Susan, I'm sorry you haven't heard from the contest, but winning contests isn't your goal, publishing your book is. It would have been nice to get some validation, but I doubt the judges are going to give you terrible feedback and advise you to stop writing right now. And even if they do (which they won't), screw them, what do they know?
I know, I know. And I've pretty much decided if I don't final at any point this year, I'm giving up on contests and spending the money on an extra writers conference or two instead, that being the other major way to bypass the slush pile and get a quick read from an editor or agent. But I still want to win, you know? I'm just hardwired to be extra-competitive.
And I've pretty much decided if I don't final at any point this year, I'm giving up on contests and spending the money on an extra writers conference or two instead, that being the other major way to bypass the slush pile and get a quick read from an editor or agent.
Ooh, good plan. I see you are not in need of my advice at all.
But I still want to win, you know? I'm just hardwired to be extra-competitive.
Well, sure, winning is fun. I get kinda bummed when I lose at Monopoly (and that's pretty much every time I play Monopoly - you'd think the MBA would help, but no, I keep losing to the guy who has the rules memorized and played practically every week as a kid). what was my point again?
ION: Healthy Choice French bread Pizza is, IMHO, tastier than Lean Cuisine's.
I had a lean pocket for lunch.
I made cinnamon rolls this morning and neither my wife or my son ate any. What's up with that? My daughter thought they were quite tasty though.
Gud, can I have a cinnamon roll?
Gud, I'll be right over to eat their share.
How can anyone turn down cinnamon rolls?
I made cinnamon rolls this morning and neither my wife or my son ate any.
Obviously, they were either waiting for you and your daughter to go away so they could eat like gluttons and later tell you that there was an "accident" and they really only had a bite each; or their noses were so stuffed up that even cinnamon couldn't penetrate.
I sort of think the first explanation is more likely.
Susan, remember that most RWA contests are judged, at least in the preliminaries, by other writers and would-be writers. It's very much luck of the draw whether you get good judges; it's easy to get stuck in the first round because of one bad review.
I just got back from a memorial service for the mother of a friend of mine from school. When leaving the church I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see my best friend Jenna's boyfriend in front of me, wearing a suit and tie and looking somber. I was very confused--what the heck was he doing here? Did he work at the church as an usher or something and I never knew? So I asked, "What are you doing here?"
In a coincidence that gave me goosebumps, it turns out that his friend S., about whose sick mother I'd had many a conversation with him, is my friend from nursing school's sister. I had no idea that these two disparate parts of my life were connected in any way. It's deeply weird.
Susan, remember that most RWA contests are judged, at least in the preliminaries, by other writers and would-be writers. It's very much luck of the draw whether you get good judges; it's easy to get stuck in the first round because of one bad review.
Oh, I know that well, since I judge them myself. You'd just think if I'm anywhere near as good as I like to think I am that I'd have gotten three judges that liked me in the same contest by now. (With one exception, so far I've always had at least one very high score. Just never two in the same contest.)
