Candy: Hi, Connie. Thanks for having me. First of all, I started writing about 12 years ago, seriously writing about 10. I’ve published in non-fiction and am trying to break through in romantic fiction. I write sometimes with a partner, Sharon Flannery as well as alone. I am a member and one of the co-founders of Midwest Romance Writers (MRW) and also a member of Mid-America Romance Writers (MARA). MRW is still a fledgling group so we all hold dual positions. I’m currently the President and in charge of the MRW Stepping Stone Contest.
Connie: Thanks, Candy. To begin with, we should probably tell everyone who’s not aware of it that when you enter RWA Chapter contests there’s a fee. Right?
Candy: Correct. We charge $25 for RWA members and $30 for non-RWA.
Connie: For those who are curious, and I know you can’t speak for each and every Chapter, what are the fees generally used for?
Candy: Since our group is only a few years old, right now we’re using the money to get this organization off the ground. Our affiliation with RWA requires a fee. There are also local fees for non-profit licenses. And there are lots of incidental costs as well. Soon, we hope to start a scholarship fund with the money to help those who can’t afford to go to conferences or have trouble paying their dues to RWA and us. We also want to give back to our community, especially for literacy programs.
Connie: That sounds great, Candy. Now, about the contests themselves. How does one benefit from entering?
Candy: Feedback for one thing. And if you’re a finalist, getting your MS before the editors and agents.
Connie: What do the judges look for when reading the entered MS?
Candy: We look at everything – conflict, POV, grammar, pacing, if the story starts in the right place or not, formatting, active voice – everything.
Connie: If you would, Candy, explain POV and how it should and shouldn’t be used.
Candy: Point of view or POV is whose perspective you’re in when reading a story. Today’s writers usually pick one or two characters (usually the hero and heroine) and stick to their POV. Anything in a story has to be described through that character’s eyes and mind. For example, let’s say we’re in Mary’s POV. Mary watched the red car speed down the street. You don’t suddenly jump to Jim’s POV and say; Jim wondered what Mary was going to have for dinner tonight. We don’t have entry to anyone else’s head but our point of view character. POV switches pull the reader out of the story and that’s not a good thing. You use transitions to change point of views.
Connie: What type of transition would one use? Is it best, if possible, to keep one scene in one character's POV if the scene isn't, say, 20-30 pages long? When I read, I notice short transitions, or, there will be a blank space, perhaps with asterisks separating the POV's (which is what I prefer when reading). Is either ok?
Candy: Yes, you can use extra spacing or asterisks. That's all fine.
Connie: How about conflict? In workshops many may hear about conflict and walk away still confused about it. Would you tell us clearly, what is internal conflict? And external conflict?
Candy: Good question. This is one area that many writers have trouble with. Conflict isn’t the simple misunderstanding that can easily be cleared up if the characters would just talk to one another. Fiction has to contain both internal and external conflict. In a nutshell, external conflict is the events the character experiences as obstacles during the course of the book. Internal conflict is the difficulty facing the character inside and its impact on the character. Someone once said that the best way to explain internal and external conflict is to find the main character’s Achilles’ heel (the basis of his or her internal conflict) and stomp it (external conflict).
Connie: Let's see if I've got this right. I’m going to simplify this for myself, make sure I understand. Let's say my hero was thirsting for love and a family because he was denied it and my heroine wanted nothing to do with love because of her parent's marriage setting a horrible example of what love should be, then those would be their internal conflicts?
Candy: You got that right!
Connie: And when the h/h meet, they're attracted to each other on some level, but their internal conflicts clash creating a variety of situations causing friction and questions (within themselves) and attraction and growth. That’s the external conflict. Have I got it? I just want to make it as clear as possible for me and everyone.
Candy: You are such a quick learner! Yes!
Connie: I don’t know about that...There’s a lot of Chapters out there, Candy, who sponsor contests. How should an aspiring writer, or even a published writer, choose which contest(s) to enter?
