bridge to publication are pretty high.

Pam's mother-in-law's bridge to nowhere. lol Actually, it goes to a
delightful island in the middle of their pond. Great fishing
spot and her yard is filled with gorgeous flowers and photo opps.

Have you read The Evergreen Bride yet? If so, the world would love to know what you think. Click here to review it on Amazon...and if you haven't read it, well...

When Pam saw the list of proposed titles for the 12 Brides of Christmas series, she jumped on The Evergreen Bride as her title. “I knew immediately the story would be set in my home state of Mississippi, which is an evergreen state. We rarely have snow and even in the middle of winter, we still have a lot of greenery,” thus the heroine’s dream to see a white Christmas with her own eyes.

Checklist for Entering Contests

My former boss always said that my attention to detail was what made me good at my job.  And just for the record, I quit my former job a few years ago to write, work in the Christian publishing world, and manage the books on the family farm. It wasn't like I was fired from that day job! Just sayin' :)

So, this slightly OCD trait also comes in handy when preparing manuscripts for mailing, whether to contests, agents, or editors. But if you’re not detail-oriented, not to worry. Here are some tips to help keep you on track.

Keep in mind that some of the tips below do not apply to all contests. This list of tips is to help you get in the habit of doing all the steps every time you enter a contest, so that you can whip out an entry in a matter of hours. If something doesn't apply, you just mark it off your list.

Once you’ve got the content of your manuscript and your synopsis polished to a shine and/or there are only 3 hours until the receipt deadline, then:

1) Review the big picture rules
a. Does your ms fit neatly into one of the categories?

b. Do you know who the finalist judges are?
c. Have you looked at a sample score sheet if available?
d. Is the deadline a “receipt” deadline or “postmarked” deadline? Most, if not all, unpublished contests are online these days, but published contests will involve mailing books. Rules are there for a reason. If the deadline on a mailed entry is receipt, then the contest coordinator is honor-bound to abide by the rules regardless of when it was postmarked. 

2) Review the rules specific to your manuscript and your synopsis

a. Check the margins

b. Check font and font size

c. Check to see if there is a title page. A lot of online contests have moved away from title pages, but it never hurts to check the rules, just in case.

d. Check header. What exactly does the contest require in the header? What does the contest forbid in the header (like your name or pseudonym)?

3) There are few contests that require you to mail in your entry, so you don't have to print out the entry form these days, but if it helps you to keep everything on track, by all means, print it out. And especially if you are mailing in your entry, you might want to print out the mailing address for one last check when you get to the post office. In your excitement, it’s much too easy to get to the post office and seal that sucker up, forgetting all about the return postage and/or your check.
a. Did you include enough books or copies of your manuscript? If books for a published contest, did you sign them?
b. Did you double-TRIPLE-check the mailing address?
c. Pay a bit extra for Delivery Confirmation. You'll be glad you did. (The same goes for those wonderful contracts you're going to be snail-mailing someday!)

Entering unpublished contests have changed a lot over the years as the bulk of them have gone online. On one hand, the process is much, much easier and cheaper, especially since you don't have to print or mail anything. Isn't that a blessing? Contests with 3-5 print copies of a 20-25 page manuscript added a chunk of change to someone's contest budget. Also, for you young whippersnappers, us oldies had to pay for printing, postage to mail our entries, and a SASE envelope with enough postage for the contest to return all our judged entries. I like online much better.

But online contests don't come without problems. Slow internet, incompatible software, corrupted files, and failure to confirm your entry or payment can knock you out of a contest.

A year or so before I sold, I found out about a contest that was low on inspirational entries, so with hours before the deadline, I entered two manuscripts. One went through fine, but for some reason the other one kept converting from 35 pages on my computer to 39 on the coordinator's computer. Same two computers and the same coordinator as the other manuscript, minutes apart. It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen and neither of us could fix it. The coordinator bent over backwards to help, but in the end, I had to make a decision. In desperation, I chopped 5 pages off the end, and sent it in with 2 minutes to spare. The manuscript was within the page count at that point and wasn't disqualified. (It finaled and actually won the contest. Go figure...)

Once a contest lost my digital entry. Just literally lost it. I can't remember if they gave me a refund or if they had someone read for me. In the course of writing this post, I found another one that I'm still not sure I ever got the results on. Let it go! Let it go! It never bothered me anyway....

Always, always, always make sure you use an email address that you check regularly and especially check your email after the fact if you end up entering a contest with mere hours to spare. Contest coordinators are amazing at bending over backwards to let people fix issues, but in fairness to other entrants, once the deadline has passed, there's nothing they can do. Stay on top of your entry and don't be disqualified for something that could be prevented just by being aware of your email trail.

