Okay, things are finally getting back on track.
As I've mentioned before, I've been sick, my kid is teething, and my wife was hospitalized and needs gall bladder surgery early next month.
But otherwise things are on track--writing wise that is.
I've got a small time gig doing a blog for a BBQ catering company which doesn't take too much time, but provides a little pocket money. My brother and I have been building up the One More Rewrite Podcast. I get a little work here and there. One of my bigger hopes comes in the form of a job I applied for but am still waiting to hear back if I made the cut. I hope so. I could use the money, it sounds like fun, and it would be a nice way to get my name out there. So, what do I have on the agenda for April.
The Beginning of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Contest.
I hope you read that in a deep, echoed voice with lots of reverb. Because that's how it sounds to me when I read it. This is hands down, one of my favorite writing contests to prepare for. In previous years I've thought about doing it. I did a little leg work but didn't follow through. There was always an excuse not to do it, always something that sounded like a reasonable argument for me not to do it. Well, I am tired of being one of my biggest detractors. This year I plan on submitting again. I have managed to pull it off once before, get a draft in on time to enter. I even paid the extra fees to get an evaluation of the work and see what else I needed to do with it. There was some real beneficial feedback there, but I didn't get the polish I wanted in time. The frustrating thing was that it seemed the three judges really liked the chapter I submitted, but because I had a bevy of grammatical errors, I did not make it as a finalist. I got the sense that I could have made it had I given myself more time. Had I just pushed myself rather than settling.
Well, that was years ago and I have been pushing myself harder ever since. I will no longer settle for just a some nice compliments and a nudge that I need to do better on the basics. I will get in as a finalist, at least I hope so. I will not give up on hope until I get the manuscript back that says that I need more work. Until that point, anything is possible. If you are out here in Colorado or are interested in the writing contest experience, take a gander at their site here:
If you are interested:
http://rmfw.org/contest/
A word to fellow writers considering submitting for this or other such contests. I can only speak for myself (obviously) but....
Having sprung for the extra bucks to have the evaluation of my manuscript, it was definitely worth it. My world was not shattered, my heart was not crushed, and my dreams were not dashed by the pen marks and lengthy comments left by the judges. I also don't want to say something arrogant or self-aggrandizing like, "It grew me so much as a writer," or "I've been enlightened by the experience," or some other horse-hockey meant to make me look like I've reached the next stage of pok-e'-lution for my particular pokemon type. The comments were solid, they pointed out where I made mistakes (and not just in grammar) and I hope that I'm not too silly as to make the same plotting and characterization errors in the future. I'd rather be nervous that I'm going to screw-up, and therefore pour over a creative writing piece again and again than spend time patting my own back over how well I adapted to criticism.
I will move forward with my creative writing, try to distance myself from it but still care for it as my own, proof read the final outcome, and then send it off while hoping and praying for the best. Time to get the ball rolling on that first draft for my story.
Of course, this is when the self-doubt really begins...
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