IMO - notice there is nothing 'humble' about my opinion

First off, I did not judge the contest. I knew some of the entrants and wanted it blind for the judges and to keep the judges sequestered during the contest.

What I’ve done here is to comment briefly on a few of the things I liked. This would be a really long post if I listed everything I liked about each story.

I’m always a sucker for literary devices. An extra proof reading would have helped most stories, especially if read aloud. Some didn’t pay close enough attention to the guidelines and the judges deducted for that. Another comment I saw often was in regards to creating a need for the reader to care about the well-being of the main character. Certainly that is due more attention by nearly all the writers.

Here's the good stuff (IMO)...
　
Published Authors
A Shrewd Moment by Andy D Kemp (France)
Very visual descriptions. No way did I want to sit on the cold upholstery. Good relationship between the driver and passenger. I cared about them.

Bostwick Blues by Don Blinebry (USA) *
I liked the Noir feel of the piece. Nearly heard the narration that was key in both radio and television gumshoe stories. I liked the addition of the snitch. It is so easy to forget to widen the cast when writing in first person.

Carnival by Francis Hayes (UK)
Good use of setting throughout the work. I laughed at the Kansas comments, since I’ve lived there. Strong dialogue. Worked well, in fact, totally got me with the twist at the end. This writer must have been to the US or have a magical imagination that is perfect about the locations in the US. I would not have guessed this was not written by an American.

The Jade Princess by Derek Coleman (USA)
I like the narration and the unexpected twist at the end after the fraud had been exposed. Made me smile with the thought that often the treasure isn’t the obvious one.

The Lemon Man From Agerola by Jo Smith (France) *
I was so mad at her friends for putting her in harms’ way by jumping in the other car. I bought into the story and the risk.

Packet drink, Please by Aneeta Sundararaj (Malaysia)
I like the relationship between the old woman and the child - neighbors, but more. "When we smile at each other, both have missing front teeth." I liked that showing of their ‘oneness’ -- their bond of friendship and more.
　
Unpublished Authors
Appreciation by Ivana Maric (Croatia)
My state of mind is to like the twist in this story. Good use of foreshadowing. If you’ve read my blog, foreshadowing is one of my favorite writing tools. Good job on setting the setting and changing the dialogue to fit the changes in the internal dialogue of the main character.

Let’s Drink on It by Russ Waterman (US)
Smart idea to set a story on a California beach. Shows the writer has me figured out. I liked the beach bum attitude of the two characters, typically Californian. Some judges had trouble with the time line, but I don’t think a country this large would go Armageddon all at once. I think it would come in waves and the fact that the guys were resolved to the end coming wasn’t a problem for me.

Meticulous Planning by Fiona Taylor (UK)
This is enough to give chills to every mother of small children. The title fits perfectly. The mind of the main character is chilling, as it would have to be.

Of The Gods by Anne Dewvall (USA)
Very literary, a style I like. I couldn’t figure out the setting or main character, so that kept me reading because it was done in an intriguing way. Nice use of symbolism. I found that it was an enjoyable piece once I shut off my mind to the questions and rolled with it. It reminds me of the book of Revaluations in the Bible, not meant for everyone to understand the underlying story.

One More Hour by Glynis Smy (Cyprus)
This one had me going. I was guessing with the rapid changes of circumstance, so I was pleased when I found out who the main character was and what was ‘afoot’ as Mr. Homes would have said. Made me smile. Very original idea.

Opening A Vein by Samantha Kelley (USA)
I love the line, "The ink flows out of my pen like lies out of a politician." You know me, I like the use of literary devices. I could have stopped here and been perfectly satisfied. Ah the insanity of being a writer!

The Pussycat by Robin Rhodes (USA)
I could almost hear the bar music, though it wasn’t mentioned. Good use of dialogue in most places. The setting was established nicely. The ‘attitude’ of the main character was consistent throughout.

The Hunter by Peggy Nolan (USA) *
Totally not what I expected from Peggy. (Yeah, like reading her blog makes me an expert!) I liked the setting - I admit I never stopped to wonder what the teacher was thinking while we were all thinking of getting through the lecture in one piece. Thought the setting was believable and original.

The Sacrifice by Nicolas Sharp (?)
Starts with a good pace and the writing supports the chase. I was totally surprised by the twist at the end, plus I liked the bond between the two characters. I’m one who likes people to connect.

