The Character Therapist: Do Writing Contests Help or Hurt Creativity?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Do Writing Contests Help or Hurt Creativity?

In the aftermath of the Genesis Contest results (contest for unpubbed writers sponsored by the American Christian Fiction Writers), I feel that it would be helpful for writers to talk about the creative writing process in general, and how a person's expectations upon entering any kind of writing contest can definitely effect their creativity afterward.

First, a few questions to keep you reading:

Have you ever taken a writing course in high school or college and had a far more difficult time completing assignments than you had hacking away at your work-in-progress on the side?
Have you ever signed up for NaNoWriMo to complete a novel in 30 days and had serious writer's block, but were able to knock a story out in under 30 days when not on a deadline?
Have you ever entered a writer's contest, received feedback, and never wanted to pick up that story again--or even write anything, for that matter?

These are classic examples of how sometimes our inner creativity can be stifled by things like contests. Rewards and evaluations are extrinsic motivations that can actually drive out our desire to write simply because we love it, which is called intrinsic motivation. (This is the intrinsic motivation theory of creativity in a nutshell, as published by Amabile in 1983.)

Unfortunately, the same things that tend to diminish creativity are the very things that increase competence and learning. Entering contests and receiving feedback and evaluation of our work will definitely help us in the future to do something in a more creative way--and certainly a more competent way--than is possible for us currently. So it's a catch 22.

Why should you concern yourself with this? Because you can't have both enhancing creativity and acquiring skills and knowledge, at least not at the same time.

It boils down to your goals and expectations upon entering a contest as to what you will get out of it. If your goal is to develop better writing skills and knowledge of the craft, then entering a contest is perfect for you. You'll receive feedback, both positive and negative, and you will ultimately grow as a writer. Yes, your creativity could be stifled somewhat, but contests are for those writers who are in the industry for the long haul. A little speed bump won't amount to dropping out of the race.

If your goal is to increase creativity, then contests are not for you. Perhaps not even NaNoWriMo, which has the extrinsic motivation of receiving the coveted, cool "winner" button to put on your blog. Research has shown that anticipating evaluation, even positive ones (because you think your story is so fantastic that it will win), has a negative effect on creative performance.

Let's Analyze: Anyone want to comment on the three questions I asked earlier? Help me put some actual faces and names to the research.

Be sure to join me Wednesday as I discuss how the way that writers perceive evaluation actually determines its effect. You'll be able to look at your Genesis comments in a whole new light.

And HUGE CONGRATS to the semi-finalists!

Comments (24)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

0 Vote up Vote down

Katie Ganshert · 674 weeks ago

I think you nailed it on the head. Different reasons for different seasons. Totally agree about the intrinsic vs. extrinsic. What is interesting is that publication in general is extrinsic. The process of getting there requires intrinsic motivation.

1 reply · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

there is another section i could have added to my post about how we knowingly use either intrinsic or extrinsic motivators to meet an end, and that this is actually healthy to do. but until i can figure out how to word it without using psychologese, it'll have to be relegated to this short response.

0 Vote up Vote down

Christine · 674 weeks ago

I have very mixed feelings about contests. I used to enter them for feedback because I was on an island and had no support. But over the years, I've noticed a lot of vindictiveness creeping into the critique. Vitriolic feedback doesn't just stifle creativity, it takes at least 24-48 hours to work it out of one's system. I don't even look at most of it anymore. I do enter contests, but I only enter for one reason: the finaling judge. If I can final, I might get a request. I've done well in contests, but I only enter 4 a year. The Golden Heart is a big one in the Romance World. The only reason to enter is to try to final and to complete a great partial/full MS. I haven't nailed that final yet, but I have other good finals.

Ultimately, writing is creative, but selling it means being business minded. I have to separate my creative writing time from my contest/querying. I have books and critique partners to help me hone my craft now.

Another thing I don't like about contests is that they focus on the beginnings. Often we have great, homogenous openings and the rest? Well there's the rub.

1 reply · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

i hear you. the genesis contest next year is going to require completed manuscripts, though you will still enter the first 15 pages, i feel sure.

be sure to come back wednesday when i talk about reviewing your reviews. i think you'll definitely relate. some critiques are vitriolic (which is a word i love!) and yes, very damaging. they most assuredly stifle creativity.

+1 Vote up Vote down

carriellewis 18p · 674 weeks ago

Question 1
The only writing 'seat in the chair in a classroom' writing courses I've ever had the pleasure and pain of taking were high school English and comp classes and maybe one comp class in college.

I never gave much thought to deadlines in those situations because, let's face it, every class had deadlines. Even PE. They were just a fact of life.

I can't say as I recall ever having trouble meeting them, either. It was just something I had to do.

To be fair, I don't believe I was writing fiction seriously at the time, either. That possibility had yet to rise on the horizon when I was in high school. I was writing Star Trek episodes with my high school friends, but that was nowhere near serious. We never considered publication. It was just what we did for fun in study hall.

