Knew it would come to this. Doubts already and I’m only up to Chapter 4! And I’m finding myself unnecessarily sensitive when it comes to criticism of my baby. Normally I don’t have a problem with people telling me what works and what doesn’t but it feels different now that this one has been requested. Probably due to the five week deadline, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for lots of rewriting! Okay, have to tell myself that I can’t please everyone and that there will always be people who won’t like my writing or a particular story. Fact of life. Just have to go on with what feels right for me and my characters I guess.
Not that I don’t have fabulous CPs! Guys, just so you know, it’s me not you.
Sending you a hug 🙂
I hope you manage to give yourself that break over Christmas – you’ve certainly worked hard enough to deserve it!
Ah, you’re the best Lorraine! I want to get this baby done so I can have a break from it and then go back with fresh eyes.
Going to need it. Especially with the word count running over!
Hi Jackie,
I’ve been lurking around, checking in to see your progress and I think you are right on track. It’s natural for you to be critical at this point, sometimes a request has got to be harder than a rejection because it means you have set a standard and must now live up to it. Hard work? Definintely.
I entered the FTH competition too and two weeks ago received an email suggesting that my style of writing interested the editors and they would like me to submit the full for further assessment should I have the ms complete. Pure panic because…ya, you guessed it, my comp entry is not complete. I went and threw myself into Nano this year on eharl and started a brand new shiny story. Needless to say I’ve returned my attention to the comp entry and I did email Joanne back to say I could have it ready to submit by the end of Jan. I am so terrified yet excited that I can’t actually sit still lately. I just hope that the time frame I proposed will be acceptable and they will still want to read it by then.
So I want to wish you the very best of luck and to let you know that you are SO not alone in all this madness! And I’m sure you’re story will be wonderful if your fav lines during Nano are any thing to go by.
All the best from Ireland,
Aideen.
Hi Aideen! Thanks so much for your comments – not too cold in Ireland I hope. And a big woohoo for a full request! Aren’t competitions wonderful? You get to bypass the slush!
But no wonder you went into a panic. Personally I was soooo glad they didn’t want my competition entry because that was the one I would have had to rewrite completely whereas this one at least i had a full first draft.
And excellent that you told them you could have it ready by the way. Some people just put it into the too hard basket which I can’t understand – what an opportunity after all!
I’m sure the time frame will be fine. I remember reading on Eharl about someone who took seven months to complete their full so don’t worry, they’ll wait.
I’m subbing mine by the 15th of Jan – our subs can keep each other company!
Good luck with yours and feel free to angst if you need to – I wouldn’t mind the company myself. 🙂