Contest Finals!

Okay, I'm only posting the category that has my name. . . :-)

The DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MYSTERY/SUSPENSE –Unpublished Division Finalists for 2014 are:

PARANORMAL (FANTASY/TIME TRAVEL/FUTURISTIC) ROMANTIC MYSTERY/SUSPENSE

Margaret A. Golla for Air Beneath a Dragon's Wings

Janet Halpin for A Moment After Dark

Janet Halpin for Beryl Blue, Time Cop

Sarah Kuest w/a Sarah Brady and Shannen Kuest w/a Shannen Brady for Healer

Roshani Chokshi for The Glass Garden

Yes, I was just a wee bit excited when I saw this. There was a cap of 50 entries in this category. I don't know if there were 10 or 50 entries, or a number in between . . . but I like to hope it was on the higher end of the competition. 

And I was even more excited when I saw the scores of the contest entry that DIDN'T final. 

The other story, The Fire Within, received scores of 111, 118, 112, and a 102. This is out of a total of 123 points maximum with the lowest score dropped. The largest majority of the deducted points seemed to be from the lack of romance provided in the first 20 pages, along with the need to layer a bit more throughout the submission, which caused the points to add up with minus one here, minus one there. 

The romance was detailed in the synopsis, but some judges scored tougher than others in this respect. As a judge I tend to be a softer touch in this respect and maybe take one point off, while one of my judges took 4 out of 5 points. 

It's all subjective.

Another interesting point is the story that finaled, Air Beneath a Dragon's Wings, had the exact same scenario: romance detailed in the synopsis, but you don't meet the hero in the actual manuscript pages, but the lack of meeting the hero didn't seem to bother those judges. 

I won't know how the first round judges scored AIR until after the winners are announced at the award ceremony in July. 

If you are a writer and want to improve your craft, there are numerous ways to do this: take classes, join a local writer's group, read writing books, and, of course, read books in your chosen genre. 

But if you really want to know what judges are looking for in your contest entries, then volunteer to judge. 

It's harder than you might think, but it is also more satisfying. 

I'm always amazed at the wonderful stories I find hidden in the contest entries. Some stories are in need of TLC, while other stories are ready for publication, or maybe you can help a newbie writer with your font of writing wisdom. 

If you don't want to judge, then take the time to download the score sheet. This is the best way of figuring out if you are hitting all the marks on a story. If you can't detach yourself from your story, then find someone you trust to take those sheets and judge your entry according to the criteria provided by the contest. 

They might be able to see problems that you are too close to the story to see. 

The key story elements in the Daphne revolve around questions involving: 

• Beginning of the Manuscript
• Plot/Pacing
• Characterization
• Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic Specific
• Dialogue/Narrative
• Setting
• Point of View
• Style/Voice

The reason a version of these story questions are always on a score sheet is because getting the balance right is what storytelling is all about. 

Later, Peeps! 

Finding Writing Validation

Writing is a very solitary business.

We are alone with the voices in our head making up impossible situations to try to connect with a reader.

That connection is the 'gold' this writer seeks.

Oh, we might show our family and friends our stories, but that doesn't fill the void of having other writers confirm that we are on the right writing track.

For years, I've judged various romance contests, and when I find the submission that has that reader connection, I'm on top of the world. And I hope the other judges with this same entry feel the same way that I do.

But it doesn't always happen.

Most of the time, those stories have other issues that need to be fixed, which drops their score leaving them out of the finalists arena.

Every now and then, a writer has both the ability to use the English language AND the talent to write a story that reels the reader in.

Recently, I judged a story like that. RWA's Mystery & Suspense chapter, which is a HUGE online chapter, holds a contest called the Daphne, yes, named after Daphne du Maurier. The story I judged was a historical novel, but not a time period that I usually read. It was truly a wonderful story that I would love to read when it is published.

When I signed up to judge this contest, I had a vague thought about entering one of my elemental stories.

And in an almost final minutes of the contest being open, I decided to throw two of my elemental WIP's (Works in Progress) into the fray. The competition would be fierce and the entries in my category (paranormal) were capped at at 50.

Other than being one of the most prestigious contests, other than RWA's Golden Heart, this contest is big. One of the incentives in entering this contest, and category, was the final judge--editor Brenda Chin.

Now, I've entered contests over the years with different projects, and with one exception about ten years ago, I can never find three first round judges who feel the same way about my stories to score them high enough to final. This time I had to find FOUR first round judges.

The odds were against me.

Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call on Friday informing me that my contest entry, AIR BENEATH A DRAGON'S WINGS finaled in the Daphne.

Yay!

No, there was no screaming and hollering. Just a 'Yay"! from me.

I'm sure the contest coordinator wondered why I wasn't more excited . . . I left that for my wonderful friend and CP who has been there for me for many years--Meg Reid. 

Yes, she did scream and holler!

And I doubt if I would have had a coherent synopsis without the eleventh hour input from my friend, Cynthia D'Alba. 

Thank you both!

And now to buckle down and finish writing this story.

Though I have a few months, since the winners won't be announced until RWA's National Conference at the end of July, I want to finish this story.

I'm still very excited that this story--the first in a series of four--has gotten the recognition it deserves.

Later, Peeps!

A Contest "Thank You" or NOT?

About six weeks ago, I finished judging a contest, sent all my comments and scores back to the coordinator, and then promptly forgot about it.

That's the way I work: Out of sight, out of mind.

And it doesn't take much to make my mind empty these days!

Last week, I was emailed a thank you note.

An aside on thank you notes: As a judge, I don't expect one, and I certainly don't want one just because you feel you have to write one. This has always been my opinion from the first time I judged a contest in 2001. In all the years that I entered contests, I think I only wrote one thank you note. Don't bother writing one unless the judge actually gave you some insight into your story.  

This particular story was a historical romance. It was good, but it could use some editing and tightening.

Heck--EVERY story could always use more editing and tightening!

This story now has an agent and it will be a Kensington digital release. Good for her!

And then I got a second thank you note.

It was another "I sold my story!", but this time the subtext was very, very different.

To paraphrase:
Though you hated my story, I sold it. So there!

I'd gotten a nanny-nanny-boo-boo backwards thank you note.

Okay, I get it. The author wanted to point out that I obviously don't know gold when I'm reading it.

Okay, fine. Glad the author felt better by sending this unnecessary, and questionable, thank you.

But to top it off, the author will be handing my comments to her new editor?

Are you kidding me?

Why would an editor want my comments?

Obviously the problems that I spotted in a synopsis and the first fifty pages didn't bother the editor when she offered a contract. Besides, an editor has to think in the terms of the publishing house line, not some random contest entry comments from a random judge.

Puh-leeze. 

The most frustrating part as a judge is when the entrant puts their blinders on and doesn't really 'see' the comments. In this instance, the author thought I gave her a low score because it was an erotic historical.

That wasn't the case at all.

I had a problem with this story due to the lack of characterization in both the hero and heroine. Neither character was very developed and I couldn't sympathize with either one, which made the story uninteresting to me.  

But that was just my opinion. Another judge might not see the same thing. That is all you get when you enter a contest--AN OPINION. Obviously, the offering editor didn't seem to have a problem with this particular story or felt she could work with the author to tweak it.

So what I'm saying in my typical roundabout way is to keep writing and submitting because you never know who will find your story in the slush pile.

All it takes is one yes, but sometimes you have to slog your way through a pile of no's to get there.

Later, Peeps!