The Surprising End of My Innocence by Janie Hickok Siess (USA)
Easy to get attached to the main character. Straight storyline, from beginning to end, without gaps. Very little dialogue, but what was there was strong and point on target.


Thank you to everyone who entered the short story contest. I hope you gained something useful from the experience. I’ll email the judges’ comments to you this weekend. Some are very blunt and I even commented to one judge on that. So lick your wounds after reading their comments, then read mine again. Plus, the points the judges like are certainly keepers as you write other works. Do again what you do well.

Mea Culpa

I have theories, but no real explanation how this happened. It just did.

There is a third winner to the short story contest. Somehow the story didn't get posted for the judges to read. I have poled a few and this story should also be recognized as a winner.

All I can do is sincerely apologize and say that we have three winners! Yes, how's that for a cool contest? No entry fee and three winners!

So... here ya go! The envelope please. (Do a drum roll, if you are so inspired to such things.)

Our third winner, or second winner in the published writer category, goes to BOSTWICK BLUES by Don Blinebry! Yeah Don. You are in good company with Jo Smith and Peggy Nolan.

So how about it you three, may I post your winning entries on my blog? Please answer in the comment section or send me an email.

BTW, I'm very honored that everyone took the time to enter my first ever writing contest with the total prize money now adding to $150 USD.

I will get the comments put together for all of the writers and the judges to see. If the judges spotted something you need to work on, you're miles ahead in knowing than you were a few weeks ago - and these judges are a tough audience. If I'd judged, everyone would have won because there is something special about each story submitted, and I'd be broke - so it is better this way.

Untitled

It wasn't until I was cooking lunch for guests this weekend that I learned my stove has two temps, burn-to-a-crisp and OFF.

Forget that, I bet everyone wants to know who the winners are in the short story contest, yes?

The judges have sent in their votes and most sent comment which I will share with each writer. In addition to the judges' take on the story itself, they judged with the criteria that is linked to the cactus logo in the top left on the sidebar.

I want to make sure everyone understands the crux of this gig. If I had a dozen lit agents judge this contest, the results would be much the same, their opinions would run the whole spectrum - as it did this contest. There was of course clear winners, but the non-winners were not too far behind and mostly grouped close to each other.

The point of this is: take rejection letters from agents with a grain of salt. Do improve your query letter, but also know, as I've said before, this is a subjective industry. I think everyone can recall a time when there was a buzz about a certain book, then after reading it couldn't figure out the big fuss everyone else was making. Keep writing, keep improving, keep sending out queries.

So...now, the envelope, please!

In the published writer category, the winner is THE LEMON MAN FROM AGEROLA. Congratulations to Jo Smith!

In the unpublished writer category, the winner is THE HUNTER. Congratulations to Peggy Nolan!

I will get your prize checks in the mail and see about getting a winner icon you can use if you like. Also the rest of this week I will be introducing our judges on my blog.

Important note: I'm thinking about posting the link to the entries for everyone to go read the entries and see if you agree with the judges' decision. If anyone who entered the contest does NOT want their entry available, please email me this week, or leave a comment on this post.

Again, congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who entered. Keep writing!

Contest Comments

Several people have asked how the short story contest is coming and when the winners will be announced. Peggy Nolan was the latest to ask. See link below.

The judges have been submitting their decisions and comments - with just a few left to come in. On Monday, I'll email the two winners, published writers and unpublished. Before I announce the winners, I will introduce the judges. They have done a fantastic job and all have taken the duty quite seriously. I'm very proud to know each of them and honored that they agreed to judge for 'us' considering how busy they are. I haven't done the final tally of the scores, so at this moment, even I don't know who the winners are.

The judges have each said they enjoyed reading the entries and there was a nice mix of genre and some very original works. There is a consensus that all of the works could have used just a bit more work on them, some needing polishing and some just a bit more of this or that.

I will compile all the comments, good, bad, and ugly for each writer as a bit of feedback with the spirit of assistance the judges unanimously sent.

The odd thing is that each story has received the lowest rank by one or another judge and one of the two highest scores by other judges - proving, once again, this is a subjective business. They commented on the strong and weak points and I think that information will be helpful to each writer. These comments will be combined in one email per writer.

Not everyone can win (I couldn't afford the prize money) but I thought each piece has some very strong points to them, as well as areas that need work. Do not use any less than flattering comments as an excuse to get discouraged. This is a fantastic opportunity to see what a sampling of industry professionals thought of the works.

