Here come de judge!

Writing competitions are a good deal all round. For starters you might win something really worthwhile – like the attention of a very good agent or editor if they’re the final judge.

Even if you don’t, the comments on your score-sheets can be wonderfully helpful – not least because of the anonymity. It’s all very well having a friend or writing buddy read your work and give opinions, but they have to look you in the eye when they say what they think. Contest judges – nope. They can tell it exactly as they see it – even if that might not be exactly as you wish to hear it!

Right now I’m one of the judges in the Great Beginnings Contest for Romance Writers of New Zealand. Three chapters and a synopsis – enough to get a good taste of the book and see how the author intends it to progress to the end. It’s so interesting seeing other people’s ideas… hearing their different ‘voices’… reading entries that vary from innocently amateur to polished and laugh-out-loud wonderful.

I have one entry that’s better than any published book I’ve read for ages. It’s going to be really tough finding anything to mark it down for. There’s another I’m picking is the work of someone at the beginning of their writing career. In it I can see some of the mistakes I made in the past so I’m treading gently, and I hope helpfully.