Generally when you enter a contest, you will receive at least two emails. Possibly more.

1) Payment confirmation. Most of the time, this email will come from PayPal as that's the go-to for most online payments these days. PayPal allows non-users to pay with a debit or credit card, but the email will still come from PayPal.
2) Entry confirmation receipt. This receipt will be from group/chapter hosting the contest OR the contest coordinator's private email, depending on the software the contest is using. It confirms that the contest coordinator received your entry. Again, generally speaking, #1 and #2 go hand in hand and are automated responses when you complete your entry. This email will usually let you know if you need to look for additional emails.
3) Additional emails might land in your inbox once contest coordinators have laid eyes on your manuscript pages and made sure they meet the guidelines.

Then you sit back and wait for the results...or...

better yet, write another book!!!

By checking your email, you ensure that you've completed the process, sent in your manuscript and received payment. The best laid plans can go awry even after you do everything perfectly, hit submit, but then go off to celebrate your achievement... only to find out that there was a glitch with your PayPal account. 99% of the time, you will receive an email confirmation immediately from PayPal. If you have time to wait 24 hours, do so. If the deadline is looming, it wouldn't hurt to check on the status of your entry.

It never hurts to check and double check everything. You’ll feel better, your package will be neat and tidy, and the coordinator will be forever grateful.

So, any contest war wounds? Lost submissions? You sent in your fee, but forgot to send in the manuscript/books? You sent in everything except your fee? You entered your ms in the least likely category that it could ever possibly final in? 'fess up! :) 



Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. 

The Evergreen Bride (Barbour Publishing) Available October 20th as ebook only and in The White Christmas Brides Collection, exclusively at Walmart. Cover coming soon!

 www.pamhillman.com

How To Win Writing Contests with Guest Blogger, 2011 Golden Heart Finalist, Clarissa Southwick

“This is the worst contest entry I’ve ever read, and I’ve been judging for twenty years.”

Ouch. It doesn’t sound like that author is going to win any writing contests, does it?

That’s a direct quote from the score sheet of the first writing contest I ever entered. Yet, somehow I’ve managed to place in more chapter contests than I can count and final in the Golden Heart with two different manuscripts. Along the way, I’ve learned a thing or two about writing contests.

Before I give you the secrets to winning writing contests, I must post some disclaimers: I’m not writing about anyone in particular here. Everything in this blog is based on patterns I’ve observed when interacting with large groups of writers. Your personal experience may differ.

A single writing contest means nothing. No one wins every contest entered. There’s always the chance you’ll get the crazy judge, and you can’t do anything about crazy. Here, I’m talking about gradually progressing over a period of time until you can regularly advance to the final round and get your manuscripts in front of editors and agents.

Here’s what you need to know to win writing contests:
Attitude is Everything.
Believe it or not, your attitude shows in your manuscript. It shows in how you string words together. It shows in your characters. It shows in how you respond to contest feedback.
Stop Showing Off. If you think you’re some kind of writing genius and your brilliance far exceeds the intellect of stupid contest judges, you will get low scores. Judges get tired of being yanked out of the story with cutesy one-liners and complicated prose. Nobody cares if you wrote your entry in iambic pentameter. They just want to be caught up in a good story.

Choose your Contest Carefully. Be sure the contest has the correct category for your work. Don’t try to squeeze your novel into a romance category if it’s not a romance. Look for contests that throw out the lowest score so you don’t fall victim to the whims of a single judge.


Read the score sheet and the rules BEFORE the contest: This sounds obvious, but I’m frequently approached by outraged authors whose low scores were perfectly predictable. If the score sheet lists required elements and you do not include them, the judge cannot give you a high score, no matter how much she loves your story.

Read the score sheet AFTER the contest: Look at the numbers. If you consistently score low on the same elements, you need to stop entering contests and take a class on that topic. Hone your craft and the rest will fall into place.

Get all the Easy Points: You should always get a perfect score on the “Mechanics” section. Submitting an entry that is full of spelling and grammar errors shows contempt for the judges. Don’t be surprised if their comments reflect that same insulting attitude back onto your manuscript.

Show you Know the Rules Before You Break Them: When used sparingly, fragments and odd punctuation can be used to great effect. Just be sure it’s obvious that’s what you’re doing. You’re not Jack Kerouac, and On the Road wasn’t his first novel.


