Sunday, November 1, 2009

To Write or Not to Write


This weekened I've been a busy little bee with my writing.  I finished an article for the local paper special edition 5 days before deadline.  How'd I do that?  I thought the deadline was sooner.  Felt so good to have it in early!

I went on the Barbour Books website as they have new publishing projects posted from time to time.  This one is Heavenly Humor for the Cat Lover’s Soul the deadline is tomorrow, Nov. 2nd.  They require two 500 word devotionals.  Can I do it?  Yes!  I'm excited about this one and hope they'll accept my submission.

I learned at Seekerville about the RWA Silicon Valley's Gotcha! Contest.  Unpubbed writers send in their  first 15 pages of their romance manuscript. 4 entries in each category, inspirational included, will be reviewed by a Harlequin editor.  Problem.  Deadline is Nov. 4th.  I'm still debating if this is even feasible.  Last time I had a chance to enter a first 15 page Audience with an Agent contest  I determined it was cutting it too close and it just wasn't fitting in.  I decided to wait until their next one next year.  Same goes for the Launching a Star Contest at Spacecoast Authors of Romance (RWA)   in September.  It just wasn't going to happen this year.

The more I learn about these opportunities I am naturally drawn to them, but it isn't always realistic.   That also goes for NaNoWriMo.  I've never participated and can't do it this November either since I have a lot of website work going on, three interviews (I'm one of them and two I'm hosting), and some book reviews to get done.   I'm trying to not create a crisis over my writing and take it in stride.  I never realized that writing would require so much discernment. And a lot of prayer.


How do you decide when to get involved in a writing project or not?  How do you feel about contests?

8 comments:

  1. Hi Carla -

    I've seen a couple of contests I'd love to enter, but I'm pushing myself to the max with my second manuscript. Maybe next year. :)

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  2. I totally support contests! But I think that it is very hard to discern what to get involved in with interviews, etc. We can get ourselves so busy that we don't leave time for our writing!

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  3. Found you on Twitter (actually, you found me first @bloggingbistro).

    For me, choosing a writing project depends on how much time I have available, and whether the project interests me.

    I usually don't take on assignments -- even if they pay well -- on topics I'm not interested in. Often, the projects that pay the least (or nothing at all) are the ones I have the most fun with.

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  4. Thanks for dropping by ladies! Yes, there are so many things that you can get involved with as a writer, interviews and such as Jody said. Susan, perhaps this manuscript can be entered into a contest when its done! Time, Laura, is a huge factor! I like your bent on going with the fun ones!

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  5. Very cool stuff! Thanks for the ideas. There are a lot of choices on how to get involved, and it becomes overwhelming. I have to pray about everything or else my yoke becomes too tight and I want to give up.

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  6. Very interesting blog..I have always wanted to write but ended up raising 8 sons and 1 daughter.
    I have called different news papers and gave them story info to write about. I think if I wrote anything it would be easier to call it fiction but taking my real life as the story plot. I have written 2 or 3 pages so far and they are about my best Christmas and the worse one.
    I did get high grades in High School on writing short stories and also belonged to toast masters for about a year..Right now I am an avid crafter and make a wide variety of one of a kind items (at least my imagination is very vivid doing crafts)...maybe some day my mind will steer more to writing. My only Daughter is a writer but nothing major. Please come visit my blog when you can and then check out my other blog that I sell from...there is a link to go there.
    Enjoyed your blog very much..It made me think outside the box :)
    Nancy

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  7. Heavenly Humor for the Cat Lover’s Soul

    Did you get accepted?

    I have four short stories that will be included. It's the first time I've had any of my writing accepted. I now feel like a "writer".
    Good luck!
    Debra

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  8. Alisa, Nancy, and Debra, so glad you're here. And there is so much to think about . . . and pray about.

    Debra, congrats on your acceptance in the Heavenly Humor for the Cat Lover's Soul! I injured by back and just couldn't get it done. I only found out a few days before so I guess it was kind of pushing it and I even had two articles almost completed. Oh, well. Another time.

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