Sometimes, good things happen when you least expect them.
I’ve been completely preoccupied with family issues this fall—preoccupied to
the point that I haven’t written anything new since the summer or even thought
much about writing. Life is finally calming down to the point that I was
starting to think that maybe one of these days I could get back to writing
again...but I’ve been afraid that I won’t be able to—that I’ve lost the knack
of putting words on paper and telling stories...or worse, that I won’t have any
stories to tell because they’ve dried up while I’ve been busy elsewhere. I know
that sounds irrational...but writers are funny creatures. Look up “imposter
syndrome” when you have a moment. 😟
Then, a week or so ago, I received some unexpected good news: “Alea Iacta
Est”, my story in the Book View Café Anthology
Nevertheless, She Persisted,
won second place in the Short Historical Fiction category of the International Digital Awards, which I’d completely
forgotten I had entered last summer. It was a nice piece of news...as was the
email that arrived a couple of hours later, informing me that
Between Silk and Sand had won the Young
Adult Novel category in the same contest. But more importantly, it reminded me
that yes, I really am a writer...and while I’ve been temporarily unable to
write anything new due to circumstances beyond my control, nothing can prevent
me from getting back to work when time and mental space permits.
And the “thank you” part? That’s simply because I’m grateful to all of you who
visit NineteenTeen and who’ve read my work, bought my work, borrowed it from
the library, lent it to friends...without you, this whole writing thing would be
a lot less fun.
As a further thank you,
I’ve posted a brand new short story, not available anywhere else, on my website
for newsletter subscribers. It’s a romantic contemporary fantasy short titled “A
Perfect Night for a Trip on the Lake”—to access it, go to
http://eepurl.com/bVDwlf
Here’s to more words shared. Soon.
1 comment:
Double congratulations! I hear Impostor Syndrome is VERY common in women! It's not just you. You ARE a writer! I have my autographed copy of Courtship and Curses on my special Regency keeper shelf in my bedroom. I hope my nieces will read it in a few years.
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