Stop Making Excuses: Authors tend to come up with explanations for why they can’t get ahead. “Judges don’t like stories written in first person.” “Judges don’t like strong heroines.” “Contests only reward mediocre writing.” Yet, I’ve seen winning entries disprove all of these theories. Don’t let myths keep you from hearing what the judges are actually saying.


Listen. Really. Listen.
There is only one difference between those who succeed at contests and those who don’t. The winners have learned how to set aside their emotions and use the judge’s feedback properly. Sometimes it’s hard to get past the snarky comments to the lesson hidden underneath, but you have to do it if you want to learn anything from the experience.
Know when to polish, and when to start over: If your scores are typically lower than 60% of the total possible, you probably want to start over. But if you regularly score in the 80% range, you only need to polish. Don’t throw out the first chapter and rewrite it just because you didn’t final. If you do, you will always be submitting a first draft and your chances for success will plummet.

Don’t enter before you’re ready: Twice I’ve entered contests on a whim, typing up the final pages minutes before the deadline. Both times, I thought I was just entering to get feedback on an idea. Both times, I ended up in the finals, embarrassed to have a first draft in front of a final editor. Don’t do it. Only put your polished work out there. Trust me on this.


Volunteer to Judge: It’s the easiest way to learn how judges think. You’ll see your own writing differently once you’ve seen other writers making the same mistakes.

Lose the Anger. Angry, bitter writers tend to write angry, bitter characters. No one enjoys spending time with a hateful heroine. If you’re miserable because you’ve failed to succeed in the harsh world of publishing, take a year off and rediscover the joy of writing.


Attitude is everything. No, that repetition is not an error.

Love writing, love what you write, and the judges will love it too.

So, there you have my tips on how consistently win writing contests. I would love to hear your tips, comments and suggestions.





Bio: Two-time Golden Heart finalist, Clarissa Southwick writes tales of adventure where cultures clash and hearts collide. Visit her at www.gemstatewriters.com .










A note from Tina Radcliffe:

Congratulations to Clarissa on her 2011 Golden Heart final and a huge thank you to her for being our special guest in Seekerville today.

I'm offering a five page critique of a contest entry to one of today's commenters in honor of Clarissa's final. We want to encourage you to step out and enter the 2012 Golden Heart (*if you're ready*). The GH is open for entries in just three months!! Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.


*photo courtesy of dreamstime.com

CAUTION: HORMONE-FREE ZONE!! (Contest Horror Stories ... and Julie Lessman Book Giveaway)

“Mom, it’s not that bad, really.”

“She hated it,” I cried, sobbing into my pillow.

“But the other judge liked it—she said you had a nice voice.”

“Who cares! I got a 50% score … I’m garbage.”

“Mom, ya gotta handle contests better than this.”

I fisted a tear-stained entry in my hand. Rrrrrrrrip! I stared my daughter down and tossed the pieces in the air like confetti. “How’s that for handling??” I rasped. “Tell Dad we’re eating out.”

JULIE LESSMAN’S CONTEST TIP #1: Never … repeat … NEVER enter a contest after you’ve gone off hormones.

Okay, maybe I never really ripped a judge’s comments in two, but I certainly entertained thoughts of ripping a few judges in two. I mean, let’s face it—criticism hurts—bad! But you learn from it, you grow from it, you develop a thick skin (a prerequisite for trying to write novels), and—God willing—you become a better writer. So, bottom line, I am ALL FOR CONTESTS … unless, of course, you recently went off hormones.

Trust me, I know what I’m talking about, and so does the contest coordinator for the Heart of the Rockies contest a few years back. Poor thing. We’re friends now, but I think she went into rehab after that contest, if I’m not mistaken. Remember that cancer scare in the news regarding taking hormones? Yeah, so does my family … that was about the time they went into hiding when I weaned off HRT. You see, I was contest crazed … and if I wasn’t crazed, I was crying. Judges’ comments were lifeblood to me, and I torpedoed the Heart of the Rockies coordinator daily like a heat-seeking missile when I didn’t receive my judges’ comments.

“But where are they??” I badgered.

“They were sent out a month ago, Julie; you should have them by now.”

“Well, I don’t, and I need them—bad! Can’t you resend them?”

“Sorry, we don’t keep copies.”

Long, high-pitched groan. “But can’t you have the judges redo them—please?” (Yes, I really did ask that … a definite symptom of hormone withdrawal.)

“Julie, I’m sorry, but they are apparently lost in the mail. Give it time.”

