Bravery, That Judge, & Other Thoughts on the Genesis Contest

Are you on the fence about entering the first 15 pages of your finished manuscript in the Genesis contest? Let me give you a little perspective that may help you make your decision.

I'm going to preface this post by admitting up front that my experience with the contest is beautiful and life-changing, but very unique. Yet I think that no matter what outcome you achieve, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

• You get invaluable feedback on your finished manuscript. This is the chance for you to see what experienced writers have to say about your work. And the semifinal-round judges are published authors in your field who know what it takes to get the attention of an editor. Confession: before I entered for the first time in 2013, the only people who had seen it were my mom, husband, and a select group of friends. Having unbiased input from someone who isn't your adoring critique partner can show you ways to add dimension to your work and accentuate your writing strengths. 

• Granted, there always seems to be That Judge who doesn't really get what you're going for and gives you a score that's way different than the others. Still, that perspective is helpful to see -- and it helps you practice taking criticism for your passion-poured work, which you'll get even when you're published. You have to develop thick skin and discern what's truth about your work and what simply doesn't resonate with one person's experience. So take it gracefully, even if it seems out of left field, and get a second opinion if you need to. :)

• It helps you bond with others in the same stage of the publication process. Your fellow Genesis entrants know the roller coaster toil to The End that you battled and won; they've been elbow-deep in the same trenches you've wrestled through. When the first list of semifinalists came out, I friended some of them on Facebook, and that led to some of my most treasured friendships and writing partnerships to this day. 

• If you final in the Genesis, you instantly get your work in front of agents and editors. The final round judges are all editors and agents. Even though I already had an agent last year, I had two inquire about my representation to the Contest Coordinator. Plus, if you attend conference, people see your semifinalist or finalist ribbons and take notice. The agents and editors with which you have appointments may sit up in their chairs a little because they know that you entered the Genesis contest and are serious about your work. It's hands-down a fantastic and attention-grabbing attribute in a query, one-sheet, or writing resume. 

• Because even if you don't place in the top 10, the bravery it takes to enter will launch infinite more acts of bravery in your writing. I maintain that pressing send on my Genesis contest entry was the bravest thing I've done to date in my writing journey. It's the moment I can exactly pinpoint my mental shift from thinking of myself as a wannabe writer to believing in myself as a pre-published author. That alone is better than any plaque or scoresheet anyone can ever give you. 

What doubts are holding you back? Still think your writing isn't ready? Reluctant to invest the contest fee? (The Genesis is fair and comparable to other contest fees, even contests of a far lesser caliber.) 

For those of you still on the fence, can I show you how much I believe in you? I'm going to give away a free contest critique (one-page synopsis + first 15 pages of your manuscript) in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck to everyone, and know that I'm ridiculously proud of you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway ---

Laurie Tomlinson is a wife and mom from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who enjoys stories of grace in the beautiful mess. 

She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and received the Genesis Award in 2013 (Contemporary) and 2014 (Romance). 

Her work is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary.

You can connect with Laurie here:

Facebook - AuthorLaurieTomlinson

Twitter - @LaurieTomlinson

Web - www.LaurieTomlinson.com

GUEST POST: Jeanne Takenaka on Learning from Contests

Learning From Contests

        

    Last year, I decided to be brave and enter some writing contests. My hope: to gain valuable feedback about my writing and my story. I entered two contests in the spring and received helpful observations. On a whim, I submitted to two contests in September and put them out of my mind. In early November, I received a few phone calls from a phone number I didn’t recognize. Since it was election season, I didn’t answer. After the third attempt, the caller left a message. Imagine my shock when I heard the words, “I’m happy to let you know you finaled in our contest. Congratulations.”

            My hands shook as I listened, and then re-listened to those words.” I finaled? The following week, an e-mail popped into my inbox notifying me that I had finaled in another contest. My kids wondered if Mama had finally taken a dive into the deep end as I “Eeeee-d” my way through supper preparations.          

            As I receive scores, I’m learning some great things about evaluating results. Contests provide feedback in various ways. One contest sent the judge’s score and comments on my actual entry. Other contests provided a rubric and a number score next to each item being assessed. Some judges left comments, others gave only the number score.

            After I entered the My Book Therapy’s Frasier contest for the first time, I created a spread sheet to consolidate everything onto one page. I made a column with category and sub-category descriptions (i.e. Stakes, Hero/Heroine Identity, etc) My next column was for the scores from Judge One. The third column was for the scores from Judge 2, and the fourth column was for me to make notes on ways I could improve based on scores and comments judges offered.

