How to win a writing competition - Part 2
Sections 3 and 4
This is the second part of my free course. Part 1, published in June, takes a look at how NOT to win a writing competition, and how to win a short story competition.
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Part 3. How to win a flash fiction competition
Listen to my conversation with Tiffany White
Key points
Syntax can be abused but story can’t.
Layers and dimension add depth. Use language to intrigue and entice readers.
Hyperbole is sneaky.
Write without thinking. Forget about word count
Rewrite and cull by 25%. Repeat.
Read final draft out loud. Rewrite. Submit.
Avoid fee-based sites.
Download the worksheet:
Your worksheet this month is a handy checklist you can use to remind you of the key points from this podcast. Keep it handy for the next time you’re entering a poetry competition! It also features an exercise if you’re stuck for a bit of inspiration.
DownloadRead the winning entries
A brief history of cycling by Helen Chambers (2014)
He loves me he loves me not by Gayle Letherby (2015)
Sea Change by Sharon Telfer (2016)
You don’t have to talk about your daddy in counselling if you don’t want to by Stephanie Hutton (2017)
Working Title by Tiffany White (2020)
What if earth is a pyramid by Abdulrahman M Abu-Yaman (2021)
At peace with myself in the midst of half started projects by Caroline Jenner (2022)
Additional Resources
Five top flash fiction tips for writers by Bridget Whelan
Starting with a flash by Alex Reece Abbott
Part 4. How to win a poetry competition
Listen to my conversation with Andy Cash
Key Points
Every poem needs a clear message
The structure of a poem should support the message and take the reader on a journey
Make the perspective clear. Is it you, another or an object?
Tone is one of the most important things to get right
The rhythm and cadence should work hand in hand with the meter
The subject should be something all readers can empathise with or understand
Grammer or its lack should be appropriate
Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme but it does need rhythm which helps defines the message and your sentence and grammatical structure
Images evoke emotional responses in us and poetry can do that very quickly, often more quickly than a story or flash fiction can
The first line or two often set the expectations of the reader for the rest of the poem
Download the worksheet
Your worksheet this month is a handy checklist you can use to remind you of the key points from this podcast. Keep it handy for the next time you’re entering a poetry competition! It also features an exercise if you’re stuck for a bit of inspiration.
Read the winning entries
I do not love you by Polly Hall (2014)
The weight of glass by Sue Spiers (2015)
Soapbox by Kathryn V Jacopi (2016)
Jane Doe #503 by Laura Potts (2017)
The Poets Meeting by A M Cash (2020)
A New Hope by Tracy Davidson (2021)
Girl in a Cathedral by Heather Cook (2022)
Additional Resources
Advice on submitting a poem to the hysteria writing competition by Bridget Whelan
Waxing lyrical about poetry by Alex Reece Abbott
Reintroducing hysteria with Eithne Cullen
On Sonnets by Eithne Cullen
