Joanne – I’m right with you. I’m terrified of failing too. You’re desperate for the opportunity and yet when it comes, it’s like ‘oh no, now I’m actually going to have to step up and do it’. And when you’ve told everyone what you’re doing, it’s even worse because if it doesn’t work, then you have to admit you failed. Argh! Look, the thing is, I DO get very down. No one sees the days I lie on the couch thinking “this is too hard. I can’t do it”. Even told my husband at the beginning of January that I wish I’d never started subbing. The whole emotional rollercoaster was too much. But the bottom line is this: even if I stop subbing, I will NEVER stop writing. So what have I got to lose? 🙂
You’re allowed to be terrified but – to quote the cliche – feel the fear and do it anyway. 🙂

Lacey – think I need your eyes ’cause I’m not sure I can see those covers just yet! 🙂 I wouldn’t say learning to love rejection is fun. More like eating silverbeet. Tastes vile but you know it’s good for you. 🙂

I am so scared of failing, I am procrastinating like mad sending my chapter off to my crit group. Frightened to death of failing, so to read you being so proud of your achievements leaves me a bit ashamed.

You allow everyone to follow your ups and downs right along with you and you never let it get you down. I KNOW you’ll get there, because you have the determined spirit that’s needed (as well as the talent too, that’s obvious because of the feedback you’re getting).

Thanks for timely post, now time to kick self up bum!

XX

Suzanne – Lol! If I don’t get anything accepted, I may just do pay per view as a moneyspinner. 🙂 True, I am very lucky to get feedback because that’s definitely not a given. I only hope I can repay the faith they have in me. Hold on to the pennies – or at least, put them in a piggy-bank. You may end up holding them for a loooong time. 🙂

And then on the weekend, your light bulb moment helped me too. I was trying to make the characters actions and reactions fit the scene which wasn’t working. Finally, I saw it. The scene had to go.
I was like, Yeah. That’s what Jackie was talking about. Go deep with your revisions.
anyway, to summarize, 🙂 thank you so much for sharing your insights and journey, and I’m sure the full request will come through.

Rach – thanks sweetie! I should put mine up but I can’t bear to look at them. Don’t love them that much yet. 🙂 Perseverance is the key eh? You’re one of them too!

Angie – I know totally where you’re coming from. I got nowhere in one of the last RWNZ comps. It does make you question things. But you should never let it stop you. Give yourself a day to feel crap about it, then put it behind you and keep going. If I can do it, so can you. 🙂

Caroline – thanks for your hope for me! I know it’s been said before, but you can look at your Rs as a kind of apprenticeship. You’re learning your craft. If you never make any mistakes, you never learn. Yep, lots of discarded work but I have to keep telling myself that all those mss weren’t for nothing. I learned with each and everyone of them. No writing you do is ever wasted!

Fingers crossed you get a full request.