            I know, it sounds like a lot of work, but seeing everything in one place helps me detect patterns. If both judges scored me lower in a certain category, that is a great indicator of something I need to work on. On the flip side, higher scores from both judges indicate a writing strength. When I saw a discrepancy in the scores, I talked to a mentor about them. 

            Though not everyone is an analyzer, a few things I’ve come to understand through my contest experiences are:

1.  Pray before even peeking at scores. I’m guessing most of us enter contests because we want feedback on our writing. Sometimes we’re going to receive feedback that says, “Yes! You’re on the right track!” Other times, judges’ scores will be harder to embrace. The key is to ask God to help you see the gemstones within the disappointments. Take a day or so before you pore over your results. This allows you to calm down and gain some distance, so you can evaluate with a fresh perspective.

2.   Identify what will help you use contest scores to better your writing skills. And, no, I don’t mean shred the low scores. You may not be an analyzer like I am, so discover what will help you take the data offered and use it to make your writing better. Maybe that means focusing on one area of improvement and setting the rest aside for a later time.

3.   When judges offer positive comments and suggestions for growth, don’t focus only on the negative. Believe in your writing strengths. Even seemingly negative comments have nuggets hidden within their words. If someone says, “This story isn’t original,” you’ve just been given a great clue about a weakness. The challenge: mix things up in your story and add some sparkle.  

4.   Remember scores tell us something about our writing, but judges are subjective, because, well, they’re human. If you disagree with or don’t understand a score, talk with someone you trust for clarification.

5.   Above all, have a teachable spirit. Remember, God gave you your story, and He’ll help you write it, with help from others.

What about you? How do use contest results to become a stronger writer?

 Jeanne Takenaka writes women’s fiction that deals with real life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and to those around them. She is wife to one amazing man who is her real life hero, and mother to two exuberant boys who hope to one day have a dog of their own. She loves being God’s girl always learning about His grace, making memories with her family, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. She and her family reside near the mountains of Colorado. She is a member of ACFW.

 

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

Happy Weekend, everyone!

We have a party going on here at The Writers Alley because....

CINDY WILSON FINALED IN THE GENESIS!!!!

Oh yes, wonderful news! We are snoopy dancing for her. Easy there, Casey!

To see a list of the other Genesis finalist, visit here.

So what do we have planned for you this week?

Monday- Pepper takes the fabulous lessons she learned from Susan May Warren at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and teaches you a few tips on storywriting.

Tuesday - Sherrinda talk about the First 5 Things To Do When You Don't Final (come for encouragement...I think chocolate might be in order)

Wednesday - Mary continues her series on Why Writers Should Read: Inner Voice Tips

Thursday - Casey finished off Sherrinda's post with the NEXT 5 Things to Do When You Don't Final (more chocolate, I'm sure...and maybe dancing. Casey is known for her dancing)

Friday - Krista has author Karen Witemeyer on today. It's another fabulous Krista interview so make sure you stop on by.

Inspiration comes from many different places, but I've inserted pictures in the post from one of the places that inspires me most....HOME in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

What is something or someplace that inspires you in your writing?

The Call

First of all, I want to send out a big congratulations all the 2012 ACFW Genesis Contest semifinalists, especially my fellow Alley Cats who made the cut: Cindy, Pepper, and Casey! I am so proud of you and am cheering you on!

But some of you did not make that cut. And this blog is for you. This is not the blog I’d planned to write today. But throughout the afternoon, my perspective changed, and I want to be sensitive to that because I suspect many of you are feeling the same way.

As I’m sure many of you already know, the results of the ACFW Genesis contest have been released. As the day rolled by yesterday, I found myself checking my phone more and more often. What began as a casual, “Oh, are the results being released this week?” turned into me jumping every time my phone made the slightest noise, or even lit up in my purse. Could that be it? I kept thinking. Could that be . . . the call?

Moment of transparency: I really thought I was going to semifinal. Last year I semifinaled, and have since signed with an amazing agent, so it only seemed logical I would semifinal again. And I’ll be honest, I had hopes of making it further than that. Don’t we all? So when the only phone calls I got were from a bogus home security company, let’s just say I was a bit rocked.

As in, I drove through McDonalds for French fries and changed into my fuzzy pajamas as soon as possible.

