And the Winner is…

Not me, I’m sorry to say. 

Am I disappointed?  Sure.  I was hoping for a phone call or an email telling me how much they liked my short story and wanted to publish it. 

Am I heartbroken?  No.  The story is now mine again to do with what I wish.  I can enter it into another contest or I can publish it myself.  Although I had hoped for a quick and easy way to become published, there’s no real easy way to accomplish this.  I don’t believe there’s a dictionary in existence which will define publishing as “easy.”

What this post should focus on, I really can’t decide because the results of the contest brought about a number of thoughts and emotions.

For example…

There’s disappointment.  I won’t deny to having feelings of rejection and disappointment based on what I had hoped would happen.  Not winning might appear to be a form of rejection but at the same time, I did not hear the words “your story is just good enough.”  There were thousands of submissions so I really can’t say I know where I stand out in the crowd.

There’s acceptance.  Once I came to terms with the fact that the short story did not win, I have been able to process it and move on.  That one short story is not what it’s all about or what my writing life revolves around.  As I continue to write my books, I will most likely enter more short story contests but I will graciously accept whatever the judges decide.

There’s perseverance.  As with many things in life, the good things don’t just come easy.  You have to work for them.  I know with perseverance I will continue writing with the belief that despite any obstacles I may come across, my hard work will pay off some day.

There’s determination.  I have a fixed purpose.  Whether it is this short story or another, the book I am editing or the second one I recently started, I am full of ambition and determination to write and to succeed in becoming published.

And finally, there’s endurance.  With continued endurance, no matter how difficult or frustrating anything might get, my continued belief in myself and my writing along with perseverance and determination will give me the strength I need to move forward with a positive outlook and the acceptance that not all things will go exactly as I would like. 

I knew this journey was going to be a rough and winding road but it’s exactly these types of roads that make you sit up and pay attention.  A long straight stretch of road may require less attention and feel safer, but it is also devoid of interesting, stimulating and exciting challenges.

As I continue on my journey as a writer, I hope you continue to enjoy it with me, where ever it takes me, even as I maneuver around the pit stops, potholes, bumps and curves.