getting better

Obviously I'd like to improve. To the point of publication... and beyond.
To that end I've enetered a great contest on Bookshelf Muse (one of my fave blogs) for a mentorship/crit opportunity. Check it out! Even if you're not interested in the contest, it's a great resource!

The other part of getting better is reading. I've been reading Scott Westerfeld's Uglies and have been blown away. I'd heard about this book but with a tbr pile that kinda looks like a small mountain it took a while to get to. Anyway, am almost finished and am so glad I did!

Obviously in between contests and reading I need to write. That's been the kicker lately. I love my story, know where i want it to go but I'm not sure I'm doing it justice. hopefully it will all work out in the edits.

=)

Contests

I've heard that polarizing contests judges can be a good thing. I needed to remind myself when I received (out of 195) both 195 and 119 on my young adult story. What was most odd was that the 119 didn't really have much to say except she thought my sentences were a bit short in my heroine's POV. I'll look at the flow for sure but my heroine is a bit wary and abrupt anyway...

In better news I managed to final in the San Francisco Heart to Heart with the same story. I am beyond excited with great final round judges who will read my work. Ok, maybe now i'm a tad terrified too... Shows that a dash of luck is certainly required!

Do you/did you enter contests?
=)