Spread the LOVE!

The fabulous Marcy has issued a feel-good Christmas Challenge! I'm IN!

See the details below and pledge your committment on Marcy's blog.

So this holiday season I'm committing to doing one good deed, no matter how big or small, every day until Christmas. But that's not all. I'd like to spread the word, to see how many people I can get to join me in this challenge.

This doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive. Your deeds could be as simple of letting someone else take the coveted choice parking spot at the mall, returning a lost glove to an owner, or maybe baking cookies for a neighbour you know could use some cheering up. No matter what it is, it's sure to put a smile on someone's face. And chances are they'll be a little bit nicer to the next person they meet, and so on and so on...

So what do you say? Are you up for the challenge? Let's make this season the merriest it can be!

Pass it on...

Back in the saddle...

I've had to admit - it's part of who I am!

WRITING that is.

I try to take breaks occasionally - when life gets in the way - but then something happens to give me the boost I need to throw myself back on the mercy of my computer keyboard. I don't know whether it was the good news of my contest finals last week or the fact that I know this week will be slightly less crazy than the last and that hubby will be away the following week, so I'll have more time to write but something has got me back into it this weekend.

I've almost written 3k new words on the mss I'm revising for Carina. After realising I wasn't ready to sub, I'd decided to reassess my deadline and told the editor that I'd get it to her early next year, but now I'm hoping that somehow I can finish this rewrite before Christmas. Saying that, this rewriting business is VERY scary because I'm changing quite a bit but in doing so I'm scared that I might be losing some of the stuff that made Carina request revisions in the first place.

Anyone else been in this pickle before? Got any good advice... or do I just have to plod on and follow my gut!?

x

TRIFECTA

Not sure TRIFECTA is exactly correct cos I've just looked it up and apparently it's to do with horse races and betting which horses will come first, second and third in correct order but I liked the sound of it.

Now I haven't come first, second and third in anything in any order but I have finalled in THREE Romance Writers of Australia contests in the last week.

With my experiment in ST, I finalled in the STALI contest - Single Title and Loving It.

With my New Voices entry, I finalled in the High Five - a contest in which you enter the first five pages of a category mss.

With the New Voices entry again, I finalled in the Selling Synopsis contest - which is exactly as it sounds, a synopsis competition.

All entries are currently with really fabulous editor/agent judges and I have my fingers crossed that more good news comes from them. But whatever happens, this was a MUCH-NEEDED boost for my writing at the moment.

People have mixed opinions about contests. They can be great for one's writing mojo if you score well and get positively constructive comments but they can also be really damaging if you let them.

I LOVE the thrill of entering contests and I've had luck in some and have placed dismally in others. But they are SO subjective. What one judge/contest loves another might hate.

An interesting tidbit - my mss which came Runner-Up in Mills & Boon Feel The Heat contest a few years back, placed really low to the bottom of the rankings in an RWA contest the same year. So don't let contests weigh you down and stop you reaching for those writing STARS!

HUGE congrats to the fab Jackie Ashenden who also finalled in the High Five.