Ah, Writing Contests...

There was a time when I wrote for the shear pleasure of it.

Often turning to pen and paper (or the clickity clack of the keyboard) when I needed creative or emotional release.

Now, with less and less time to literally and mentally dedicate to writing I find myself mostly relying on humorous Facebook updates or Amazon reviews to 'count' toward my daily writing totals.

Sad, I know.

The one caveat to this: writing contests.

There is something both appealing and addicting about these things. I guess you could say they make me feel the same way as I do when I buy a scratch lotto ticket.

With a little bit of effort, I could get a very big reward.

Of course writing a novel is no small effort, nor is the revising of it. I'm not trying to skimp on creative quality here.

But the effort that goes into trying to find representation and ultimately get published...well, that's a lot.

When I think of the odds in going the traditional route I feel like I do when I try for Megamillions: 1 in a gazillion.

But with a writing contest, well, my odds are 1 in whatever number the entry cap is.

That's somehow more attainable.

So whenever a contest is announced, despite my keyboard collecting literary dust for a month or more, I jump on my MS for some spur of the moment tweaks so I can make the submission deadline.

Somehow giving my work just this much attention keeps it from atrophying in my mind, but feels like a super lazy way of trying to reach my goal.

Yeah, who wouldn't like to hit the jackpot? But I don't want to sit back and bank on contesting only to be disappointed by what's really my lack of effort rather than my lack of luck.

Peace

A Pink American