Wednesday 6 February 2019

Vote

A vote is an expression of your choice or decision, often via a ballot or show of hands. Whichever option or candidate gains the most support is said to have won the vote or to have been voted in.

On the other hand, a person or option can be voted down, or voted off, if the majority of votes show disapproval. Eg the biased judge was voted off the selection panel.

In some companies shareholders own voting stock, allowing them to vote at meetings. Voting with your feet is to express an opinion by your presence or absence.

Those who vote, or have the option to do so, are voters. Something which can be decided by a vote is votable.


It's Insecure Writer's Support Group time again. Each month writers share their insecurities and/or offer support to other writers who feel insecure. To join up, just click here and add your name.

Like most writers I sometimes feel insecure about my writing. Doubts that a story will sell, or be placed in a competition can hamper my attempts to get them written at times.

Currently I'm taking part in a writing challenge, which focusses solely on words written. It's like a less challenging version of NaNoWrMo. I'm doing it alongside editing and submitting – and finding it helpful. Even if I haven't achieved that day's target total, and despite still sometimes having doubts about the destiny of each piece of writing, entering a figure in the spreadsheet feels like progress (which it is).

What things have you tried to help you keep writing despite your insecurities – and did they work?

I'd like to give a vote of thanks to Carol Bevitt for passing on the details of this poetry competition. You'll need to be quick to enter, but it's free and you could win a £50 book token.

The winner of this drabble competition will be decided by votes and writers are encouraged to seek these via social media. That's not my favourite way to judge a competition, but as it's free to enter and there's a prize of £35 each month I decided to have a go. My entry is STORY 5. Will you vote for me so I'm not totally voteless?

16 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

It's got you motivated and writing and that's a good thing. I need one of those challenges.

cleemckenzie said...

Challenges are meant to encourage, and so this one has done it for you. I'll pop by and give you another vote.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Writing challenges are good. They help us stay focussed and motivated.

Chrys Fey said...

Does the writing challenge have a name or is it one you created for yourself? Writing challenges can give us a nice boost of energy and motivation.

Melissa said...

If I had a dollar for every time you used the word vote... LOL
Best of luck!

CV Grehan said...

That's an interesting challenge. Good practice, I can see that!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad you've found a challenge that works for you. Hope your writing continues to be productive. And I can relate to a lot of your writer insecurities.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Whenever I have doubts about the destiny of a piece of writing, I remind myself that no writing is wasted. For me, that helps.

Olga Godim said...

I loved your story, and voted. I hope it'll make the difference.

Raimey Gallant said...

Voted!

Nick Wilford said...

I'll vote and I wish you many more! I think it's best not to focus on what the fate of a story might be. It can be offputting.

carrie said...

Voted! :)

Patsy said...

@ Alex, Rachna, Chrys, CV Grehan and Natalie – All kinds of writing challenges are great to help motivation. The one I'm currently doing is 100k in 100 days. It runs several times a year on Facebook – I recommend it.

@ Cleemckenzie, Carrie, Nick, Raimey and Olga – thanks very much!

@ Melissa – I *may* have overdone it, but it is the word of the week!

@ Lynda – I agree with you. Even if we never sell, or even finish, a piece of writing we may learn from it, it could be fun to write, or perhaps cathartic, it might spark new ideas.

octoberyears said...

Patsy - I suppose I am seriously insecure. After all these years at it I have never been tempted to have my stories 'judged' in a writing competition. But when I read that you sometimes do your writing while traveling around the UK in a camper van I was green with envy.

As dedicated Anglophiles the wife and I wrote a book about our year in England....the place we saw, and sadly the places we did not see. In the meantime I just downloaded "Are we nearly famous?" I'd like to know that myself.

Since my blogsite does not always show up in these replies, (I'm a writer, not a techie.) it is Octoberyears.com

Stephen Tremp said...

Hi Patsy, I echo Lynda Young's words no words are wasted. Best wishes to you moving forward.

Patsy said...

@ Gii – We're all different. I find entering a competition less daunting than making a submission. I know there can only be one winner and not coming first doesn't mean the writing is no good (I've judged competitions where good stories weren't placed simply because there were a few even better entries.)

You're right to be jealous of my travels. I'm very lucky to be able to do it and I've been to some amazing places.

@ Stephen – Thank you.