Genesis Contest Tips!

With the deadline for ACFW's Genesis Contest approaching, everyone is scrambling to finish up their entries to get them sparkling. So how can you make sure your entry stands out above the rest?

1) Focus on plot. This was the biggest mistake I made the first year I entered. I didn't realize how important it was to make those 15 pages really count. It's not enough to have dialogue--even interesting dialogue--that builds character, the kind of thing you would have halfway through your novel. You need to hook the reader now more than ever, and you do that through showing the stakes of what the character has to lose.

2) Focus on voice. Though plot is important, it's not going to sparkle without your voice. Go through your entry to find sentences where your voice really pops. Then figure out a way to highlight those sections. Either do some rewrites to highlight your voice, or emphasize those sentences by putting them in high-impact places, like at the end of section breaks. Be intentional about your wording, descriptions, and pacing.

3) Focus on detail. Details matter. Pay attention to the rules and regulations of the contest--where your header should go, what should be included, how you should format your synopsis, etc. These little things are--let's face it--boring, but they tell your judges you care enough about your entry to take time to make every little thing right, and they'll keep you from getting unnecessary point deductions.

What other things have you been focusing on as you've been preparing your Genesis entries? What are you nervous or excited about as you enter these kinds of contests?

Thoughts on a Monday Evening

Hello, all! I apologize if this post seems a bit incoherent; I just finished a long grading spell and currently feel like getting a pedicure while reading Jenny B. Jones' latest book while eating a box of Godiva. But since that's not possible (except for the reading part, which I'll be doing later), I thought I'd touch base with all of you guys.

How's everyone been doing? Does anyone have any updates and what's new?

I asked you guys to keep Diann Hunt in your prayers. Thanks for listening! She found out that she is facing cancer again, but the prognosis is very good, and the doctor even said she'll most likely be able to keep all her hair, which was a HUGE blessing! Keep praying for her as she goes through her treatment process. I'm sure she'll appreciate all the prayers she can get!

As for things with me, in the past week I... turned in my master's thesis, found a snake in the backyard (just a little guy, though--he was kind of cute, as far as snakes go), wrote & entered another submission into the Genesis last-minute after feeling a pull from God and because I'm nuts like that, researched for endless hours about Italy because my hubby and I are planning a trip there (hurray!), and graded until I considered hiring someone else to do it (kidding of course... mostly ;) )... yet somehow, I still have enough papers left to create a pretty sturdy shelter for a garden toad. Now you're all caught up.

Has everyone else been watching American Idol? Here are my favorites so far:

Most Adorable... Lauren, hands down. I loved her from her first audition when she made Steven Tyler sing. Every time she comes on stage, I smile. She has such a natural stage presence.

Cutie Patootie Award... Paul. His tooth whiteness is, frankly, amazing. I would've definitely had a poster of this guy in my room when I was fifteen instead of the *NSYNC poster I actually had at that oh-so-formative stage in my life. And really, what a good role model for young women... make sure you floss, folks, and stay away from those tooth-ruining cigarettes.

There's even a Twitter account devoted to Paul's grin. I'm not even kidding. Here's the link to the article about it, just in case you want to "follow" his teeth.

http://blog.al.com/entertainment-times/2011/03/post_82.html

Here's the twitter avatar his teeth are using:

And last but not least, Most Likely to Win... Casey. This guy's the whole package, albeit a bit odd at times, but quirky's kind of cool, right? I am glued to the TV every time he sings, and I'd actually buy his album. And listen to it. (Same goes for Paul, though... I love the quality he has in his voice... reminds me a little of Leigh from Sixpence.)

Besides, Casey plays the bass. The big bass. Upright, I guess it's called. How much cooler than that can you get?

Have you guys been watching the show? What are your thoughts?

Contests and Such

We all know it's inevitable: every time there is a contest, some people don't final. In fact, most people don't final.

Thing is, no one expects to be in the group that doesn't final, and sometimes it can be hard to get the news that your beloved story wasn't quite so beloved by the judges.

Recently, I entered ACFW's Genesis contest, only to find out that I didn't make the cut. Initially, I genuinely expected to get a call because I was proud of the work I submitted. However, as the days went by, I grew disappointed, realizing I was probably going to be part of the non-finaling group.

I was pretty disappointed. However, by the time I got the official e-mail with the news that I didn't final, I had already begun to adjust to the idea. In many ways, not being a finalist is a good thing because it has allowed me to get some much-needed feedback before I write any more of my work-in-progress.

So, what are some things you can do to take your disappointment about a contest, or even a meeting with a potential editor or agent, and use it to better yourself and your writing?

1) Spend time wallowing if needed. You worked hard. You had hopes about winning the contest. Perhaps you even had visions about holding a winner's plaque, and you assumed these visions must be prophetic. The reality is that it's disappointing when you pour yourself into something, only to find that the reception of your work did not match your expectations. It's ok to feel bummed out. Accept that.

2) After the appropriate wallowing time, pick yourself up, dust the rejected feeling off (is it possible to dust a feeling?), and determine to move forward. We've all heard it before: "not winning something is just an opportunity to grow from that experience." Sounds like a lame attempt to make us feel better whenever we know the real truth: we lost. Right? Well, not really. While people do say these kinds of things to make us feel better, at the same time, disappointment is one of the strongest catalysts for growth. What matters is how you allow disappointment to shape you.

3) Realize that writing is a process, not an end-point. No matter how good of a writer you are, you will face rejection at some point because rejection comes along with the nature of writing. Writing is not like math; it is about growth rather than solving the equation. For that reason, don't think of your piece as being "wrong," but rather, as being at a particular point in its growth process. Even published pieces still have the capability to improve.

4) Try to incorporate the judges' suggestions. Maybe the judges said your dialogue seemed artificial, or your setting needs further articulation. I had a judge say that my story was my weakest part. No, I am not kidding. When I first read that comment, I felt angry. But then, after I removed my emotion from getting in the way of my judgement, I realized the reviewer was right. My characterization and dialogue were interesting, but I hadn't given readers the stakes of the story, or reasons why they should care about my protagonist, until the third or fourth chapter. Because of those reviews that were hard to read, I realized that the conflict in my work-in-progress currently doesn't come in until at least twenty or thirty pages into the book, which is something I've already been working to change. I am thankful for the feedback because it allows me to see blind-spots in my writing, areas that I unconsciously ignore because I am so closely linked to my own work.

5) Remember that at the end of the day, everything is still exactly the same as it was before you found out that you didn't final. While feedback is invaluable during revision, not all judges will understand the heart of your story. Maybe they totally missed your symbolism, or just didn't get your main character's humor. Only you know the heart of your story, and you need to stay true to that, cliche as it may sound. Don't make any edits that compromise the deeper issues at stake in your work. Also, remember why you are writing. While winning contests is encouraging, if you rely on that kind of validation in order to write, you will never make it. Something inside you must be called to write, must think throughout your day "I could write that person into my book," must feel affirmed by the act of writing. If that's the case, you will soon realize that a contest does not have the power to define you or your writing.