Fiction Contests

Last fall, 500 authors competed in the American Christian Fiction Writers' Genesis contest, resulting in a scant five winners. The Golden Pen received 190 entries in 2011, with only a handful crowned victorious. 120 writers entered the 2011 Christian Writer's Guild Operation First Novel Contest, perhaps the only full-length novel contest, and only one of them will walk away with a $20,000 contract.

Upon first glance, these numbers appear daunting, perhaps even insurmountable. But there are things you can do to increase your chances of success. It's easy, really. Write well. Include all those things that make for a great story: an engaging hook, unique writing, a strong plot, and lovable characters, all wrapped up in originality.

According to Genesis judge, Deb Kinnard, she's a sucker for a great voice. "Voice is everything to me. If it can engage me, I'm willing to go with the flow, plot-wise."

Voice isn't something you can force, and often, it takes time to develop. It's when you reach the point where you bleed into the page and readers catch a glimpse of your personality. To develop your voice, purposefully switch off the rational, plotting, angsting side of your brain and give your creative neurons full reign. Pound your keyboard, letting every uncouth and awkward word fly until your inner writer emerges. If you do this enough, your muse will emerge with increased frequency, squashing any cookie-cutting tendencies.

Then, once you've awakened your voice, couple it with great writing. When Genesis coordinator Ane Muligan judged the Genesis contest, she wanted to see craft knowledge displayed in strong writing. "I look for an overall knowledge of good writing skills, but allow for 'rule breaking' IF it works. That shows the author knows the rules, but has an innate sense of story." She also looks for that spark of originality that keeps her intrigued. "A great opening line grabs me, and opening scenes need to hook me, as well as voice. In [the Genesis] contest, plot is not so much of an issue, since we don't see the whole story (unless a synopsis is included)."

And yet, to truly have a great story, you need a great plot-one that starts strong and stays strong. That's the main reason I love the Operation First Novel Contest. It challenges writers to polish not only that first ten or fifty pages, but instead, all 350. Regardless of which contest you choose, all provide excellent feedback that not only strengthen the writing, but also the writer. The ultimate benefit, of course, is hearing that editor say, "Please send me the full." Statement often made to contest finalists.