Friday, May 27, 2011

Chasing Bulls, Second Place and Nailing the Synopsis

It's a mouthfull of a heading - I know - but it's been a very hectic two weeks!

Bull Leasing has started with a handful of winter bulls doing the rounds for the 'early' ladies. I have to admit that they're big brutes and drafting in the yards is fairly intimidating. I had a go at drafting two bulls myself, which went well (I'm still alive), though standing still while they charge towards you is not my natural reaction to a threat! (cut and run would be more like it)

No words written - just a handful of edited pages on two manuscripts. The RWNZ is running three pitch competitions for the August conference and I intend to enter all of them. Jessica Faust is the guest agent and  I'd love a face to face. She requested a partial from me this year; it wasn't successful but she's a top agent I'd like to work with - so I'll bother her with another manuscript and see if that's more to her liking :)

The results of the Chapter Bookshop Short Story arrived last night and I placed SECOND. 
Woop Woop!


Very stoked with the placing - my little mouse story was fun to write and I'm glad it hit the right note with the editor of Womans Day. Now I'll get it off to the magazines and see if I can get a wee sale.  It's a definite boost to the slightly tired writing muscle.

As a small note - we were given the option to utilise the feedback from first-round judges and then forward a re-edited manuscript to the final judge if we wished. I did this. The feedback was brilliant (and very similar from all three judges). It critiqued the weaknesses in the story really well. I put forward a tighter manuscript which took me from sixth equal in the first round, to second place in the finals. Well worth taking on board the feedback. Yayee first round judges!

Also, I received my results from the Great Beginnings competition last night. I didn't make the final cut but again the feedback has proved invaluable. It was the synopsis that let it down. With no more than 500 words to play with I didn't convince the judges of the "conflict" between my protagonists. I received top marks for my writing (at least my voice didn't get lost in the change to a medical genre) but defining the conflict of my story is a weakness - excellent - a skill I can now work on improving.

All in all - Life's Good!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Short Story Success

What a great week!

Started off by receiving notification that I've finaled in the Chapters Short Story competition. Yee ha!

 It included fantastic feedback from the judges which I used to tweek the manuscript before I sent it for the final judging. Now it's fingers and toes crossed.

Competitions are a fantastic resource for writers. Not only do they get you on the right desk if you final, but they provide invaluable critiques.

To bring me back to earth I've spent my first few days with the bulls - and I love it. I'm going to enjoy the new challenge. We went to the sales yards yesterday - cattle everywhere. It's a real social occasion for farmers, they come to town for the livestock auctions and a bit of a food shop - I could imagine a few romance stories here. A couple of characters jumped into my head straight away - crikey, what market would a bull farmer romance fit into - Harlequin Category?

I've managed 13,000 words this week, plus editing - the gladiator is taking shape.