DL Hammons
annual WRiTE CLUB readers’ choice contest garners attention each spring. I
contacted DL (full disclosure – he’s one of my critique partners) and at this
time, he’s still planning to a 2021 production. Thankfully, it’s all online!
The following post is based on comments of the contests slushpile readers as of
April 2020, so things may change in a few months. Also, one of the perks of the
contest is a chance for recognition at the annual conference hosted by the DFW
Writers Workshop. In 2020, the conference fell victim to the pandemic, and as
of this month’s DFWWW board meeting, its fate is still undecided. Here’s hoping
the pandemic will have waned by the 2021 conference dates, June 12-13.
What WRiTE CLUB slushpile readers want to see!
It’s crunch time for submissions to the 2020
edition (and ninth year!) of DL Hammons WRiTE CLUB contest. Entries for the
readers’ choice event are soon. And although one of the winner’s perks – recognition
at the DFW Writers Conference – will be missing, a victim of the current
pandemic, there’s still plenty to gain.
The top 30 submissions, as determined by
Hammons’ volunteer crew of slushpile readers, will receive feedback from online
readers. And the surviving finalists will get eyes on their writing samples
from publishing industry pros.
This year I return as one of those slush
readers winnowing the initial entrants. We joined Hammons recently on Twitter
to share the secrets of what it takes to win our hearts. I’ll recap while
expanding on my own preferences. Pay attention – you may just find yourself in
the winner’s circle!
It shouldn't need saying but I will --
contestants must produce a strong writing sample.
Over and over, slushpile readers made
statements such as, “Writing quality is my highest weighted category. A really
well-written piece can make up for other things I might not like.”
And, “Give me a STRONG hook! I cannot stress
this enough. Grab me before my mind and wander and don’t let me go until the
end.”
Or, “Great writing is my number one criteria.
I know that’s subjective, but for me it’s about whether your story draws me in:
is your dialogue realistic, do you have the right blend of dialogue, emotions,
action, and world building.”
And with a 500-word limit on entries, every blow
– I mean word – has to punch above its weight.
“What’s the key to my vote?” another slushpile
reader tweeted. “It’s really, really, simple: tight writing. SUPER tight. No
dramatics, no clichés. I don’t even care what genre; a strong premise is only a
bonus. I just want to know you can tell a story.”
So, does a 500-word limit mean the contest is
limited to flash fiction? Not at all. Flash is perfectly OK, but those of the
30 original contestants who make it through the early rounds of reader feedback
will be expected to produce additional – and longer – writing samples. This
probably explains why most of the entries I’ve seen so far appear to be
excerpts from longer works.
But as I’ve told my own critique group, the
writing sample doesn’t have to be verbatim from a longer piece. Choosing which
elements are essential and which can be temporarily dispensed with is an art.
What I’ve seen a little too much of, both this year and last, when I also read
slush, is the lack of arc. There may be lyrical writing or great character
sketches, but even with only a fragment of scene, the sample has to show a
potential to go somewhere, to have legs.
As a fellow slushie tweeted, “A gripping first
sentence does a lot for me, but something has to actually happen in the story.
It can’t just be all exposition.”
Other tweets – “I was glued to the story. . .”
“The writer managed to get into my head. . .”
“Make me forget about #COVID-19. Even if only
for a few minutes. Give me a story that will consume my mind and emotions with
something else.”
So, you’ve got a strong opening, a gripping
middle. . . how about that ending? Remembering it’s not necessarily the ending
of the entire story, only of this 500-word fragment.
Slushies say, “Bonus points for a surprise
ending. . . I really LOVE surprise endings.” And, “One of my favorites so far
had a fantastic twist at the end. I want to know what happens!” And, “If it’s
not a short (story) with closure, I need at least a signpost or tip of the hat
as to where the author is taking me.”
A slushpile reader quoted earlier not caring about
genre, but some do pine for more variation in genres. Admittedly, with most
entries expected in this final week, it’s still surprising that I’ve counted
fewer than a half-dozen YA submissions.
Other slushies tweeted, “I’d love to see some
nonfiction and memoirs,” and “I wouldn’t mind seeing more horror entries. . .
hint, hint.” (Although as another noted, “I like my horror IMPLIED, not graphic
or gory!” Slushpile readers also like humor, either as a stand-alone genre or
sprinkled into other genres. And speaking personally, I’m a sucker for
mysteries, historicals, and thrillers.
And although great writing is tops on we
slushies’ lists of must-haves, we’re not immune to pickier issues. “Suck me in,
trap me, make me care,” one tweeted. “I’m more lax on grammar. I’ll even skip
over it if I’m engrossed but if it comes down to a submission with good grammar
vs. one with not-go-good. . .”
