First off because I needed a little wound-licking time. I usually bounce back pretty quickly and stare down rejections with a Sally Brown "Oh yeah? That's what you think!". But, bouncing back after QueryKombat turned out to be harder than I thought. I guess it's because it was the first time I'd gotten past the contest slush pile and into the first round. Did I think I was going to win the whole thing? No, but I also didn't think I'd be out in the first round. I had 32 other people to keep me company though. At least I wasn't lonely.
Around the same time I had a little accident. My laptop fell off the bed. It survived but I lost my entire WIP and the edits on my manuscript that I had been making at the time. HEART ATTACK-AKC-ACK-ACK.
I brought it to my computer savvy coworker and he wasn't to find them. Panic was starting to set in. But, he knew someone who might be able to do it. It would take a long time but the hopes were high. I kept on trying to move that rubber tree plant while waiting for the news. Could they? Couldn't they? Finally, last week I got word that they could! And . . . today I got my precious files back!
My files have been returned to me and I can continue making those edits and working on that first draft. This delay gave me time to catch up on my reading and I was glad for that. We writers cannot writer unless we read as well. I feel like I spent my time wisely.
But, the wind actually returned to my sails last month. Getting the files back is just the cherry on top of that. Last month I attended the first annual WFWA Retreat and I found so much to be grateful for there. I admit that I had been a little nervous about going and I was afraid I was going to be outclassed by all these published authors. But, that wasn't the case at all. I was welcomed and people seemed to like my work. Before last night I had been climbing the rocky terrain on my own. Pulling myself up inch by inch with only bloody nubs where my nails had once been. Now, someone's standing at the top of the mountain with their hand held out to me. I'm no longer alone. I have a tribe.
We had a fun workshop with Kimberly Brock and had lots of small discussion sessions on topics that we face as published and querying authors, We had a lovely dinner on the last evening of the retreat where Darynda Jones was our keynote speaker. I was lucky enough to sit next to Darynda for both Kim's workshop and for the dinner. She's funny, very smart, and I am so grateful to have met her. I'm grateful to have met ALL of the writers who attended the retreat. We came together in such wonderful and amazing ways. At this point I'm almost ashamed of the fear and trepidation I had prior to attending. I'm so glad I went and I can't wait to see how the organization grows and how we grow with it.
I'll be jumping back into edits very soon as well as preparing for the The Book Splash Cruise in February. I've been very active in the group helping Felicia Lynn and Harper Sloan get a lot of the first time cruisers in the group prepared for what to expect. I've had a lot of fun working with them and I cannot wait for what the facebook page has in store for the group and for the cruise itself (of course).
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