Contest Entries: Cleaning Those Babies Up

Hi there! The weekend was filled with swim meets, fundraisers, writing and family, so I thought I would dig up an archived post to resonate with all the contest talk going on right now! 

Happy Monday!

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It's about that time. For a few GREAT contest opportunities out there...Namely, ACFW's Genesis Contest and the MBT Frasier.

Many of you might be tidying up those babies for contests as you read this. I know I am! And many of you might be reluctantly looking at last year's feedback, planning to tweak your entry based on “some” of that feedback.

Are you just “tweaking”?

lots of messiness in my house!

Do you go in with the mindset of taking the grammatical suggestions, the edits here and there...Maybe a misplaced comma or changing a word that's been used in the sentence above? Kinda like dabbing at a baby's food-caked face, but not really scrubbing away the mess?

Or....

Are you willing to make that BIG change...possibly rearranging entire scenes, OR, Heaven forbid, DELETING a scene altogether? Getting that big super-duty washcloth and start scrubbing? Maybe, your last feedback is a sign that the scene you love and hoped would attract the judges' favor, is not the scene for that moment in the manuscript...is not what hooks the reader after all.

freedigitalphotos.net by pod pad

Now don't get me wrong, I have certainly had some bogus feedback over the years. Don't go slashing away at your entry according to everything a judge says. You may have scrubbed that baby's face clean, and that scrutinizing mother-in-law type will still criticize (and to be clear, I have two of the best mother-in-laws, so this is pure third-party metaphor ;) ) No need to listen to that type of feedback...unless, of course, it rings true to you (insert cring and gnashing of teeth here).

BUT...

Do consider BIG changes, and DO brainstorm different starts of your chapter. This last entry I “tweaked” had me delete the first TWO scenes of my manuscript and start with a different character's POV. UGH!!!!! It was hard to do, but deep down, after receiving critiques and contest feedback over the past year, it had to be done. AND, I love it now! And I thought I LOVED it then, but just because it came out that way the first time I wrote it doesn't mean it has to stay that way.

It is art, after all.

freedigitalphotos.net by jomphong

We can start to mold the story and keep it in the perfectly simple shape that our hands first squeezed it into...OR, after smoothing it down, sloughing away the excess, we can create something more... evolve our creation to an even more beautiful work of art.

In other words...

Let's not coddle our baby so much that it never gets the chance to succeed to its fullest potential!

Let that baby GROW!!

Comment below and tell us the latest BIG changes you made to an entry or your manuscript. Have you reaped a contest win by using feedback from a previous year? Please share!

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

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: Genesis winner and debut novelist Jennifer Fromke

Karen here, and I'm so thrilled to introduce you today to my dear friend and critique partner Jennifer Fromke. 

Jennifer won the ACFW Genesis award for women's fiction in 2010, and her debut novel "A Familiar Shore" recently released from Write Integrity Press. She's one talented lady. I hope you'll make her feel welcome!

Handing over to Jenn, who will be sharing her tips on how to sweep the reader into a different world.

                                  

                                            *****

                          

Take Me Away . . . 

I read because I want to spend time in a place that is not my real life. So when I write, I aim to catapult my readers into my story-world. I’ve come up with a few keys to accomplish this:

1. Bring something from home

2. Sense it

3. Paint it

4. POV Perspective

5. Be Consistent

Bring something from home

My debut novel is about a woman who must visit Charlevoix, MI for the first time in her life. Whether you are describing a magical world that doesn’t exist or a real place people could actually visit, it’s important to include items from the world your reader knows in your description of that place. I once read a fantasy story about a world with billowing orange clouds and blue trees. I know the colors well, and I know what billowy clouds look like, so I could easily translate what I knew into a mental picture of her story world. Had she named the clouds something different and instead of trees, suggested the vegetation was blue, I wouldn’t know what to picture in my mind. But because she brought some “items from home” along, I could make the leap to her crazy new story world.

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Sense it

Help the reader experience the same senses your POV character experiences. Don’t tell me the air smelled odd. Tell me “She inhaled the scent of fried seafood mixed with boat fuel.” This makes sense in the first scene of my novel, because my character is walking toward a seafood dive situated on the water, where fishing boats are just pulling in with the day’s fresh catch of fish. Help us feel the trickle of sweat as it drips down her back beneath a silk blouse. Telling the reader it’s hot does very little in bringing the reader into your world. Showing a trickle of sweat will communicate much more - and it will make the reader remember when he’s felt a trickle of sweat on his back.

Paint it

Consider each sentence a brush stroke. A painter usually starts with the background, using broad strokes. This will include the landscape, the weather, general descriptions. This is a great place to add landmarks - a water tower, a lake, the courthouse, a town square, Main Street, etc . . . Next, a painter will paint a specific object in the foreground. A writer will pick out something specific the reader can picture in his mind’s eye. Then the painter will shade and add details. In the same way, a writer needs to zero in on a few significant details.

POV

SHOW the reader what the POV character thinks about the scene. Is he worried? Content? Angry? Confused? SHOW us his unique angle on the scene and the reader will see things much better!

Let’s evaluate a short passage from A Familiar Shore:

As soon as they entered the city proper, pink, purple and white flowers lined the curb on both sides of the street for several miles. Old homes with deep porches and brightly brimming flower boxes gave way to antique shops, real estate offices and an ancient Whippy Dip. The entire town screamed, “Visit me!”

The flowers lining the street will ring true for anyone who has ever visited this town - they are always there. And they are also a sensory image - most people can imagine a road and flowers. The deep porches describe the architecture type to a small degree and the ancient Whippy Dip will evoke memories from many people who have either lived near one of these places or else stopped by one on a road trip. These items are designed to evoke a memory in as many minds as possible, broad brushstrokes. They bring something (from home) to this scene from a vast array of personal experiences. The flower boxes provide detail, which adds to the overall feel of the place, while giving the reader a specific image to focus on. The town screaming “Visit me!” gives us the opinion of the POV character. This line tells us it’s a touristy place and overall, it’s positive.

Final Key: Be Consistent

If an author describes where certain buildings are located within a town, the reader can make a sort of map in his mind and use it throughout the story as characters travel between these various places. Jan Karon does a fabulous job of this in her Mitford series. When details in the story continuously line up, the reader is rewarded for remembering these details when they are mentioned again later in the book. But if the details shift or are not specific enough, the reader will be lost.

How do YOU draw your readers into your story world?

                                        *****

Jenn, thanks so much for these great tips and for taking the time to hang out with us today!

Here's the blurb for Jennifer's stunning debut novel:

Meg Marks is a young lawyer raised off the coast of the Carolinas. An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, and sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan. After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep. Will she sacrifice her own dreams for revenge? Or will she seek something more?

You can purchase "A Familiar Shore" here or here. It's a fabulous read!

Karen Schravemade lives in Australia. When she's not chasing after two small boys or gazing at her brand-new baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website, on Twitter or getting creative over at her mummy blog.