The Day After

I finally made myself go to sleep about 1:30 this morning. Most of the evening and early morning was spent redefining my goals, short and long terms.

Of course, you're wondering, "All of this from a contest final?" Yes. Last year, when my entry was a finalist in the Maggies, I figured it was a fluke. Maybe they didn't have many entries. Then when I entered this year, I couldn't make up my mind between Short and Long Contemporary categories. I wanted Long because the final judge was Wanda Ottewell. At the time, she had another contest win of mine. But I knew I usually did better in short contemporary as they are notorious for being low on entries, increasing a person's chance in being a finalist. While Long had many more entries and the competition stiffer. And getting your entry in front of an editor with a chance for a request is what it is all about. At least for me.

One point can keep you from being a finalist. Being a former Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest coordinator for three years, I've seen it happen. Of course, don't get me started again about judges and some the clueless things they do.

So here I am with a second final in the Maggies. So sweet.

Will I enter more contests this year I hadn't already planned to enter? No. Part of my short term goal is working on meeting the right agent who likes my work. I have an agent appointment at a writers' conference in October. I've checked them out on-line, looked over their present clients and their preferences. I liked what I saw. If they like my work, we'll see.

Most of the time I like my work. I know I could improve a lot more. Goodness! I've grown in ways I never knew I could. Heaven knows, when I believe I've peaked, I definitely need to stop writing. Just as our characters in our books need to grow, authors do too. Every book needs to be better than the one before it, if no more than in the plotting or how it's presented.