Hi Friends! Showing my face and posting this for accountability!
Photo: Jackie by Jackie Morrison (before I got my haircut this week)
I’m in the midst of a first draft, it’s a messy-ish type of draft, a kind of zero draft but it has heart and holds an important message about the value of myth.
I’ve wanted to write it for a long time and despaired of ever finding the right audience for it.
This piece is one that I put in front of the New Writers Scheme of the Romantic Novelists Association for a critique and I’d hoped to complete it back then.
I learned pretty disappointingly that having a “big idea” doesn’t necessarily translate to being able to carry a full-length novel! What a real-life shocker that was!
Unfortunately, at that time, I had no real idea of how to handle a story as unstructured as mine was at that time!
I’ve learned a lot since then (I hope) and I recently reread the critique I’d received which had put me off completing it.
Guess what? I have no idea why I allowed myself to be halted!
That critique was 98% encouraging and full of good stuff. It was the 2% that threw me. It wasn’t that I couldn’t take constructive criticism. I just didn’t know what to do with it - how to fix it.
I can look back now and say that at that time, I didn’t know the heart of my story. I wasn’t communicating the heart of it - I was concentrating on trying to fix plot.
Short-Listing and Long-Listing
That same piece of work was long-listed and then short-listed in a Penguin Random House competition to find a new romance writer. I was stoked! It had me believing in myself for a moment or two.
So why now? What’s made the difference? What’s made me able to commit to it?
If you’ve read my previous Posts, (please do!) you will see that I’ve had some amazing success this last year with published short stories - and a Pocket Novel coming out next month.
I learned a lot by writing these stories, and editing them. I learned even more by committing to the length of the Pocket Novel.
So, it’s a combination of writing experience, editor feedback, and confidence building over time.
It’s kinda time I started believing in myself - I’ve been long-listed, short-listed, and finalist in national competitions before.
Here’s me when I was shocked to receive the email to tell me I was a Finalist in the Pitch Perfect competition at Bloody Scotland where I pitched my crime novel to a panel of publishing professionals. That novel got 7 Full requests when I queried it, but ultimately it didn’t quite get out there.
Photo: Jackie Morrison by Jackie Morrison
But also, this Spring, something a bit woo-woo happened. Do you believe in woo-woo? (chuckle)
I felt myself open up. I truly saw that critique and feedback for everything it was meant to be - encouragement to continue.
I felt myself accept where I am right now - and crucially, accept I have places I can move forward to...without waiting for the approval of others.
I felt ready to be filled - ready to absorb everything this story was meant to be.
The story fell into me again and I lapped it up.
I’m one-third of the way in, with a plan of how to take it forward and I’d love for you to join me on this journey.
The story is set in Scotland and it concerns myth and legend and a huge complicated love story (more than one actually).
Photo by Jackie Morrison: Gairloch, Highlands, Scotland
I am so excited for this story. I can’t wait to travel north again to the exact spot where it is set and to take you there with my photos and video.
So, I’m all wrapped up in the woo-woo (whatever that is), accepting that I can do this and I will do this! Are you along for the ride?
Thank you dear Subscribers for being here. I really appreciate it - it helps me feel less alone on this journey.
Thank you new Followers - it’s great you’ve found The Little Writing Corner! Did you know, you can have every Newsletter sent directly to you for free when you become a Subscriber? Yup. It’s free and you’ll never miss another blog or vlog, or whatever!! So, why not join us in the Little Writing Corner in Scotland.
Let me know what you’re working on this week. Do you have a piece you love and can’t let go of? Will you return to it? I truly hope you do. I really hope you sit down and write this week - wherever that is and whatever that looks like.
Here’s what mine looks like.
Some days, I’m writing in the summerhouse in the garden, and others I’m settled at my desk in its new writing spot by the window at the top of the house.
Photo by Jackie Morrison: Writing In The Summerhouse
Happy writing dear friend x
Links:
Romantic Novelists Association: New Writers Scheme
Bloody Scotland - Scotland's Crime Writers/Readers Festival
Fantastic List of Writing Competitions - from Penguin
PS I’m so happy you’re here to read what I have to say! Still feels weird! How about we extend the Little Writing Corner? I’d love for you to share my Post, or sign up as a free Subscriber so you never miss another one. You can also Buy Me A Coffee with a one-off little payment of support, or sign up to be a Paid Subscriber and have a rather special place in my heart! Thank you to Paid Subscribers - your support means the world to me. xx
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