I just won first place in the Oregon Writers Colony contest for a non-fiction short story that I submitted back in June. I have been walking around smiling all week!
I entered this same contest last year, with this same story, and won exactly nothing, but I had asked for critiques (for an extra $10.00), and I received 4 3x5 notecards in the mail, some with conflicting suggestions, but all helpful.
I set the story aside for 11 months, and at the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] hour I studied those little cards, and made some changes to the story. 100% of the story was still my story (hard to change the content of non-fiction), but I followed many of the suggestions of the 3x5 critics… add more emotion, stay in the moment, change the order here, lose the adverbs, etc. My husband was also a most helpful editor, and my biggest fan.
I submitted the story for this year’s Oregon Writers Colony contest (again asking for critiques), but I received no critiques… just first place! I am grateful for editors and the encouragement I feel to keep on writing… this smile just won’t go away!
I entered this same contest last year, with this same story, and won exactly nothing, but I had asked for critiques (for an extra $10.00), and I received 4 3x5 notecards in the mail, some with conflicting suggestions, but all helpful.
I set the story aside for 11 months, and at the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] hour I studied those little cards, and made some changes to the story. 100% of the story was still my story (hard to change the content of non-fiction), but I followed many of the suggestions of the 3x5 critics… add more emotion, stay in the moment, change the order here, lose the adverbs, etc. My husband was also a most helpful editor, and my biggest fan.
I submitted the story for this year’s Oregon Writers Colony contest (again asking for critiques), but I received no critiques… just first place! I am grateful for editors and the encouragement I feel to keep on writing… this smile just won’t go away!