Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Little Success, A Little Failure

So on Friday, when I went to the post office to get my mail, I had something exciting in my box.



Yes, that would be my sixth contract with Highlights for Children. :o) Yes, I am totally smiling right now. I actually wrote "Apples" a couple of years ago, but at that point it didn't feel finished. I set it aside. I set a lot of things aside, some big, some small, hoping that at some point I'll figure out how to revise them. I'd picked it up several times since then, but it wasn't until this past November that something clicked. I submitted it and waited.

During the time that I waited, I revised TBW two more times and sent it out to a couple of my critique partners. In my last draft, I moved the beginning (again) and used flashbacks to convey backstory. I cut a lot of old stuff, added a lot of new stuff, and moved large chunks around. I went over and over it to make sure the pieces fit, but it ended up not working for either of my readers. And going back over the beginning with their notes, I agree with them. I need to put the story back in chronological order, but there are quite a few changes that I want to keep from the same draft. Huge changes. Sorting out the first half of the manuscript won't be easy, but hopefully my next draft will be a thing of beauty and coherence. ;o)

Little successes. Little failures. They're all learning experiences, and I'm thankful for the feedback my editors and critique partners give me. They (and experience) are my teachers.

Thank YOU for reading my blog, for your encouragement and discussion. It helps. :o)


18 comments:

  1. Congratulations! And your sixth contract--wow! That's a great accomplishment :)

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    1. Thanks, Catherine! They are a wonderful magazine to work with.

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  2. Don't you just love the ups and downs of the writing life? Congratulations on you latest contract! You're a lucky girl to have those helpful, honest critique partners.

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    1. Thank you! I know I'm lucky to have them, so I try to make myself as indispensable as possible. ;o)

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  3. Congratulations on the contract and good luck with the revision!

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  4. Absolutely wonderful! Congratulations, Myrna!

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  5. I'm so proud of you about the Highlights contract, Myrna. That's so awesome!!

    And don't ever think of drafts as failures. Writing is never wasted and I know it will all come together. You're much closer than you think!

    <3

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  6. Congratulations! That's awesome news.

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  7. Two steps forward, one step back. :o) But you'll get there! You are awesome! Congrats on the poem--you have a knack with them.

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  8. Thank you! I hope this story gets there SOON. I want to write something new.

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