I don't handle failure well. I was always the kid who studied the spelling words she already knew, whose good grades contributed to her confidence. Yes, I realize the contest is subjective and it doesn’t mean I’m not a good writer. I’m sure the rest of you who didn’t semifinal know the same thing. But that knowledge doesn’t chase away the feelings of insecurity and doubt that come knocking on our heart’s door, does it?

But as I sat back and thought about it, and as I considered what I would write for this blog, a thought hit me.

Who’s call am I most worried about? A judge’s, or God’s?

The space you enter when you approach failure, disappointment, and discouragement is the space that defines who you will become as a writer. Are you concerned with the praise of others, or with the praise of God? Who are you writing for? Whose story are you telling?

If you are here, reading this, it’s probably because God has called you to write. So look at the feedback you receive with an open heart, continue improving in the craft, and seek critiques whenever you can. It’s okay to need encouragement from other writers and to seek a mentor. But at the end of the day, know where the treasure of your calling lies. With God. And with God, all things are possible, through Him who loves us and has called us according to His purpose.

Philippians 1:16: "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

How do you handle the inevitable disappointments of the writing life? How can we use these things to strengthen our approach to writing and stories, and to glorify God?

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Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog and her Tumblr. She's also on Facebook and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

A Day in the Life of a Contest Judge

Contest season is heating up. Maybe you've submitted an entry to the Genesis or another writing contest, and now you're chewing your fingernails down to nothing while you wait for results. Or maybe you're checking email every two seconds just in case the judges' feedback came through. (I'm not saying any of this from personal experience. *wink*)

Then when you finally get your entries back, you may find yourself wanting to chuck them in the trash can. Or shoot darts at a picture of the judge's face.

Before you get carried away, though, let me present some perspective. In the last couple years, I've been on the other side as a judge. And things on this side are much tougher than I would have expected.

For someone like me who has been on the receiving end, I'm extremely conscientious of the feedback I provide. But I'm also juggling my own writing (or in some cases during contest season, putting it completely on the back burner so I can judge).

Plus I'm also a stay-at-home mom of young children. Need I say more?

Here's a little snippet of what might happen when I open an entry to judge...

*Reading first sentence* Wow, nice hook!

"Mommy, I want a snack."

"What's that, honey? Oh, a snack?" *going to pantry to get some animal crackers* "Here you go."

Okay, let's read that first sentence again. *typing comment in entry* Great opening!

"Mommy, Mickey Mouse is done. Can I watch Little Einstein's next?"

"I'm sorry, honey. What'd you say? Oh, sure. Take the remote and watch whatever you want." (Don't judge...I'm desperate at this point.)

*finish typing comment in entry and read second sentence*

"Mommy, the TV isn't working."

Argh...

At this rate, it takes me three hours to read an entry and provide meaningful feedback. At least, I hope it's meaningful because I've had so many interruptions. For all I know, I may have said the entrant needs more description when they had too much of it.

As hard as it is to imagine sometimes, judges are people too.

And while we truly want to help develop other writers' skills, we have interruptions and agents or editors who still expect us to meet our deadlines.

When you get your contest entry back, read through the judges' comments with a clear mind. You may (hopefully!) find some great nuggets to take your writing to the next level.

But if something doesn't jive or comes across as mean, remember who's on the other side of the comments. They may have just gotten a snack for the tenth time during your entry, and they're taking their frustrations out on unsuspecting you.

Perspective is so important, no matter what stage we may find ourselves. We would all benefit from remembering there's a person behind the words--no matter which side we're on--and filtering everything with wisdom and understanding.

So let's talk...What side of contests do you sit currently--entrant or judge? If a judge, how do you balance your other responsibilities with contest entries? If an entrant, how does this perspective change the way you receive contest feedback?

*Feedback photo by Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Time photo by Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

******************************************************************
Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

What's Up the Street for Next Week?

Genesis Deadline!

Casey with 2011 Romantic Suspense
Genesis Winner, Renee Ann Smith, now
agented by Joe Kneedler of
Alive Communications

The deadline for the ACFW Genesis contest was yesterday! You are either relieved your entry is sent and done and there is nothing you can do about it or groaning that you weren't able to get that last period in place before midnight.

Let us know so we can CHEER for you if you entered! And if you didn't, there are several other contests you might want to look into in the Sidewalk Talk section.

Next week...

Polishing makes perfect! Angie has tips to do just that on Monday.


