Weekly Wattpad Contests

Welcome Note to Newcomers

I'm very impressed with not only the quality but also the quantity of entries we received for contest 52. In addition, there were many new faces (I was about to say "at least since I've been here" and I only now realise that that's well over half a year, which is frightening) and I thought I'd write up this welcoming document for all the newcomers.

If you're not aware already, my name is TimberWoolf, and I am a person of indeterminate description. I like some things, and I dislike other things. The usual, y'know.

I make up these contests every week and I judge them the following week, so you'll be hearing a lot from me. Do not fear, however, because as messy as things can get, I made you something that will get you well prepared for the world of these contests.

Here's an introduction package for you:

- Don't be afraid to ask questions. While I'm very busy of late, I don't plan to be forever (because, really, that would be a terrible life plan) and I do occasionally try to answer some. It would be even more helpful if you tag me in the question so I get a notification when you ask it: TimberWoolf(plus I like the attention).

- Bend and break the rules. In fact, a bit of chaos is encouraged whenever I'm concerned. It doesn't necessarily do you any harm to test how far you can stretch the boundaries I lay out, and sometimes that practice is even rewarded.

- Participate. As difficult as it is to believe, I do read all the entries, and, consequently, all the comments. It's always very nice to see discussions on the entries, and, if I see your name a lot, it'll stick with me. In addition to this, you learn about each other, and I learn a lot about you (this is, in fact, how I've come to discover some amazingly talented people here. Did you know Katherynnicoleehas a pretty cool YouTube Channel and a vibrant personality, or that TheRivalryEndsHereand  are actually super great musicians?)

- Awards mean nothing and everything and it doesn't make sense. I occasionally dish out random certificates for feats that have almost nothing to do with the contest, but I believe it's a very pleasant experience to stumble upon something or somebody unique, and I like to share that with you. You'll notice that I often promote some people or their works (as above): we've fostered a unique little informal community and you're invited to be a part of it.

- Live, Laugh, Learn, and be merry. Nothing in this book is made to criticise or discourage anybody. We're all here to explore, to grow, and to have fun adventures while learning about the craft we practice and ourselves. When advice is given, it's usually given in good spirit, and should be taken as that. Nobody wants to make anybody feel insecure about their writing, but sometimes critique can seem harsh. Just know that whoever gives it is probably, genuinely trying to help you as they see best.

- Understand the timing. When a new contest is out, (usually on Sundays but even I miss that sometimes) you have a full week to write for it. The following Sunday is the closing date for that contest, and the new comes out. After a contest closes, it takes a week to prepare the results and should (big emphasis on *should*) be out the next Sunday. Don't worry, I'm the judge and it confuses me too.

- Community Projects: A quite nice thing we do here is what I'd like to call a community project. They take different forms and come ever so often, but when they do, they arrive with flair and fanfare. They run for longer than usual, and everybody is encouraged to participate in these, even if you don't usually partake in the contests. These are the height of interactivity where we all try to write a book together. It's seriously a lot of fun. At least, I think so.

- Talk to me. I'm very open to recommendations and I'm mostly a nice guy. And, it wouldn't hurt to get to know the people in our community. They're pretty strange, but overall, really nice.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. We're pretty laid-back here, and we like to have fun, tell jokes, fangirl about the characters we come up with. The usual stuff.

Consider this your official welcome and I hope you have a good time!

Much Love

TimberWoolf