These are the nineteenth and twentieth in a series by Patricia Wellingham-Jones.
Contest Judges' Suggestions
by Patricia Wellingham-Jones
Although this article concerns primarily poets, much of the information applies to other forms of writing. It is about contests, yet many editors and publishers proceed in the same fashion with the same requirements. These comments have more to do with writing poetry well than with winning contests. However, if you do write well, you are apt to win the contests-or get published, or both. Many contests either offer publication of the winning work as part of the prize or consider all of the work entered for future journal publication.*
How Judges Operate
Not all, of course, but many people approach judging a contest in this way.
a.. They eliminate at once the poems not following the sponsor's specific guidelines.
b.. At the first, preliminary, reading they screen out work with poor presentation, many typos, poor grammar and lack of content.
c.. On the second reading (some do it on the first round), they sort poems into stacks of best, very good and not-so-good.
d.. They let a little time pass, if deadlines allow this, then re-read the sorted poems to make sure no winners were missed.
e.. Finally, the heaviest chore, they select the winners and honorable mentions.
f.. Judges are aware that their personal preferences do affect their choices and good judges make every effort to remain unbiased. Some, when in doubt, ask for a second opinion by a knowledgeable, non-involved, poet colleague.
g.. If judges make the effort to comment on the poems, pay attention for the next time or a new contest.
Selecting Your Poems
For deciding which of your poems to actually enter in various contests, these tips might make the selection process easier.
a.. Use the contest guidelines for hints about the organization's interests or activities.
b.. Check Writers' Market, Poets' Market and online for information on the journal or organization to learn their interests and to read previous winning works.
c.. Look online and elsewhere for examples of previous winners' poetry.
d.. Identify, if you can, the part of the country where the contest is held and see if there are regional biases/styles/preferences.
e.. Ellaraine Lockie also suggests, learn what you can about the poetry judge, if the judge's name is public. This can influence your choice because poets often have different voices and styles represented throughout the repertoire of poems.
Judges' Suggestions
These suggestions come from the people noted at the end of the article, from my own experience, and from other comments I've heard over years of entering (and sometimes winning) poetry and fiction contests.
a.. Follow the guidelines given by the sponsor of the contest. Get the work in by the deadline. Remember to enclose the fee. Poems that don't adhere to line count or subject specifications are eliminated. Judges are constantly surprised by the number of people who apparently don't bother to do this.
b.. Don't preach at readers. You can uplift them but you can't shove them.
c.. Go ahead, write that angry, personal poem when you're upset. Then tear it up. It's great therapy; therapy is seldom poetry.
d.. Never write a line just to rhyme.
a.. Show, don't tell (the classic advice to all poets).
b.. Avoid the lazy solution, e.g., clichés or words like scream, amaze, beauty, love. Find the right word to express your ideas.
c.. Avoid language that is scholarly, i.e., suitable for the academic world but not, as a rule, emotionally charged for a poem.
d.. Avoid vagueness of subject and theme; take a stand rather than hint at your subject.
e.. Even trivial subjects can be made important or universal when written well and directly.
f.. Use metaphors and similes.
g.. Watch misuse of vocabulary, which infers you don't understand the word you're using.
h.. Use correct punctuation: incorrect use of apostrophes hurts the poem; watch other trendy uses, such as ellipsis or dashes.
i.. Check spelling and grammar. Even if you don't type well, a corrected copy can always be made.
j.. Read your work out loud. Get rid of excess words like "eventually;" poetry is direct. If you are writing prose, present it as such.
k.. If your poem is too long, rearranging line breaks can make it fit contest requirements and sometimes benefits the poem. However, if this is not the case, omit the poem and substitute another.
l.. Proof, proof, proof your final drafts. Some judges will allow a superior poem with a slight mechanical error to place, but obvious mistakes get tossed right out.
m.. Send in your work (and remember to enclose that fee).
Now, as Lockie says, don't just cross your fingers then sit and wait for a response. Forget about the contest. Go right into creating the next poem or submit to other contests or publications. Don't expect to win anything in the contest. This way you'll have a happy surprise if you do but won't be disappointed if you don't.
* With additional input from the judges (names unknown) of The Great Blue Beacon poetry contest in 2002 and Ellaraine Lockie, well-regarded poet, writer, educator and poetry contest judge.
On Moving Your Reader
by Patricia Wellingham-Jones
Excerpted from a panel discussion on Motives for Writing for the AAUW, Redding CA, 2001; Wellingham-Jones was the poet among six varied writers
Q. I'm going to assume that one motive of poets who publish is a desire to move their readers. It is said that writing designed to move needs to be kept fairly short. As a poet, do you find this to be true?
A. Yes, short lines, stanzas, poems grab the attention and carry emotional weight as opposed to long, reflective material which promotes mulling. For me, it's seldom an issue, because I cannot write long even when I try!
Q. Tell us how you approach the poet's need to handle strong material with restraint.
A. I keep several principles in mind.
a.. One must meet strong material head on-and put it out there. I've learned the hard way that pussyfooting around the tough feelings or situations doesn't work. The reader knows instantly you're avoiding the issue. It can be very tough, and takes courage, to dive deep.
b.. The idea for me is not to shock but to paint a word picture.
c.. The key, as in all poetry and most writing, is to "Show, don't tell."
d.. I use humor to illuminate, too. Even bad situations often have their elements of humor.
e.. The great beauty of poetry is that it can turn private grief into universal pain that we all can resonate to.
f.. I find that layers creep into poems that the poet may not be aware of but the reader catches.
g.. Don't tell everything you know on any subject; it'll be there anyway and inform the work.
