Contest Column: Tell A Writer...

I know this delightful young creature who will flap and warble about this ‘thing’ she applied for or this other ‘thing’ she entered whilst all the time (to everyone’s amusement) taking great pains never to divulge precisely what this ‘thing’ is.
And when pressed for details on the ‘thing’ she invariably suffers from sudden memory loss and is never quite able to remember the name of/ the website/ advert/ the organisation responsible for this ‘thing’.
So we (the company in which this/that ‘thing’ is mentioned) have arrived at the conclusion that whilst sorely wanting to brag that she is setting/ has set herself in line for this/that opportunity she would much rather not let anyone- not even her chums- in on it too if she can avoid it.
Her behaviour exemplifies one of my biggest issues with the Zimbabwean art scene. Those in the know being stingy with information. Is it like this for others elsewhere?
Why?
Because there will be too many applicants/ entrants? Fear of being outdone? Surely anyone being better than oneself should be a challenge to self to improve...
How do we as writers (artistes) promote/ help develop the creative voice in the community, the country, the continent when calls for submission, contests, fellowship opportunities are top secrets kept exclusively amongst a select few in the know- deliberately excluding the participation of those who for any reason do not have access to this information?
How about we work with the inspiration that if I don’t win/ get in to an opportunity, it is great if someone I know or someone someone I know knows (you get my drift) does?
Yes love, even if there is only one prize because it might not be mine but it could just be yours.
If you think you should be taking the prize, let it be because your work is good... so you should not fear more competition. If you do not have faith in your work that you must resort to exclusionist practices... I can’t help you. Perhaps Dr. Phil, Oprah can?
I simply accept that it doesn’t need to be me... Even though it’s great when it is. It can be me, yes... But it doesn’t need to be me. So I am going to Tell A Writer... in the column to the right.
If on my way to that big dream of seeing Belonging made into an animated feature film, anyone else gets their dream via information shared here, I would be mighty pleased and very, very happy for them.
And hey- if it is not yours, it could be someone else’s who just needs to be told about it...
So dear reader, I hope you’re not going to be like the aforementioned self- centred creature and (whether or not you take up the opportunity yourself) that you too are going to Tell A Writer...