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Study your sector initially.
Don't complete an entry then search for a contest.
The expert approach is to find out exactly what the sector wants then shape a product for this.
Thus you'd pick a list of, for example, twelve great competitions having a large overall award sum.
You would then adapt a story just for those major contests.
If practical, look at the tales that triumphed in those competitions earlier.
In the event the organizers don't reveal them, question why not.
Do these stories exist? Did the promoters even pay that prize cash? Such distrust might be out of place with a highly regarded competition that's existed a while.
However, many obscure competitions are run just to make money and so they could be a sham.
Take out a story you've composed earlier.
Perhaps it's merely a scribble.
At this point tidy it up solely for this competition.
Therefore if the contest demands you start with a line 'If only I had realized then what I understand right now...
' it's not really tricky to get an entry that already exists and shape your pre-written narrative completely around it.
Be original with your variations.
If the contest demands that entries be on some foreign holiday theme, the obvious approach is to locate your story in some amazing holiday location.
But every other entrant is going to be trying the same.
Get a new angle: 'The fantastic vacation I very nearly went on, and why I'm delighted I didn't'.
From time to time you have to produce a totally unique narrative to address the guidelines of one specific and highly interesting contest.
Nonetheless don't retain the tale exclusively for that contest.
Customize the wordage, concept, characters, titles, locations and incidents as needed and submit it to several other contests.
There's normally no issue in submitting the identical basic storyline to several contests provided you adjust the tale substantially to each and every competition.
However examine the contest requirements.
Quite a few lazy contestants don't investigate the boiler plate and it's the reason why they flunk.
Regard every competition entry as a product that you produce to get income.
Of course, you can still have pleasure from producing it but your writing is no more a hobby.
It's a serious new source of income.
So don't get emotionally attached to a story.
It might do well or fail for several causes outside your control.
When you're able to take on that mental attitude, you'll have become a professional contest contender.
And that's a win-win profit engine!
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