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Sunday, January 24, 2016

Mystery Writers of America scholarship/contest


Even with a blizzard pounding the D.C. area, The Old Guard maintains a constant vigil at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Lyrical Pens says THANK YOU for your dedication and service.  (The Old Guard is the oldest active infantry unit and premiere ceremonial unit in the U.S. Army.)

cj Sez:  Many authors are attracted to writing contests, me included. Perhaps it’s because I feel that winning or being an “honorable mention” validates my writing abilities. It’s a documented (by some authority) personal achievement.

Monetary winnings that might cover the entry fee are not always part of the prize package. No problem. I would like to think that mentioning the achievement in a query letter to a potential agent or publisher would get my submission out of their slush pile. And finishing highly in a contest could give me a nice atta-girl shout-out that I can use for marketing.

Anyway, the Mystery Writers of America has a contest going on now, and the prize is a scholarship to be used to offset tuition/fees for a U.S.-based workshop, seminar or college-level writing program.( http://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/helen-mccloy-scholarship/)

What catches my interest in this one is, while there are specific requirements and steps that must be adhered to—for heaven’s sake, follow directions—there is no entry fee. Wonderful, I think. Then I realize this contest could still cost me a lot of money. I have to decide on a workshop/ seminar/ class that I want to pay for should the scholarship not materialize. Even if I were to cancel my application, there might be a fee. There are a lot of classes available that I need to vet, and the deadline is coming up. Oh, ye writers on limited budgets, what should I do?

I have to admit I’m not sure I’ll enter even though I have three chapters ready to go, but I do think it’s a worthwhile consideration. How about you? Check out the website and let me know what you think. Would you consider entering? Yea?  Nay? 

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same.

cj

cjpetterson@gmail.com
Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook
Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

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