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?

A Hint--Okay, Maybe a Handful--of Sparkle

So, I was watching Dancing with the Stars a couple nights ago. If you know me at all, you know I've always had a secret dream... well, maybe it's not that secret... of becoming a professional dancer and figure skater. And during the show, I thought to myself, "Man, Cheryl's dress is sparkly."

See, I love anything with sparkle, anything that says, "Hello world, I have pizazz!" I'm one of those women who shamelessly wore sparkly bangle bracelets until my early twenties when suddenly I realized the accessories might have a minor impact on my credibility as an instructor.

So naturally, I notice things with that Wow! factor. You can insert your old-school Batman jokes here.

The question is, how do you get your writing to sparkle like Cheryl's dress? For me, the trick is adding Southern charm and humor. Know how I stumbled across that? By realizing that in the first draft of my book, the setting was virtually nonexistent. I'm not kidding! After I started paying more attention to adding a setting in revision, it really came alive and has now become one of the cornerstones of my brand.

But I want to hear from you! What tricks and tips do you have for making your own writing shine and giving it that wow factor?