It's a new week again (at least for me this feels like my 'Monday' coming out of a teacher work day yesterday). Monday is the day each week where I sit and develop some specific goals to achieve for the week. My somewhat analytical brain can do nothing else unless I have objectives. I have plans, big plans for the week (finish my current polish, outline a new story that keeps hammering away at me demanding my attention and read the rest of the RWR). Then my reminders pop up and it hits me. Dead and square between the eyes. This is the week where finalists will be notified for the 2 contests I entered way back in August. I originally entered them to get feedback and some (OK, low cost !) critiques of my story. I entered both my completed (targeted for Blaze) novels to the SF Heart to Heart 2009 and my most recent one to The Golden Pen 2009. Finalists will be notified tomorrow and Thursday respectively!!! Now I'm nervous because my mind has already jumped there; I'm a finalist. But when tomorrow and Thursday roll around, maybe I'm not (more like probably) and I'll have that disappointment to deal with. I need some validation to everything who keeps asking me "What are you doing these days?" I want to say I'm a writer but it sounds so lame when they invariably ask if you have any books and you have to explain you're on the journey, blah, blah, blah. I want to be able to say at least 'but I was a finalist in a writing contest' or 2 or more. Although it's almost here, the wait will be hard.
Anyone have any great stories to tell about contests? Any cool responses to pesky questions about what you do when you're an aspiring author but don't have anything published yet (that doesn't make you sound lame)??
A Tale of Two How-Tos
16 hours ago
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I almost entered the Heart to Heart, too!
ReplyDeleteI've entered two contests (and two pitch contests on eharlequin.) The first one I entered was the GH, with my first completed ms. My scores ranged from low to high. The second I entered was a chapter contest - VRW's Fool For Love - with my first Blaze ms. I ended up winning my category, but I also got what felt like a scathing critique, one bad enough that they had to bring in a discrepancy judge. Guess which score I remember most? ;) So easy to remember the bad, but it helped that I won. LOL
Contests are great, but they're so subjective. You could have an amazing ms and not final, or one that's not-so-amazing and win big. It's all up to whichever judges you get. Just like with editors...
Best of luck tomorrow and Thursday, Kaily...be sure to let us know what happens! :)
The only other contest I have ever entered was the GH last year and my scores were all pretty high!! Based on the cut-off numbers I just missed being a finalist. Man, that would have been so cool. I know it's all subjective. I do. Intellectually I do, but .... Anyway, I'll be sure to let everyone know either way. Sigh. It's only 7am on the West Coast...
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