“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” — Lord Byron
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I was asked to say a few words at the upcoming Memphis Public Libraries Richard Wright Literary Awards ceremony later this week. The awards contest is for authors who live in and around Memphis, and the ceremony is held in the main library.
I came up with several thoughts, but finally settled on a theme about the power of words. The basic text of the talk is shown below (with the intro, the joke, and the conclusion removed.) I’d be interested to get your thoughts.
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It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Nathaniel Hawthorne famously said that words in a dictionary are innocent and powerless, but “how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
Perhaps the most striking statement about the power of words is in the first book of the Bible, where we read the very first words that God utters when He says, “Let there be light.” I’m not a theologian, but I suspect those words mean more than just the creation of photons. After all, light is frequently used as a metaphor for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and those are characteristics that move mankind from ignorance to awareness, and that kind of light is usually conveyed through the power of words.
In this room, there are authors who come from different backgrounds, who write different genres, and who have different stories to tell. And yet, with all our differences, we have one thing in common. We’ve been given the gift of words, and we want those words to shine light into the darker corners of our world. To touch people’s lives, to make them laugh or cry, to make them think, to inspire and challenge our readers.
These are lofty goals. To meet them, our writing needs to achieve a certain level of excellence, but unfortunately, we can’t judge the quality of our own work. For that, we need knowledgeable people to read our stories and give us honest, unbiased feedback. That’s where writing awards contests come into play.
It’s through writing contests like this one that we begin to understand how well our writing stacks up against the work of other authors. Competition is good. It’s an incentive for us to improve, to raise the bar, to make the next book better than the last.
My husband and I have both been fortunate to have won a Richard Wright award, and we believe the Memphis Public Libraries Awards contest is one of best there is. After all, what better award contest could there be than one where the judges are members of a library staff and volunteers who spend much of their lives among books? And what better place to celebrate the accomplishments of a group of writers than in a library?
You’re all finalists in the Richard Wright Literary Award competition. You’ve cleared a major hurdle, and you deserve recognition for your achievement. To be a finalist for a Richard Wright award is not only affirmation about the quality of your work, but it’s also a chance to honor the legacy of Mr. Wright.
Whatever the outcome of the awards, let’s also remember that we’re here to share our journey with our colleagues, to reach out to new writers, and to build the community of authors in Memphis. Congratulations and good luck to all!
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So TKZers: What are your thoughts about the power of the written word? Do you think awards contests are valuable? Unbiased feedback is always welcome.
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Coming Soon!
The Other Side of Sunshine
A Middle Grade Mystery
When spunky ten-year-old Reen learns of a hidden treasure in her quiet university town, she enlists the help of her shy nine-year-old cousin Joanie to help her find the loot. They form the R&J Detective Agency and follow clues through dictionaries, microfiche machines, and all around the campus. But Reen’s arch-nemesis Alicia is looking for the treasure too, and she’s not playing by the rules.
Inadequate for today’s challenges.
Yes, but read last year’s winners beforehand.
Hi JG. Can you explain your answers further? Are you saying the power of the written word is inadequate for today’s challenges?
Also, are you suggesting that people who enter a contest should read last year’s winners to get an idea of the things the judges are looking for? If that’s what you’re saying, I agree it’s a good idea.
Thanks for responding. Have a good week.
I studied psychology to write my Jung-takes-on-Hitler thriller and long afterwards. Based on my studies, I believe that once someone has been conditioned to hate, mere words, no matter how clever, will not undo the damage. Seeing or hearing the conditioning words or images will cause the victim’s prefrontal cortex to be bypassed and their brain’s emergency response region (“Guardienne”) will take over. The adrenaline rush that accompanies this is addictive, causing reinforcement of the conditioning.
Yes, there are many benefits to reading previous year’s winners. I was thinking of being able to judge the quality of the contest by seeing if the winning entries . . . I think the technical term is stink. I wouldn’t want to be associated with a competition that rewards bad writing. It’s not a compliment, and if the contest gets a reputation, you probably won’t ever want to say, for example, “Hey! I won first prize in the Bolivar Shagnasty Literary Competition!” People will give you a full-body eye-roll.
Thanks for asking Kay. I originally wrote a clearer response, but it was starting to weight me down, based on current events, and I slashed it down to the minimum.
Thanks for the explanation, JG. Your original response seemed a little cryptic to me. Not your usual style.
I believe people can and do change, although some may have a harder time than others. Words may not do it, but they may at least help.
I understand what you’re saying about determining the quality of a writing contest by reading the winners’ works. That said, I think a contest like the one in Memphis can be beneficial to the writers in the area. It may lift the quality of all involved. If it did that, I think it would be a valuable contest.
Thanks for weighing in. Have a good rest-of-the-week.
I used to enter contests, most from RWA chapters, which was how they raised money. I won some, finaled in some, and bombed some. The lesson for me as a newbie author was that three people could read the same book and give three widely disparate scores.
My early publisher was thrilled that I got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, but I doubt it meant much to your average reader. Other authors, yes.
