I'm trying to enter competitions. It is a challenge I'm setting myself that if I want to be successful as a writer I need to write. Many competitions out there aren't really competitions, but serve other useful purposes.
For example, competitions that offer a critique of your work if you pay a larger entrance fee are not really competitions. Although there is a prize, and at least having a chance to recoup the loss is probably worth the risk, these competitions are almost certainly a way for writing consultants and agents to drum up business.
So, what do I do instead?
