I have decided that I am going to try -- I am making no promises -- to enter the Writer's Digest 78th annual writing competition. I am developing what was to be the prologue of a novel into a short story that will stand by itself. I looked at last year's results, and I was just astonished. Over 17,000 entries and the grand prize winner had already published several things. I'm not anticipating winning the grand prize or anything, but it would sure boost my confidence to place somewhere. Some money would be very nice for my plans to move out to the country and build a cottage.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. I am learning as I go. My lovely wife encourages me but it isn't easy to find time to devote to writing since I have a full time job and a family to care for, a dump truck of daily things that need to be tended to to keep the biz running and to keep all of us provided with the electricity and water we need in out here in the bush.
Right now I am working on personalizing my characters. While there are many things I'm studying that seem to me to be quite elementary, personalization is one that is taking some time for me to feel comfortable with. My main character is already quite different from who I originally pegged him to be. That's good, but I feel sometimes I'm in uncharted territory.
Ahhh, uncharted territory -- makes me grateful for the charted stuff!
J.P.T.
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