To submit, or not to submit?

Well I finally did it. I posted my first submission, released my baby into the wild with the hope that an editor loves it as much as me.

I will confess it was only a short story. My theory is if it's rejected it won’t hurt as much as I haven’t bled over it for a year or so. I could be proved wrong.

On the other hand, if it’s accepted I will celebrate my first sale as if it were an accepted novel. Double standards, I know, and it’s not like I need an excuse to eat chocolate and drink Kahlua, but my friends would be disappointed if I didn’t give them an excuse to celebrate with me.

Next year, 2008, I promise to submit a novel (I didn’t even cross my fingers behind my back as I typed that).

Any way in four months time I should know if I’ve taken the first stumbling steps towards being a published author or I’ve landed on my arse.

Either way I’m stocking up on chocolate.

Stay tuned to find out
Shona

NaNoWriMo

Each November The Office of Letters and Lights conducts NaNoWriMo. This year over 90,000 people from around the world are going to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.

I did it last year and only made it to a few thousand words.

I decided to try again this year after a few insights into my writing (apologies to those people who recognise their comments).

• 'Lesley, you have to FINISH something.'


• 'You start polishing too soon.'


• 'That's a strong story with powerful emotion, but a challenge for a new writer.'

The result is that I am going to finish something, I am not polishing anything in the month of November (at least nothing of mine) and I have started a new story that hopefully will not be as challenging for a new writer.

I'll let you know the outcome at the end of November.

So far it is looking very messy but totals over 26,000 words!!

What does it Take?

I was shopping at Big W the other week and noticed a book and the author's name was very familiar to me. Not because I love this particular person's books but because this person won last year's Australian Idol. The publisher was Harper Collins, so a very reputable publisher so good on him.

Having just checked on the internet I found out that he had written it 3 years before entering Idol. But did he send it in before or after he won Idol? I haven't read the book and I can't judge but obviously it was good or the publishers wouldn't have taken it on.

But for us struggling writers it hits us in the solar plexus and we start to question how easy it is for celebrities to get their books published. Would they have been given the time of day if they were just a nobody? Or are they that talented that the fact they are successful in another area didn't enter into it at all?

Maybe it's just jealousy on my part or maybe I'm just cynical but, and this is just my opinion, I don't think they'd have got that easier ride of they didn't have some notoriety behind them.

What do you think?

Oh and by the way......

I AM A GREAT WRITER!!

Nicki