I was supposed to talk about beginnings, and I will next Friday, but I just finished judging a few entries and I have something on my mind. I love judging. I love reading stories and I love the prospect of encouraging unpublished authors. There is an excitement when you delve into a fresh manuscript and…

I’ve been judging writing contests for several years. I’ve been entering them even longer. I thought you, the contest entrant, might like a bit of insight into judging, at least from my perspective. The first thing I’m going to tell you is don’t be afraid to write to the contest. Plain and simple. If you…