Aspiring Writer: The Writing Contest

Talk about scary! Enter a writing contest along with so many excellent writers? Yet I was pretty sure this was the next step I was to take on my writing journey. So I prepared to enter …

The Writing Contest

I was clueless.

Only the Lord knew the wonderful surprise he had for me at the 2014 Write-to-Publish Conference.

Years of effort had taught me to do my best with each writing project and take the next step. That’s exactly what I did as I prepared for this conference, hoping I might qualify for the Written World Communications Contest.

The contest was open only to those who met all of the requirements:

• attend the conference
• make a one-on-one appointment with the publishing house representative
• participate one of her evening critique sessions.

But none of that would make a difference if I didn’t first polish my novel.

Two weeks before Write-to-Publish, I set a deadline of ten days to complete that work. I divided the manuscript’s 310 pages and 28 chapters into roughly equal parts and set to work. Nine days later, I finished. For the first time, I believed my novel was not only good—as others had tried to tell me—but the best I could make it. No more niggling doubts.

With the manuscript for Her Deadly Inheritance copied onto a USB drive, I arrived at the conference. That first day whenI met with J. Christine Richards for my one-on-one appointment, she approved my entering the contest and received my USB drive to download my novel to her devise.

The third evening of the conference, I joined her critique group along with six other hopeful writers. When it was over, I left knowing I had done all I could. The outcome was now up to the Lord.

The next evening at the conference banquet, three other big awards were handed out before Chris went to the microphone. She talked about the chosen novel, and mentioned “Beth” and her belief that she might slaughter the author’s last name if she tried to pronounce it.

The room fell silent as I looked around expecting some other Beth to get up and receive the award. Then I realized Chris was looking at me. I mouthed, “Do you mean me?”

When she smiled and nodded, I froze in my chair. The dear writer next to me smiled, took my hand, and leaned over to whisper, “You have to go up and receive your award.”

Still stunned, I joined Chris. Then turning my back to the microphone, I whispered, “Are you sure?”

She grinned and nodded.

In that moment, God gifted me with a mentor and an editing coach, the two desires of my writer’s heart. The award also included the possibility of publication, once we completed the chapter-by-chapter editing.

God’s Word says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” ~ Psalm 34:7, New Living Translation.

***

Dear Reader, do you sometimes wonder if God cares about the longings of your writer’s heart? He does! Please know that at the right time and in the right way, he will give you the desires of your heart. Until then … delight yourself in him and keep moving forward as he leads.

~ Beth

Copyright 2014 Beth Ann Ziarnik