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This is Sharp’s second appearance in Weekly’s contest, claiming first place last year for his story “Pomegrante.” His natural hobby for writing has allowed him to enter competitions with ease.
“I write for fun and this was one of those situations where if you’ve got something written, why not enter it?” English teacher Kevin Sharp said about his decision to enter. “[This year’s story] was about a man in a hotel room waiting to go to his high school reunion.”
Each year, a range of contestants participate, from teachers to students and business investors to retired folk — every type of person who lives within the contest’s geographical boundaries, according to Palo Alto Weekly’s Promotions Director Amy Renalds. These cities include Palo Alto, Stanford, Menlo Park and surrounding areas.
Sharp likes the contest because it provides validation for one’s piece of work as well as opportunities for growth.
“You are often not the best critic of your own work,” Sharp said. “You could write something that you think is the greatest thing in the history of the English language, and that could not be true, but it’s hard when it’s just your eyes. So one nice thing about a contest is that it gives you validation that people, other than your friends or those who feel obligated to say it’s good, responded to your work well.”
“Moreover, I like that it gives exposure to a wide age range of people,” Sharp continued. “It’s always nice to have one’s work published and especially so, I would imagine, if you are a young writer — to have that kind of exposure and validation of your work.”
Renalds agrees with Sharp about the value of entering contests, though she places a greater emphasis on its educational impact.
“I love the contest because I am a lover of books,” Renalds said. “I think that short stories are nice and a great way to foster reading.”
Sharp maintains he has no rivalries amongst contestants; in fact, Sharp likes seeing students participate.
“I would root for any students to win so I could have some company at the awards ceremony,” he said.
Looking forward, Sharp said that his new lifetime goal is to win second place in the Weekly’s contest to complete his collection.
“I’ve already got first and third place, so I want a second place prize to have a mantle with the whole collection,” he said with a smile.
As a testament to his belief in the rewards of entering contests, Sharp has held a writing contest at Paly for students to submit their work.
“We have contests here at school in the spring and I always do publicity for those as well,” he said. “I have current students and past ones who have done well in our school contests.”
Sharp coordinates the contest, and a group of local writers volunteer their time to judge. Students interested in participating should contact Sharp at [email protected] for further information. Writers interested in entering Palo Alto Weekly’s Short Story Contest should check this website for submission guidelines to be announced in the fall of 2011, according to Renalds.