Today, the last day of 2023, is the day I wear my brave girl hat, and tell you about a little something I did this year.
I decided to enter into a short story competition. It was a bit last minute, a bit of a personal dare, a bit of a ‘fuck it, what have you got to lose‘ moment. The required theme was historical, which we all know is my favourite kind of genre. And it all came about because I’d read something that turned up in my inbox (one of the many subscribed newsletters on all things history no doubt) on the Mary Rose, and it piqued my interest. Immediately a flash of inspiration took hold, and I had a vision of this skull, a drowned sailor, rising to the surface, after having been in darkness for over 400 years. What would this sailor think, if they could? Then a couple of days later details for the Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition grabbed my attention in a monthly email from Historia.
And so pen to paper, trying to put my daydream vision to life in words. I set to, requesting research books from the library, watching YouTube videos on the raising of the Mary Rose forty years ago, and there was even an excellent recent podcast series by History Hit on the topic which I put on repeat for a week, to help with the fact finding side of my vision.
I wrote and rewrote, edited and slashed. Received helpful feedback from a writer friend.
I read my draft. Over and over. Aloud. After a few days of this, Enough, I told myself. And submitted.
Then the wait.
I learnt two things from this experience, my first competition entry for short stories.
- I work well under pressure. Give me a deadline, and I’ll put in so many extra hours. Hours of the day I didn’t know existed. As well as a few of the nighttime hours too …
- They were right. Entering into competitions is good for you. I can see how it could hone your skills. It gives you the push you need to get out there, and write. I would never have written my little story if it wasn’t for the push of a competition. *they = creative writing instructors, how-to guides, authors on TED talks …
And while I didn’t place anywhere, I’m so glad I entered. I’ve read the story again after putting it aside for a few months, and I can see plenty of room for improvement. That’s a good thing. And I should do this again. Look around for competitions that excite me. Write more short stories. Ray Bradbury said;
“If you can write one short story a week—it doesn’t matter what the quality is to start, but at least you’re practicing, and at the end of the year you have 52 short stories, and I defy you to write 52 bad ones. Can’t be done. At the end of 30 weeks or 40 weeks or at the end of the year, all of a sudden a story will come that’s just wonderful.”
from “Telling the Truth,” the keynote address of The Sixth Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University, 2001
And so, back to the brave girl hat part of this post – my little short story, The Lion and Rose. Enjoy!
Have you ever entered into writing competitions? Did you have fun? Do you think it helps with your writing practice?
There are many competitions out there, obviously make sure you understand the terms and conditions, and entry fees should not be exorbitant. Seek out the plethora of advice online before submitting your precious words. A few of the current competitions that I’m thinking about entering:
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Happy New Year to you, gentle reader. May 2024 bring you joy, and many happy hours of writing and reading, listening and exploring our world, both the present we live in and the past (I’m thinking of ruined castles, and ancient forests, and time-worn pathways, new to you and to me). See you on the flip side!
Gathering Words 
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