There’s something special about short story competitions. They’re great fun to enter and if you’re named as a prize winner, there’s no feeling quite like it.Many competitions have cash prizes and, of course, there’s the prestige that’s associated with a competition win. It’s something to put at the top of your writing CV and it can lead to other work. It was winning a Writing Magazine competition that first gave me faith in my writing ability and the confidence to send my work out.
The majority of competitions also publish the winning entries in one form or another. Seeing your story published and your name alongside it gives you such a buzz.
But how do you ensure your entry makes the shortlist? What will the judge be looking for? As well as winning competitions, I have also had the pleasure of being a short story judge, so over this two-part series I’m going to give you an insight into what’s required to elevate an entry onto the shortlist
