What am I looking forward to this year? Well, unlike my fellow spuds here at One
Potato…Ten, I do not have any books coming out this year. But I am excited about other stuff, such as:
*Waiting to hear when my poem will be published in Ladybug (this
year or next) and also anticipating the artwork that will accompany the poem.
*Wondering if I will make the Top 3 in the Highlights 2012
Fiction Contest. Yes, that’s right: in spite of the fact that the contest was
open to ALL writers on the planet (which I
figure makes the odds of placing in the top 3 slightly better than the odds of
winning the lottery) I gave it a shot. After
all, what’s the old adage -- someone
has to win, right? But the real reason I
did it was because I needed something to jump-start my mid-winter writer’s
funk, and working on a 700-word story every night for over two weeks gave me
the renewed confidence to return to my longer projects. So in that way I’ve already “won” something
just by the process of writing the story and entering it in the contest. They are scheduled to announce the winners in
June and if by some miracle my story makes the cut, I’m sure you will hear the
hooting and hollering from Whidbey Island ….
*Cultivating the friendships I began at last weekend’s SCBWI
– Washington conference.
*Finishing, revising, polishing, and then submitting a novel
to some of the agents and editors from the conference.
*Ditto for two picture book ideas I have been mulling over
the winter.
*Finally, on a personal note, I am looking forward to the upcoming
sailing season. Our boat was in the shop
most of last summer and so I missed my usual quiet time on the water -- time I
spend refilling my well and pondering story ideas.
7 comments:
Mark, I really like your philosophy about the Highlights fiction Contest-- that you have already won because you went through the process of writing the 700 word story. Bravo!
And please let us know when the poem comes out in Ladybug magazine-- we used to get that magazine when my kids were little.-- a lot of great stories and poems there!
You have a lot of writing in the works and that is all very wonderful things to look forward to-- not to mention, the sailing!
Mark, like Lauren, I am impressed with your winning attitude! You have so much going on creatively. Your persistance with writing and the writing community you're developing are all leading you to publication, I'm sure.
Enjoy refilling your well and letting out your sails.
I'm so glad to hear you're writing away and submitting. My fingers are crossed:)
Mark,
Congratulations on getting into Ladybug Magazine. It's not easy! Rooting for you to win the Highlights Contest!!!
Happy sailing! It sounds so peaceful.
Thanks, as always, for all the positive support. It definitely helps keep me believing!!
Writing contests are excellent motivators, Mark. Two of my picture books were the direct result of entries that I wrote for contests (A CHRISTMAS GUEST and BEST PET). You're right, whether you win the contest or not, you're already a winner...AND you will have a new story that might lead to a book.
Congratulations on the Ladybug acceptance - the Cricket group publishes such high quality material, you should feel very pleased.
I hope you won. They usually notify winners last part of May and have them keep mum about it. You are right. Entering the contest brings many benefits even without winning.
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