C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E. for the Post-Contest Blues

Pepper here - so get ready for a LOOOOONG  post.
It's a good day for encouragement, especially since Genesis semi-final news came out on Friday.

If you have 5 minutes, get some chocolate for your heart.

C – Cry – Proverbs 13:12 -Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  
It’s your story, you can cry if you want to.  Being upset, confused, disillusioned, and disappointed is part of the contest circuit. After all, we’re sending out our little babies into the war – judges carrying red pens to possibly scar our flawless novels. Scary! Been there more times than I have fingers. It’s a part of the learning curve for writers. But remember good judges have preferences, styles, experiences, and points of view from which they score your manuscript – and each one can be VERY different. Just this weekend, on the manuscript I THOUGHT would final but DIDN’T, I received two similar scores and then one that had a 40 point score discrepancy. WHOA! That’s a big difference.

H- Hold Back – Ecclesiastes 8:1 - There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.

Don’t start blaming others or yourself. ‘Hold Back’ from reacting in a negative way that could give others a bad impression of you. People respond in different ways over contest results. Instead of plotting novels, some start plotting ways to squish the judges. Don’t waste all your creative energy on something as useless as THAT. Also, ‘hold back’ from thinking you are the WORST WRITER EVER. It’s a contest, not a degree from college. This one moment in time does not define you as a writer. It didn’t cost you enough money to have that kind of power over you J

O – Others – Proverbs 27:9 - ⁹ Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

One of the best cures for disappointment is finding someone who will listen. Someone who has been through the same thing and understands. My writing buddies, especially Sherrinda, Casey, Mary, K. Dawn Byrd, and the Seekers have been a massive encouragement to me when I didn’t final in the Genesis last year, and didn’t place in 2 other contests either. Knowing they had worked through similar discouragement, grown, and even gotten published gave me the courage to lift my head, stop wallowing in self-pity (mostly), and try again.

C – Chocolate – Do I really need to explain this one? Isaiah 55:1 (taken totally out of context) Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. J

0 – Optimism/Humor –Proverbs 12:24 - Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.

Proverbs 17:22 - Laughter is good medicine. Seriously. J And for the disillusioned heart, it can be a good source of healing. Perspective changes everything. The trip is always longer when you focus on how long it is, instead of focusing on the destination. Finding humor or joy in the middle of discouragement is the key to climbing from the mire and back onto the playing field. God loves humor, btw, he made a donkey TALK!

L – Learn – Proverbs 18:15 - Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.

I know, some of you may think you’ve reached the state of perfection, but I’m pretty sure our glorified bodies are only meant for post-mortem experiences. As you read through edits or critiques, or judge’s comments, take the opportunity to prayerfully consider them. Grow as a writer.  And while you prepare for your next contest or submission – study and learn. There are plenty of resources out there.

A – Attitude – Philippians 2:13 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Much like ‘O for Optimism’, your attitude and determination about growing as a writer will help you put contest scores into perspective. Will you be bummed? Mad? Probably, but then what? Though anger might feel like a good starting point for growing (using all that energy it provides), you fizzle out pretty fast if that’s the only motivator. Something deeper inside you has to push you forward from one contest, or one story, to the next. An inner drive? A passion? A calling? Personally, for me- I feel God’s called me to this writing gig. And who He calls, he also equips. My mantra: God’s timing, my perseverance.

T – Time – Psalm 37:18 - God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.

The phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ applies here fairly well. It certainly doesn’t apply across the board, but in contests…yeah. Again, perspective. As I distanced myself from the disappointment and judges’ comments, I was able to read them from a fresh perspective. Take the good. Toss the bad. Pray – and read them again.

E – Enter –Psalm 31:24 – Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon.  

Don’t give up. Try again. Whether it’s reentering a contest, submitting to an agent, or hoping an editor will take notice of your work – one failure or rejection is just another step toward publication. Submitting is hard.
Scary.
But there is valuable information waiting on the other end of the ‘submission’ button – maybe even a win or a contract.
Ruth Logan Herne once said – if you don’t try, you’ll fail 100% of the time.
(The picture to the right is in honor of Annabelle Phillips, who received a new heart Saturday night. She and her family have been brave and strong for a long time. Praise God)

Keep writing.

Keep dreaming.

Keep trying.

The perfect dessert for the writer’s soul.

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Bible references take from The Message paraphrase

pictures courtesy of http://www.gizmodiva.com/
http://bookhuntersholiday.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/chapter-232-wtb-for-the-book-fair-supply-kit/
http://www.funny-potato.com/valentines-day-chocolate.html