I'm (this is a good thing, don't worry) scared... · 3:05pm Feb 15th, 2021
Those of you who've been around awhile will probably know about the writeoff.me competitions that happen every few weeks.
I could wax on about how if you haven't heard of them, you should go to https://writeoff.me/ and enter a few contests now and then, because they're a good way to get feedback and writing on a timer is a great exercise for actually getting things done. But I won't, since I'm sure you can figure it out on your own if you care to. This isn't an ad.
The point of this blog post instead being, I just won my fifth gold medal (I'm on a hot streak!) for a story entitled Unplanned. And in winning this medal, my position on the writeoff.me FiM scoreboard seems to have been bumped considerably.
Bumped to currently the #1 spot, in fact.
I'm not gonna lie, this is thrilling.
Also, though, it's, like I said, a little scary.
"But," I hear you ask, "Why? Why are you being so silly? What have you to fear?"
Uhh, well, look at some of the other names on that board. Maybe, to be more accurate, it's not so much fear, as this weird feeling that... well, something just feels like it's come a little unordered with the universe, somehow, when I'm ahead of names like Horizon, Georg, Baal Bunny, and even Cold in Gardez. It's just this sense of, "Hold the phone, who's been doing the figuring on this? Did we get it checked? Are we sure it's right?" I mean, it's a computer, so yes, it's right. It still doesn't feel like any less of a blindsiding "oh haha wow how did that happen?" situation.
I mean, am I bragging about being #1? Yes, shamelessly. You would too. Don't even pretend. 
It feels nice and it's gratifying, and I don't see anything wrong with feeling good. I'm just sayin', it also feels weird in this peculiar way. It's all a very intriguing trail-mix of emotions.
Really, though, maybe I should just shut up and enjoy this for a minute. 
PS., I will be publishing Unplanned here on FimFic pretty soon, once I do the post-writeoff revisions, so look for that! It's a story I'm really, really happy with, and I hope some of you will like it, too. 
PPS., Oh my god it's 7 AM why am I not asleep 
Myself, I wouldn't recommend the writeoff, at least not generally. If you go in for a lark, I suppose it'd be enjoyable enough, but going in with the intention to improve will make for a really bad time.
Judging from my experience:
The amount of effort you put into a creative piece is actually penalized (or, at best, wildly inconsistent) in favour of something safer or less effort-intensive (you're more likely to score with a last-minute joke entry than with anything you devote time and effort towards), or else you'll see the same names repeatedly top the list of winners with little in the way of mobility. Any actual improvement is nigh-imperceptible, feedback is slow to materialize and not always satisfying or even useful (if not occasionally too harsh or patronizing), progress is frustratingly inconsistent, and God help you if you break an unwritten rule, even though it's not actually codified in the stated entry requirements.
I joined in 2018. It was one of the worst writing experiences I've ever had, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone not prepared to deal with it.
Congrats! I fell off the Writeoff wagon a while ago, but I know the competition is stiff.
I never won a gold. In fact, I don't think I ever even medaled. Came close once or twice, but I just couldn't...quite... get there. Talk about frustrating. I haven't participated in a long time, mostly because I keep forgetting they're happening. It's like "oh, there's a WriteOff this weekend!" ... "Oh, crap, there was a WriteOff this weekend, wasn't there? Damn it."
I keep telling myself I'll participate more, and I keep not participating. It's starting to become a long-running guilt trip.
Congratz
Do enjoy your success! You deserve it!
Enjoy your success. You earned it.
Now get some sleep (I feel your pain there) and then publish this story because I'm curious now. 
Congratulations!
I never medaled in the writeoff; eventually I concluded my writing style, process, and schedule just doesn’t align with it. I could regale you with war stories, but instead I’ll just say congratulations again. That’s a tough mountain to climb
.
I keep getting clobbered by reality.
Friday: Yeah, another writeoff coming up!
Monday: Oh, heck. I forgot!
Congrats.
Congratulations, Winston! I look forward to your new story, but hope you take time to bask in that #1 spot. :-)
Ah, my, congratulations! :D