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Goodbye and God Be With You


It's rather fitting that some things come to a close on this day -- the last day of the year.

I submitted my last entry into the Rooglewood contest this morning.  I can hardly believe it took me until the day of the deadline to send it in because I'm usually earlier than that.  And, even with the extra time I took, I still felt a little bit like maybe I could have done better if I had more time.

But there was no feeling of regret when I hit "send."  Mostly it was just a prayer that Rooglewood would hear the heart of the message when they read it and that maybe, if I win, they could help me bring the full potential out of my little story.  And there was also a feeling, after working on these stories for more than six months, that it felt good to close that chapter and move on to the next one.

I did it.  I wrote them.  And I'm really proud of them.

Last year, the act of hitting "send" on my contest entry catapulted me into an anticipatory state.  I could not WAIT until the winners were announced.  I counted the weeks until I would find out if my story made it.  I counted half-weeks.  :D  And it was both fun and nerve-wracking -- like Christmas when you are little.  But this year, I feel pretty steady.  Granted, my stories have only been in flight for about 20 minutes.  So maybe the rollercoaster of emotions will kick in later.  Haha.  Yet, for the moment, I am just resting and contented.  March doesn't seem that far away.

I hope that your year has been wonderful and productive.  Mine has -- with more than just the contest entries.  :)  May your next year be even brighter.  God be with you!

Comments

  1. I feel like I should place an addendum here: I am not quitting the blog. Regardless of how the title of "goodbye" looks, I was saying goodbye to the year and my stories -- not to the blog. I will see you next week, God willing. :D

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    1. I must say, I got concerned when that title came up on my dashboard! So glad you're not leaving us after all. :) Have a great 2016 and all the best with the Rooglewood entry!

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  2. Congrats on finishing all your entries. I can't believe you did more than one,I almost didn't finish one.
    I hope you win, you definitely deserve to after all your hard work. Happy New Year!

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  3. Did you finish, Skye??? That is so awesome! I'm so excited that we both have entries in this contest! I hope yours does well, too! I want to read the rest of it!

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  4. Super excited. Your writing is awesome!

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  5. Congratulations on finishing your entries! I only finished one, and only got it sent in a few hours before the deadline :D. I am SO last minute.
    ~Savannah Perran

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  6. Hey, but we made it before midnight, right, Savannah? That's what counts. :) Congratulations on finishing your entry. Believe me, I know what an accomplishment that is!!! I hope you win!

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    1. Yes, that's definitely what counts :). I decided that I'm NOT looking at my story anymore until the deadline. Otherwise I know I'll see little things that should have been changed. So after Dec. 31th, I closed the document and didn't open it again :D.

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  7. Congratulations!! Can't wait to see where God takes your writing in 2016. And March really isn't that far away. It'll go back quickly. =) Happy New Year, friend!

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    1. Happy New Year to you, too, Emily! I'm so proud to know you, and grateful for your friendship and encouragement!

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  8. Congratulations on finishing! That is such an achievement that you were able to send in all three!! I hope they win, I want to read all of them! :)
    I sent mine in on the 30th; it is such a wonderful feeling to finally have it done (although I am remembering little things that could be changed, but oh well.)
    This contest has been so much fun, especially seeing all the fantastic ideas coming from one fairy tale - this year's book should be so good!
    I hope you have a wonderful year :)

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    1. I agree -- it is a wonderful feeling. And I think most writers can think of an awesome revision idea AFTER they submit theirs stories. Lol.
      I am so looking forward to this year's anthology. The premises which have been hinted by the authors are incredibly intriguing!

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  9. Good luck! I hope you win!
    ~Anna
    the3musketeerssite.wordpress.com

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  10. Congrats on finishing your stories! It's incredible that you wrote more than one entry - that must have taken some serious effort. They sound so interesting, and I really hope I get the chance to read them. c:

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  11. Thank you, Julia! Maybe you will get to read them! :D

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