Comments on: Playing it Safe

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:53:07 +0000

Helen – yes, I’m pretty much entering contests for a chance on the eds desk and I only target the ones with the eds I’m hoping to make contact with. I guess if I was being totally logical about it, I’d only enter mss that I thought judges would go easier on. But then that’s so subjective isn’t it?
I think you’re right, the thing to do IS keep writing regardless. 🙂

Monique – hi you! And that’s fabulous advice! Being myself. I think I’m going to write that somewhere and pin it to my monitor… Hugs back.

By: Monique DeVere

Monique DeVere — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:23:50 +0000

Hi, Jax,

You've had some great advice here. I don't do competitions, but I can understand the desire to enter.

I think you should stay true to yourself, and write about the characters and conflicts that interest you. Your way of telling stories will attract an editor sooner or later, and you'll be glad you honoured your creativity.

Don't doubt your talent, or your voice, or anything else. You owe it to yourself to be Jackie Ashenden!

Hugs,

Monique

Author of Humorous, Feel-Good Romance--Now With Added Sizzle!

By: Helen Lacey

Helen Lacey — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:00:55 +0000

Ah, Jackie, contests are great, when they work for you. When they don't, they can be disasterous for an aspiring authors motivation.

If you're entering contests for feedback, I always advise to ditch that idea and get a cp, or pay for a professional manuscript assessment. If you're entering for the chance to get on an editor/agent's desk, target the contests where the final judge is aquiring, or can aquire, for the line you're targeting.

A few years ago I won a contest. The following year I entered the same contest and one judge panned my entry so much I came fourth from the bottom in the scoring grid. The book that won was just released, the book that got panned is coming out in November. It's often a matter of luck and timing as well as having written a good book.

So, forget the judges bias. And write what feels right for you. Trust your instincts. Love your characters.

And keep writing!

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:35:37 +0000

Kerrin – Damn straight! I will. 🙂

By: Kerrin

Kerrin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 06:42:27 +0000

Don’t play it safe! It’s your story, tell it the way you want to!

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:19:39 +0000

Nina – awww thank you. I’m actually not sure the chessman would get anywhere to be honest. There are aspects of him that are different to a normal Presents and plus…not sure I pulled off the heroine well enough.
Anyway, yeah, I think you’re right. I have been looking back at the one sub and trying to replicate it. But I never will because I’ve actually moved on from it and, quite frankly, the things I’m writing these days are better. Though given the lack of movement on the publication front, you’d never know! 🙂

By: Nina

Nina — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:53:47 +0000

Jackie

I think the thing to take from the contest is that most of the judges did like it (apart from one who couldn't like it - in fact given you are targeting it at presents it would be more worrying if she had liked it given her personal preferences!)

Therefore there is every chance that if you submit this through normal channels it will get a positive result. Hey I love the chessman and I haven't even read any of it!

The other thing you said that rang a bell with me is the idea of trying to recapture your first submission. I tried that for ages and I'm much happier (though adnittedly no more successful!) now I've stopped doing that because I was so busy looking back and thinking what if/ if only that I lost my voice completely because I was trying to copy it (I really hope this makes any sort of sense!)

Anyway it sounds to me that you are letting your voice shine through again and if its at a different pitch tahn it was a few years ago thats because you've been training it to be even better.

Will stop now as have run out of breath!!

Nina xx

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Victoria – That’s so true! I couldn’t even take any useful feedback away from this particular judge because there was clearly NOTHING I could do with the story to improve it for them. So yeah, I’m afraid I’m going to continue writing characters that some people might hate because as you say, what’s the point otherwise??

Maya – yeah, well, I wondered that too. I guess they have to find judges from somewhere and the judges were reading entries from the whole of the category genre. They must have known they’d get some Presents! Ah well, I don’t mind them not liking it, what I do mind is losing points because of someone’s personal preferences. But I guess that’s the way of it.

Julia – To be honest, I couldn’t take away anything from this judge. I already know some people don’t like my writing and I already knew that the hero would be problematic. But then, at least it prompted a strong reaction. That’s better than ‘meh’ I guess eh?

By: Julia Broadbooks

Julia Broadbooks — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:54:35 +0000

Contest are really eye opening. Most everyone I know has at least one entry that got wildly divergent scores. Which just goes to prove that much of it comes down to luck — will you be lucky enough to get judges who can embrace your story? If you don’t, that’s okay too. Sometimes even the harshest critics can teach us something.

By: Maya

Maya — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:18:47 +0000

Personally, Jackie, I question why a judge who hates Presents was reading your story in the first place. It was bound to rub them the wrong way regardless of whether the story was brilliant (which I’m certain yours is) or not! I say, chuck this one up to bad luck, and whatever you do, don’t pull back!