Julia reminds us to bring back the fun in our writing on Tuesday.


We're told to make our characters unique, but what about our setting? Join the discussion with Sarah on Wednesday.


Ashley talks on social networking on Thursday, am I networking or just obnoxious?


Cindy tells us what she has learned about writing from her book club of diverse readers on Friday.


Sidewalk Talk: Contest edition

The My Book Therapy Frasier contest is still open and will be until March 31st. Plenty of time to keep polishing!

Novel Rocket is hosting their third annual unpubbed-writing contest. This page has all the details

Seekerville started their SPEEDBO contest (think NaNoWriMo). Visit their site for all the facts.

What to Expect After You Submit to the Genesis ;-)

Tis the season for the Genesis. In fact, we’re down to the last few days of possible entries.


Have you entered?

Coming from a previous entrant, I thought I might share a little bit of ‘what happens next’.

Are you ready?

1. You try your very best to forget about when the semi-finals will be announced. In fact, you may go to great lengths to erase the finals announcement (May 28th in case you’re trying to forget it ;-) from your memory.

2. While you try very hard to forget May 28th – you wait. Waiting might include many activities. Your regular routine will most likely continue, with only a few hundred reminders per day that May 28th is getting closer. As you wait, some suggestions distractions might be:

         a. Watching movies, especially those similar to your novel

         b. Eat chocolate

          c. Walk, fast and furiously, for…er…28 minutes?

          d. Eat more chocolate

         e. Email other entrants within your close circle and gripe about how hard waiting is.

         f. Find a new hobby - Paper mache, Origami, and plate spinning are a few.

3. Strange side effects may begin to form. Things such as excessive nail biting, a preoccupation with calendars- particularly those months of April & May, a sudden compulsion to reread the book of Genesis....

4. Sometime in April (around April 9th – if you want to make sure not to check your calendars), semi-finalists will be notified. I hadn’t forgotten this date quite well enough and as soon as a phone number popped up on my cell with a weird area code last year I grabbed it.

Remember, being a semi-finalist is a big deal. It means your work landed in the top 20% of entrants. That alone is winning information.

5. Six weeks later, finalists are announced. This actually came as a surprise call to me. My fellow Alley Cats had to remind me of the day. (Life gets busy, okay)

(side note: Entering this contest is an example of a winner too. Just entering - because that means you've made it beyond the writing-infancy stage)

Recommendations to cope with the wait:

1. Find other authors who will commiserate with you :-) Actually, the Alley Cats are the best encouragers EVER! Several of them entered this year, so it will be a DELIGHT to cheer them on.

2. Eat chocolate to dull the despair of waiting.

3. Keep busy. There’s nothing worse than waiting around for something. Time goes by faster when you keep yourself busy :-)

4. Keep writing. Finish the manuscript you entered, or move on to something new. If you final, then you’ll have even more stories to pitch to agents and editors at conference.

5. Pray for patie…er…God’s will. The very thougth of praying for patience means you get suffering. Suffering + Genesis finals does not sound good, does it? :-) In all seriousness, don’t forget God’s loving hands are even in the middle of writing contests. He’s here – and He has a plan. One that includes the stories we write, but (more importantly) the one HE is writing in Us.

What are you doing to pass the time while you wait for…that date that will not be mentioned?


Any tips you can share?

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Pepper Basham is a Blue Ridge Mountains’ native, mom of five, pastor’s wife, and university instructor. She writes in various fictional genres but spices them all with grace and humor. She is a 2011 Genesis double-finalist and can be found causing mischeif at The Writers Alley, on her personal blog- www.pepperbasham.wordpress.com, or in her imaginary world. Company always welcome.

Writing Contest Contradictions - Prepare Yourself Ahead of Time

In lieu of the Genesis contest, I wanted to share a little on the kind of feedback you might get with your returned entries.

I'm currently a BIG advocate of contests so I strongly encourage you to enter them if you have the chance (can't you tell by the graphic to the right?). But I also encourage you to stay true to yourself and I want to let you know that there might be contradictions you will have to weed through.

Just want to say ahead of time, this is only based off my experience and feedback from others. You might not experience this from contests at all, and even if you do, this isn't about telling you to disregard feedback. It's about trying to help prepare yourself for varying feedback so you can use it to your advantage.

So...here are some contradictions you might come across.

