The Madness

I decided to describe my blog as "My Journey Into Madness." For writers out there, you understand. You have to be either down-right crazy or into S&M, probably both, to want to be a published writer. Anyone can be a writer. Write a few short paragraphs, read it, enjoy it and save it or throw it away. You're a writer.

But to be a published writer you send in query letters, meet editors and/or agents at conferences and then for most of us, receive rejection letter after rejection letter. Sad to say, most of us receive the standard form type "Your project is not right for us at this time" or "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to pass on this submission."

And the writer contest route sucks. I can't afford to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year on a chance I can get two judges or more who believe my entry is wonderful enough to score better than the next person's. Too many factors can play in it. They may not like the title. They want the heroine to be mature, level headed and a good girl. Boring! Where's the chance for character growth? Judges will even tell you a character in your entry doesn't say such things! What? She's knows how my character thinks?

Grrr! The above are the reasons judges have marked me down on different entries.

Anyway, starting next year, I've decided to enter no more than five contests. That'll be half of what I'll probably enter this year.

Sigh. Let's see if I stick to that. I really need an agent. I really need something good to happen before long. Last year started off crappy and ended really nice, maybe I'll have a repeat this year, but better. Maybe there's an agent out there waiting for my kind of book.

Pray for me.