tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post112587664091207224..comments2023-11-03T06:29:07.280-05:00Comments on The Bandwagon: Boring WritingMJFredrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126058907200191392005-09-06T21:08:00.000-05:002005-09-06T21:08:00.000-05:00Amen Mary!!!!I always feel bad when I judge contes...Amen Mary!!!!<BR/>I always feel bad when I judge contest entries that simply have no life. <BR/>But I LOVE it when I read a great entry and then see it finals in the GH or gets the Call. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126054146734676782005-09-06T19:49:00.000-05:002005-09-06T19:49:00.000-05:00Isn't that the truth, Michelle!Isn't that the truth, Michelle!MJFredrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126053997003291922005-09-06T19:46:00.000-05:002005-09-06T19:46:00.000-05:00Contests can actually give you pretty good perspec...Contests can actually give you pretty good perspective in your own writing, I think. When I judge contests, I can see flaws easier than in my own work and later I can make sure I don't make the same mistakes. Or at least I try not to! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126051256887576012005-09-06T19:00:00.000-05:002005-09-06T19:00:00.000-05:00Written by committee - exactly! And something I fe...Written by committee - exactly! And something I fear.MJFredrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126049237258057672005-09-06T18:27:00.000-05:002005-09-06T18:27:00.000-05:00I've seen too many published books that seem like ...I've seen too many published books that seem like they were written by committee. That is not a good thing.<BR/><BR/>JoAnnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126044128963044442005-09-06T17:02:00.000-05:002005-09-06T17:02:00.000-05:00Michele, Hot Shot went through the same thing. Whe...Michele, Hot Shot went through the same thing. When I started, my heroine was some political assistant or something, it was doing crap in contests. I finally just kind of let go with it and now it's a story I'm proud of.<BR/><BR/>Mean to my characters? I never used to be, but you should see what I did to Del last night! Poor baby will never be the same.MJFredrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126020899958320282005-09-06T10:34:00.000-05:002005-09-06T10:34:00.000-05:00I think people are, for whatever reason, afraid to...I think people are, for whatever reason, afraid to make their writing what Jennifer Enderlin calls a "really" book. Afraid to push their characters too far, afraid to make them suffer too much, etc. I've been guilty of this myself, not wanting to be mean to my characters. And I do think that mss can get edited to death, to where they don't resemble the original spark that might have been there.Trish Milburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812010789617982102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126019303914474942005-09-06T10:08:00.000-05:002005-09-06T10:08:00.000-05:00Mary I'm incredibly jealous of your 26 pages. But...Mary I'm incredibly jealous of your 26 pages. But anyway yes I've judged contest entries like that. Heck, I judged one that's taken first place in other contests and just went huh? It was perfect but it had no spark. On the other hand I had some that weren't "Perfect" that I gave real high marks too. <BR/><BR/>I finally confessed to my chapter president that I pretty much only paid the score sheet a bit of lip service. I judged on my gut, on good writing, an engaging voice, at least a hint of conflict, great characterization, original plot. Not did they use the five senses. She still likes me (i think)Amie Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14145328243563702260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126015327989747642005-09-06T09:02:00.000-05:002005-09-06T09:02:00.000-05:00Mary, I've been working on my current project in v...Mary, I've been working on my current project in various incarantions for about three years give or take. And what I'm doing with it now doesn't resemble what I started with. The biggest change: voice.<BR/><BR/>I'm not a technically-perfect writer. But that's not something I want to be known for. I want to be known as a unique writer, someone special, someone interesting and compelling. And that's what I think we should all strive for: to find our own way of telling a story.MicheleKShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14395738979569634630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126014814969321492005-09-06T08:53:00.000-05:002005-09-06T08:53:00.000-05:00I think sometimes people make the contest circuit ...I think sometimes people make the contest circuit and edit their whole voice out of their submission by the time it hits like the 3rd contest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126008692771881402005-09-06T07:11:00.000-05:002005-09-06T07:11:00.000-05:00I think it's important to find your voice and not ...I think it's important to find your voice and not let others change it. And that can be really easy to do. You have to know when to change something and when not too. And I too think that people tend to polish polish polish those first three chapters making them shine for contests until the true "shine" is all gone.Teresa Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09000600005136863441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241994.post-1126007923724542812005-09-06T06:58:00.000-05:002005-09-06T06:58:00.000-05:00I SOOOOOOOO know what you mean about the perfectio...I SOOOOOOOO know what you mean about the perfection of contest entries, but missing that spark!<BR/><BR/>But man, oh man, I LOVE it when I read something new, fun and original!Jill Monroehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12917867670224368810noreply@blogger.com