I continue to enter writing contests. They are an excellent opportunity to hone my writing skills and they force me to meet deadlines. Sooner or later, I will win or place in another contest; however, that has not been the case so far this year.

My entry, “Secrets of a Foster Child,” did not win the Doris Betts Literary Competition and my short story titled “Slip Sliding Away” did not win the Northern Colorado Writers Short Fiction Contest. There are other contests whose winners have not been announced. I’ll keep you posted as I hear from them.

Undaunted, I will keep at it. That’s what a writer does.