ADA CAMBRIDGE EXPERIENCE

Hey, guys, just wanted to share with everyone my experiences being apart of the Ada Cambridge Shortlisting group. When Tracey asked for students to put their hands up to volunteer, I have to say I was immediately excited about the opportunity. As mentioned, it is something respectable for the CV, but it also gave me an opportunity to experience the many different varieties of writers who must believe themselves to be accomplished enough to win such a prestigous award.

Thirty-nine stories later (if I remember correctly) I had created my list of 'potential winners' and when collaborating with the guys, exchanging opinions and their individual lists, we found many conflicting ratings on the stories. It's something I really enjoyed because it showed that everyone takes in what they read differently. What may seem a piece of trash to one person may be a complete gem to somebody else. Pretty cool I reckon!

Going through the stories submitted was one heck of a ride. There were the stories that at times (no offence) seemed painful. 'What the heck was that about?' was a question I asked myself at times. Yet at other times, 'This story's my favourite so far' was another statement I made. The variety on display during the shortlisting process was just phenomenal. At some stages, someone's preferred trash was another's treasure and it's not because some stories were necessarily bad, just purely a different preference of style. It engaged the reader differently, affected them differently or simply hit their emotions deeper. I understand exactly the need for several judges for a shortlisting process and why there's three judges and not just one.

Overall, experiencing such a competition teaches you to respect different styles of writing. You also gather a greater understanding of what Tracey goes through on a regular basis too. I grew a newfound appreciation for writing because of this experience. And if given another opportunity I'd do it again to. Adventures like this are why writing makes me a better person and re-establishes the power and influence of writing, regardless of whether it seems good or bad. One person's opinion is never a fact. I love that. In the end, the power's with the writer and not the reader, but the story's only what the reader makes it.

Cheers to all,
Meady