CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ENTRANTS IN THE WORD AWARDS!
Congratulations to everyone who entered!
There were a fair number of new names on the shortlist along with the familiar. Some categories had a very high number of entries; some received a lot more submissions than usual, including the Song Lyric category!
The Shortlist of Finalists has been announced. Read all about it!
Awards are a messy, mixed bag of emotions. Some entrants will be happy, some disappointed and others won’t even be able to identify their emotions. Every year we discuss whether we should even have an awards program. We weigh the pros and the cons. And, we review the results of a survey we did with our members a couple of years ago. The response was a resounding “yes” to continuing the awards. Comments told us that even though disappointment was often a reality, overall the marks and notes from the judges were helpful as they continued in their writing.
At the gala a few years ago, an entrant sought me out to tell me that although she didn’t win she found the judge’s comments to be invaluable as she worked on her next book. We receive similar feedback every year.
God has called us to write. It takes practice, lots of practice. But it also takes a willingness to learn from others. Whether we read books that are extremely well-written, talk to experts in various genres, listen seriously to advice from editors or take judges’ comments into consideration when we enter contests or awards, we would do well to hone our craft in any way we can.
After all, aren’t we doing this for God’s glory? We’re all in that together.
~ Denise
(Read more about “Battling Advice and Discouragement”)
