Friday, October 14, 2011

No Retreat and Baby, No Surrender

Yes I am an unabashed Bruce Springsteen fan.  And I love this song.  RIP Clarence.  But I digress.

So the NV top 21 have been announced.  Yep 21.  Not 20.  And I wasn't on the list - yeah yeah whatever.  I had that gut clenching, light headed disappointment hit me and it held on for about half an hour.  But instead of entertaining thoughts of hanging up my keyboard all I could think of was positives.  Like these:

*Those cheeky monkeys at M&B promise twists to come - and I lurves me a surprise (as long as it doesn't involve amatuer strip tease dancing by drunken boyfriends - seriously guys, please just leave it to the professionals.  It's less embarrassing for both of us that way);
*My Hero (umm no that sounds wrong) my Heroine (no that sounds like she's in one of my books) my Idol (ahhh nope too gushy) Ah I know - my Romance Guru!  My Romance Guru: Maisey Yates didn't get anywhere in the NV equivalent but she regrouped and entered via the slush pile and now she's an uber famous published author/Romance Guru;
*Christmas is only 71 days away.  Now I can hear you asking what does Christmas have to do with me not being on the shortlist.  Quick answer: nothing.  However I am a HUGE fan of Christmas and my sister and I are planning on a day trip to a massive Christmas shop at the end of November and I am super dooper rooper excited about that and then there's Christmas itself - best and quickest cure for any case of the blues;
*And with Christmas just around the corner that means it's time for my annual top-to-bottom-complete-house-clean-up.  I know, I'm sick.  But it was something my Gran did and my Mum still does and I'm a sucker for tradition - we clean everything: curtains, walls, ceilings, carpets, windows, behind fridges etc with Christmas songs playing full bore (my neighbours must hate me).  Anyway that starts on Monday;
*And finally there's my story.  I really like my Hero and heroine (actually I love them) and I want to write their story so I'm going to give myself one day off and I'm holding a Prep Party as opposed to a Pity Party.  Prep as in prepartory - getting ready for writing the rest of the story.  So a few cocktails, lots of chocolate and a bit of Bruce and I'm set for a doozy of a shindig.

Then it will be back to the ms.

And the next one.  And the one after that.  Oh and that other one.  And ......get the idea?  I ain't going nowhere, baby.

No retreat and baby, no surrender!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

This Is Me Not Caring

This post is remind myself why I entered NV in the first place.

NOT because I thought I would win;
but because I wanted to see if I had improved from this time last year.

NOT because I thought I would win;
but because I wanted some feedback on my work.

NOT because I thought I would win;
but because getting my writing out there in front of real live breathing people was scary but necessary.

NOT because I thought I would win;
but because it was so much fun last year.

So why is it that this little voice in the back of my head keeps whispering: "But you might....".  I mean did Leah Ashton think she was going to win last year?  I know it's not the PC thing to say: "I think my writing is good enough to win" but I think deep in each entrant's heart they harbor the hope that this will happen:

Scene: Inside editors office at M&B HQ.  A group of fabulously gorgeous women in utterly divine shoes and to die-for hair sit around a large highly polished oval table with piles of paper work set neatly in front of them.
Editor 1: How will we ever chose from 1092 entries?
Editor 2: I read so many great entries that my head is spinning.
All: (make agreeing noises)
Editor 3: (Pulls one entry from the pile in front of her)
Cue: Shaft of brilliant sunlight shines through the window and illuminates the papers in her hand.  Celestial music plays loudly.
All: (breathily) Ohhhhhhhhh
Editor 3: I think this is it!  (Turns paper work to camera and we see "Chapter One by Elissa Graham"
All: Raptuous applause

At least I imagine that's what it would be like.  You know, in that deep part of my heart that harbors dreams about Gerard Butler sweeping me off my feet, and how one day I will be able to gush about how much I like excercise and sound convincing (instead of talking through clenched teeth and waiting for lightning to strike), and about Sandra Bullock being my BFF - you know, those dreams.

So, as the time draws near to when the top twenty are going to be announced (24 hours or so) I will read and reread and reread and reread this post to remind myself that I didn't enter with any real expectations of winning but that it would be beyond squealtastic if I did.

Oh and Gerard and Sandy, if you're reading this - contact me and we'll get together and do lunch (and other stuff wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more heh heh).

NB This is not me - just what I would like, deep down in my heart, to look like *sigh*

Saturday, October 1, 2011

It Is Done

Okay so I did it.  I bit the literary bullet and now it's done.

It's up there, for all the world to see (and hopefully comment on) and really really hopefully like and super duper hopefully show the M&B people that I have something worthwhile.

But you know what?  Even if I get the same result as last year, I'm good with that.  Because this is all a learning experience and my learning curve in just doing this chapter has been incredibly steep and I'm extra super duper grateful for that.

And I have promised myself that if nothing comes of this competition that I will polish three chapters from another project and send that in by the end of the year and try the slush pile avenue.

So now I guess all I have to say is:

"Hey Gerard!  I'm ready!  Come get me!!!"