Backstory

Let me give you an example. I got feedback from eight judges on the first chapter of a recent story I wrote. The comments about backstory were all helpful but half said, "I don't need to know this yet!" (I'm paraphrasing here) and the other half said something to the effect of "This is great! Give me more!" See? Subjective. So sometimes you've got to go with your gut, and if feedback is pretty equal, stick with what you feel is right.

Humor

My first attempt at romantic comedy was...well, fun. But let me tell you, it was judged, and out of four judges, not one thought the same parts were funny. Personally, I thought they were hilarious (okay, at least mildly amusing), but humor is still subjective. If more than one person likes it, it's probably pretty funny. If only one person doesn't like it, it doesn't mean it's not funny, just that maybe that particular judge had a different sense of humor.

Deep POV

Oh, I don't even know where to begin on this. I might get myself in trouble here, but even this topic can be a bit subjective. My advice? Study up on Deep POV, write it to the best of your ability, and try to get your reader in your character's head as much as possible. And as far as taking advice on Deep POV? If you trust that person, or they're a judge you know has particular experience with this, go for it!

Pacing and Hooks

Again, you're probably going to get varying feedback on this topic. Some judges will say, "Great opening! You kept me hooked" and other judges might say, "You didn't hook me right away, maybe start further into the story and keep up the pace!" Yes, your goal is to start the story in the right place. And going with the majority here might be a good idea. But if you're getting varying feedback, again, stick with what you feel is right.

Basically the point of this post is to let you know that not EVERY single thing a judge says is the right way to do it. Rule of thumb, if more than one judge agrees on something that needs improvement, you might want to consider reworking it. If it's half and half, that's more your call and what you feel is right. If only one judge comments on it...decide what you feel is best. Sometimes what they're telling you, you can readily agree with. It makes sense. And sometimes what they're telling you is just opinion and it doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong or needs to be changed immediately.

I know many of you out there have entered contests in the past. Have you encountered specific contradictions in feedback? And for those of you entering for the first time or who haven't entered before, what kind of feedback would you expect might be hard to deal with?

*************************************************************************************

Cindy is a Colorado native, living near the mountains with her husband and three beautiful daughters. She writes contemporary Christian romance, seeking to enrich lives with her stories of faith, love, and a touch of humor.

To learn more about Cindy, visit her at her personal blog, www.cindyrwilson.blogspot.com

Author Naomi Rawlings on Genesis

I had the pleasure of meeting Naomi Rawlings during “contest season” last year. We both semi-finaled in the historical romance category of Genesis, and Naomi went on to finals! Along her journey she was quick to catch the eye of an agent and sign a publishing contract before ACFW conference in September. Her first book, Sanctuary for a Lady, comes out in April. I am excited to have the opportunity to get some great tips on Genesis from such a successful lady!

Text Copyright: 2012 by Naomi Mason

Cover Art Copyright: 2012 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. 

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. 

All rights reserved. Trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited 

or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Naomi, thanks for stopping by the Alley! I loved reading your submission for the Genesis contest last year. And I am so excited to read it in “print”! Tell us a little more about your novel.

I don’t have an official copy of the blurb, but here’s an earlier version I was given. It should be pretty close to what appears on the back of the book.
Running to freedom, she found love . . .
The injured young woman that Michel Belanger finds in the woods is certainly an aristocrat, and in the midst of France’s bloody revolution, sheltering nobility merits a trip to the guillotine. Yet despite the risk, Michel knows he must bring the wounded girl to his cottage to heal.
Attacked by soldiers and left for dead, Isabelle de La Rouchecauld has lost everything. A duke’s daughter cannot hope for mercy in France, so escaping to England is her best chance of survival. The only thing more dangerous than staying would be falling in love with this gruff yet tender man of the land. Even if she sees, for the first time, how truly noble a heart can be . . .

Wow, sounds like a powerful story! So exciting to see more books coming out that are from different time periods and settings! So, most Genesis entrants have a tiny spark of hope that entering the contest will be a possible step towards their publishing dream. I am dying to know how entering Genesis and being a finalist, helped you along the path to publication?

Entering Genesis put my writing in front of some great judges. With my manuscript polished, my philosophy was to enter any competition where the finalist judges were editors or agents who I thought might be interested in my writing. That philosophy paid off, though not in the manner I was expecting with Genesis. A best-selling, popular author was one of my first round judges. She liked my opening so much that she sent my entry to her agent and then the judge told me to email her.
As you can imagine, I could hardly breathe when I got my judging sheet back. God worked everything out better than I ever expected, and I did end up signing with the agent, Natasha Kern. I also had an editor who judged a different competition request the first half of my ms. So Personally speaking, I did a lot better with entering contests than I ever did with querying or conferences, but some people do well with querying and others with networking at conferences. It works differently for different people.
 
