One of the things I always recommend writers do is to read as many winners of the various essay, poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction contests as possible. The purpose is not to think you have to duplicate the styles or the content, but because it will give you a sense of what the judges--who are writers and editors and publishers and teachers--feel is good writing. I have mentioned Creative Competitor in previous blogs, as well as listed the contests in the Money Corner. Here is a link to the winning short story for one of the recent contests: http://creativecompetitor.com/competition-winners/mid-life-crisis-fiction Take a few minutes to read it (it's very short) and analyze why you think the judge believed this was first-prize work. And while you are on the site, sign up for the newsletter for more insights into what makes one piece of writing a winner.
No comments:
Post a Comment