Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:42 am
Yes, Yes, and Yes to all the above.
But, I'm going to drill down a little here.
The STYLE of writing plays to the competition.
Think with me here. This is an isolated competition controlled by 750 max and on a stated topic with a week to complete.
Some great writers are not able to "win" within these limitations as easily. When creativity is considered as it is here, poetic entries fare better. So, those with those abilities usually do well.
There is a GREAT divide of ages here. My interests and perspectives at 60 are different than those who are 20-30. I'm not always interested in what they find interesting nor they me.
There is a GREAT divide of geography here. You can't tell me that the same story will speak to me here in the deep south of US the same as in Canada or Britain.
There is a GREAT divide of Christian growth. Some are young Christians no matter what their age and others are seasoned at an early age.
I would like to say that it is pretty easy to recognize who the writer of a piece is without knowing the name. Not all...but some for sure. Writers have a certain style and draw on their scope of knowledge and use sentence structures the same. Pick a famous writer. You know his work when someone starts reading it aloud, don't you? It can't be helped.
By the way, Jim...I know yours a mile away.
Does that mean that we should try to not be ourselves. Of course not. We have to write what moves US and share it with others.
IF we were able to see the actual score week after week...it would tell the real story. Let's say that week after week the scores were tallied and the writer's average was 4.65. That writer is an excellent writer by ANYONE'S standards. But, he may only get an EC or two, win some, etc. If on the other hand, his averages tallied 3.27...he has work to do to get better.
So, the category matters as well. I wish there was a separate competition for poetry. Every week there are some of the best I've ever read here. There are wonderful Devotions...they rarely do as well.
Let's face it, some people are not sentimental. Some people do not like romance. Some people are turned off by reading about human ugliness, disease, crime, sexual exploitations, abuse. There are those who love humor and those who don't.
We must quit trying to make this simple. It just isn't.
If winning is the objective, then here's a suggestion.
Fiction or poetry
Not too contraversial
Change up your style some
Actually GRADE yourself by the same criteria the judges use
Re-write if the score isn't high enough
Write with the score in mind
Not Devotional
Don't give away your age
Work on a Great title (not scored, but matters)
Have a killer ending that follows a killer opening.
Of couse, this is all just my thinking. It's what I tell myself.
Each week that I enter, I read my entry and if I love it...I love it. Plain and simple.
Mona
But, I'm going to drill down a little here.
The STYLE of writing plays to the competition.
Think with me here. This is an isolated competition controlled by 750 max and on a stated topic with a week to complete.
Some great writers are not able to "win" within these limitations as easily. When creativity is considered as it is here, poetic entries fare better. So, those with those abilities usually do well.
There is a GREAT divide of ages here. My interests and perspectives at 60 are different than those who are 20-30. I'm not always interested in what they find interesting nor they me.
There is a GREAT divide of geography here. You can't tell me that the same story will speak to me here in the deep south of US the same as in Canada or Britain.
There is a GREAT divide of Christian growth. Some are young Christians no matter what their age and others are seasoned at an early age.
I would like to say that it is pretty easy to recognize who the writer of a piece is without knowing the name. Not all...but some for sure. Writers have a certain style and draw on their scope of knowledge and use sentence structures the same. Pick a famous writer. You know his work when someone starts reading it aloud, don't you? It can't be helped.
By the way, Jim...I know yours a mile away.
Does that mean that we should try to not be ourselves. Of course not. We have to write what moves US and share it with others.
IF we were able to see the actual score week after week...it would tell the real story. Let's say that week after week the scores were tallied and the writer's average was 4.65. That writer is an excellent writer by ANYONE'S standards. But, he may only get an EC or two, win some, etc. If on the other hand, his averages tallied 3.27...he has work to do to get better.
So, the category matters as well. I wish there was a separate competition for poetry. Every week there are some of the best I've ever read here. There are wonderful Devotions...they rarely do as well.
Let's face it, some people are not sentimental. Some people do not like romance. Some people are turned off by reading about human ugliness, disease, crime, sexual exploitations, abuse. There are those who love humor and those who don't.
We must quit trying to make this simple. It just isn't.
If winning is the objective, then here's a suggestion.
Fiction or poetry
Not too contraversial
Change up your style some
Actually GRADE yourself by the same criteria the judges use
Re-write if the score isn't high enough
Write with the score in mind
Not Devotional
Don't give away your age
Work on a Great title (not scored, but matters)
Have a killer ending that follows a killer opening.
Of couse, this is all just my thinking. It's what I tell myself.
Each week that I enter, I read my entry and if I love it...I love it. Plain and simple.
Mona