What a great story of getting your stuff in front of an agent. Just one set of eyes is all it takes...and a really polished manuscript. We have a lot of readers out there that are preparing their entries for Genesis. How many revisions did you go through before you sent the entry to Genesis?

Oh goodness, a crazy, unbelievable amount. On the opening scene, probably about 15. My subsequent scene which was also included in my entry didn’t go through nearly that many revisions, maybe 4 or 5. I had a really hard time figuring out how to get the reader’s rooting for my heroine by the end of the second page and I went through endless revisions..
I looked, but I don’t have a copy of my original beginning (probably because it was so bad I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore). It went something like this, though I can’t be exact: “Isabelle Cerise de La Rouchecauld walked down the middle of the road, glancing at the forest and wondering if she should harbor in the trees’ thick branches.”
By the time I finished my revisions, I had an opening that I loved:
“Silence surrounded her, an eerie music more haunting than that of any chamber players. It soaked into her pores and chilled her blood.
Isabelle surveyed the shadowed trees of northern France, so different from the wide fields she’d grown up with in Burgandie. The woods lay still, most animals caught in winter’s slumber. Her breathing and the crunch of her shoes against the road formed the only human sounds amid acres of forest and earth and animals—or the only human sounds of which she knew.
She clutched her cloak and glanced behind her. Did someone follow?”
I wish I could say I came up with that the first time I sat down at my computer. But I didn’t. It took hours of hard work and banging my head against the computer screen until I found something that worked the way I wanted it to. And it works that way for most people. Occasionally a writer might sit down and come up with the perfect start to a story, but more often than not, a good beginning means hours of hard work. So if your slogging through your first 15 pages right now, don’t give up! I understand how hard it is, but the effort might well be worth the pain. 

Great advice. I don't even think I can count the amount of times I've changed the beginning to my story...and I am sure I will still tweak it up until I hit send. What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare your submission?

Two things. First, have one or two awesome crit partners who don’t mind reading and rereading a chapter until you get it perfect. For every time I revised my opening, my poor crit partners, Melissa Jagears and Sally Chambers, reread it. They deserved to final just for putting up with me.
Second, I entered the ms in the Great Expectations RWA contest. Genesis was the second contest I ever entered, Great Expectations was the first. I would have never finaled in Genesis had I not gotten and applied the judges’ feedback from Great Expectations. In the draft I sent to Great Expectations, I had the heroine walking in the woods for seven or eight pages before the soldiers showed up and attacked her. Way too long!!! In the Genesis version, I had the soldiers show up on page three. But I never would have known to move the action up without getting the judging feedback from Great Expectations.
So before entering Genesis, I would advise contestants to get some professional advice on the manuscript. Whether it comes from a contest, a paid critique, or a published friend returning a favor, you’d do well to get some advice beyond your crit partners.
 
It's tough sometimes to take the criticism, but it pays off in the end!

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! I am looking forward to applying your advice to my own submissions. Can't wait to read the rest of your novel!

Thanks Angie, I enjoyed being here. This is my first ever blog interview, so I find the whole thing a little intimidating!

My pleasure! I am sure you have many readers who thank you for such great advice. Looking forward to reading more from you, Naomi!!
Visit Naomi at:

Website: www.naomirawlings.com

Blog: makinghomeworkblog.blogspot.com
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 Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across cultures. She is an ACFW member and CEO of a family of six.

What's Up The Street For Next Week?

Photo credit

Sometimes the time comes to say goodbye. We have to expect it in a way, because it's the cyle of life. We either have to move on or priorities need to be rearranged.

And while we are sorry to make this announcement, we wish our fellow Alley Cat, Wendy the very best in her writing life. In the plans God has for her. Plans of good and not of harm to give her a hope and a future.

So, please leave a comment wishing Wendy well and know we will be watching for monumental success from you, Wendy!! ;-) She'll be back once in a while for a guest post, so we aren't completely losing her.

Wishing you the BEST, Wendy!

New year, new week on the Alley. What's up??

It's the contest season and Angie has guest Naomie Rawlings on the Genesis contest. Check back on Monday.

