Compulsive Contest Entrant

Hi. My name is Penny Dune. And I'm a compulsive contest entrant.

Apparently, I need affirmation. I'm looking for someone else to tell me how good I'm doing.

Let's look at the facts here, ma'am. Contests are NOT the place for affirmation. Sure, they have the potential to do just that, but in reality, they are little more than a bunch of strangers reading your work and judging you based on a mere number of words. Sometimes as little as 25 of them.

I drafted an email to enter Miss Snark's First Victim's first 50 word crit round. Authoress is a lovely gal who has made a real name for herself in the writing blogosphere. She's got great connections and uses them well. She's consistent and active when poor sops like me can hardly get on their blog more than once a week. Anyhow, I like to patronize her blog. She deserves it.

On the other hand [back to the contest dicussion], do I really want to enter another contest? Am I wasting my time? What are my chances?

They seem so slim. Not because I think my writing sucks. No. But because 50 words is the blink of an eye. How the heck am I--or anyone else--supposed to crit 50 words? I can ask if the entry is catchy, but that hardly matters if the first sentence or two isn't followed by more... Right? Of course right.

So, it's a crap shoot, and maybe I'm just not up for gambling right now. I need to get to work instead. :D

Take care all you crazy readers out there.
Penny Dune