Contested

And here I go again...

June is here, and with it my yearly entry into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)'s Poetry Contest. They also have ones for Non-Fiction and Short Stories, but I think most wistfully over the one devoted to poetry. First, the deadlines are always the same, this one coming just as summer is about to begin (one of the coldest days in Montréal, but still). Second, I feel like I do my best work at the end of the semester with the pressure of term work and grading taken away and placed on someone else's back.

And why do I do this?

Well, this is my life now.

I have written for Vocal for over three years now, but I did not start here. I was a contributor to print media when it still mattered. I started with college papers and journals, moved on to some of the bigger magazines and newspapers out there, and then moved on to online material. And all the while, I was entering contests that I felt spoke to me; the ones that made me believe that I could win.

Chance is a tricky thing. We all enter Challenges on this page, and I am now a member of other pages offering prizes for writing, including one that specifically film and television work. I have been honest about my feelings about winning here. It would be great to have a prize - two Honorable Mentions are quite nice - but it can also be a burden.

So, what else am I up to?

I am now a contributor for Peliplat. They specialize in writing about media - film and television, mostly. I know that I will probably not be contributing as much to their page because of these restrictions, but they do have the occasional contest, and some of them have intrigued me: a television show that ended too soon; a coming of age movie that really spoke to you; a trilogy that you would like to contribute a story line too, etc. It may seem odd to mention another page here, but I know that there are plenty of my fellow Vocalists moonlighting and dreaming of fame through many screens. Please check it out!

Novelo is also a new one on the block, offering prizes for stories. I am also quite new to it - still have to finish my profile - and I have some concerns over this one. First, it looks like the page was designed very cheaply and quickly in order to get it out there to the public no matter what. Second, there is only one Challenge per month with them. I know that there has been a lot of concern about this issue on Vocal, and it is odd to include a page that is even stingier on the issue. Make of it what you will, and see if you like this limitation.

Now hear me out on this one...

I found this while I was on a social media site, and it seemed very legitimate to me. They are asking for people from all over the world to enter a contest where the theme is 'secrets' (and the word itself cannot be used). Yeah, there's a fee...but I think I might really, really, really have a chance to win this one...

Okay, I'm bad. I'm still hoping that there is some great reward at the end of all this typing and writing and scribbling. And so should you.

Let's hear where you are sending out your dreams.

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Thank you for reading!

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

Give it a look...