Candy: Ask yourself these questions. What type of contest is it? Who’s judging the first round? Genres differ from one another. You don’t want someone who reads and writes only chick lit to judge your historical romance. You need qualified judges who read and write for the category they judge. Which editors are judging the final round? Is it a publishing house that you’ve been targeting your manuscript? If you’re looking for feedback, be sure to check out the contest’s score sheets and if the contest gives written critiques. Many of our judges will line edit the manuscripts they judge which can prove invaluable. I think one of the most important things for an entrant to remember is that they need to be realistic about their expectations. Judging a manuscript is purely subjective (their taste, individual). Many writers sell books that do poorly in contests. An entrant can hope to win the contest and sell to an editor, but the reality is that they walk away with some good constructive criticism that improves their book and makes it more marketable.
Connie: Candy, before we go any further, for those who aren't familiar with it, could you explain the term "line edit?"
Candy: When someone line edits your work, that means they go through each line making grammar, spelling, POV, pacing, conflict, etc. corrections. In short, they read your whole manuscripts and correct it line by line.
Connie: What is it about line editing that's invaluable? What have previous entrants said about it?
Candy: The entrants find line editing the greatest tool because the judges suggest other internal or external conflicts, if the ones they're reading aren't working. The judges ask many of the questions or make corrections that an editor would.
Connie: I would think if one entered too many contests that they would get feedback from all different directions, with maybe none of the comments being consistent with another. Then how would one know what to add, change, or leave as is? Is it wise to enter contest after contest after contest or does it depend on the person entering?
Candy: Each judge brings something different to the table, so to speak. I’ve entered contests where one judge says that they hate my hero and another judge says they love my hero. So what do I do? Nothing if I think my character’s fine. If I consistently get low scores in a certain area, such as internal conflict or pacing, then I need to address these issues. Remember two out of three judges can’t be wrong. You need to fix the problem.
You can enter as many contests as you want as long as you feel you’re learning something new and getting vital feedback and will maybe get that MS before an editor’s eyes. If, however, you’ve constantly won every contest you’ve entered with the same MS, don’t be a contest hog, move on and write something new.
Connie: I’ve heard from several different sources that a MS should be complete, or near completion, before entering contests. The reason being, you don’t know who’s going to read your required number of pages/chapters. Someone told me the story of a person in the publishing industry helped to judge a contest and was impressed by what was submitted. They asked for the remaining chapters and were told that that’s all they had finished. A lost opportunity there. How do you feel about the theory that a MS should be completed or near completed before entering?
Candy: I think a MS should be finished, polished and ready to go shortly after you enter a contest. I can tell you that with each contest we’ve held, an agent or editor has requested full manuscripts from the entrants. It’s like shooting yourself in the foot if they’re not completed and ready to go.
Connie: Formatting is a big thing. A major thing. There’s a right and wrong way to format your MS. But is there more than one right way to format? You can look up formatting a manuscript of the Internet and find several different ways and examples (some say to place such and such on the right side of the header and another Internet source will say to place it on the left side of the header). Why is that? Do different publishers require different formatting?
Candy: About the only flexibility in formatting is where you place your last name in the header. However, most editors and agents will tell you they prefer your book title in the upper left hand corner and your last name (or your pseudonym’s last name) and page number in the upper right hand corner. All the publishing houses require pretty much the same format.
Connie: For those who are unsure, or who weren’t aware that there is a right and wrong way to format their MS, would you tell us, give us an example, of the proper way to format a MS?
Candy: To me, nothing spells beginner writer quicker than the way a manuscript is formatted.
The following is for submission to an agent or editor:
Connie: Aspiring authors from countries outside the USA, should they follow this same format?
Candy: Yes. Mills and Boon in England require the same format as Harlequin or Silhouette in the U.S.
Connie: Candy, your contest required a synopsis to accompany the required number of pages. First, for those who aren’t aware that they need a synopsis when submitting to an agent or editor, tell us what it is.
Candy: Basically, a synopsis tells the editor what your book is about. It is comprised of the basic plot points of your story.
Connie: And why does your contest require a synopsis with the MS pages?
