Writing Olympics

So the Heart of the West Contest is not exactly the Olympic arena for writing, but I was hoping for Gold. Alas, I didn't even final.

Competitions seem to be one of those things that some writers advocate strongly and others don't even bother entering. I'm fast becoming one of the latter. It's not because I don't win or even final, it's just because the judging is so subjective. True, so is the entire writing world, but let me give you an example.

On the HOW contest I received 96/100, 95/100 and 84/100. Now, the first two loved it, the last didn't. And the last had some comments to say that none of my many critique partners/groups have mentioned as being any where near important. And yet, it was her score which knocked my mss out of the running.

I've come to realize that with my particular 'voice', readers often really like it or really don't. It's not the kind of writing voice that follows the usual sound of most books on the shelf. Publishers are always saying they want to hear a strong, new, innovative 'voice', but are they really willing to take a chance on something that is actually new? What if they can't sell new? What if they can't sell my writing?

Anyhow, this post is about writing competitions! As far as I'm aware, there's generally two reasons writers enter competitions. 1) Feedback/Critique. 2) If the result is good, it looks great on a query letter.

So, for me, since I'm not getting results which look 'great' on a query letter, and since I have two fantastic cps (critique partners) and a number of 'readers' who give invaluable feedback, I've decided I'm not going to bother entering any more writing competitions.

But what about you? What is your competition standpoint? Have they helped or hindered?

-Riss

Ouch. I'm initiated.

I know, you've missed me. The flu kept me away. I'm sorry. Nuf sed.

Sooo, poor me. I got my first REJECTION. How rude. I just find it so hard to believe that the first agent I ever queried in my entire life did not fall in love with my writing. Yes, Jessica Faust of BookEnds did not ask for my hand in legally agented bliss. [sigh].

It wasn't 'quite' a form letter: "Thank you so much for giving BookEnds a chance to consider your work and for being a reader of the blog. While I found your query intriguing I’m afraid I wasn’t sufficiently enthusiastic to ask for more at this time. As I’m sure you know publishing is a subjective business and I’m sure you’ll find another agent who feels differently. I wish you the best of luck and the greatest success."

And, really, it didn't hurt that much. I've printed it as a record of another first. Actually, I wasn't too depressed. I figure she wasn't The One. So, I'm getting together my 'big guns' list. At the very top, Steven Axelrod. (Please, love me, uh, my writing, Steve.) Gotta shoot for the moon and land among stars.

On an aside, Jessica got back to me within two weeks. I think it was more like a week and a half. So, I'm glad the Band-Aid was ripped off quickly.

Well, that's it for me on rejections. Please chime in and tell me about your first. How did you react? Were you crushed? Was it nasty, nice or neutral?

Riss

Acedia: What we must overcome?

I recently read a new definition of 'acedia' (uh-see-dee-uh) which I had never heard before. Ok, to be perfectly honest I'd never even heard of the word before, but it intrigues me.

According to Susan Page ("The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book: 20 Steps to Success", 1997, pg. 218. Which is an earlier version of "How to Get Published and Make a Lot of Money", I think.), "Acedia is the inner process you must go through in order to undertake a creative endeavor that you not only want to do but actually long to do. Such a creative task is often a huge undertaking."

I had previously attributed my inertia to procrastination (a complete other topic I will 'someday' get around to [grin]), but Susan Page writes, "Procrastination is resistance to doing a task. Acedia is the opposite: a slow, laborious giving-in to the task, a letting go of resistance, an embracing of the challenge of creativity." (pg. 219) Now that I like. I like the picture of a 'slow, laborious giving-in'. Like sinking down into a very, very hot bath. You gotta work your way into it. First the toes, then the ankle and so on, until your body is finally acclimated enough to sink up to your neck. Once you're in, it feels fantastic, but before that, it's a slow, sometimes uncomfortable process.

Just like writing, or any creative process, really. I think I've nearly nailed my query letter, but now what? Back to edits? Or, yuk, compiling a synopsis? [shudder] I'm feeling a bout of 'acedia' coming on...

I like the idea of those sluggish moments being attributed to something other than procrastination. Something that actually ends up 'aiding' the creative process. It's true, as we push through, muddle through, or, uh, write-a-blog-instead-of-edit through, we finally do arrive at the taking off point. Our inertia is reversed and we jolt into the slipstream, words pour fourth, creativity rises and away we go!

Incidentally, if you look up 'acedia' most of the definitions tie back to one of the seven deadly sins. Hmmm, sounds more like procrastination to me.

What about you? Do you ever suffer from 'acedia'? If so, what do you do while you're going through it?

- Riss

First Time Lucky

I've never blogged before. It's a strange concept to send a piece of writing, a journal entry, something that means something to me, but not necessarily to you, out into the wide open space of The Internet.

But here I go...

I'm a romance writer. Uh-uh! Before you ask, nope, I'm not published - YET. But I intend to be. I'm actually right now (well not right now as I'm blogging right now) looking into the whole realm of agents. It's exciting. There are so many agents out there who want to have a squiz at my book. That is, if I can write an interesting enough query letter. I'm trying to nail it, hoo boy, am I trying.

I think I might finally be getting somewhere, but while I wait for my dear friend and fellow writer to get back to me on my 'query letter so far', I thought I'd finally bite the bullet and enter the strange world of blogging.

So, now I've done it.

I'd love to hear about other people's First Time. (At blogging of course!)

Drop me a line.