One thing I noticed was that we need to be more mindful of the global audience. I found in reading the comments there were times when the non-American judges didn't get the nuances of the American pieces and vise versa with the American judges not quite getting the non-American pieces. When it comes to marketability of our works, something agents and publishers look at, we need to reach the widest audiences possible while still finding a balance with our native voice.

Not that I'm the perfect example to follow, but look at the comments about Kathryn's Beach from my Egyptian friend, Asmaa Kadry, "... I enjoyed the part describing her beach and the ocean, lovely! Love of the sea is in my blood! I felt I was on the beach in Alexandria, Egypt's first harbor, and I swear I almost smelled it and felt its breeze touching my face!" To read the full comment, go here: http://nadinelamanbooks.com/reviews.html

Peggy Nolan: http://serendipitysmiles.com/

Asmaa Kadry: http://tulipebookshop.tulipbook.com/6.html

Contest Thoughts

Glynis mentioned in the comments on Monday's post that some contests are closed - only open certain country's writers. That might have to do with local and international laws, especially for those offering the prize of a publishing contract.

Some contests are 100% gimmicks and solely had to raise income. But don't discount a contest just because there is a fee. Advertising the contest is a huge expense in some cases. Sometimes judges are compensated for their time. There are expenses beyond the prize money, so I don't mind a reasonable fee.

The judges for my short story contest have nothing to gain for donating their time, it is just one of those relationship things that develops. I'm blessed with many good industry contacts.

Some contests are prestigious to win. Certainly those that provide judges' feedback are useful - often for an additional fee. They give a snapshot of what industry pros think of the submission at that moment in time.

However, keep in mind that some people have submitted the same [rejected] ms to an agent at a later date with no significant changes and it was "loved" the second time around. This industry is subjective. It is also a lot of educated guessing.

I think there are several reasons to enter writing contests. The free contests, of which there aren't very many, are budget friendly - a no brainer. It is important to set a budget on what will be spent for contests. There are contests with prestigious names that are a real boost to a writing career, if won. Usually those cost more than some of the others. I like those that give out the judges' comments - good, bad, and ugly. If you don't win, at least you have feedback from the process. Also, you know your work was read.

I'm suspect of contests with anthologies, publishing contracts, and a bunch of services that I wouldn't buy, so don't really want to win.

Take the time to research who can enter. Some contests have geographic boundaries, some the publisher has to submit the work while others the author has to enter.

At any rate, thank you to everyone who entered this contest. I am delighted with the response since this is the first time to host a contest and it certainly isn't a prestigious one. But I hope that the ease made it a little less stressful for those who were entering their first contest.

Keep in mind that the world doesn't end if you don't win. Regardless of what anyone thinks of your writing, you have to keep the faith, continue to hone your skills, and follow your dream.

Judge this!

The comments from the judges are that they are enjoying reading the contest entries more than they expected. I think it might have to do with the entries and the judges being international, which allows for them to read outside their countrymen's work and see new styles.

Three judges are finished with their task. They have made comments to the writers. I'll consolidate the comments into one email for each writer. I think it will be helpful feedback to see what the judges agreed on and where they differed. Also, they are saying what worked - and why - and what didn't.

Usually it is best to take comments with a grain of salt and weigh them. But at least they should be considered, after all, this is free for the writers and the judges are a good mix of professional writers, editors, and hardcore reading maniacs. (Plus that international thing I said before.)

So, stop the nail biting we are getting there.

The Judging Criteria:

A master's level teacher friend, one of the judges of this contest, and I discussed a rubic of guidelines for the judges. It basically provides a universal scale so the judges are all on the same page, and a total score can be assigned to each work.

While that is an excellent idea because it is inherently fair, I've decided to make this reflect the industry. When agents or publisher's acquisition editors read works, they don't score them. The work either delivers or it doesn't. Close only counts in horseshoes.

As the gatekeeper, I will screen out any entries that have not followed the guidelines posted yesterday. I am not expecting to disqualify any entries. However, the point of the guidelines, besides giving everyone some idea of what to do, is they are an exercise in submitting to agents. It is well known that one must follow to the letter any submission guidelines set by the agent.

