Comments on: Congrats Lucy!!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:22:00 +0000

You guys are great. Have got over myself today after giving myself a firm kick up the proverbial. Honestly, I'm SUCH a drama queen sometimes.

Lucy - I'm not sure when they're posting it! Hopefully sometime this year?? Seems to be lots of 'other' good news taking my spot. ;-)

Suzanne - GREAT news on the short stories! Being asked to submit directly is fantastic. Always the way though huh? Can't think of a single thing. Give yourself a bit of time. I'm sure something will come.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:23:00 +0000

You were lucky, but you're also TALENTED. They've obviously seen something in your writing that they like...

Remember that you've proved you can write - it's just a matter of WHEN you get THE CALL, not if.

Know what you mean about it being harder the closer you get, though - on a much smaller scale, I made it to the final ten of a short story comp. The fiction editor of the magazine concerned sent me a personal letter of encouragement and an invitation to submit new stories directly to her...and I can't think of a single story idea (this after having character buzzing in my head since I was six years old).

But I do think Lucy's right - doubts probably are a good thing, stop us getting complacent.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:36:00 +0000

I agree with Suzanne. And you didn't just win a critique on your chapter, you got a request for the whole of another ms! So they obviously love your writing and you WILL be published.

I think doubts are probably a good thing - maybe a bit like nerves before going on stage. Can you imagine how awful it would be if authors went round saying how wonderful they were!

BTW are they EVER going to post your competition entry???

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Ah, thanks Suzanne. I do feel incredibly lucky to have placed in that contest. In many ways though, the closer you get, the harder it is. We’re all prey to doubts eh? No matter if you’re published, unpublished, whatever, you’re always going to worry about whether you’re good enough. About whether your next one will sell. About whether you’ve even got a next one!

Well, they won’t be publishing the story I entered in the contest and they may not be publishing this one either. But one day, if I’m lucky…

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I agree, great news about Lucy.

Know it's easy for me to say, but try not to worry too much about the manuscript - cling to the thought that you were a runner-up in the Feel The Heat competition and as such are 99.99999999999% more likely to get a 'yes' than the rest of us.

Anyway, they'll have to publish you because we can't wait to read your book.

:-)