Time? I didn’t have time. At this rate, I would never be published! So I did the only thing I could to stay sane while entering contests—I went back on HRT and became “normal” again (a relative term). I stopped crying, even when the scores were awful, because I knew that every contest made me a little bit better, a little bit stronger—a fierce competitor. And, I truly believe, contests played a key part in getting me published (finaling in the Golden Heart contest netted me a fabulous agent who landed me a 3-book publishing contract. Take that, Judge # 21!).

Months later after the Heart of the Rockies debacle, my husband and I were dining out, and I happened to comment about those lost judges’ scores. “I guess I’ll never know where they are,” I lamented.

My husband lowered his head. His focus seemed to sharpen on cutting the steak on his plate. “Er … they’re, well they’re … under Amy’s mattress.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

He looked up with a sheepish grin. “We decided—Amy and me—that given your emotional state at the time, those scores were not a good idea.”

My mouth sagged open. “So you hid them? Under Amy’s mattress? To keep the contest lunatic from going over the edge???”

He grinned. “Pretty much.”

I chugged my beverage of choice and gave him a shaky smile. “Thanks, babe, you’re the best.”

***

OKAY, guys ... don't leave me out on a limb here (or an edge) -- tell me your own contest horror stories! Everyone who leaves a comment (horror story or not) will have their name thrown in the hat for a signed copy (winner's choice) of one of the books in The Daughters of Boston Series. Winner will be announced in The Seekers Weekend Edition. So whether contest judge or entrant ... this is YOUR chance to pop a hormone or two and unload. Go for it!

Hugs,

Julie

Contest Feedback Glossary

Missy Tippens here. I decided it would be fun to look back at comments I’ve had from contest judges, editors and agents and put them in some sort of glossary that might help other writers—especially those who may have never sent their work out into the world yet. So, without further ado, here are terms that I’ve seen over the years, along with MY interpretation of what they mean. Again, this is purely my speculation! And it’s in relation to my submissions.

“Cardboard characters.” I think what this means is that I didn’t go deep enough with the characters. I probably didn’t explore their backstory well enough before I started writing. Also, it may indicate they’re a little too stereotypical, or clichéd. Not different enough. And the way to make them different enough is to give them a past, to examine how it has affected them in the present, and to show how they will respond to the problems facing them in the present. Also, it may mean I didn’t let go with the emotion of the story. And I totally understand that. I’ve judged contest entries where everything felt superficial and boring. The characters didn’t seem invested in the story, and neither was I. So give your characters a past, and don’t hold back on emotion in your story.

“Didn’t sparkle.” Okay, this one kills me. Nearly broke my heart when I got the rejection that said this. And I still don’t know for sure what the comment meant. But I have a feeling it has something to do with the story being fresh, with a new twist on the same old plot. Or maybe the characters didn’t stand out. Or maybe the writing wasn’t rich enough. Oh well. I’m still at a loss on this one from so many years ago!

“What’s the point?” This one just cracked me up! I loved it. Because it’s wonderful to have someone tell you that. Seriously. Because then you know the moment you lost your reader—not a good thing! So it’s something that can be fixed. Obviously, the scene wasn’t working. It probably had no real purpose for being there. All scenes need a purpose! Preferably a couple of purposes. So if you’re writing something, and a reader can’t figure out the point, then there probably isn’t a legitimate one. Consider cutting it out.

“I suggest you buy such and such how-to book.” Okay, when more than one judge suggests a basic writing how-to book, then maybe it’s time to take an online writing class or to consider reviewing the basics. Now, just one judge saying this shouldn’t throw you. It may just be that judge’s standard judging procedure to suggest good books. But if you get this from several, it may be time to look into some beginning writer training or training on the particular topic mentioned.

“Too convenient a plot device.” Most likely, this means you’ve been lazy or careless. (Yes, I’m talking to myself here, too.) Did you forget to set something up that’s supposed to happen later? Of course, maybe some plot idea came to you later in the book—just appeared out of thin air. Well, cool! But then you have to go back and make sure it’s set up well and work it in so it makes perfect sense when it happens. You can’t have some coincidence solve all your hero’s problems. Or you can’t have some new character pop up in the book who shows the heroine the way she should go or who (even worse!) saves the day himself. No, don’t do something that’s going to make your reader go, “Oh, puleeeze!”

“Add more introspection.” This is a problem I've had recently. And if you've seen the comment, it could mean you're caught up in the moment (in the action or dialogue) and have forgotten to put in the character’s thoughts and feelings. Or maybe you're still basically on a first draft and haven't yet added the needed layering. Either way, you need the action, but you also need the reaction. What’s going on in the hero’s head as he’s talking? How does he feel? Does he really mean what he’s saying? Or is there different dialogue going on in his head (subtext) while he talks? The reader doesn’t want just a play by play. She wants to know how everyone feels about what’s going on! So give it to her. It’s a great way to work in backstory as well if it’s the appropriate time. Just remember, “A little dab’ll do ya.” Don’t have the character think for ten minutes straight! Work it into the action and dialogue in snippets (unless you’ve purposely worked in a time for reflection).

