Gearing Up
So I'm printing my GH entry as I blog. And I'm looking at it thinking, this is a really dumb idea.
Fifty bucks.
Fifty bucks to throw your manuscript at the wall and see if it sticks. To wonder if other writers will think it's even any good. To wait until March to see if you finaled, then sit in agony the day the loops are filled with "I got the call!" posts as you continue to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And then when you're convinced you aren't going to be one of the lucky ones, you wait some more for your scores to arrive in the mail so you can be thoroughly depressed when they're all over the map.
Because they're just scores. 1-10. And decimals, even! No feedback. And no scoring guide. So you have no idea why you got a five or what the freak a five even means!
Argh.
Of course, there is always that fantasy that you'll final. That you'll get to dress to the nines for the awards ceremony the last day of Nationals. That you'll be invited to the finalist parties, that people will look at your GH Finalist ribbon with envy. That you, of all people, will hear your name called and get to walk across that stage and show the world what a wonderful writer you are.
That's the fantasy. That's the reason we keep entering even though its a crap-shoot and most of us know our odds of winning the lottery are probably better than finaling in the GH.
But we do it anyway.
Because there's always that uncertainty hanging out there...
What if...
Fifty bucks.
Fifty bucks to throw your manuscript at the wall and see if it sticks. To wonder if other writers will think it's even any good. To wait until March to see if you finaled, then sit in agony the day the loops are filled with "I got the call!" posts as you continue to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And then when you're convinced you aren't going to be one of the lucky ones, you wait some more for your scores to arrive in the mail so you can be thoroughly depressed when they're all over the map.
Because they're just scores. 1-10. And decimals, even! No feedback. And no scoring guide. So you have no idea why you got a five or what the freak a five even means!
Argh.
Of course, there is always that fantasy that you'll final. That you'll get to dress to the nines for the awards ceremony the last day of Nationals. That you'll be invited to the finalist parties, that people will look at your GH Finalist ribbon with envy. That you, of all people, will hear your name called and get to walk across that stage and show the world what a wonderful writer you are.
That's the fantasy. That's the reason we keep entering even though its a crap-shoot and most of us know our odds of winning the lottery are probably better than finaling in the GH.
But we do it anyway.
Because there's always that uncertainty hanging out there...
What if...
posted by Elisabeth Naughton at 9:36 AM
3Comments:
Snort. Cackle.
Just what I needed to hear the day I print off ny GH entry!
But you're right. Fifty bucks. What was I thinking?
Teri
The good thing is you have a lot of other people to commiserate with while we wait! LOL
It is the fantasy of walking across the stage that got me to write that check. If I hadn't sat in the audience in July and watched the thing I probably would have blown it off again this year. But no - I had to picture myself getting that darn Golden Heart- and wanting it more than anything I've ever wanted before. And hoping, if I do, it puts me one step closer to my ultimate goal. Publication.
We are romance writers, and therefore, dream of that happy ending!
Good Luck! I'm glad I'm not in the same category as you!
Dang, girl! I was so excited about entering this year for the first time...until I read this! Still, you're right. We enter for the dream. I'm not even thinking about finaling let alone winning, but just taking the plunge to enter is huge for me. I feel like I've taken my writing and myself to a new level. Ans as for the fifty bucks, well, it's only 2 other contests that I can't enter, which is probably good since my current manuscript is in 3 contests right now and I won't be entering anything with the new WIP for at least a couple of months. You'll have plenty of people to commiserate with when the scores for GH come back. Don't you worry. I'm there for you! (Or maybe, just maybe you'll advance to the final round?!?!) Dream big. Why not?
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