WRITING FROM OUR HEARTS   

How do we write a book from our hearts and make it marketable?  That's the millionaire dollar question.  

We writers usually write about things that move us and we want to share those feelings with others.  We don't know if our work can be sold.  Not even some well-published authors have figured it out.  At times, they are rejected, too.  

So, how can we write what we love and sell it?  Here are three ways that can help: 

• Join a critique group 
• Hire an editorial consultant
• Work with a published writer who offers critique services 

I've done all three options.  I regularly receive creative and constructive criticism from my critique partners, who show me ways to improve my manuscripts.  And in 2016, I worked with editorial consultant Mary Kole, who helped me tweak a story that landed an agent.   

Recently, I had the opportunity to have a critique/Zoom session with Brian Gehrlein, an amazingly talented author.  He pointed out how to rev up the tension, how to develop the character arc, and how to improve formatting.  In addition, he showed me ways to beef up my query letter.  Overall, he helped me take my manuscript to the next level so it could be submitted to agents. 

Even still, doubt crept in.  

After Brian's critique, after suggestions from my critique partners, and after the revision of my manuscript, I wondered if an agent would like it.  Would my polished, well-crafted story resonate with her?  And, could she sell it to a publishing house?  It will take querying to find out.  

Brian tells me to showcase my voice and style, to experiment, to trust my gut, to be different, and to make the writing fun and authentic.  His optimism and advise gives me the courage and confidence to continue despite the doubts. 

He affirms what I feel:  write the stories that come from my heart.  To create a unique story, only a story that I can tell.  To get feedback.  To revise my manuscripts.  But the rub is, no one knows if the time or money I've spent will pay off.    

As you probably know, there are never any guarantees our work will be published.  We don't have a crystal ball to tell us yes, this is THE manuscript that will turn into a book.  Writers endure the pain of rejection while we hold on to the hope of success.  We keep going because writers must be patient and persevere.  Despite the uncertainties we must strive to write what we love and have faith that one day, an agent will love it, too.      

✌ and ♥

                                                                                                                                                                    Photo by:  Ariel

WINNING OR NOT WRITING CONTESTS

I'm beginning to have doubts about entering writing contests. 

For more than twenty years, I have entered contests as a way to build my resume.  Now, I'm unsure whether to continue the practice.  

The piece I entered in the 2023 Tennessee Mountain Writer's (TMW) annual competition had received compliments from several agents.  In fact, based on this piece agents have asked me to send them more manuscripts.  So, I know from their reactions and from the comments of my critique partners that this manuscript was strong.  I was sure this piece was going to win a prize.  But I found out that my story didn't win an award.  It didn't even receive an honorable mention.

At first, I was shocked and angry.  

I reviewed the contest guidelines and then checked my submission.  It looked fine. Then I went back to the contest website to double check the winner's names.  There were only two:  first and second place.  That was it.  No other prizes.  I've entered the Tennessee Mountain Writers Contest for over fifteen years and have always, always won a prize.  So, having entered a prize-worthy manuscript, I was stumped that it didn't receive any award. 

This slight, this insult got me thinking about writing competitions.  Some people believe it's important that winning a writing contest will impress agents.  But after querying for many years, I'm starting to feel differently.  I think that being a member of a professional writing association, having work published in magazines, attending writer's conferences, and working with critique partners make a better resume.  

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from entering a contest.  Getting your work before judges could give you some indication of the strength of your work.  That is, if you trust the contest and the judges.  I would urge you to look into contests that don't charge too much and those that state the names of the judges.  

I realize judging writing is subjective.  In my case, perhaps the judge* didn't like my lyrical writing style.  Maybe the judge didn't like the story because character change was too subtle.  Or because it was about cats.  Who knows?  I contacted the contest chairwoman asking why nobody won third place or honor mention.  She didn't have an answer, but she assumed that the judge felt no other submission was worthy of a third place or an honorable mention.

Writers pay money to enter a contest and have their best work judged.  Writers are proud of the pieces they've selected for a competition.  So, if I could I'd ask the judge to put herself in the place of the writers.  How would she feel if she had submitted her best manuscript to a writing contest and found out that it had not won a prize and no honorable mentions had been awarded?  Bear in mind, in most cases honorable mentions do not win a cash prize.  Then I would ask her:  Who would it have hurt to have given one or two writers this honor?  

After the winners had been announced for the Tennessee Mountain Writers Contest, I tried to find the names of the judges.  I wanted to check their resumes.  What were their credentials?  Were they published?  But the judge's names were missing.  Maybe they had been listed while the contest was running and now, the names have been removed.  I find this troubling.  Even after the contest, the names of the judges should be listed along with the names of the winners.  

You might think I'm bitter over this, but I'm not.  I've learned through this situation.  I don't need a contest to validate my work.  All I need is a decent bio, and I have that.  So, it feels like now after twenty years it's time to be more discriminating about contests.  It's time to enter contests that are fair to writers.  Sadly, after winning so many awards from TMW, it's time to accept the fact that I will never enter this contest again.  

✌ and ♥

*Arbitrarily assigning the pronoun her.