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MayB
I love it when I labour over a piece and it reads as if it had flowed effortlessly from my pen.
posted by
johnmacnab
on May 12, 2005 at 8:02 PM
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Call me simple minded,
but if I have to think too hard to understand what I am reading, I lose interest fast.
posted by
word.smith
on May 12, 2005 at 6:01 PM
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Wetzel, I think you just has to shut your eyes and jump
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 3:23 PM
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Wow, I think you've got courage just to submit writing. I'm just at the self-expression stage, except for work related articles. Good luck and you'll eventually get what you want. Peggy
posted by
Wetzel
on May 12, 2005 at 2:41 PM
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courage to write
I
posted by
Wetzel
on May 12, 2005 at 2:38 PM
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What
posted by
Wetzel
on May 12, 2005 at 2:36 PM
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carolynmoe, of course contests are like that and so outsiders are at a disadvantage
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:32 PM
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tigerprincess, when writing is clever for the sake of it I switch off
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:31 PM
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Personally I prefer writing that I can understand. Nothing gets me bored faster than "highbrow" pieces.
posted by
tigerprincess
on May 12, 2005 at 12:08 PM
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MayB, congratulations on prancing the judges circle... I wonder if some of the contests aren't sometimes a tad "political?" ... bad poodle, go brush your hair.
posted by
cmoe
on May 12, 2005 at 7:36 AM
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MayB
U R 2 special so deal with it kiddo
posted by
WileyJohn
on May 12, 2005 at 7:33 AM
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Elan27, thanks. I do believe in myself and most of all in being myself
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 3:05 AM
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U havent lost.. they say.. 'failure is a stepping stone to success' ..... and just believe in urself!
u can do it!!
n i agree with u.. simple writing is much much more difficult then writing high breed stuff!!!!
posted by
Elan27
on May 12, 2005 at 2:45 AM
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Sassyass, I think that it would have been wrong had I won my first competition --imagine my ego if that had happened
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:31 AM
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Ms N Dependence, if you share poetry with students you do open up. My standard is fairly consistent but I do tried harder with stuff for the paper.
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:31 AM
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ginnieb, if I try to impress it sounds pretentious. I mainly try to be correct and easy to understand. Yes in life I am not really a loser
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:29 AM
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Lovelyladymonk, my chances of winning are greatly reduced, much like the lottery, because I don't often put in an entry
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:27 AM
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L.E.Gant. Working out what judges want is like working out what editors want, only harder to pin down.
I agree that complex matters should be a matter of K.I.S.S and that honing stuff down to a succinct half hour or 300 words is harder that saying everything
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:26 AM
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Argus, yes introspection is correct. I was not depressed by this just matter of fact
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:24 AM
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FactorFiction, I would enjoy winning a highbrow competition because I would be a misfit
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:23 AM
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offbeatpub, I agree less is best--maybe that will be fashionable again
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:22 AM
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ThomasFranklin, there are some timed contests. Politics is the key. Writing competitions are no different to art competitions for that
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:22 AM
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Wiley, I am OK -- nothing special and I am not looking for you to deny that
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:20 AM
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Terpgirl30, you are very generous with your comments and they are fascinating. I love the notion of the cover letter. I sent out one today with three pages of ideas attached. My reckoning is that if they are good people they will throw me some crumbs at least and then if they use the ideas and don't hire me at all I'll figure to being better off without them.
I am sure the winners of the competition are being true to themselves and I wish them no ill, as you say I was myself and success is always sweeter under those terms.
I never did read Flesch's works but I checked it out today and there is one I am thinking of getting. I love that kind of thing particularly to read out bits to students.
posted by
Azur
on May 12, 2005 at 1:20 AM
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MayB
You've already got there luv, but don't realize it. I do, you're a good writer
posted by
WileyJohn
on May 11, 2005 at 7:12 PM
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I don't like competions where it is judged-too much politics. I perfer the timed events. Who can argue with a clock? I doubt though that there are any speed typing contests? Oh well.
posted by
ThomasFranklin
on May 11, 2005 at 6:31 PM
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Did you study the "Why Johnny Can't Read" stuff?
