contests

I'm big into contests, especially writing, art and costume contests (I love that one). Over the years I have entered around 50 various SCBWI events.  From the beginning, I lost everything I entered, because my writing was...well, it stunk.  

At left is a bookmark I did for a contest for the LA metro line.  My friend Yuki wrote a poem for the center.  We didn't even get a nod.

Then around five years ago I won a 200 word essay contest and the prize was a scholarship to the SCBWI National Conference.  Then I won a mask contest, a Writers' Day most promising picture book, a costume contest and another Writers' Day most promising, middle grade, which I won the day my editor asked to acquire my picture book manuscript.  I learned from my losses and picked up some great pointers along the way.  So, enter contests. They are fun and stretch your imagination.