  Contests & Activities
This week: Tools of the Trade Edited by: Legerdemain  
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The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.
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| ASIN: B083RZ2C5F |
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Amazon's Price: $ 19.99
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Tools of the Trade
While searching around for a topic or plot to use for a contest entry, think about some of the work you have in progress. Stuck rounding out a character? Does your gryphon seem real enough? Then use your idea and the contest prompt, to create a story and background that will explain more of your character to you. It could be a scene that occurs long before your work-in-progress's timeline. Or take a secondary character and give her a history and a timeline you didn't take the time to do earlier.
This serves good purpose; not only do you write a better entry for a contest prompt, but you help round out characters already created in your mind and writing. Obviously you still need to stick to the contest's rules and restrictions, but you're actually helping yourself along with the progress of your own work. Later on, you may be able to fit the smaller contest entry into a chapter of your work, giving it depth and full characters.
This is also a good way to play out a character that didn't fit into your own work, but something you thought would be fun to write. You could give them a unique story and background, perhaps even a new larger work of their own once the contest entry is submitted and winners declared. There is no rule that says you can't edit a contest entry into a longer work once the contest is over.
These are just some suggestions for the next time you enter a contest. I hope that is soon! Write on!
This month's question: Have you ever turned a smaller contest entry into something larger? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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Excerpt: Flash fiction is fun to read and a challenge to write. It must contain all the elements of a larger work of fiction, but in a much shorter space.
Excerpt: Do you enjoy reviewing new members in order to welcome them to Writing.Com? Well, you've come to the right place!
Excerpt: Everybody who makes a minimum of 15 reviews per month will receive a merit badge.
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#1750653 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: The concept for this event is very simple. There are a total of 2,000 tickets for sale. Each ticket will cost 1,000 GPs. Now, this is a guessing game, right? So, your job is to guess what number the virtual dice will come up with at the close of the contest! It's a spin off of 'Guess the Jelly Beans', the only difference being that no-one, including me, knows the winning numbers!
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#1826536 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: The world is full of things that bewilder us, intrigue us and things that are absolutely beyond our comprehension. In fiction we may explore them, tear off the mask of uncertainty and reveal the truth, or at least a truth. In this contest I will provide you with prompts, things that you may never have heard of, or may have always been aware of and only needed someone to point them out. In the end they are just things that deeply interest me, and that I would love to read a story about.
Excerpt: Celebrate the Cramp's 10th birthday January 23 - 30 with guest prompters and special prizes in addition 10,000 GPs! The daily winner will also receive a Merit Badge and an Awardicon for their entry, and a random entrant will get a review package.
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#1839877 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Any genre, any rating, word count 2,000 -3,000 or less. Please state your word count. No Book Chapters. No New Stories--these should be old stories that are well reviewed and rated.
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#1830119 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Short Stories only. 500 and 5000 words. New stories only. You will be judged on the scare factor of your story. The closing and opening dates all happen to coincide with the full moon.
Excerpt: Old pieces allowed! Keep ratings to 18+ and below! All entries must be posted by the end of each month.
SinfulAngel39  says this contest has undergone some major changes. From a redo, addition of new staff to a change in leadership.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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| ASIN: 197380364X |
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Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
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This month's question: Have you ever turned a smaller contest entry into something larger?
Last month's question: What Contests or Activities would you like to see hosted this year?
simoneajcooper responded: G'day from Australia! Just replying to the what comps would we like you guys to host, and I would love to have more erotic writing contests. I know there's a contest called Sensual Moments, but I would love a contest that showcases the best erotic description as the focal point of the story, for eg I have a 3500 word story that centres around one night of incredible sex (a very detailed night of sex!) between two strangers, but I'm having trouble finding a comp I can submit this to. Hope that might be possible? Thank you!
Bonnie sent: I am delighted with your call to help members create contests. For a while, I have been thinking about running a contest for romance writers; we need more romance of WDC. Your newsletter has given me the final Oompph, to get down and do it. Thanks for the inspiration...now to find someone to brainstorm with...
Anyone out there?
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| ASIN: 0996254145 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
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Contests & Activities: February 01, 2012 Issue [#4850]
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