Brianwoods

Hi. My name is Ken. I'm a member of SCBWI. I'm your tour guide into Brianwoods, a blog dedicated to my children's writing endeavors. Thanks for stopping by.

Just for a minute, close your eyes and imagine you're walking along a forest trail. Listen to the forest animals, as they call out to greet you. Welcome to Brianwoods!

This blog includes some of my other writing and details on my published materials.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Highlights for Children to Announce Fiction Contest Winners for 2013

By now, if you are like me, you know that the winners of this year's contest won't include you. This simple fact is clear because the editors would have contacted you by now. So another year goes by without getting recognized through this contest. Seems like enough reason to throw in the towel and say, "What's the point of entering this contest in the first place? I never win." I submit that this attitude is way off target.

First, you have crafted another story to add to your growing portfolio. Second, you lived the dream that just possibly you might have been one of the winners. You know the old lottery saying, "You can't win if you don't play." Third, something's learned every time you enter a contest, which might help you later in your writing career.  Just reading the winning entries in the magazine provides clues to what Highlights is looking for. However, it appears that the company hasn't updated its website lately to include what magazine issues include the winning stories from the 2010 and 2011 contests yet. I wish they would soon.

So even if you didn't win this year, don't dwell on it too long.  Get right back at writing and keep optimistic about your writing. You could be only one acceptance away from success. And if you did win, CONGRATULATIONS!

3 comments:

  1. I've been assuming the same thing, though of course that doesn't stop me from checking their site obsessively, just in case! I know in my head there can be no way I'v won, but I just.can't.stop! For future reference, do you know when they usually contact the winners?! My guess was at least month ahead of the announcement date.

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  2. I totally understand where you are coming from about the checking the Highlights website. I did some online research on that very topic a year or so ago. It appears they tend to contact winners three to four weeks before the announcement. I'm a member of SCBWI and I found some of the information at their website discussion board.

    How about being a follower of my blog? I'll follow yours, if you have one.

    Thanks

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  3. Never give up, never surrender. Hang in there! Great post that speaks for writers everywhere...

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