contest win

Well, it's not that I've been putting this off, exactly, it's just that I keep writing it, then pitching it out as not good enough. sigh... You see that's the problem when you're a writer. It is NEVER good enough and always needs to be tweaked - or so it seems.

So today, before it's really OLD news, I'm going to just tell it once, to heck with perfection, the right tone, etc etc.

On Monday, on the blog www.mysteriesandmargaritasblogspot.com there it was! MY name, at the top of the page, announcing that I was the winner of their 'Hook, Line and Sinker' writing contest. And what does that mean? Happy Dancing! Fist pumping! Giggling, jump up and down, scare the cats excitement! I felt like Sally Fields, "they like me!" not the exact quote but you get my drift.

It means, that the work I submitted was judged and determined better than the other entries. How many you say?

Step one: The contest began with 50 writers submitting the opening line for their story. These entries were read by 3 or 4 judges and 20 entries/writers were cut.

Step two: the remaining 30 people, submit the last line of their first chapter. This line is what draws the reader into the next chapter. (you know, the one that makes you keep the light on for a little longer because you just need to know what happens.) A new set of judges, and they cut another 20.

Step three: The remaining 10 writers submit their 'blurb'. That is... using only three sentences, tell what the book is about, in a way that makes a person REALLY want to read it. This last round was judged by a very successful Literary Agent, Christine Witthohn.

As winner, I now get to send Christine my entire first chapter which she will critique for me. That in itself is a HUGE deal. But, there's room for more because if she happens to LOVE my chapter, she may want to read more and then, if the planets align just perfectly while I'm sleeping on a bed of shamrocks, under a rainbow, with a bunch of lucky horseshoes shoved.... well, you get it.... maybe she would offer to represent me.

Here's the important part to know, securing the representation of a good agent is almost the ONLY way to get a novel published.

And of course, if I get published one day, (fingers and toes crossed), then I can share my stories with all of you!

Here's my winning entry.

Opening line:
Friggen appropriate, the bathroom door opens and my life goes down the toilet.
Chapter 1 - closing line:
My real life -- the one in which I live simply, work hard, and don't sleep with strange men --is about to come apart, ugly.
The blurb:
He's in the business of helping people disappear and she's making a lifework out of finding them. He plans to shut her down using trickery and seduction but she twists him up like a pretzel and he can't derail her from her mission. Their battle of wills is put on hold when another player rudely steps between them and starts shooting.

Yes, I've already sent the requested Chapter off to New York. Now I have to wait for a month probably before I get a response. (Literary Agents have huge waiting lists and although I've been bumped up a long way, I don't expect to be at the very top... yet.)

cheers!