Prayer is an intricate part of the writing life. Julia brings this topic to the blog on Tuesday.


Sarah brings tips on how to be a better blogger on Wednesday.


Thursday will be Wendy's final post for the Writer's Alley.

Cindy explains how to make a scene truly magical, by breaking down specific elements on Friday.

Sidewalk Talk

You can keep up with Wendy on her blog: Thoughts that Move, Twitter and Facebook.

You can now email the gals at the Writer's Alley and hear back directly from one of us! (not that we think ourselves celebrities or anything...) AND if you have a question, do share at this email: thewritersalleys(@)gmail(.)com We have some fun surprises in store for the questions you send, so don't be shy. ;-)

Hang in with us, we're still the same blog and will be proactively looking to bring in a new face as God leads.

What's Up The Street For Next Week?

This is what the Alley Cats are doing this weekend!!!!!

Yup, that's right.

Snoopy Dancing.

BECAUSE...

An Alley Cat FINALED in the Genesis Contest!!!!!

We are SO PROUD of Pepper who finaled TWICE. Once in Contemporary Romance and AGAIN in the YA category.

You can send your congratulations to pepperbasham (at) yahoo (dot) com

AND THEN JOIN IN THE PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's up the street for next week... (besides extreme excitement)

Every writer creates art as a writer. Learn to recognize the talent God has given you with Angie on Monday

Our fiction has weak places, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Stop by on Tuesday to share with Julia on identifying and strenghtening the weak places in our fiction.

Grab those check list, Sarah has tip #7 for you to mark off this time with Point of View on Wednesday

Get Smart, Get Short or Go Home. Creating Succinct Sentences with Wendy on Thursday

Stop by Friday for Score a Well-Rounded Manuscript series, with techniques, including pacing, sentence structure, strong verbs and tone/themes with Cindy.

NewsStand...

The winner of the Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus is... Amanda!! (with many thanks to Kaye for offering the giveaway)

Stop by Pepper's blog post to share in her exciting Genesis News!!

Casey is posting today (Saturday!) at the Pentalk Community blog: Find Your Word Budget and STICK TO IT!

Sherrinda is giving away Breath of an Angel by Karyn Henley on her blog on Wednesday

Stop by Casey's blog for the chance to win Lorna Seilstad's A Great Catch

And MANY congratulations to ALL the Genesis Finalists!!!!!

Self-Editing Checklist: Voice and Viewpoint

If you've been following along in this series, hopefully your scenes are taking shape with purpose and consistency. This week we'll take a look at voice and viewpoint. So without further ado, here are Points 4 & 5 of my self-editing checklist.

#4 - Is my own voice coming through, or is it contrived? Yes, this is the ever-elusive issue of voice. Everyone says it's the first thing editors or agents notice in a manuscript. I'll admit I was skeptical of this until I became a contest judge this year. The unique voices really did stand out above the floundering ones. But how do we know if our own voice is unique?

While it can often be an intangible thing, a good test is this. Have a friend read your work and tell you if they can hear you saying it. I've noticed this phenomenon with my blogging buddies. Ever since I met them at the ACFW Conference last year, I can hear them speaking the things I read on their blogs. That means it's true to their voice.

For more ideas on developing your voice, check out Cindy's post from a couple weeks ago, as well as these posts on Katie Ganshert's blog. (Awesome stuff there!)

#5 - Analyze the viewpoint. Are the characters too perfect? Are you portraying them as real human beings with real-life struggles? For those who write Christian fiction, is there any Christian lingo or jargon that could be confusing?

This point could spark a whole debate of how much "Christian" a Christian novelist should put in their books, but that's a discussion for another day. The key to this point is knowing where you stand on the spectrum, knowing where your target publisher stands on the spectrum, and then staying within it.

Your homework for the next two weeks, should you choose to accept it: Work through some of the voice exercises in Cindy's post and on Katie's blog, then read your scene and listen for your authentic voice. Analyze the viewpoint in your scene and make sure it falls within your target publisher's viewpoint (and yours too!).

Have you discovered your voice? What are some tricks you've used to discover it? How closely do you pay attention to the viewpoint of your novel?

*Microphone photo by Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

**Glasses photo by dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E. for the Post-Contest Blues

Pepper here - so get ready for a LOOOOONG  post.
It's a good day for encouragement, especially since Genesis semi-final news came out on Friday.