So I can't say that meeting deadlines for classwork assignments was more or less difficult than churning out words elsewhere.

Question #2:
I have done NaNoWriMo once. In 2009. After deciding to take the plunge, I spent two months trying to come up with an idea I liked well enough to follow.

Less than a week before November 1, 2009, I woke up with an idea. Not much planning took place. November 1, I sat down at the computer with very little idea how to start. I wrote every day as many hours as possible and usually went to bed exhausted and not knowing where the story would go next.

The manuscript was completed on November 29. 78,000 plus words of rabbit trails, plot gaps, and who knows what else, but it had a beginning, a middle and an end. I was thrilled beyond all expectation that God had walked me through that process. The badge was only icing on the cake.

Question #3:
The only story I've ever entered in a contest is the only story I've also ever presented to an editor. It did not win the contest and it did not wow the editor.

But in both cases, it came back with great feedback. The nature of those comments was similar and helped me realize where I needed the most work.

I haven't picked that story up again, but only because it has some plot flaws I don't yet know how to correct and other stories are wanting to be written.

I fully expect to go back to it at some point, along with at least one other completed, but very weak manuscript AFTER I acquire sufficient skill to not only know what the problems are, but how to correct them.

In Conclusion
It's been my observation that contests and other such things provide exactly what I need exactly when I need it. But I have to be open to comments that may seem harsh at first and I have to be willing to let go of my own "pride of creation" enough to realize that someone may know more about writing than I do.

Even that is a learning experience that benefits me as a writer. Regardless of how good my writing becomes, if I'm doing it right, there will be critics after publication, too. They will be a lot more numerous and, quite likely, a lot more vitriolic. If I can't take the criticisms of judges, there's no way to deal with the criticisms of people who have no interest in improving my craft or helping me advance my writing.

1 reply · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

carrie - i'd argue that your star trek episodes were the intensely creative outpouring you were having at the time...simply because it wasn't for publication and was just fun. :)

and you are so write about regardless of where you are as a writer, you're going to get critics. gosh, i get critics on my blog posts alone!

+1 Vote up Vote down

carriellewis 18p · 674 weeks ago

Jeannie,

That might be true. When you're doing something you're passionate about, it's can be intense and fun at the same time.

But we were engaged in that the same way some people engage in roses or quilting.

1 reply · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

thanks for replying! in the same way, county fairs or horticulture events can add an extrinsic motivation (Best in Show, 1st place, etc) that can take away the creativity of those types of hobbies, as well.

+1 Vote up Vote down

carriellewis 18p · 674 weeks ago

Funny you should mention county fairs.

I entered artwork in our county fairs for years and it was always an incentive to produce new paintings.

1 reply · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

you're cracking me up! i guess the take away is that the research isn't definitive, but it does show causal relationships. perhaps you don't fit the bell curve. :)

+1 Vote up Vote down

carriellewis 18p · 674 weeks ago

Jeannie,

One thing I can say is that I've never fit most of the bell curves. A couple cases in point and I'll leave it at that.

I hate shopping.

I hate stopping to ask for directions.

Ironically, my husband can be a shopping fiend. I'm the one pacing impatiently while he tries this tie and that tie with this shirt and that shirt.

He also is the first to stop and ask for directions.

Go figure!

+1 Vote up Vote down

LibertySpeidel 17p · 674 weeks ago

1. Nope. I always prioritized my school work ahead of my writing. When it was midterms or finals, I wasn't found writing, unless I was very comfortable with the classes.

2. Nope. I've done both. I did NaNo and won in 2009 (even being a couple weeks pregnant and not knowing it!) and another story took me less than 60 days to knock out the initial draft and the 2nd draft.

3. I haven't really entered that many contests, and not any big ones where the entirety of manuscript was critiqued, regardless of the outcome. I did enter the Amazon contest this year, and wasn't surprised when I didn't make the first cut--I expected it to be steep competition. That isn't to say I don't get discouraged from time to time. There's been more times that I want to chuck an entire manuscript than I can count--most recently just a couple weeks ago! But, writing is a huge part of who I am, so I can't NOT write. I may get tired of a manuscript and go onto something else for a while, but I always come back... unless it's absolute rubbish. ;) I even have a file for my "dead" projects.

0 Vote up Vote down

Lex · 674 weeks ago

Of all the things I've learned about "the business of writing" and amateur writing, when it comes to contest I don't think unfinished manuscripts should be entered. This may be because I start my projects as a seat-of-the-pants project (eager to find out where it's going) but end with a fairly organized outline, I don't know. But contests are counterproductive to creativity, definitely, so I think they do more harm than good to an unfinished WIP. Even something like the Genesis (which I entered this year after a 4 year hiatus), which only asks for the first XX pages and a summary, it's hard to pick up and continue creating something that wasn't gently loved and nurtured within the womb of your creativity until its umbilical cord could be safely cut. We lose stamina.

