Hello Everyone,
It is the first Wednesday of the month, and IWSG Time.
IWSG is a writers' support group created and led by Alex Cavanaugh. It is a big help to many of us who do not mind sharing our insecurities, our successes or giving encouragement and help to others.
So, if you are interested and would like to join, the link below will lead you directly to us:
The First Win
My very first win as a competitor in a writing competition caught me totally by surprise.
It came at a convenient time. Not that I had planned on quitting or giving up on my writing, but I had become complacent with the rejections. My expectations had turned to negatively expecting something to return to me as rejected.
It was December 2016. I had been sitting at my computer, writing a story that had to be submitted to one of my writing classes. The email came in. It was from the WEP. I believe I read that email at least eleven times before it hit me what had happened, and I cried.
I had finally crossed over onto a higher level. Some writers believed I wrote well.
My year ended with a bang, and my new year started with me being encouraged. My focus changed, and the expectations for my stories turned positive once again.
I will never forget that win because it was my first. The first one is always special.
Wishing all of you a lovely month of August.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G
That's awesome it was WEP! Denise will be thrilled to hear it.
ReplyDeleteHello dear Pat! That does sound thrilling. I have had a few good moments like that - making the short list of a chapbook poetry prize and having a publisher ask for a full ms come to mind. It is hard to keep on plugging when there is so little out there and I'm sure glad you were appreciated!
ReplyDeleteYes, a 'WIN' definitely helps our mindset! Congratulations! You are doing GREAT!! Plus, you didn't give up!
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet won a competition, but have finaled in a few big-to-my-genre ones. That boost of validation goes a long way. I wish you happy writing in August.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Pat. I'm very happy for you. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
What a lovely surprise, Pat! I wish you more fun surprises like that in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt is a quite a compliment to have people who know how to pick a story apart tell you yours is good. No wonder you were thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar story of a first win. It was out of the blue! I bet you still love that feeling!
ReplyDeleteI never won award, but I did have 3 poems published in anthology as part of an honorable mention type thing. I have not had the confidence to compete with my stories yet so never entered anything for story.
ReplyDeleteThe universe was listening, Pat! I know it still is, so I expect you'll be racking up more recognition in the future.
ReplyDeleteLove this, Pat! Sometimes we just need that win to give us the boost we need to keep going.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, winning anything gives you such a warm feeling. When one of my novels won an award, I was very surprised. I did submit it to the competition, but I didn't expect to win. It was invigorating.
ReplyDeleteMy first book contract excited and inspired me for a long time. New contracts still get me motivated to work on the next.
ReplyDeleteWOW, how special and wonderful to win a WEP challenge and to have it be your first win. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteThat is super, Pat! Writers validated your writing. Enjoy that feeling and bring it back when rejections get you down. Have a great month writing.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful. I remember winning a small writing contest held by a fellow blogger and it really made my day.
ReplyDeleteHi again, Pat. Many moons ago you offered to lend a hand with the launch of my next book, Not Guilty. As you say, life changes, so if that’s still not possible I’ll understand. If you can still give this story a read and review, I can offer an EPUB, MOBI, or PDF. My publisher doesn’t have a cover yet, so the book has an unglamorous generic one at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe publication date so far is October, and I’ll send out a reminder when I have a firm launch date. As you know getting early reviews is key for Amazon’s complex and baffling system for ranking books.
Thank you again for being in my corner. I'm posting here because I couldn't find a better way to contact you.
Lee
Hi Pat,
ReplyDeleteAs you say, "Everything must change." Your past steady rejection track had you going in one direction, then you received the win you deserved and your life changed forever.
Lynn La Vita @ Writers Supporting Writers