Writing to a style

I've talked about the short story competitions in Writing Magazine several times but have yet to give it a try. The trouble is, I've other things to write up and there's no point in submitting an entry that isn't in the style of what wins. By style I don't mean just the length of the paragraphs or sentences but the real ethos of the thing. I have a check list for analysing short stories but what it can't do is give the feeling of a typical story. Again, the stories may have different scenes and outcomes but they will have a feel about them that is quite distinctive when you get a handle on it. Like any magazine, to find that ethos, I find it is necessary to read a number of their stories and to read them one after another, and maybe even several times. To send them the best story I've ever written without doing that is just a waste of time. I suppose what I want to find is the magazine's voice. Anyway, the latest competitions are for Historical Fiction and another with an open subject so maybe I'll do my homework and give it a try.

www.sullatoberdalton.com/pen-sullatober