The awards people tout such as the recent “Lefty” awards from Left Coast Crime don’t impress me because the winners are determined by votes from those in attendance. They’re more popularity contests (I should know, because I won a Silver Falchion from Killer Nashville, beating out the likes of Jeffrey Deaver, CJ Box, Joyce Carol Oates, and Craig Johnson. Why? Because I was there, and the other 4 weren’t.
I think the value of any contest win depends on how many people will be impressed by it. It’s something to add to one’s resume, but I’m no longer entering contests.
Thanks for weighing in, Terry.
I agree with you about the popularity contests. They don’t say anything about the quality of the work. (I believe Killer Nashville has dropped their awards that require attendance at the conference.)
Maybe I should add a sentence about the subjectivity of writing awards contests. I had left it out in order to focus on the honor of being a finalist, something everyone in attendance would have achieved.
Have a good week.
This is great, Kay! I’m not “a finalist” in this contest, but I was encouraged by reading this.
Whatever the outcome of the awards, let’s also remember that we’re here to share our journey with our colleagues, to reach out to new writers, and to build the community of authors in Memphis. Congratulations and good luck to all!
Great finish…taking your words to heart this week. 🙂
Good morning, Deb!
Thanks for the kind words. I like this contest especially because it is community based. We get a chance to meet other authors in our area and share our journeys. In the long run, that’s probably more important than winning awards.
Have a good week.
Words are indeed powerful. A long time ago, on a cold November afternoon, the preeminent orator of the day rose and spoke for two hours. It was in the time before movies, radio, or TV, so going to speeches was entertainment.
After two or so hours, the next speaker stepped up. Many people had heard what they came for and left. A tall, odd looking man with a West Kentucky accent pulled out his notes, looked down at them as started to read. His talk lasted less then 10 minutes. He spoke of sacrifice, and hope. He spoke about a nation regaining it’s freedom.
That cold hillside was Gettysburg. The odd looking man, President Lincoln. Perhaps the best combination of less than 300 words ever in English.
Yep…
🙂
Great example of the power of words, Alan. Although the challenges of that time were different than what we face today, it must have been equally as uncertain. We still hold onto Lincoln’s words today.
Have a great week.
I enter contests for a bit of affirmation, I think. As insecure as that sounds it’s brutally honest. As someone who’s finaled twice in ACFW’s national Carol Awards, I’d say it’s fun, it’s nice to be seated at the front tables during all the glitz of their fancy gala awards banquet. It gives some buzz to your book at the conference and draws the attention of the editors and publishers who attend as well as being included in media packets. Winning the FHLC’s Readers’ Choice Award for long contemporary romance twice was particularly satisfying because it’s judged by readers. Winning the Selah Award for my first women’s fiction novel was a much needed affirmation given that the publisher chose not to give me another contract in the genre. Same with the Selah Award for Every Good Gift in the long contemporary romance category after HCCP decided not to publish any more Amish romances. Finalling in the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award contest was exciting because I’d written Trust Me, a romantic suspense novel, for the CBA market and this was a general market contest. Whether any of this translate to sales is questionable. My friend Pat Bradley said it best when she remarked with her award and $1 she could buy a cup of coffee (at McDonald’s lol). I did a presentation on the ins and outs of entering contests for our Coast to Coast Crime Writers group so I’ve given it lots of thought!
Good morning, Kelly.
Your comment sums up why awards can be good for writers. The affirmation of winning is great, but being a consistent finalist may say even more about the quality of the writer’s work.
Like Pat, I don’t think winning an award produces much of an effect on sales. But if it inspires the author to keep at it, it’s done its job.
Have a good week.
The written word has a great power. It truly is more powerful than the sword—it can change minds, and open minds to other experiences, and carry with it the power of fiction and story.
As for awards, I think it depends upon the award, but in general, acknowledging excellence in writing is a good thing IMHO.
Your remarks hit all the right notes. Bravo!
Morning, Dale!
Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the impact our words can have on others. Even a fictional story can change someone’s life.
Have a great week!
Kay, your speech is spot on–short and punchy! Great job!
Contests have been a mixed bag for me. I attribute traditional publication of my book Instrument of the Devil to winning the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in 2016
I’ve finaled or won in others and include that in the book description. Does it make a difference, I dunno. I agree with Pat (in Kelly’s comment) that most of the time, the prize and a buck buys coffee at McDonald’s.
Hi Debbie,
I really think being a finalist is as important as winning. If someone consistently makes the finals, it says something about their quality and their staying power.
Can you still buy a cup of coffee at McDs for $1.00? 🙂
Good rundown, Kay. When I won my first Agatha Award, someone told me, “That award doesn’t count. It’s a popularity contest.”
My editor said, “Popular people sell books.”
Congratulations on your award and a fine speech.
Hi Elaine!
“Popular people sell books.” Great observation.
One thing I didn’t mention before, but I think is important, is name recognition. Awards contests help in that area too.