Don't Give Up

What does it cost us as writers to send our work out there into the world?  Okay, yeah, there's some dollars involved, but the emotional price can be much higher.  How do we face feedback on work we've slaved to create--especially when that feedback is harsh?  I've had good days and bad, but in 2006, I hit the end of my rope with disappointment.

When I didn't final in the 2006 Golden Heart® contest, I was so heartbroken, I stopped writing. Period. I had invested way too much emotional energy in getting one of those pins.  It was unhealthy, I realized that.  I vowed never to enter the GH again.  To be honest, there were other factors in my live--I lost my mom in 2005, and grief is a slippery little monster.  For many months, I simply shut down. 

The 2007 GH contest came and went, and I still wasn't writing.  Last summer, I pulled myself together and decided to give writing one more serious try.  In late October, I decided to dust off my two 2006 GH entries and enter them again.  I don't even remember rereading them because I sure wasn't going to invest that sort of emotional energy again.  I'd send it out there and move on.  And I did.  Between November and February, I entered a number of other contests. Mostly, these entries were to help keep me busy, and if I finaled in any of them, maybe that would take away sa little of the sting if the GH didn't come through.  

Do not ask me how much money I spent.  I'll let my accountant add it up.

I was scared to hope, but last summer I had made that commitment to TRY again, something I'd been struggling with for over a year.  If I was going to TRY, I had to give it every effort.  So what did I get?  To date, a GH final, plus 8 finals out of 11 chapter contest entries, including 2 contest wins.  I currently have submissions out with two agents, and I have three requests for fulls, all within the past 6 months.  Lucky?  You bet.  But then, maybe LUCK is what happens for those who TRY.  I even rediscovered HOPE, which I thought had abandoned me, so much hope in fact, that I quit my day job yesterday and will be writing full time for the foreseeable future.  

So when you get back those low contest scores, or that letter of rejection, remember, you have a choice.  You can choose to wallow disappointment, or you can choose to read it, see what you can learn from it, archive it and MOVE ON.  It's YOUR journey to publication.  The only thing that will guarantee failure is if you give up. 

Poetic Justice

Sorry I've been gone.  Took a little hiatus and went to the Caribbean.  Bliss.  

Got an email today congratulating me on yet another contest final, a double final, in fact.  This was a nice pat on the back after my last post where the editor declined to look at any of my work. As it turns out, that same editor is the final round judge for this contest, so it looks like she's going to review the openings of two of my manuscripts whether she wants to or not.  

Of course, now I'm already prepared for her not to request to see more.  But I will be curious to see how she ranks the writing.  

Ah, poetic justice.  

"That's Not What We're Looking For..."

Recently, I attended a regional writers' conference.  Workshops, networking, an opportunity to meet some editors and agents.  I was excited to pitch to an editor from a publishing house that I'd been targeting for a few years.  I liked their writers, their editors, their scope of published fiction. And I felt pretty good going in. Not to brag, but I had the recent contest successes, and I had three stories to pitch.  THREE.  What could go wrong?

The editor was very nice, easy to talk to, made eye contact with me, nodded and followed along with my pitches.  I gave a very brief overview of all three, and she asked about the romantic suspense.  When I'd done a fuller pitch, she said something like (forgive me for paraphrasing, but I wasn't carrying a recorder at a pitch), "Hmm, that sounds like the jewel heist might overshadow the romance, so that's not working for me.  What else have you got?"

I launched into a pitch of my Golden Heart nominated manuscript.  Contemporary romance set in Manhattan featuring a soap opera actor and a Broadway-hopeful--  "No, that's probably not right for us.  What else have you got?"

Undaunted, I rattled off the basic premise of my other contemporary romance.  Still wasn't working for her.  "Nope.  None of those are really what we're looking for, so I'm not going to request any of them."

I had never been shot down so effectively or so quickly.  I was four minutes into a ten-minute pitch session.  Did I leave in tears?  Heck no.  First off, she was doing me a favor.  If the answer to my submission is going to be no, then a fast no beats a slow no hands down.  And a no before I invest in paper, printing and postage?  Priceless.  

So I asked the million dollar question:  What WAS she looking for?  No editor has the perfect answer for this, but hers surprised me.  She was looking for high concept stories, automatic hooks that would translate to bestseller status in the marketplace.  She wanted big story ideas that could be readily translated to book buyers, stories that captured our attention, our imagination, our pocketbook.  My story ideas didn't strike any of those nerves for her.  

But here's the best part.  She told me it wasn't personal (I already knew that, but it was still nice to hear).  She assured me she had every faith that the quality of my writing was top-notch. After all, I was consistently placing in and winning contests.  So she had no doubt my writing was really strong, but--(wait for it!)--That Wasn't What She Was Looking For. 

I've tried to process this experience for over a week now.  Professionally, I'm good.  I've moved on.  In fact, I've sent out other submissions since the conference.  Academically, I'm curious, but grateful for this insight.  I mean, how many businesses can look you in the eye, tell you you're good at what you do, and tell you in the next breath that's not a good enough reason for them to want to work with you?   Emotionally, I was a little unsteady after realizing that honing my writing craft wasn't enough to make it in the publishing world.  Now I have to focus on my STORY craft.  

