Today I'll be judging those contest entries that I should have finished last week before I left town. *sigh* They are tougher than I expected, more of the first time writer feel to them instead of the "I'm this close to publishing" vibe.
And you see what I'm doing?
I'm stalling! I'm writing a blog post instead of buckling down to judge!
I've read/judged/commented/scored two out of three entries and I'm working on the third one (trust me, I'm GLAD I only have three!). I need to finish it so I can let them ferment overnight. Tomorrow I'll give them one last glance and send them on their way. None of them will be finalists in this contest. They just aren't ready for prime time.
Funny thing is that I thought I would have a higher quality of entries since this is a LARGE, WELL-KNOWN AND PRESTIGIOUS CONTEST. But nope, the contest is open to everyone, which means you get every type of entry possible.
Which also means I need to form my comments in as honest, but not hurtful, manner as possible. I've already learned that no matter how kindly you offer your opinion, feelings will get hurt. It's part of the game, part of developing a thick skin, part of your growth as a writer.
Not everyone will love your work. Period. Get used to it.
BUT as a writer, it's your job to present your work in the possible manner, which means you must learn the craft of writing: grammar, punctuation, pacing, characterization, emotion, dialogue, plot, etc. Some parts of the craft might be easy for you, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the rest of the factors that make a good story.
Okay, I think I'm ready to tackle the last few pages . . .
. . . after I brew a cup of coffee . . . and it has been ten minutes since I looked at Facebook . . . and I forgot to post my walkies on twitter . . . and I do need to run to Sam's Club . . .
Later, Peeps!
My sympathies but also a good pat on the back for giving to newbies. One bad thing about the ease of Indie publishing is that anyone can write a book--and they do to the detriment of themselves. An acquaintance has discovered that the hard way.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your acquaintance, Meg. Sometimes we're too stubborn for our own good.
ReplyDeleteI know I waffle with the question of why I decided to go the indie pub direction. By the end of the year, I might actually break even. ;-)
But having one very excited 14 -year old fan makes up for the lack of $$.
That was why I indie pubbed--I wanted to share my stories. Yeah, making some money would be great, but I guess I'll have to find a day job.