You receive a notice through Wattpad about a contest. At first you're excited. Your mind starts to fill with ideas.
Then... doubt sets in.
Why would you participate in something you're probably going to lose?
You begin to talk yourself out of it: You're busy. Many people will enter. Someone else's entry is bound to be better than yours.
You opt against discouragement. Maybe you won't win, but honestly, if you participate, you haven't lost either.
Winning isn't the only way to benefit from Wattpad writing contests; they also help us hone our craft, meet new people, and immerse ourselves in the community.
The 2014 Fill in the Fear competition revolved around the beginning of a short story written by R. L. Stine. Contestants were to provide the story's middle. Stine would pick his favorite and write an ending based upon it. I'd never written horror before, but decided to try anyways. My goal was to see if I could mimic Stine's style while staying true to my own voice.
My entry completed, I then delved into the other contestants' stories. Their variety and creativity was amazing! What also struck me was how encouraging everyone was. I read almost every entry and I never saw a negative word in anyone's comments. The sentiment was that we were all in this together.
When I was told that my entry had been selected, I squealed like a little girl, then proceeded to hug everyone in close proximity. Happy moment though it was, it's strange to write about this experience; strange because there's an honest-to-goodness story that exists with my name on the cover next to R. L. Stine's but also strange because I feel like I'm bragging just talking about winning. Bragging seems unnecessary and against the spirit of what was a very friendly competition. My story was good, sure. But words like good or best are subjective terms. I assume Stine looked at the direction I'd taken the plotline and decided he wanted his ending to carry on in that direction. It doesn't make mine the best. It doesn't make me the best.
Remember: judge's opinions are subjective. You will fare better in competitions if you don't take a negative outcome personally. Case in point: I entered Margaret Atwood's Freeze-Dried Fiction competition while still riding high on the Stine triumph as well as another win in a contest called Breathtaking. I had aspirations of a three-for-three victory.
And... I lost. While disappointed, I benefited from that contest just as much as I did from those I won. I met some of my favorite Wattpadders through it, and the piece I wrote is one I remain extremely proud of.
Even if you don't think your work is worthy of winning a contest, remember that the practice of writing is just that: a practice. The more you write, the more you'll learn about and strengthen your craft. Every contest piece you produce, be it a hundred word drabble or a full length novel, is an opportunity to grow. Being willing to accept losing will make you a better writer as well. Rejection is an inevitable part of an author's life and if you want an author's life, you need to get used to it.
No matter how much we might want something - to win a contest, to score a publishing contract - these things will most likely not come easily. We'll get rejected by agents and publishers. We'll lose contests. What matters is that we keep going. As Dax Shepard said, "Success is just a war of attrition... if you stick around long enough, eventually something is going to happen."
So stick around long enough. Enter a contest. And then enter another.
When Atwood announced a new competition co-hosted with the Future Library Project, I went through the typical excuses: I have a lot on my plate, I tried before and lost, the same thing might happen again.
I submitted a piece anyways.
This time... I WON!
Before Wattpad came into my life, losing the first Atwood contest would have dissuaded me from entering another. I wouldn't have even given myself the opportunity to try again. Wattpad, however, is an elixir against the harsh, solitary life of an author. The friendliness of Wattpad competitions, the bravery of writers who share their work, the many people on this site who don't give up - how could I not follow their example? I showed up, and this time, something wonderful did indeed happen.
Sure, winning feels good. But so does being brave enough to enter a competition, so does talking to fellow contestants about your work and theirs, so does being part of this community.
Be brave, writers. Take a chance. Participate. Enter any contest you are able to. Win or lose, good things will come your way if you do.
Amber K Bryant (@amberkbryant) is a featured author and Watty award winner of Unseen. She has co-written a story with R.L. Stine, and is winner of the Breathtaking contest and is a winner of Margaret Atwood's Future Library Contest. She has worked as a librarian since 2003. Amber is currently seeking representation.
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