3 replies · active 674 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

jeanniecampbell 76p · 674 weeks ago

okay...this is seriously one of the most profound things i've read. thank you so much for your comment. maybe this is the reason some contests are going toward only being able to enter a completed manuscript. i'm going to quote this later, lex.

0 Vote up Vote down

Lex · 674 weeks ago

Thanks, Jeannie. After my Genesis feedback, I needed to hear that. (I usually get so wrapped around the axle trying to make a point that the point itself gets buried.) :)

+1 Vote up Vote down

marycurry 1p · 674 weeks ago

Lex, I'm late replying so I don't know if you're still checking. I don't disagree (because your point is a good one), but I could argue another side to this. For people without other writing support in their lives, contests can give you a sense of whether you're making huge mistakes or if your unfinished mss has promise.

As an example, I recently had a contest judge point out something about my mss that was hugely eye-opening to me. It had never occurred to me a scene would be perceived that way, but her comment made complete sense and will affect the story going forward. She saved me a lot of revising. ;)

0 Vote up Vote down

Jaleh · 674 weeks ago

I think it depends on the contest. NaNoWriMo doesn't work for me (or hasn't yet) because I can't write that much in so short a span on an every day basis. 600-1000 words in a day is my typical high end, which is several hundred short of the daily goal of 1667. And me and every-day don't do so well together for pretty much anything, regardless of how much I like doing the activity.

But one just-for-fun contest my writing group did a few years back inspired my zombie story. I didn't finish in time (still not done yet in fact and several thousand words over the contest limit), but I never would have tried to write that kind of story if we hadn't had the contest. (Zombies? Ewww!) I'd missed our first contest and really wanted to do one just to have done it, so I wracked my brain for ideas despite my feelings toward the undead. A couple weeks before the deadline, the first sentence sprang out of nowhere, giving me character, setting, genre, and character motivation all at once. And since my friends (and me too) enjoy the characters despite the roughness of the parts of the draft they've seen, I'd say the contest inspired me to step outside my comfort zone to good effect.

+1 Vote up Vote down

sarahforgrave 41p · 674 weeks ago

I tend to fall in the category of people who want to quit once they get contest results back. But then I always work through them and end up being more motivated and inspired with new ideas and tools to write better. I love what you said about intrinsic versus extrinsic...Interesting discussion, Jeannie!

+1 Vote up Vote down

jenniferkhale 17p · 674 weeks ago

Oooh, love this. And you're completely right about the motivations behind reasons for entering.

When I get results back that I don't like (and this doesn't just apply to contests or to writing, for that matter) I become obsessed with doing whatever I can to prove that I am better. I work harder, I practice more, I do whatever it is I have to do to improve. I've always been dogged with determination like that. Perhaps it's not always good, but it's gotten me this far. :) I pray that I'm always growing!

0 Vote up Vote down

Hap · 674 weeks ago

Hm.

After most critiques I tend to drop whatever I was working on as completely hopeless.

I was convinced, though, that NaNoWriMo was beneficial, because I've won it about five years in a row -- however, I rarely ever look at my manuscripts again after I finish, and it takes me months to want to honestly get back into writing seriously. So, perhaps it is doing more harm than good?

0 Vote up Vote down

Elise M Stone · 674 weeks ago

My answers:
1. When I was in school and writing, there was no difference between classroom writing assignments and things I wrote just because I felt like writing. However, I did very little writing during high school and college, my parents having convinced me that writing was not an appropriate occupation and, indirectly, that my writing wasn't good enough.
2. I've done NaNoWriMo five or six times, winning three or four times. The first few times were invaluable for me, since I was able to write a complete (crappy) story without letting that inner editor get in my way. (See above for the reason.) More recently, I've decided I want to produce quality, not quantity, so 1667 words a day (or more) isn't necessarily a good thing. I don't write that fast since I work full time. I've never written a novel outside of NaNo in 30 days.
3. Oh, yes. I entered the Genesis and the Daphne contests two years ago and was crushed by the feedback. I gave up writing for months. Finally I was able to go back to what the judges wrote and pick out the valid criticisms that would help me improve my WIP. Last year I entered the Rattler with a revised opening and did a whole lot better. I didn't final, but I knew I was on the right track.
I've decided not to enter any more contests for a while. I agree with Christine about not liking the fact that they're based on the first 15 pages. This skews how you view the whole work and may not be representative of what follows. I found myself making changes because I knew the judges wouldn't be reading the rest of the story and they'd judge the entry better than if they read the "real" beginning.
I think I'll be better off putting out the WHOLE novel for first readers to judge rather than using an arbitrary number of beginning pages. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has a notoriously slow beginning, one that many readers can't get through (including me). But everyone I talk to who has read it raves about the second half of the book and it certainly sold enough copies.