COMPETITIONS
The way to a win
What are the chances of winning a writing prize? And how do you increase your chances? Janet Rogers goes behind the scenes and finds out
Janet Rogers
When the lsat Writing Magazine competition guide came out advertising £1.37 million in writing prizes, my first thought was of lotteries and whether I might be better spending my short story competition entry money on lottery tickets.
I’m not suggesting for one minute that winning a writing competition is just a question of luck. There is great skill, I know, and a brilliant story will win whatever the odds. I’m just saying that for the many thousands, like me, whose entry is not successful, it can seem like a bit of a lottery. Are we more likely to be struck down by lightening than win?
I decided to take a look at competitions, short stories in particular, and ask a few questions of the organisers. I wanted to know what were my chances of winning and whether it was worth the effort.
I also spoke to a number of writers to find out whether they thought entering competitions was useful in the quest to become a better writer.
For the beginner, the sheer volume of competitions is quite daunting. In this month’s Writing Magazine competition guide, 800 are listed, and that just covers the next nine months. How do you decide which ones to enter?