Gotta be in it

brick-wall-free-textures-01

It's interesting, the way we writers repeatedly bang our heads against brick walls. Do we have really tough skulls? High pain thresholds? Masochistic urges? I think we do it because we're stoic (not stupid - stoic!). We feel the pain but we want to succeed. Today I applied for a writing residency, knowing my chances are very slim. Not only am I competing against more experienced, more talented authors, I'm also applying with a short story collection. I checked the previous winners of this residency, and found that of all the most recent finalists, only one was writing short fiction. Hmmm, I said to myself. And yet if I don't apply at all, my chance of acceptance is zero. If I don't enter the fray, I can't possibly succeed. To all those awaiting writing results and responses, to anyone who sometimes feels the bruises from the brick wall - I'm with you. I'm doing the same. We're putting ourselves out there, getting amongst it. Wishing you the best of luck!