I did it

[flowinginkwoman]

It suddenly occurred to me that I have passed another milestone and I should celebrate or at least mention it to people who will understand.

On Dec 8th I sent off an entry to the Writers Digest Short Short Competition. I got the email announcement for the competition but tossed it because it said the deadline was Dec 1st. Well I only saw the thing on November 30th. Not enough time I thought.

On the 3rd of December I got the announcement yet again only this time I opened it to discover they had extended the deadline to the 8th. Well, I thought to myself. Do I have anything I could revise and send?

Yes, I do, I said both to myself then foolishly to other people. I would send a little thing I did last year about Christmas, called, "Hot Chocolate". That little story provoked the most discussion I had ever seen at my local writer's club in Barrie. People wanted more, they wanted changes. They wanted this. They wanted that. What they really wanted was a happy ending.

Yes, it's a very sad story but Christmas is often not the wonderful pretend time we try to make it. Especially for a lot of children. I kept the ending. I believe it fits.

This year that story was brought up in a meeting and people still remembered it and felt very strongly about it. To quote the oldest writer in the room, who is a charming, very good, writer age 73, reminded me there wasn't a dry eye in the place when I had read it to them.

So, I figure, if people remember a story from a year ago it has something. That deserves a hearing.
I made a few tiny changes a word here, a word there and at the grand total of 1012 woods sent it off with a kiss.

There is a reason I'm telling you this story. It's a very simple reason. I have sent off a few small contest entries this past year. Didn't win. Didn't expect too.

This a fairly big world wide contest with a great first prize and the first twenty-five on the long list will be included in an anthology.

Stay with me now. I would love to win. That is certainly true. I could force myself to go to New York all expenses paid no problem. I would run around getting a new passport etc with a grin on my face. I would gladly take 2nd or 3rd place too and smile sweetly while I did it.

But, what I really want is in that anthology because I believe in this story. It deserves as wide an audience as I can find for it.

I sent it off and met the deadline and the promise I made to myself and to that story. I can do no more for it at this time. I have done all that I can for the story and a few more people will read it.

No, I don't expect to win but I kept faith with myself and that's what really counts.

[annelyle]

Well done in catching that extended deadline - and fingers crossed for the competition!

[Texanne]

You are awesome! Best wishes for your story--and if you have to get on a plane, well, that's okay, too. Yay! TX

[marti-v]

Way to go! And may you find yourself grumbling in the security check-in line at the airport in the not-too-distant future. Then you'll remember why you're in that line, and you'll smile -- or maybe even laugh.

[msvanessaw]

: D

Congratulations on standing your ground. Just by doing that, you've already won.

But best wishes on the contest anyway! (Winning twice with the same action is just good time management! lol)

-Vanessa-

[flowinginkwoman]

Thank you everyone. So lovely to have a cheering section. It's VIP to me.
Standing up for the story was critical for me. It deserved my best support.

I'd love the opportunity to stand in line grumbling it's true but making the anthology would be absolutely tops in my book.

I just love this line, (Winning twice with the same action is just good time management! lol) -Vanessa- thanks Vanesssa.

I've added it to my quotation collection with as much attribution as I can find Ms Vanessa W. right?

The stunning way people in this entire community use language with love for the words themselves and clarity and succinctness id a real bonus. Word lovers are bout my favourite people. Shows we got real smarts...all of us.

[prudencewombat]

Congratulations flowinginkwoman!

*throws sparkly confetti around.*

You are awesome standing your ground for what you believe in. I wonder if your story would have been so memorable for your writing group if it had ended 'happy ever after'?

You may not win. You have said that yourself. But you have the mindset of a winner.
A week to go and you pulled out the stops. You made a move. You got it out. AND you kept faith with your story.
Awesome

[msvanessaw]

Thank you everyone. So lovely to have a cheering section. It's VIP to me.
Standing up for the story was critical for me. It deserved my best support.

I'd love the opportunity to stand in line grumbling it's true but making the anthology would be absolutely tops in my book.

I just love this line, (Winning twice with the same action is just good time management! lol) -Vanessa- thanks Vanesssa.

I've added it to my quotation collection with as much attribution as I can find Ms Vanessa W. right?

The stunning way people in this entire community use language with love for the words themselves and clarity and succinctness id a real bonus. Word lovers are bout my favourite people. Shows we got real smarts...all of us.

I'm flattered...

This IS the best site, with the best people.

: )

[wildheart90]

Congrats to sending out a story! Short stories deserve our love too, and it sounds like this story MATTERED to you, which is very important because that means it'll matter to someone else as well, even if it doesn't win:) The fact that people can remember it a year later? That should say something!

And while you wait to hear back from the contest? You should write something else Or maybe take something through HTRYN like I am...I'll tell you it is hard work, but I'm hoping to get something meaningful out of it!

But seriously, you should work more on that writing thing!