One of my colleagues on The Fiction Workhouse has been shortlisted for The Kelpies Prize, for his children's book. Vanessa Gebbie talks about it in more detail on her website. I was so excited for this rather wonderful and generous writer - as well as very sure that he will win. The winner will be announced at The Edinburgh Book Festival on August 25th.
This made me think about envy - especially as a friend of mine recently asked: 'Don't you get jealous of other writers who do well?'
The answer is 'no' and I am not a liar. I am also not a saint. But publishing is a competitive business and every writer has to be at the top of their game. Mediocre does not win prizes. Most of all though, to see writers I know do well is encouraging and exciting - because they up the game for us all. If they can do it, we can do it too. Too many writers complain about rejection without analysing the whys, lots of us moan about other competitions when we don't even bother to enter. Simple logic: you cannot win a lottery if you do not buy a ticket.
Writing has never been so popular, for many reasons - some of them the wrong ones. There will always be better writers, just as some people will always be younger, more beautiful, richer. To get all twisted about it, just makes a person bitter. I improve every day and I want to do so.
I am not a saint, as I said. But I do have a generous spirit that really loves it when hard work and talent receives its just awards. The only time I get angry is when sloppy writing gets rewarded.
So good luck, D. I'm chuffed that I know this man.
About Me
- Julia Bohanna
- Shortlisted Bath Short Story Award 2013 Runner-up Cinnamon Press Competition 2013 WNNER: Don Louth Writer of the Year (run by Reading Writers) WINNER: Bradt/Independent on Sunday Travel Writing Competition 2012. SHORTLISTED: Scott Prize (Salt Publishing) 2012 for a short story collection. Writer/ Journalist - assistant editor and writer for the art and books pages of Wolfprint. Most recently published in Independent on Sunday and short story anthologies: Sentinel Champions No 9, 100 Stories for Queensland, 50 Stories for Pakistan, 100 Stories for Haiti and From Hell to Eternity. In a recent writing competition, Joanne Harris described my writing as '...compelling (but quite creepy)'
2 comments:
Julia, D here. Thanks. What you said makes me want to go back to my Kelpies entry and make sure there's no sloppy writing in there.
D
Sloppy would not be shortlisted, Douglas...I have no doubts on that score.
It's absurd - but I am so excited for you. I think it's because all of us know how much hard work goes into what we write, how much it matters. To rise to the top is no mean feat these days; this is a lot of competition out there.
Any luck on your own blog, by the way?
Post a Comment