5 Things to Do When You Lose a Vocal Challenge
Advice from a salty loser
Not to brag, but I am a fairly experienced loser.
I have entered and lost three Vocal contests, with a fourth one on the way. Statistically, I am far from alone in this. The first contest I entered had nearly ten thousand submissions.
Am I really so self-centered to think mine could have been among the top three in such a crowded field?
Yes, I am...and so were the other thousands of entrants.
I was proud of what I wrote. It came from the heart - and to see it looked over and tossed out was an unwelcome moment of humility. It stung to see the winners announced...and double check to confirm that my name was not among them.
In the Vocal support groups, I have found that I have a lot of company in this sense of disappointment. I daresay, there are even some salty attitudes when a challenge ends.
As a proud loser myself, I'd like to help my peers to get through this.
Here is my five step method for enduring a Vocal Challenge Loss:
1. Think of the ways in which you have already won. Look at your life. There is almost certainly something about it that makes you a winner. For me, it's obvious - my wonderful husband and my sweet children. Ten years ago, it would have been my darling dog, Rupert, or my fresh college degree. Maybe you have a fulfilling job, a healthy body, a beautiful home, or a best friend who is always there for you. Chances are, there is something in your life that is much bigger than this contest. Gratitude gives us perspective - and perspective is everything.
2. Read the winners. Don't just scroll through them searching for mistakes - really read them. Recently, there was a piece that placed in a challenge in which I noticed a small technical flaw. Upon my first reading, I was so upset by this - the injustice! - that I completely missed the nuances of the work. When I reread it later with fresh eyes, I had to admit that, in this particular poem, the creative and compelling storytelling more than made up for its minor technical shortcomings.
I have reread this particular work twice since. The story is good. It haunts me a little bit.
3. Accept that art is subjective. I don't love Star Wars - but that doesn't mean it isn't a masterpiece. It just means it doesn't conform to my personal taste. Many people would place it easily in their top ten movies of all time. For me, however, it wouldn't even crack the top hundred. Your work is likely the same way. There are people out there who would obsess over it. The judges just didn't happen to be those people.
4. Be gracious in congratulating your competition. Their work is being more harshly criticized than they had likely anticipated, and, as a result, they are seeing a lot of salty responses. If you thought a winner's story was exceptional, tell them so. They might need to hear it after seeing all the negativity. If you thought their story was trash, congratulate them on the win anyways. Someone loved their work. Someone got it. That is exciting, even if you didn't appreciate it yourself. Remember, although they are basking in the spotlight today, recognition for this person's writing likely doesn't come often enough. Help them to enjoy it.
5. Keep writing. Explore interesting topics. Reach out to new readers. Solicit constructive criticism. Grow as a writer - not for the sake of a competition, but for your own personal enrichment. Although none of my challenge submissions have won, they are getting measurably better - and so is the rest of my writing. Someday it might win a challenge - but statistically speaking, it probably won't. That won't stop me from working hard and growing stronger. After all, you don't see marathon runners stop training because they think they won't win. They just like to run (weird).
“Rather than the strength it takes to not lose, it's the strength to stand back up after a loss that is sometimes more valuable,” wrote Kyo Shirodaira. Take a day off if you must. Just don't lose sight of why you write in the first place. Based on most of the submissions I read...you're probably pretty darn good at it.
About the Creator
Robyn Reisch
Robyn Reisch spends her days cooking, writing, and raising three gorgeous little hooligans. She is married to the world's greatest man.
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