My Honor

Now Playing: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA by Taylor Davis

Exciting news! Last week I got an email from the Writers of the Future Contest. As far as I know, it's the biggest amateur writer's contest in the country, open only to contestants who've never published a novel or more than three short stories professionally. I've been submitting regularly every quarter for about three years now, and last week's email informed me that my story "Frost and Flame" received an honorable mention in this year's fourth quarter!

"Frost and Flame" is about a young witch who makes her reflection come to life to stand in for her obligation to do something unpleasant. However, she never stopped to think that her reflection wouldn't appreciate this very much, and now she must deal with the fallout.

I was very happy to hear that I'd gotten an honorable mention, but in truth it is a little bit like coming in fourth place--gahhhh so close! If you place first, second, or third, you get a cash prize, your story published in the annual anthology, and a trip to LA for a week-long writer's retreat to work with professionals and judges, culminating in a huge awards gala. It's incredible. The prize of a lifetime. Potentially a catapult into a career. And I was THIS CLOSE!

Ah well. I'm still eligible to submit since I didn't place, and the thing about receiving this feedback is that it is an undeniable affirmation of my ambition to be a writer--it's pretty objective evidence that I'm getting better, that I'm figuring out what a good story feels like. And at a time where my work ethic is pretty low and my story ideas seem daunting, that's a priceless gift.