“So what?” This isn’t meant to be mean. This is an honest reaction to a point in the story that simply means, “I don’t care right now. Make me care.” It means your character may not be sympathetic enough. The reader isn’t invested. So look back at the beginning and try to make your characters lovable. And even if one isn’t really lovable yet, at least make the reader be pulling for him or her to grow and change. Think about the characters you remember most from your favorite books. What made you love that character? Was he funny and clever? Was she a victim and you hoped she found justice? Was he fun and flirty? Was she generous? Was he a powerful man but very lonely? Was he in danger but risked his life to help someone else? Look at heroic qualities and see if your characters have them. If not, fix it!

Well, I could probably think of a million more. But I hope this short list helps you look at contest judge/editor/agent feedback in a different light. So, what about you? What comments have you gotten, and what’s your take on what it means?

P.S. Who else here is old enough to remember where “A little dab’ll do ya” came from? :)

Missy--who's latest book, His Forever Love, is about to release on June 1!

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!

Hooking your reader

Camy here, talking about writing a great hook for your novel.

Hooks are not just for contests, because editors will often give you only the first page to interest them. If your story doesn’t stand out for them in your first page, they’ll politely reject the manuscript.

They’re not being mean. It’s just that they get thousands of manuscripts a year, and they don’t have time to read every single one. Outside of doing edits for the books they’ve already contracted and acting as liaison between their authors and marketing or sales, their plates are full to overflowing.

So when they do have time to read new submissions, they’ll give you one page.

Let me repeat that: You have ONE PAGE.

And that’s why hooks are scored so high on contests. Because while not everything in contests is translatable to real life submissions to a publishing house, some things directly correlate. A great hook is one of those things.

How to write a great hook?

Surprise your reader in the first sentence.

Now, I’ve seen some great hooks that last an entire paragraph, but if you can hook your reader by the first sentence, that’s like a golden worm.

(Fishing reference. Hooks? Uh ... never mind. I’m trying to be clever.)

I’m serious. Even if your entire first paragraph is a great hook, also strive to make your first sentence have POW.

It doesn’t have to be “explosions” POW, but it should be some type of intellectual POW.

Surprise the reader. Intrigue them.

Show them something both different and mysterious.

If a reader reads the first sentence and only sees something odd happening, that won’t always intrigue them enough to keep reading (especially a cynical editor who has read thousands of manuscripts in the past year).

But if the first sentence describes something both surprising and mysterious, that will urge them to read on to figure out what’s going on.

What, exactly, is both surprising and mysterious? Well, since we all write different genres and with different writing styles, I can’t point to anything and say, “copy that.” It has to come from you.

Use strong words.

Margie Lawson discusses this in her deep EDITS class and her Empowering Characters’ Emotions class. Use “power words” that convey strong emotions, strong meanings.

Be extremely judicious in your word choice here. Be extremely critical of your words. Utilize a thesaurus with impunity.

Choose words that trigger strong emotional reactions in people, whether a pure visceral reaction or an automatic reaction to certain stimuli.

For example, “rotten” versus “a slimy icing of maggots.” Which produced the stronger reaction when you read it?

Get feedback to strengthen your hook.

Your critique partners/critique group is your most valuable resource. No one else can brainstorm with you or give you honest feedback like they can, because they both care about you and want your writing to be the best it can be.

Make several drafts. Brainstorm several sentences.

And once you’ve got things narrowing down, then call on other writing friends to give quick opinions. Trust their first impressions when they first read your sentence—that’ll be a good indicator of what an editor might think.

If you get lots of different opinions, you’ll need to filter what to listen to and what to toss.

I tend to put more weight on the most critical feedback, since that tends to be more useful to me in the long run. It’s not poor self image, but I need to pay more attention to criticism when crafting my writing, because the people who love it (and usually love me, too) do not always give helpful or objective feedback.

Try, try again.

Don’t get discouraged. Most of the writers I know spend more time on their opening hooks than any other part of the writing process.

It might take time, and it might take lots and lots and lots of drafts and revisions. You’ll get sick of it. You’ll walk away at some point.

But get back to it and keep plugging away. Persevere. Because that fantastic opening hook really is like a golden worm.

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 giveways!

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.