Candy: Most writers would rather write a book than write a synopsis. It’s difficult to condense a 500-page book into four or five pages that one hopes will sell the book. Writers need to show in a few pages how unique and wonderful their story and characters are and entice an editor to request the full manuscript. That’s one of the reasons why we request the synopsis...to give it a cold read by someone who doesn’t know the story and make sure that there is the internal/external conflict, all loose ends are tied up and the story is resolved in a realistic way, etc. Also, when editors or agents read the contest finalist’s two or three chapters, the synopsis is usually the determining factor in them asking to see the full manuscript.
Connie: Should the synopsis be formatted the same as the MS? What goes in its header?
Candy: The synopsis is formatted just as the manuscript is. The line targeted and word count can be added to the first page header.
Connie: Line targeted. You mean clarifying what genre you're targeting such as Historical or Romantic Suspense?
Candy: Yes. Let's say you've written a contemporary suspense of 80,000 words. You could "target" that manuscript to Silhouette and their Intimate Moments line.
Connie: And where should the word count be placed in the first page header of the synopsis?
Candy: Most writers place the word count in the upper left hand corner under the title. Some will write the line they are targeting just before the word count.
Connie: Many people have difficulty writing a synopsis and are clueless and helpless when it comes time to do so. Could you give us a quick, clear lesson on writing a synopsis?
Candy: Keep focused on the main characters (hero and heroine) and the major events that affect the outcome of their lives. I like to think of a synopsis as a graph. There should be peaks and valleys where tension and plot rise then fall culminating with the black moment and finally the happy ending. Always show, don’t tell. The synopsis is written in omniscient point of view. Basically, this means your heroine Mary could leave the room and then, we the reader, would notice that Gone With The Wind was on the bedside table and a blue robe was thrown with careless abandon across the chintz chair. NEVER leave questions unanswered in your synopsis and NEVER leave the editor guessing the ending of the story or Who Dunit.
Connie: You gave us an example of omniscient POV, but for those like me who need extra clarification, that would mean we would say, Joe meets Sue Ellen and such and such happens...then Sue Ellen is kidnapped and such and such happens...Joe gets shot and such and such happens... We don't want the synopsis to be in any of the characters POV, but not the first person either. Is that right? As if you’re the narrator.
Candy: Yes. That's exactly how you would write it. Omniscient POV is essentially, third person, present tense.
Connie: If that's the case, it's not in any character's POV, how do you show instead of tell?
Candy: The first thing you should do in writing a synopsis is start strong. It's just like writing a story. Use a strong hook or strong lead to get the editor's attention. For example, "Did you ever shoot anyone in the foot--literally? Well, that's exactly what Susie does." Do I have your attention? I hope so and I hope to hold you in rapt attention through my entire synopsis.
You have to rely on colorful verbs and adjective as well as precise nouns to summarize your novel. For example, "Susie detects the bony, claw-like fingers rip through the baked earth," or "Susie noticed the thin fingers stick up through the dirt." I think the first sentence is much more colorful than the second. Using this type of writing you're also showing instead of telling.
Connie: I know many people don’t have a RWA Chapter near them. Entering contests is one way to get feedback. Other than the online Chapters are there any other ways for them to get support and feedback? Is there an e-mail support group that you know of where aspiring and published authors can write each other, ask questions, give support and feedback?
Candy: There are tons of writer’s contests online. You don’t have to be a member of RWA to enter most of the RWA chapter contests and you get wonderful feedback. Go to www.rwanational.org for a list of all the chapters and their contests. Contests are also listed in all the writer’s magazines. Writer’s Digest magazine is one of the best sources. Also, www.proofpositive.com, www.wordsmithshoppe.com, and the Writer’s Nook are also excellent sources for feedback and support.
Connie: And finally, Candy; are there any dos or don’ts when it comes to entering a contest? Anything that comes to mind that could help someone out there?
Candy: The biggest "Do" for entering a contest is to begin with a hook or a bang. Editors routinely say that if the first paragraph doesn’t snag their attention, then they stop there. The biggest "Don’t" I know in entering a contest is DON’T forget to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with adequate postage! I came across several of these in our last contest and it made me nuts.
Connie: Thanks, my friend for your insight to contests and writing. I hope it helps someone as much as it helped me!
And if anyone is interested, we have links to writer's organizations/groups as well as links to websites for the aspiring and published authors. Simply go to our Links page and see what we've got to offer!