The Competition
I have taken one more small step towards writing with a capital W and have joined a writing competition, organized by The Write Practice. It is as amateur as amateur writing competitions get – ~300 entries, $300 first place prize – but it felt like a natural next step for me. It’s great to simply write what comes to mind, when it comes to mind, but it’s more difficult to fit a story within a prompt and deadline.
Here’s the prompt for this fall’s contest:
Boundless: When you characters are limitless, what will they do? (1,500 word limit)
I gave myself two weeks to write my story, and came up with two different, fully developed stories, both of which I’ve posted to the site (and linked below). I’m only submitting one, but am curious which one all of you prefer.
The other cool thing about joining the competition, beyond the prospect of winning so much money, is that I’ve joined an online writing community. Leading up to the submission deadline, people submit their stories to a workshop and then solicit feedback from everyone else. So without really intending to, I’ve spent the last two weeks workshopping different short stories and getting back in the habit of reading with a critical eye. That will help my writing as well.
The whole thing is just another reminder that there is nothing wrong with letting the natural pace of things carry you along. I’ve been tempted all my life to just jump into new hobbies and interests, but it never works that way. You run a 5K, then a half, than a full marathon. You don’t just go straight to a marathon – and if someone else does, that’s great, but emulating their path is a good recipe for failure.
I’d like to think that I stumbled upon this competition at exactly the right time, having spent the last year developing the discipline to just sit down and write, even if I despair over how terrible it sounds or how long it takes me to get out a sentence. It’s work, after all, and work shouldn’t come easy.
Relaxing On Vacation
I spent the last week with family at the beach in the Outer Banks. It was the pinnacle of relaxation – coffee and late breakfasts, reading by the pool, walking to get ice cream, etc… I’m on track to have read five books in seven days, if that’s any indication of just how much truly “free” time I had at my disposal.
On the drive home, I listened to a Tim Ferris podcast with Greg McKeown, the author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, and he said something that seemed really important in the context of my week off:
[To an overachiever]: “If you think you are so tough, you can do anything, I have a challenge for you. If you really want to do something hard, say no to an opportunity so you can take a nap.”It struck me that I had spent a week reading, in the sun, with family – all things I prioritize – but had felt slightly on edge the whole time. Almost guilty, like I should have been doing something more productive.
I doubt this is an unfamiliar concept to my peers who read this, since being busy and productive and active seems to trump being relaxed and recharged for many of us. But I find it hard at times to remind myself that vacations are good, and that having time to sit and think, to catch up with family, is something worth prioritizing, not just something to be squeezed in wherever possible.
I’m definitely going to be reading’s McKeown’s book next.
– Emmett
Recent Posts (Submissions to The Write Practice’s Fall Writing Contest):
Mark & Leon – Two boys make the most of a summer day
Eternally Happy – Joe had everything he could ever dream of in Heaven… except happiness
What I’m Reading:
The Coddling of the American Mind – Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic