What better way to push yourself as a write this new year than to enter your work in a few writing contests?
Freelance Writing Jobs has an article that lists and describes eight different writing contests. Entitled “Enter a Writing Contest to Challenge Yourself in 2016,” the list contains a wide variety of contests in genre, scope, requirements, and entry fees (including free). Here is the list, with links. (For more details on each, click here.)
- 10th Annual Short Story Challenge
- Erma Bombeck Writing Competition
- Central PA Magazine Writing Contest
- Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest
- 2016 Jolley Prize
- Writer’s Digest Writing Competition
- Ploughshares at Emerson College
- ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short Fiction
Peruse each writing contest and pick one that fits your style and goals the best. If you have never entered a contest before, it is a good way to push yourself. At worst, you gain some discipline by finishing a work by a deadline, adopting a mindset that someone will be judging your work, and patience while you wait for the results. Chances are you will not win (percentage-wise), but you never know. In addition, once the contest is over, you can compare the winning piece(s) to yours and learn something about writing.
And if you do win…well, I need say nothing about that.