In today's highly competitive publishing market, editors need to contract books that translate to sales.  Strong writing is still very important, don't get me wrong.  But it's not enough on its own to make the sale.  The craft of the story, the hook, the marketability are crucial.  

Writing is a journey, a learning curve that arcs through time and space.  Every word we thread together into a narrative tapestry teaches us.  Keep writing, keep learning, keep submitting.  Because the other good/bad thing about the publishing industry is that "what we're looking for" changes.  Your rejected manuscript from two years ago could easily be next year's bestseller.  Never give up. 

Karma

I've never been much into self-help books.  I'm a believer that you make your own way in this world.  The notion of envisioning your future--putting it out there and it will happen--well, that's a little hokey for me.  

But I'm beginning to rethink things.  

One of my goals loop mates, Ms. J.M. Sabel, had a great sig line from Goethe:  "At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you."  I read that quote about nine months ago, when I was down and grieving over a loss in our family.  I wanted to commit to writing, but I didn't see any way possible to do it at the time.  I wanted the universe to help me.  I printed that quote and posted it at the bottom of my computer screen. 

And I waited. 

I'd sit down at the computer to work, and the phone would ring.  An interruption.  I'd plan a writing day and get called into work instead.  Another interruption.  Before I knew it, fall and the winter holidays were upon me.  Why had the universe abandoned me?

Somewhere in there, I managed to send off a few contest entries in the late fall.  I sent off a few more during the winter.  I took an online class called "Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors."  I wanted to beat whatever it was that was keeping me from writing.  

The universe still threw curves at me.  Family illness, leave of absence from work, potential move to another state...  What was I doing wrong?  I thought I was committed to writing, but I was barely making any page count.  

Without realizing it, the tide turned.  One CP and I made the simple commitment to write 100 words per day.  A small, manageable goal.  Something we could be successful with.  We worked through the online class together.  I continued to critique for other CPs.  I continued to run my goals loops.  I wrote my 100 words per day.   By the end of February I realized I was actually working on revising manuscripts I thought I'd buried.  I was writing a new story.  I was having FUN writing again. 

And then the calls came.  I finaled in a contest.  I finaled in another contest--twice.  Before I knew it, seven of my first nine contest entries had made the finals.  Suddenly, I had three manuscripts headed out to editors for final judging.  One has already made a request.  Then karma really put the cherry on it:  I was named a finalist in the 2008 Golden Heart® Contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America®.  I've been entering this contest since 2003, and now, here was the accolade I'd been seeking--five preliminary round judges had all agreed my story was good.  

Two of my annual goals for 2008 were 1) to support my fellow writers by building a positive GIAM (goals loop) community, and 2) continue to work with my critique partners.  In both cases, my purpose was to help other writers along.  But that's all part of the karma.  Help others, and the help comes back to you.  In a highly competitive environment, it's easy to lose sight of helping others.  We all want what little is out there for ourselves.  But sharing is important.  Encouraging others is important.  Recognizing and promoting talent is important.  Even when it's not your own.  

Tonight I realized the universe has conspired to assist me.  There was some lag time, but then, the universe is big, and I'm one little person.  It's important to note the universe didn't just take care of things, it assisted me.  First, I had to take the steps to help myself.  

The Obligatory Intro

Like I don't already have a blog.

I do.  A few of them, actually.  But this one's for the writer in me—and anyone else interested in my writer's journey.  Look for me to get serious here by May 1, 2008.  At the moment, there's a revision sitting on my desk.  It's staring at me.  I'm a little unnerved, but not freaked.  

Yes, this blog is mis-prioritization.  Don't tell my DSDB Coach.  (DSDB="Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors" and you can Google Margie Lawson for more information.)

Just a quick intro:  I write romance novels.  Historical, contemporary, romantic suspense—whatever story comes to mind.  I've been at it for eight years now.  I've had some ups and downs. I've met some GREAT fellow writers on this journey.  Recently, serendipity has paid me a visit, and I'm doing my best to run with it.  (Oh, yeah, right.  Put down the scissors...)

Last month, I had a run of serendipity with writing contests.  

I won the 2007 Beacon  for Single Title/Long Contemporary with Public Relations.

I won the 2008 Great Expectations for Romantic Suspense with Lying Eyes.

I made final round in the 2008 Sheila for Romantic Suspense with Lying Eyes.

I made final round in the 2008 Winter Rose with Lying Eyes and Painted Blind.

and

I was named a 2008 Golden Heart® Finalist in Contemporary Single Title with Public Relations.  For anyone whose not a member of Romance Writers of America®, this is RWA's top national award for unpublished romantic fiction manuscripts.  I've been working at this contest since 2003, and I'm overjoyed to have made the final round.  

Anyway, I swear, this blog won't be all about me.  I do want to discuss some bigger things.  The many varied paths to publication.  The reasons we write.  What makes a good romance.  Things.

I hope you'll join me.  Thanks for stopping by.