.

Guess what?

In my first ever writing contest, I placed 6th! Wow! I know it is 6th and not in the top three, but it feels like I have climbed Everest and am happily, blissfully even, staring at the beautiful world before me! I couldn’t be happier! I am so proud of myself!

I submitted the first scene of There’s No Place Like Home a month ago and pretty much forgot about it, believing that the scene stunk. Okay, not really. I liked it when I sent it off, but since a round of editing on the manuscript after entering the contest, I have developed a hate relationship with that piece. Seriously, I hate it. I hate all of my writing right now. I think it is a great time to go on vacation–which I will be in a few days. Thank goodness for a well-timed break!

Anyway, word came back today and I got 6th! 6th! In the Grand Beginnings contest. Wow! You are only allowed to submit the first five pages. One judge gave me 56 out of 60! Wa!!! The other judge, well, not so much. But still! The one judge said if she was in the store and she read those pages she would have bought the book in order to find out what happened. Wow.

I looked at the contest website again and I think I was one point off having an industry professional judge my opening. Wow. So close. So close, I can practically taste it. And judging by the way it smells, it is going to taste waaaaay better than chicken. And I like chicken.

The agent who rejected a different story last week gave me some brief feedback which indicated that I had a good hook. One of the judges also said that this story had a good hook. Thank the lord! I can hook! The writing gig doesn’t seem so bleak and difficult right now. I can do this! I really can!

Ahhhhh….

Tags: writing //