If you have 5 minutes, get some chocolate for your heart.

C – Cry – Proverbs 13:12 -Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  
It’s your story, you can cry if you want to.  Being upset, confused, disillusioned, and disappointed is part of the contest circuit. After all, we’re sending out our little babies into the war – judges carrying red pens to possibly scar our flawless novels. Scary! Been there more times than I have fingers. It’s a part of the learning curve for writers. But remember good judges have preferences, styles, experiences, and points of view from which they score your manuscript – and each one can be VERY different. Just this weekend, on the manuscript I THOUGHT would final but DIDN’T, I received two similar scores and then one that had a 40 point score discrepancy. WHOA! That’s a big difference.

H- Hold Back – Ecclesiastes 8:1 - There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.

Don’t start blaming others or yourself. ‘Hold Back’ from reacting in a negative way that could give others a bad impression of you. People respond in different ways over contest results. Instead of plotting novels, some start plotting ways to squish the judges. Don’t waste all your creative energy on something as useless as THAT. Also, ‘hold back’ from thinking you are the WORST WRITER EVER. It’s a contest, not a degree from college. This one moment in time does not define you as a writer. It didn’t cost you enough money to have that kind of power over you J

O – Others – Proverbs 27:9 - ⁹ Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

One of the best cures for disappointment is finding someone who will listen. Someone who has been through the same thing and understands. My writing buddies, especially Sherrinda, Casey, Mary, K. Dawn Byrd, and the Seekers have been a massive encouragement to me when I didn’t final in the Genesis last year, and didn’t place in 2 other contests either. Knowing they had worked through similar discouragement, grown, and even gotten published gave me the courage to lift my head, stop wallowing in self-pity (mostly), and try again.

C – Chocolate – Do I really need to explain this one? Isaiah 55:1 (taken totally out of context) Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. J

0 – Optimism/Humor –Proverbs 12:24 - Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.

Proverbs 17:22 - Laughter is good medicine. Seriously. J And for the disillusioned heart, it can be a good source of healing. Perspective changes everything. The trip is always longer when you focus on how long it is, instead of focusing on the destination. Finding humor or joy in the middle of discouragement is the key to climbing from the mire and back onto the playing field. God loves humor, btw, he made a donkey TALK!

L – Learn – Proverbs 18:15 - Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.

I know, some of you may think you’ve reached the state of perfection, but I’m pretty sure our glorified bodies are only meant for post-mortem experiences. As you read through edits or critiques, or judge’s comments, take the opportunity to prayerfully consider them. Grow as a writer.  And while you prepare for your next contest or submission – study and learn. There are plenty of resources out there.

A – Attitude – Philippians 2:13 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Much like ‘O for Optimism’, your attitude and determination about growing as a writer will help you put contest scores into perspective. Will you be bummed? Mad? Probably, but then what? Though anger might feel like a good starting point for growing (using all that energy it provides), you fizzle out pretty fast if that’s the only motivator. Something deeper inside you has to push you forward from one contest, or one story, to the next. An inner drive? A passion? A calling? Personally, for me- I feel God’s called me to this writing gig. And who He calls, he also equips. My mantra: God’s timing, my perseverance.

T – Time – Psalm 37:18 - God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.

The phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ applies here fairly well. It certainly doesn’t apply across the board, but in contests…yeah. Again, perspective. As I distanced myself from the disappointment and judges’ comments, I was able to read them from a fresh perspective. Take the good. Toss the bad. Pray – and read them again.

E – Enter –Psalm 31:24 – Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon.  

Don’t give up. Try again. Whether it’s reentering a contest, submitting to an agent, or hoping an editor will take notice of your work – one failure or rejection is just another step toward publication. Submitting is hard.
Scary.
But there is valuable information waiting on the other end of the ‘submission’ button – maybe even a win or a contract.
Ruth Logan Herne once said – if you don’t try, you’ll fail 100% of the time.
(The picture to the right is in honor of Annabelle Phillips, who received a new heart Saturday night. She and her family have been brave and strong for a long time. Praise God)

Keep writing.

Keep dreaming.

Keep trying.

The perfect dessert for the writer’s soul.

****************************************************************
Bible references take from The Message paraphrase

pictures courtesy of http://www.gizmodiva.com/
http://bookhuntersholiday.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/chapter-232-wtb-for-the-book-fair-supply-kit/
http://www.funny-potato.com/valentines-day-chocolate.html