So with that cold reality in mind, these are the areas the judges will consider:

Title: Does it fit, is it interesting, does it encourage the reader to keep reading.
Voice: Is it active or passive. Active is what we're after. Too much telling - not enough showing.
Pace: Does the pace fit the piece, does it change to fit the circumstances.
Sequence: Good flow of events from beginning to end. Logical.
Character: Interesting, believable, developed.
Dialogue: Accurate for the character, realistic.
Use of Literary Devices: Use any literary devices that fit. These are bonus points, and tie breakers.
Grammar: It goes without saying, do your best. It doesn't have to be letter perfect, but do make sure that you don't slop through and miss full stops (periods) or indenting paragraphs, subject/verb agreement, the basics.
Overall appeal: Was this an interesting read.

The judges are from France, England, and the USA. They are editors, writers, educators, beta readers, and proof readers. You do NOT need to Americanize your spelling. We're all cool with the 'z' being replaced with 's' and no full stops after titles, like Mr and Dr.

Judge's note: The element is either present or it isn't. Almost doesn't count. Please prepare a bio for me to post about you!

Contest Information

I am not among the elite judges for this contest, but I am the gatekeeper.

Follow the guidelines to the letter to get your entry read by the judges. Ask questions in the comment section or email me.

Contest Guidelines:

Genre: Short Story, any genre. Unpublished.
Voice: First person, present tense. No exceptions.
Topic: Any topic except torture, child abuse or domestic violence, and nothing racial or gender degrading.
Category: Two, published and unpublished author.

Word Count: 500 to 1,000 words (+ or - 10 words).
Limit: One entry per person.
Eligibility: Everyone is eligible to enter, unless prohibited by law. Under age writers should get their parent's permission.

Format: Standard ms format. Send submission in Word or WordPerfect document. All entries will be converted to pdf for your security. Writer's names will be removed from the judges' view.
Submission: Send your work as an attachment to your email. In your email include contact information and which category you are entering.
Fee: None.

Deadline: Entries must be emailed to me at NadineLaman@aol.com by February 22, 2010, Arizona Time Zone. (GMT -7 hours).
Prize: $50 USD to one winner of each category.

Judging will close March 14th. All entries will be posted on a hidden page on my website that only the judges will have the address. It will be set up similar to the archive newsletters on my site. Judging guidelines will be posted tomorrow and on the judges' page which will become available toward the close of submissions.

Winners will be contacted by email. Have a 30-word bio ready and a pic that can be used to announce the winners on First Draft.

Helpful links:
Manuscript info from First Draft: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/search/label/Manuscript%20prep This is way more info than you need, but this is easier than posting multiple links.
Genre descriptions: http://agentquery.com/genre_descriptions.aspx

Thank you, Peggy Nolan for the sticky app info. http://wigflip.com/superstickies/

Here We GoOOoooOoo!

Here we go, a brand new year! I have lots coming in 2010, personally and professionally. Here is one idea I thought I'd float to all of you (and your friends). If the interest is there, I'll go forward with it.

I'm thinking of doing a contest. You know the deal about contests is they can be big money makers -- the entry fee. Writer's can also bust their budget by indiscriminately entering tons of fee requiring writing contests. It is worth the fee if you win a notable contest and there are some really good ones around -- this isn't that.

Here is what I'm thinking (let me know if there is any interest). These aren't the official terms, just floating ideas.

Genre: Fiction, any genre, but has to be written in first person/present tense. Never done that? Well, it is good practice.
Topic: I haven't decided if I'll give a topic or a first line or what (I'm making this up as I type it, can you tell?) Probably none.
Word Count: At least 500, not more than 550.
Two categories: One for published writers and one for non-published writers.
Fee: none.
Limit: One entry per writer.

Format: Standard ms format in either MS Word or WordPerfect docs.
Deadline: Not sure. I might make it due so I can post the winners on my 300th blog post or maybe June (Just pulled June out of my hat???).

Judges: I have to talk to people about this. Depending on how many writers enter, it could be a lot of work and they ain't getting paid, unless having their name all over First Draft counts for anything.

Prize: How about $50 USD to the winner of both categories. I'll see if Cactus Rain can pay for it because, ya know, I'm a starving writer too.

The catch: Well there isn't a catch. There is no anthology being done with the submissions. No publishing contract forthcoming. Probably won't publish the winning piece on my blog at all because that screws first rights to unpublished pieces.

So spread the word in your blogs, tweets, and email lists among your writer friends. Use this link: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2010/01/here-we-gooooooooo.html

If there is enough interest to not make me look like the Village Idiot AND I can get judges for it, then we'll go forward. The way to show interest is to write in the comment section that you're game for the challenge.