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Reina Cruz's avatar

While I don't have time to submit for awards or competitions right now, I see what you mean on a higher level. We need goals to strive for. Without the goals, it's just aimless wandering. Good luck with your submissions!

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Hamish Kavanagh's avatar

Exactly, and the while you won't always hit the goals that you've written down on paper. The act of chasing them forces you to kick up secondary benefits that you wouldn't have otherwise discovered. So it's worth going through those motions even if winning is unlikely.

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Reina Cruz's avatar

Great point about those secondary benefits. Something to pay attention to

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A.C. Cargill, All-Human Author's avatar

Certainly your choice. Frankly, I stopped the merry-go-round of awards competitions and submitting to lit mags and anthologies. They were interfering with my writing to such a degree that there was no upside. But hope you win something. If not, don't let it bother you. Be confident in yourself and your writing. Best wishes.

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Bill Hiatt's avatar

Yeah, it's a thematic stretch for Thorny Thursday, but it's a great essay, regardless!

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Hamish Kavanagh's avatar

Thanks Bill, I appreciate you taking the time to read it.

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