Get yer suckers here!

I have the unfortunate tendency to not only enter contests willy-nilly but also to bet certain nefarious writers who can: a)win or b)be published in that magazine first. My friend, Lisa, takes advantage of my better nature all the time with promises of pumpkin rolls and brownies. Not for me, naturally, for the kids.

This time the pumpkin rolls are up for finishing NaNoWriMo by December 1st. National Novel Writing Month is an insane semi-competition for writers to complete a 50k word novel in thirty days. I have no idea what loony thought this up but damned if we're not all buying the t-shirt. No really, I bought the stupid shirt. Parties, write-ins, assorted fallderall will accompany this month so look for me at a Borders huddled under a desk with a soy latte and a twitch.

THE PUMPKIN ROLLS ARE MINE!

Sometimes a girl just needs to enter un-winnable contests.

I am completely addicted to writing contests. There. I said it. It's not a pretty or poetic thing to admit to, much like telling your neighbor the noises they heard from your window the night before WAS a goat but there it is in its ugliness.

At the beginning of the year, I was entering all sorts of reputable and semi-reputable contests not for the fulfillment of a life-long dream of being published (I'm not into angst) but for fun. Now...it's personal. Erma Bombeck passed me by, horror mags, agents, you name it and I'm gunnin' for them.

In my defense, I've never spent more than $10 on an entry fee and did at least research them on Preditors and Editors before shooting the wad. AIM HIGH!

This week, I've entered two contests at my favorite writing board: Absolute Write and two critique contests by agents. Next up? Er, I'm not sure but I'm sure I'll post about it later.

What's your contest secret? Won any? Spent too much on an entry fee? Lord help us, submitted your work to poetry.com?