Creative Conundrums #10: Literary Competitions Now Vs Literary Competitions Later
A Writer's Corner series dedicated to challenges and worries throughout the creative process, doubts, queries and everything in between.
Weekly Publishing Schedule, ‘I have done a thing’ and Past Instalments of Creative Conundrums
It is a Thursday and, contrary to what your expectation may be, I am presenting you with the next Creative Conundrum. We are now de facto running with the new publishing schedule (sooner than I thought!). My guess is that, as a reader, you are looking for a routine. Trust me, I wish I were in a position to offer that. We will get there one day, I promise.
The schedule, as it stands:
Thursdays (week day may differ due to work-related travel, etc.): Creative Conundrums
Every Saturday, every other Saturday, whatever Saturday suits (you get the idea; this one is likely to fluctatuate): Flash Fiction & Non Fiction
Sundays: A Dose of the Dreaded ‘Dear Diary’
TBC: Substack Shout Outs
The expedited change in publishing schedule is impacted by the fact that I have, finally, signed up for a Creative Writing Course. Whoop whoop! Excited does not even begin to describe my feelings. Excited and petrified.
Ahead of starting the twelve-week course on Monday, 12th Feb, I would like to establish a – fingers crossed! – feasible writing routine that I can maintain on top of the course and work.
Links to previous instalments of Creative Conundrums can be found in the next paragraph. Apart from #1 and #2, which are inter-related, the Creative Conundrums can be read in isolation and in any order.
Creative Conundrums #2: Individual Publications or Publication Sections?
Creative Conundrums #4: What Are the Substack ... Things Called?
Creative Conundrums #8: Creative Writing Courses Vs M(F)As in Creative Writing
Creative Conundrums #9: First Draft Exposure Vs First Draft Secrecy
What is Creative Conundrums?
“What is Creative Conundrums”, you ask yourself. It is a series – if someone has a finer term for it, I would steal it in a heartbeat – dedicated to questions of creative nature, worrisome thoughts, plaguing insecurities, and day-to-day challenges that I wrestle with.
Over the years, I have realised that much of what we often consider to be unique to our personalities, for example the tendency to be indecisive, or circumstances, say, our education background or job, resonates with others louder than we have ever imagined.
Creative Conundrums will, therefore, serve two purposes:
Aid me in un-baffling myself through endless rambling and mind backflips, and
Provide solace to you in the realisation that you are not alone in your troubles (Fingers crossed, sound practical advice will be a welcome by-product).
Now, let us focus on Creative Conundrum #10.
Creative Conundrums #10: Literary Competitions Now Vs Literary Competitions Later? Context
In ‘real life’, I have very few reader friends, and zero writer friends. No one. Nobody (that I know of) in my immediate circle writes. I have always been a bit of a loner (I suppose all of us, writers, are. See how I referred to myself as a writer, part of the collective. Well done, Siya!), and never in a million years did I think I would miss the company of other human beings.
But trying to figure out if I am a writer (internal critic is waking up) is a tough business especially if one has no audience; not a single soul to tell them if what they are creating is worth their breath. The absence of writers in my ‘real life’ has made me realise how important it is to be surrounded by others like you, others that can give you a sense of direction in the long, dark nights.
If you are in a similar boat or have been at one time in your writing journey, you are to find this conundrum relatable, I hope.
Creative Conundrums #10: Literary Competitions Now Vs Literary Competitions Later? The Actual Conundrum
Given the creative writing void around me, one way of finding out if writing is something I am any good at (and I totally appreciate that I can still write if I am crap!) is looking up literary competitions, usually after Flash Fiction pieces, and trying my luck. Not placing is a clear indication of ‘not good enough (not right now anyway, but keep going!)’, but this does little, if anything, to improve my writing. Tangible feedback is more useful, but it costs extra.
But is so early in my writing journey a good time, or even the right time, to be submitting to literary competitions? Am I simply ‘wasting’ money in the full knowledge I am not there yet, but desperate to hear back on what I am doing well and what I could be doing better?
Creative Conundrums #10: Literary Competitions Now Vs Literary Competitions Later? Thoughts
Amongst all of you, there is bound to be some personal experience with literary competitions that you can share with the readers of Writer’s Corner. A few prompts to help your thinking can be found below:
Is it a good idea for a new writer to enter competitions early in their writing journey?
What are some of the benefits of submitting one’s work to competitions right from the get-go?
Are there any cons?
Is it worth paying extra to receive feedback from the judges?
Are you aware of any literary competitions that may be a good starting point for new writers?
Thank you in advance for your continued support!