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Thursday
May 23, 2013
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By Online Authors
Contests & Activities: May 30, 2012 Issue [#5067]


Contests & Activities


 This week: Stay Flexible
  Edited by: Giselle
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  



1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions



There was a day, last week or a decade ago, that you typed "writing" into your search engine. You wanted to show off some of your poems, short stories, or maybe even get feedback for a whole novel. You found Writing.com.
On this site, you found all that you searched for: Portfolio space, helpful reviewers, encouraging groups, style and grammar lessons from peers. Nothing prepared you for the amazing bounty of: Contests & Activities!









Stay Flexible


How important is it to have rules, enforce them, and when is it necessary to be flexible?

For every activity and for every contest on this site, there are rules that the host makes up. There are some rules that should be set in stone and not tampered with, but there are aspects that can make it necessary to make changes. I am currently running a contest that asks members to submit stories about parenting. The contest started on Mother's Day and ends on Father's Day. I felt those dates were appropriate for a parenting contest. Once I opened the contest to submissions, I got some questions.

One of the rules was that I would only allow new stories. A member asked if it would be okay to submit an older story if it wasn't awarded yet. Hey, I'm not in the business of stifling creativity. So, I changed the rule to say that new and unawarded stories were welcomed in the contest. A few days later, I got another submission. Why, wouldn't you know it ... somebody decided to send an award to that story. What to do now? *Worry*

For a day, I really didn't know what to do. Then, it came to me. At the time that it had been submitted, that story did not have a ribbon. It is hardly the entrant's fault if his story is so good, another member feels the story deserves a ribbon. So, I posted that this particular story is still 100% eligible for the contest since the ribbon was awarded after the submission.

*QuestionG* As a possible entrant, you should never be afraid to either send a contest or activity host an email, or post your question in the forum.

Things that should not be questioned.

*No* Never ask a host to read in a genre they didn't ask for.

*No* Never ask a host to read anything with a higher rating than their posted limits.

*Crown* Accept the judge's decisions.

Things that may be subject to change.

*Gold* You can always encourage a host to give out bigger prizes, especially when you send a gift point donation along.

*Clock* Some contests have to alter submission deadlines.

*Inlove* Hosts want their activity or contest to thrive. Small changes, such as the ones in the example above, can be made at the host's discretion.





FORUM
ID: 1858542   (Rated: 13+)
Published Books of WdC Authors Forum  
This forum is for reading and reviewing WdC-Authors’ Published Books.
by Joy

ID: 1865871
Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
by Not Available.

ID: 1869411
Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
by Not Available.

ID: 451035   (Rated: ASR)
Good Deeds Go Noticed 
Wanted: Good, helpful reviewers - Reward: Lots of GPs.
by Diane

ID: 1869335   (Rated: E)
Fairy Garden Party Now Closed 
Fairies love garden parties. They frolic all day, leaving gifts behind.
by LG back to the writing board

ID: 1790591   (Rated: 18+)
Last Pen Standing. 
Round eight now open. Theme: Halloween (of course).
by TheGary

A contest for short stories based on a list of prompts. This round's theme: Death through the eyes of Edvard Munch.
ID: 1617268   (Rated: E)
Fairy Tale Twist Contest 
Write an expanded story based on a fairy tale!
by Princess Dreamer

IN & OUT
ID: 555590   (Rated: 13+)
Three Word Mayhem! 
Who knew three words caused so much Mayhem? 2012 Quills: Best Multiple Person Activity!
by jay

FORUM
ID: 1868482   (Rated: ASR)
I Write in June-July-August  
Combat summer writing slouch by participating in this forum once a week.
by Giselle

ID: 1558020   (Rated: ASR)
Parenting Short Story Contest 
Parenting is the funnest job ever! Or not? You tell me!
by Giselle

 
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In response to my last newsletter "Why Auctions and Raffles?, I got the following comments.

Wyrd_Naos - Finals arrive! wrote: Wow, this was a very enlightening article. It really opened my eyes to the diversity of WDC and some of the reasons behind it. This really is a site steeped in creativity. *Heart* "Sins of the Poet - CLOSED

BBWOLF Turns 24 on 6/3 wrote: Sometimes one must write. "What's Your Nightmare? Round 13

Princess Zelda Thank you so much Giselle for Highlighting my contest "Expressions of Emotions Poetry Contest in this newsletter.

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