I had to read quite a bit about it for a PR class. I always thought it was ironic that PR covers highbrow technical stuff, often written with whatever vernacular was appropriate, but I never heard of the concept in the regular journalism classes even though newspapers are supposedly written on 7th/8th grade levels. (I've never seen one in a big city, to be honest.)
That was a real eye opener. In my writing, I have gotten to a point where I'm pretty much WYSIWYG. If you read my stuff, you have a real bead on my personality. I hope you never give that up, May. You never know how your work will touch someone in a contest, on the street, whatever. You may be the inspiration someone else needs to stretch beyond the norm.
About 3 a.m. this morning, I got an urge to apply to a job near me. It was for a gaming company. The name is something like "Game Emperor." I have a standard cover I use, full of a bit of insanity, and you can't imagine the number of people who call me specifically because of the cover letter. And they tell me that, so I haven't messed with the format much. I changed a few sentences for Game Emperor, as I do with every cover. I opened with, "I would love to serve at the pleasure of the Emperor." Okay, it's a bit nuts, but it's me, and it would reflect the personality of the place I want to be at.
I have my journalism degree, but the school I graduated from required journalists to have a second major. I had enough credits to get my business degree, and sit for the CPA. When people read the resume, they see the journalism stuff and discount the accounting/business stuff. It's pretty strong. So I added a section on it, opening with the right brain/left brain struggle I have as I love both areas. It's capped with, "I have a reversible drill, and I know how to use it."
My husband was horrified when I started sending this out. He's an IT, very suit, very corporate. If someone is looking for me, they are looking for someone who thinks on the fringe a bit.
I like that you did what you thought was you in the situation. I totally get that you look at it all, and know down deep you probably won't get it. Still, that is the true you. Like I said, after a time of doing this over and over again, you may hit a target. That will feel really good. You won't win for following the rules; you'll win because people liked the way you did it.
posted by
terpgirl30
on May 11, 2005 at 5:08 PM
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MayB
Most times, less is best. Good luck and keep the faith...
posted by
Offy
on May 11, 2005 at 4:53 PM
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I guess it is all in how you look at it.
I am not sure I would _want_ to win a writing contest that preferred the highbrow stuff
posted by
FactorFiction
on May 11, 2005 at 4:45 PM
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Interesting introspection, MayB!
posted by
ARGUS
on May 11, 2005 at 4:23 PM
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Competition writing is, in my opinion, about knowing what the judges are looking for. You write for the judges, not to inform, not to express yourself, but to suit a very limited audience. I've already posted about one such competition, and my opinion of the writings that came through.
As for writing (and giving talks), I agree with you - the job of the author is to make it readable as well as informative. Simple and easy to absorb words, structured properly, will always work well. And the more abstract the subject, the more important it is to use ordinary, everyday (concrete) words.
That's why it's so much more time consuming to set up a half-hour talk on any topic than to do one that takes a day!
posted by
L.E.Gant
on May 11, 2005 at 3:53 PM
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MayB,
Don't lose heart, my friend...I've entered several writing competitons and have as yet to win one of them, but I still keep trying. My day WILL come, I know it!!...And so will yours.
posted by
lovelyladymonk
on May 11, 2005 at 3:50 PM
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I agree with you MayB...
..simple, easy to read writing is the best....sometimes people just try too hard to impress...I've done it myself and then been told about it. And good heavens MayB..you are far from a loser! I think you know that though! ;)
posted by
ginnieb
on May 11, 2005 at 2:58 PM
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I am still pretty protective of my writing...
I share poetry with my students - and of course I write here - not competition calibre material of course- but my really good stuff - I hold close to the vest.
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on May 11, 2005 at 2:52 PM
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Loser isn't a word that I would use to describe you
I have also entered competitions, and you know the rules, you win some, you lose some. There will always be others.
posted by
Sherri_G
on May 11, 2005 at 2:32 PM
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