Writing competitions are announced every other day and if you are still wondering if you should participate in one, then why not? You never know you could be a winner of a competition and take home a handsome amount. There is some money to be spent for entering some of these competitions, but the cash reward and the satisfaction of beating fellow writers is definitely sweet.
So, if you ask me whether you should enter a writing competition, I would say yes.
Look at the future benefits
Even if you don’t win a writing competition, you could still be a winner. These competitions are attended by some major book publishers and literary agents and one of them could take fancy to your work. They may just consider publishing your work. And if this happens, you are a winner all the way.
You have an audience
Yes, you have an audience that is willing to pay attention to your work. If your work is good, you already have a band of followers that will continue to read your work in future. Nothing like a readymade group of readers, is it?
You could get a mentor
When someone listens to your work being read, they could become your overnight fan. If a judge becomes your fan, you have a mentor for life. You cannot imagine how good it is for you as a writer when an eminent judge decides to advise you for the rest of your career. And the sheer pleasure of hearing your work being applauded when it is read would give you those goose pimples.
You learn the many facets of good writing
A writing competition makes you learn. You understand the importance of meeting deadlines because all these competitions require you to submit your work within a stated date. Moreover, you discover your niche subject matter as you write different types of novels, novellas and short stories. This helps you carve your style in the long run. And finally, you also get to realize how much is good. If your story is too short or too long, people are going to give you feedback about it. This will help you in future when you publish your work – you will know how to expand your story and how not to stretch it.
Your confidence gets a boost
There would be butterflies flying inside your stomach when you prepare for your story to be read. But once the story is finished and you hear people praising your work, your confidence gets an immense boost. And even if people were to criticize your work, you identify your areas of improvement and become a better writer.
What you need to do
There are a couple of things you need to consider about writing competitions – 1. Find established competitions and 2. Avoid scams. Scam contests are perfect for you to lose your money and you gain nothing out of them.
At the end of the day, you stand to gain a lot from these competitions. Some of the eminent literary names that are all in for these competitions include Danielle Lazarin, Grant Faulkner and Lisa Borders. Never shy away from these competitions and you will become a better writer in the future.
Image credit: ImagineCup on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Profile_Pic_Moumita.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Moumita Goswami is a full-time homemaker and a passionate writer. She stays in Pune with her husband and daughter. After giving up working, she started writing about five years ago and can now be seen using her computer keyboard almost all the time. An MA in Psychology from Calcutta University, Moumita has spent time in Kolkata, Delhi and now Pune. For Moumita, writing started as a sudden chance but she soon discovered her likeness for it. And now she has developed a passion for writing and hardly any day passes without her scribbling a few lines. She dreams of publishing her own book one day and is working towards it.
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