| The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has | | | | wanting to capture and preserve her |
| only been running for two weeks and | | | | mother's family recipes. |
| already the results are overwhelming. | | | | These people have entered and then sent |
| And not because we're getting far more | | | | us an extra email just to thank us for |
| entries than we expected. It's because | | | | the opportunity. They've told us how |
| along with entries, we're also getting | | | | just writing about the project has made |
| heartfelt messages from writers all over | | | | them so excited and full of joy. They |
| the world. I've run a few contests | | | | have enthusiasm and feel delight just |
| before and received quite a few entries, | | | | for thinking about finally writing. And |
| but I've never been personally emailed | | | | we've started reading the entries and |
| and thanked by so many writers. | | | | the joy is there too. As a publisher, |
| What's the difference with this contest? | | | | I'm used to reading submissions and |
| I think the main reason is that the idea | | | | contest entries. It's often a joy but |
| actually came from writers. Even though | | | | there's rarely as much life as there is |
| the writers at our company work in | | | | in these submissions. Reading them, I |
| publishing, they find it a little sad | | | | can feel that people have that spark of |
| that there's so much focus on writing | | | | excitement that is only motivated by |
| what can sell instead of writing what | | | | something much greater than money or |
| truly matters to you. They wanted a | | | | even publication. It's the joy of doing |
| contest that would allow people to write | | | | what your heart's always wanted to do. |
| whatever they wanted to write. | | | | There is more to writing than |
| From that idea came Blogfest, a contest | | | | publication and money and this |
| designed to encourage all writers to get | | | | competition is bringing out the real |
| the project of their dreams done. Unlike | | | | spirit of writing. |
| most contests, we decided not to offer | | | | My message to all writers is to think |
| publication and not to pay the prize for | | | | about what matters to them. Think about |
| a completed work. Instead, we decided to | | | | that one thing you've always dreamed of |
| offer the prizes based on how much the | | | | writing. I challenge you to write down |
| writing project means to the writer. | | | | what completing that project would mean |
| This is one contest that isn't about | | | | to you. If you feel that spark, I |
| whether or not your work can sell or | | | | challenge you to commit to your project |
| about what your writing will mean to | | | | and get it written. Not because you can |
| someone else. It's about what it means | | | | make money from it, but because it means |
| to you. | | | | something to you. |
| To enter, we asked writers to tell us | | | | This contest has made me see more |
| about the one thing they've always | | | | clearly than ever that there is far more |
| wanted to write and to tell us what it | | | | to writing than making money. There will |
| would mean to them to write it. Now, | | | | only be a few winners to Blogfest, and |
| after only two weeks, we have an inbox | | | | choosing them is going to be the |
| full of emails from people. Entries so | | | | toughest job we do all year. But I hope |
| far have included grandparents wanting | | | | this idea can reach further than that. I |
| to write their life story for their | | | | hope all writers will listen to their |
| grandchildren, aspiring novelists, | | | | hearts and complete their projects. I |
| professional writers looking for the | | | | hope that just thinking about actually |
| chance to write something for themselves | | | | doing it will wake up that writing |
| and not for money, and a young woman | | | | spirit that is in so many people. |