One hundred eighty degrees. Half a circle for those of you who chose to snooze in math class. Or perhaps you have heard someone describe a radical change as doing a 360. That is impossible as a 360 describes a complete revolution which will send you on in the same direction you came.
Alright, enough of the mathematics lesson. I read this post yesterday and could not immediately think of something that would fit the bill. I am not exactly resistant to change, but most of the time when you get into a routine you just don’t make a significant change. A one hundred eighty degree change is pretty radical.
So as I though about what to add with this prompt I settled on something related to my writing. Particularly about submitting my work to writing competitions. Before I joined WordPress I really did not see many opportunities to do this. Several years ago I had a unique opportunity to submit some novel length work to a local writing competition.
I live in a small town in Virginia. We have an annual festival the first two weeks of August each year known as the Virginia Highlands Festival. It includes Arts, Crafts, Music, food and so much more. One day is devoted to writing workshops and usually some published authors will lead workshops on the craft.
A few years ago there was a Creative Writing competition. The contest accepted entries for poetry, essay and novel length works. I am not sure how many years this was the case, but I managed to contribute entries three times, each of them a novel length manuscript. I am happy to say I received two honorable mention awards and a second place for the other. It was some validation I needed at that time that my work could compete.
So what is my one hundred eighty degree turn? The last time I entered my writing in a contest was 2001, over twelve years ago. I did not stop writing during the interval between then and now, I just did not seek out contests like I once had. Joining WordPress, however, has given me a great source of potential contests to enter.
Part of my 2013 Writing Goals is to enter more contests. So far I have entered several. Some of the results have been announced and while I cannot claim success in the form of monetary reward, I feel I am better for the experience and getting my work out to new readers.
These are the contests I have entered this year:
- Writer’s Digest – Your Story #48 – 25 word story about woman falling in pool.
- Creative Contest #7 – Emma Overcoming – Won First Prize
- Submitted “The Family Secrets” to Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award – Did not advance to second round.
- Submitted to Charlottesville Winter’s Valentine’s Day writing contest.
- Submitted to 2013 Nelligan Prize for short Fiction
- Submitted to Shenandoah Bevel Summer Contest
- Submitted to Lascaux Flash Fiction Contest
This is my change, the radical difference. I know many of you will share more personal thoughts about changing you life spiritually or perhaps by losing weight to make yourself more healthy. I look forward to reading the other entries for this prompt.
Some other Daily Prompt – 180 Degree prompts
- Daily Post: 180 Degrees | tel-uh-vizh-uh-ner-ee
- 180 degrees | Taking time, making time
- Why You Shouldn’t Just Assume that North Korea is Crazy | Never Stationary
- My Very First Time | Stuphblog
- War And Courage | The Jittery Goat
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Completely Disappear
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees – Tiny’s Story | Rolbos ©
- Almost became “trained” | Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | likereadingontrains
- 117. The Family Van: Doing a 180: DPChalenge | Sofie’s Diary
- Enabling road kill: today’s 180 | Miss Moiety
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | بيسان
- No way, not on your nelly… where do I sign? | Random Encounters of an Inquisitive Mind
- Daily Post: Wait A Minute! | One Starving Activist
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees In Thought And Action | My Blog
- 180 Degree Turn | thelissachronicles
- Bosch? Tefal? Rowenta? Braun? | Philosophy & Photography
- I can’t believe you believe that | writemybrainsout
- Never judge a book…or a market holder! | thoughtsofrkh
- This one time… | thematticuskingdom
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Becoming Aussie
- Don’t judge a book by it’s cover | knocked over by a feather
- Turning Myself Around | So You Think You Can Think
- Meet Bellamy | Ald+R
- Daily prompt: outside of the comfort zone | The Small Girl Chronicles
- Hokey Pokey | Nana’s Musings
- 180 Degrees | The Nameless One
- Daily Post: 180 Degrees! | EMBRACE YOU
- How I Got My “A” | Matthew Vett’s Development Blog
- Thoughts on Reversal | Mind of a Mouse
- It’s Not Easy Eating Green | This Thread Sucks
- Post a Week: 180 | sketches and scribbles (reloaded)
- 180° | Yeahthtsme
- Lost | theloneshewolf
- Daily Prompt: Never | Cytherean Dreams
- Turning Myself Around- Part 2 | So You Think You Can Think
- On Dreams and Pre-Destined Dilemmas. | Share, My Dad Says.
- Changing my point of view | My thought exactly…!
- Degrees of Right | Paul Scribbles
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Daddy’s Naughty Little Girl
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees « Mama Bear Musings
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Mostly Just Fiction
- 180 ̊̊̊̊ | atomickaleidoscope | Kaleidoscopic World in Words
- I Walk the Line | The Daily Dilly Dally
- The Third Law Of Unfairness | Fish Of Gold
- TheDeafia | Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees
- 180 Degrees – The Ultimate Turnaround | The Bottom of a Bottle
- Half A Circle Away – A Daily Prompt Post | Edward Hotspur
- It May Have Saved My Life | So I Went Undercover
- The Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees/ Meeting Babette Adventure | Adventures of the Lonely Bride and Babette
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | The Blogging Path
- Just Friends…? | – ellikitty –
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Brian Hardie’s Blogpost Modern ChapCyberZine
- Lalalal | Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Basically Beyond Basic
- Keeping the Moon and Other Crimes… | Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Happiness
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Talker Huge
- Forget First Impressions | Wiley’s Wisdom
- Just Turn Around and Walk Away | Happy Monkey Land and Other Musings on Life
- Guilt, social media, writer’s block, and the grossest of word vomits I have ever produced. | Polyprotic Amory
- 180 Degrees And Still Turning | Dree Speaks Freely
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees Weight | Lines by Linda
- Smile. Learn. Live | The Lurker’s List
- Rule Bending | Mike Sensitivity
- Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Live. Love. Laugh
- Bed Ridden | In Harmony
- 180 degree reversal: changing your mind? | Melanie Ryding – Ryding2Health BLOG
- 180°- The Story Of My Life? | Tails from a Monkey’s Hippocampus
- 14:3 Daily Prompt: 180 Degrees | Family Photos Food & Craft
I have never entered a contest – but I should … I keep repeating that to myself – thanks for the reminder 🙂 Anyhoo, I’m a little late in this topic but wanted to throw my two bits all the same – hope you can stop by my place soon. cheers!
I think it’s wonderful that you are entering your work in these contests. I wish you all the best! Congrats on all your past success. I’m sure the future holds many good things for you.
Thanks so much I am excited about the possibility. It also helps to drive my productivity in writing.
Congratulations on your success. Glad to hear that you kept going. Thank you for the ping back.
SO glad to be trying these contests. You are welcome ofr the pingback.
🙂