Happy Day

Our writers group had our Christmas Party Saturday. It was great fun! Carrabas was an excellent host. They fed us and left us alone.

I didn't sit with anyone that I knew from the club. It was a surprise to me to see faces at the party that I had not met in the 4 months of attending chapter meetings. I got to meet two facinating writers who work on historical civil war and Florida history types of novels. I may have snoozed there once or twice because I am just not intelligent enough to keep up with real historical conversations. lol All and all they are two very interesting women. I learned a lot from them during our conversations.

I also met a brand new member of the chapter. We sat diagonally from one another. Miss Manners knows it is not polite to talk across facinating historical conversation but we did get to visit a little bit during some of our table discussions. Something between us just clicked. It was like lost friends finally finding each other again. As I was trying to figure out how to ask her if she was interested in having a critique partner without freaking out or overwhelming the new member, she suggested that perhaps we should be critique partners. Talk about great minds working alike!

So, this week we shared the first section of our work with each other and we are off and running. I think we will have a great time with this next chapter of developing our craft skills. One day we'll be cheering each other on for winning the Beacon or the Golden Heart or perhaps even the Rita Award!

The results are in

I survived my first contest. I received a good variety of scores. Of course we all dream about entering the first contest and wowing the judges. Well, that didn't happen. No, I didn't final. It was my first contest. I scored a good range of scores.

The judges had complimentary things to say but some valid criticism as well. Couple of scenes they loved. I think I have the misfortune of writing like I talk. Oh, you mean the paragraph isn't supposed to be one sentance. shucks! And the scary thing about misplaced modifyers. Sometimes I don't even see them. Yikes. And while some of my dialogue was brilliant other parts of it were not so brilliant, ok sucky! Hense the comment inquiriing whether or not I did in fact have a split personality. sigh, maybe so.

I took the comments to heart and had a serious look at my manuscript. The first eleven pages suddenly edited down to 4. Ok, not so suddenly. It could have been agony but wick wack. I sliced and diced like a ginsu master, cutting and rewording. That's dramatic. Then in re-reading the comments of one of the judges they said that the first section could be cut down to three or four pages and have a lot more impact. Okkkaaayy, I cut it down. I only hope it has more impact. I think it does. But this is coming from the person who thought her writing was good enought for a contest in the first place.

Some times when I read my stuff out loud it helps. Sometimes when I write I get too verbose. Sometimes things just sound awkward. arrrrg. The main thing is I got my writing out there. It was anonymous so my self-esteme is intact. I don't feel like I bombed. I am encouraged. The main thing is sticking in the game. So, call me Eden-freaking-velcro-Glenn.