And, “If I’m debating between two great
pieces, proper grammar can tip the scales.” And another, “I’m not a huge
stickler for grammar mistakes, but it if keeps pulling out of the story? It
will affect my vote at that point.”
So, there you have it, writers! Great writing,
strong beginning, a story arc with strong ending. And don’t ignore your word
processor’s grammar suggestions.
***
Another popular post of 2020 was the following,
dealing with the Twitter-based #10Queries online contest. I haven’t seen a date
for 2021 yet, but most likely it will occur this coming February.
What can we learn from #10Queries feedback?
Why is hearing takes on other writers’ queries
so much less painful than writing our own? Thank dog the editors’ posts from
Revise & Resub’s recent #10Queries competition were anonymous! And though it
sometimes seemed as if, for every 10 editors in a room there were 20 answers on
how to write a perfect query, some issues in the submitted query letters
appeared often enough to generate consensus.
Issues such as: conflict – whether it’s a
fistfight or a galactic war. And stakes – what will be gained or lost by the
conflict. Conflict and stakes are the heart of stories, but one editor after
another posted comments like: “conflict is unclear. What’s at stake?” Or,
“motivation and stakes for the main character need to be upped. What are the
personal stakes if they don’t succeed?” Or, “focus on conflict and stakes and
what makes them unique.”
But can’t a writer just narrate to the reader
– agent or editor – what happens in the novel? Won’t that cover the issues of
conflict and stakes?
Sorry, as any reader of this blog – or
attendee at the Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference’s infamous query gong
shows knows -- spending significant query real estate on plot still may not make
clear why the characters are running around like Energizer bunnies.
#10Queries editors weren’t as brutal as agents
at the gong show contest about saying that what they read was sometimes too
darn long. Instead, they used more diplomatic language such as “heavy on setup
and introducing characters but. . .” And “too many details about the story but
at the same time is too vague on the important points.” Or, “feels more like
narrative than tight, concise query.” Or the just plain, “simplify.”
So far, it may sound as if the editors were
focused on the what than the who of authors’ queries. Not so.
Remember those “personal stakes” mentioned earlier? So, editors also included
such comments as, “give us more of (the main characters’) motivation,” and
“tell us why they care about the particular event in the query.” Or, “Clear
goals but no motive. . . goals are nothing if the character doesn’t have a
reason for the goal.”
Editors also wanted to meet the characters who
have those goals right away. One gave a “hm” to a writer who didn’t mention the
main character until the second paragraph (but recovered with sharp voice and
wit).
And while editors loved characters who “feel
so authentic,” they could also say, “make it clearer who the main character
is.”
And on the issue of the unlikable character
one editor noted, “the woe-is-me character right from the get-go makes him a
bit unlikable. . . I want an emotional connection before I can agree that him
dying would be a bad idea.”
One editor also posted a “random thought”
about two issues that have always bothered me – “the importance of hooks and
comp titles.”
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| Image: Pixabay |
Obviously, a hook is something that will
immediately catch a reader’s attention, but what does it take to do that? As
someone who’s tried starting with action only to receive a “meh” response, I
dug further and found this answer (of a sort) at the site Literary Devices:
“. . . not all hooks are based in action. They can also present a character, or
group of characters with interesting traits, a thematic opening statement, or a
mysterious and intriguing setting.”
Beware though – in a query letter, that hook
had better be short!
And comp – that is, comparison – titles?
Editors at #10Queries could say that a writer’s comps were “amazing!” as well
as note that they were “a bit unfamiliar.”
Probably like most writers, I feel that my
stories are unique. What can we possibly find to compare them to? The Reedsy
blog, among other resources, makes suggestions, including dos and don’ts for
comp titles.
My personal suggestions are to check our
Goodreads follow-ups of the “you finished X, now what” variety, and Amazon’s listing
of books bought by those who read the books we loved to read. And then, of
course, to actually look at the suggested books.
I’ll close with the easy stuff from the
#10Queries editors, but not so easy that I didn’t have fails in this area.
Remember that it’s the writing that counts, not the clothes it wears. Don’t
make the query, as one editor noted, “difficult on the eye,” with small fonts
and chunks of italics. Don’t forget to include age group, genre, word count and
title – the last in all capitals.
But wait -- here’s the real closer – the
submissions window for #RevPit, Revise & Resub’s annual contest on Twitter
(usually open in April). Put what we’ve learned into practice and save the
date!
