When News is Made of Win

Did I ever tell you guys my recent news? Life has been a tad on the crazy side for me, so I can’t remember, but I think I didn’t. (Please forgive me if I repeat myself.)

A couple weeks ago, I got two bits of good news. First, I found out that the beginning of one of my manuscripts won second place in the Romance Writers of America Heart of the West contest. (Translation: a really COOL prize from a way cool organization.) It’s been a long time since I entered a manuscript in a contest, so it felt really good to not only place, but place high.

*does happy dance*

Maybe my writing doesn’t always suck.

Second, I have officially been asked to present at a local conference hosted by the LDStorymakers this coming spring. I haven’t done a lot of presenting up to this point, and since both my published books are through small-ish presses, I am beyond flattered by this development. And completely pleased.

*does happy cartwheels and other feats of bravery*

But I have to point out that neither bit of happy news simply fell into my lap by chance.

To place in the contest, I had to first enter. And to enter, I had to research the contest, judges, guidelines/rules, and also polish and perfect the manuscript segment I hoped to submit. (Once I clicked send, I put the entry out of my mind and literally forgot about it—hence my absolute surprise when I found out I was a finalist.)

To present at the conference, I had to fist come up with an idea, create an outline/lesson plan/proposal, and then research to whom I should sent that proposal in order for them to know that 1) I am willing to teach and 2) I will be prepared with a class that will help others in the writing process. (After I sent the proposal, it was several weeks before I heard back, but I was so happy when I did.)

So, lessons of the day:

1. Research
2. Prepare
3. Submit/ propose/ enter
4. Have faith enough to move on once you’ve clicked send.

What would you add to this list?

Lucky, Lucky, Lucky

Last week I talked about my experience with the Breathless Reads authors. One of the audience members asked how difficult it was for the authors to be published, and Ally Condie likened it to being struck by lightning, but reminded us that in order for that to happen, you have to be standing in the rain.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. I’m not a person who really believes in luck, per se. Never win raffles, rarely have my name randomly drawn, and the most I’ve ever won in a casino is like, $60. But every once in a while, luck finds me anyway (like that $60—.75 in a slot machine? Really?).

The perfect pair of shoes, in my size, on the clearance rack. That specialty item my kids are dying to own (along with every other kid on the planet) on a shelf at Christmastime. Being in the local library and finding a flier to a writer’s conference that would launch me into a career I love.

Luck? Destiny? Fate? Whatever you want to call it, it's there.

The thing is, in all the above mentioned situations (and countless many others), luck found me because I was looking for it. I would never have won that money if I hadn’t stopped long enough to throw my change in a machine (just to see it spin). Those shoes? Still my favorites. They cost me $10. Christmastime specialty items? Finding those is part timing, part knowing where to look, and part dogged determination (and yes, I’m really good at that). The flier? Huh. Total divine inspiration. Someone Upstairs knew how badly I needed to attend that conference.

So when Ally mentioned standing in the rain? That struck home for me. Because I will never find an agent if I’m not actively querying. And I will never sell a book if I’m not actively writing. And I will never be a successful author if I’m not absolutely determined to make it.

As much as I hate cold and gloom, I guess I’m okay with the rain continuing for a while. Because I’m standing out here, arms spread wide (holding metal in my hands), and eventually the right electric charge will find me.

Who Doesn't?

I promise to not make a habit of chronicling everything I do when I’m not blogging, but dudes, I had the most awesome weekend (with the exception of a sick little boy and a trip to the ER—that was not awesome.)

Thursday was the beginning of the first ever Authors Incognito writers retreat. (In case you don’t already know, Authors Incognito is the totally fab writers group of which I am a member.) Along with my good friend Danyelle Ferguson, I was kind-of-sort-of in charge. We planned this retreat in conjunction with NaNoWriMo, and held it at a cabin in the mountains of Park city, UT, hoping that we’d all get tons of writing done. Which we did. (Collectively 130,000 + words in two and a half days! My portion of that was 9,000.)

Plus, it was good inspiration to spend a couple days in the company of so many other writers. Lots and lots of fun. And FYI, my NaNo project is off to a really good start.

After leaving the retreat, I joined my Fab Five friends (for lack of a better group name) at a benefit auction, where we listened to (and rocked out with) Nathan Osmond.

Unfortunately, just as the live auction was about to start, I was needed at home and had to leave in a hurry. (Sadly, the need at home involved a trip to the Instacare, and then on to the ER, where we were stuck until after 1:00 am for an appendicitis scare. Don’t worry, though, all is well now.)

Anyway, leaving the auction meant I missed the funnest part, wherein that same Fab Five (or, actually, four of the five) got caught up in the excitement of bidding and ended up buying a vacation package (for five) to Mazatlan, Mexico.

I received the good news via text and Facebook. Made the hospital experience not nearly so frustrating. (And yes, I was surprised. But not shocked. Cuz. Yeah. Nothing shocks me when it comes to them.)

Why am I telling you all this? Because I realized something this weekend. There will always be things to do, people who need your attention, and responsibilities to handle. But sometimes, in order to deal with those things, you have to take some time to really live and just be happy. When we are happy, we are our best selves.

And who doesn’t love being happy?
 

Thursday Thoughts

By Nichole Giles

I do believe in fairys. I do, I do, I do, I do!

"Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame." ~William Butler Yeats