I've been so overwhelmed this summer with work and life and the book and the workshop, that I've come very close to saying "enough for a while" and deciding to put the book away once the workshop is over, live my life with free time in the evenings for a change, piddle with the story here and there, and then pick it back up next year sometime, after the new accelerator goes in and my next board exam (God willing and I passed the recent one), etc.
OTOH, even though most of the summer has been consumed with the workshop rather than actual revisions, I've learned a lot, and I have a good handle on what the story needs to go from (in my estimation) "good" to "awesome". There is some inherent momentum. And - though I have told myself this before, only to get caught up for a longer stretch than expected - I really think a few months of nose-to-the-grindstone work will result in a final, polished draft that I can either do something with, like query, or shelve for a while, knowing I at least finished the darn thing.
Nothing motivates me better than external deadline.
So...I've decided to go for broke and dream the impossible dream. I've decided to enter the Golden Heart.
I think the book is up to it. Or will be, with planned revisions. I've read some Golden Heart-winning books in my category (paranormal, it would seem) and I think I've got a shot.
Contest entries open September 22nd, and remain open until November 17th, or they reach 1200 entries, whichever comes first. (I suspect the latter.)
Assuming my entry is accepted, I would then have until December 2nd to submit my manuscript.
*gulp*
OTOH, even though most of the summer has been consumed with the workshop rather than actual revisions, I've learned a lot, and I have a good handle on what the story needs to go from (in my estimation) "good" to "awesome". There is some inherent momentum. And - though I have told myself this before, only to get caught up for a longer stretch than expected - I really think a few months of nose-to-the-grindstone work will result in a final, polished draft that I can either do something with, like query, or shelve for a while, knowing I at least finished the darn thing.
Nothing motivates me better than external deadline.
So...I've decided to go for broke and dream the impossible dream. I've decided to enter the Golden Heart.
I think the book is up to it. Or will be, with planned revisions. I've read some Golden Heart-winning books in my category (paranormal, it would seem) and I think I've got a shot.
Contest entries open September 22nd, and remain open until November 17th, or they reach 1200 entries, whichever comes first. (I suspect the latter.)
Assuming my entry is accepted, I would then have until December 2nd to submit my manuscript.
*gulp*
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2 comments:
Go, Jenny, go! (I'm a big fan of contests as motivators.) Good luck!!
Good luck!!!! Nothing like a doozie of an external motivator... If you need any help in any way (celtic music links, cookies, babysitting from afar, beta reading, etc.) let me know :-))
Hmm, 1000 entries in ten categories... so you're competing with maybe only 100 others. I'll start calling them now and telling them "I know who deserves that necklace!"
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