Bit the Bullet
Thank you for the opportunity to consider your manuscript. It will now be reviewed for our program, a process we endeavour to complete within 12 weeks.
Two sentences which conjure up excitement, longing and dread all in one. Excitement because I finally took the plunge and submitted my very first manuscript. Longing because I now have to wait a very long 12 weeks for any information and dread because what if I am as terrible as my self-doubt thinks I am and it will be confirmed with rejection?
About 3 years ago I was very fortunate to meet a creative and talented soul who had a passion for art. Just being around her re-sparked my love for writing and encouraged me to harness my creative side. I decided to do something constructive and attended a small writing workshop at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre. The workshop was conducted by the amazing Norman Jorgensen and he shared with us his journey and the harsh realities of the writing world. My excitement of actually taking a step forward was soon diluted by that old nemesis self-doubt once again.
One of the biggest things that stuck with me was "not to write in rhyme".
Well I just didn't know what to say
That completely ruined my day
The words I saw fit
Were obviously s@#*
And unpublished I was going to stay
The book I was longing to submit was completely in rhyme!
Once again I shelved my story but I refused to let it stop me, and so I wrote, about anything and everything, nonsense or not...in prose and in poetry.
In January of this year I made the decision to take my daughter and attend the SCBWI West's Books from your Backyard event. It was great to see so many local writers and illustrators and I was lucky enough to listen to Teena Raffa-Mulligan read her book True Blue Amigos to the kids. The kids were enthralled but what made me smile was, the book was in rhyme!
So, I bit the bullet. I revisited my story, tweaked it here and there and took the plunge. I am now hoping that Fremantle Press will drag my words from their slush pile and one or two lines will catch someone's eye enough for them to either take a chance or give me some greatly needed feedback...only 8 more weeks to go.
The other areas of my life this week I hear you ask... well I still ate too much, though I am doing very well in cutting down my meat intake (not completely vegetarian, but close). I need to cut down my dairy intake, but the Physicist calls Almond Milk "nut juice" so that has completely put me off.
I saw my old friend Gym a couple of times, even found out that the exercise bike has an hour limit on it before it ramps back down to level 1 resistance. I must have looked a treat when I was peddling at level 9 resistance as I found my feet spinning with no traction. It was almost a Bridget Jones moment with me coming off the bike! Running Man ( the whitest guy I know who can run like a Kenyan) who runs behind me would have fallen off the treadmill laughing if he had seen me, but luckily he was in the "zone".
Still, lots of areas to improve on, but tomorrow is another day.
Two sentences which conjure up excitement, longing and dread all in one. Excitement because I finally took the plunge and submitted my very first manuscript. Longing because I now have to wait a very long 12 weeks for any information and dread because what if I am as terrible as my self-doubt thinks I am and it will be confirmed with rejection?
About 3 years ago I was very fortunate to meet a creative and talented soul who had a passion for art. Just being around her re-sparked my love for writing and encouraged me to harness my creative side. I decided to do something constructive and attended a small writing workshop at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre. The workshop was conducted by the amazing Norman Jorgensen and he shared with us his journey and the harsh realities of the writing world. My excitement of actually taking a step forward was soon diluted by that old nemesis self-doubt once again.
One of the biggest things that stuck with me was "not to write in rhyme".
Well I just didn't know what to say
That completely ruined my day
The words I saw fit
Were obviously s@#*
And unpublished I was going to stay
The book I was longing to submit was completely in rhyme!
Once again I shelved my story but I refused to let it stop me, and so I wrote, about anything and everything, nonsense or not...in prose and in poetry.
In January of this year I made the decision to take my daughter and attend the SCBWI West's Books from your Backyard event. It was great to see so many local writers and illustrators and I was lucky enough to listen to Teena Raffa-Mulligan read her book True Blue Amigos to the kids. The kids were enthralled but what made me smile was, the book was in rhyme!
So, I bit the bullet. I revisited my story, tweaked it here and there and took the plunge. I am now hoping that Fremantle Press will drag my words from their slush pile and one or two lines will catch someone's eye enough for them to either take a chance or give me some greatly needed feedback...only 8 more weeks to go.
The other areas of my life this week I hear you ask... well I still ate too much, though I am doing very well in cutting down my meat intake (not completely vegetarian, but close). I need to cut down my dairy intake, but the Physicist calls Almond Milk "nut juice" so that has completely put me off.
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| Tonight's dinner. Yes, I know, I have to cut down on the dairy.. I didn't eat ALL that cheese.. |
I saw my old friend Gym a couple of times, even found out that the exercise bike has an hour limit on it before it ramps back down to level 1 resistance. I must have looked a treat when I was peddling at level 9 resistance as I found my feet spinning with no traction. It was almost a Bridget Jones moment with me coming off the bike! Running Man ( the whitest guy I know who can run like a Kenyan) who runs behind me would have fallen off the treadmill laughing if he had seen me, but luckily he was in the "zone".
Still, lots of areas to improve on, but tomorrow is another day.
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