I enter writing contests even though I second guess the decision to do so after every contest, regardless of the outcome. My huddle group recently discussed the value versus the harm in doing so.

Harm? you ask.

Disappointment. Self-doubt. Doubting God.

The value can feel equally tenuous. Feedback, while helpful, may turn on personal taste. Isn’t the same true with agents, editors and readers alike? While I’ve never won a contest, I count my success rate at 99 percent. It would be 100 percent, but there’s one piece where there was no feedback if you didn’t win and another where I should have never pushed send. I wasn’t ready and it showed.

While being a finalist, bronze medalist or having an entry published feels like a success, the true value of entering a contest derives from the lessons learned with each entry. Three lessons are universal to everyone. They include:

1. You have to try;
2. Not winning isn’t the same as losing; and
3. Huddle groups and other writers help.

You Have to Try

First, you can’t get on base if you don’t swing the bat. This wisdom comes from a member of my huddle group. She’s right. Not trying closes the door not only from any opportunities a contest offers, but from learning about how others see your writing. While winning doesn’t guarantee representation or a contract, it provides feedback and confirmation your story resonated with someone. Even losing affords feedback and, depending on the feedback, confirmation of your writing potential.

Not Winning Isn’t the Same as Losing

I admit to believing that making the finals equates to God’s validation of my writing, decision,s and even career path. It isn’t. I learned this the hard way by submitting the same piece to two separate reputable contests. In one, I failed to make it to the second round. In the other, I finished as a finalist in my category. Personal taste aside, the feedback in both competitions concurred more than it differed. Neither constituted a win, yet both qualify as successes.

Don’t misunderstand me. My fragile writer’s heart jumps or crumbles with the presence or absence of my name on the list of finalists. I’ve learned time and reflection precede this wisdom, which is why the third lesson is essential.

Huddle Groups and Other Writers Help

Participating in a huddle or writer’s group provides perspective with contests, especially when your hard work and dedication fail to impress the judges. Frustration and disappointment exist. So do encouragement, perspective, a shoulder to cry on, and other sets of eyes and ears to discern the value in the feedback and hear your concerns.

Sure, the feedback gives me points to consider within my story, but the bigger lessons, the wisdom comes with trying, not placing your value as a writer in the end result and surrounding yourself with writers you trust and respect exceed the specifics. They remind me God is in control. He knows what we need and when we need it, despite what our hearts feel in the moment. And that He loves us.

~*~

Nick Kording is a writer, ghostwriter, editor and researcher. In addition to contemporary and Biblical fiction, she writes Christian living, Bible studies, and devotionals. Her books and other writing can be found at www.nickkording.com where she writes about redemptive truth and love.