I submitted an excerpt for a novel-writing contest! :)

I finally did it!

January 31^st was the deadline for submitting an excerpt to a novel writing contest, and I made it!

I have wanted to write seriously for years, and I've always been good at writing in general. In fact, I think the only reason I graduated from high school was that I could write a decent research paper!

I can remember as a young kid (probably 12) writing stories for my parents, and many times I have tried writing a novel. It always seemed like I would start, but would give up after a chapter or two. Oh, some of my personal essays have been published in a variety of newspapers and an online Christian magazine (and here on AN lol), but that is not the same.

I also went back to school at a University to study English, 10 years after completing my nursing studies. I took so many writing classes that I neglected the requirements for the English degree! I had so much fun! I did write a number of short stories, and won a short story contest, but again, the novel project was just too much.

About 5 years ago, I signed up for NanoWriMo. NanoWriMo stands for "National Novel Writing Month," and it takes place every November (Link: http://nanowrimo.org/). The “contest” is against yourself, and challenges you to write 50,000 words of a novel.

(If you are interested, there are other kinds of writing activities, at different times of the year, that they post there as well).

While doing NaNo, it doesn’t really matter if the novel is pretty. In fact, you're discouraged from editing it during the process. The purpose of the challenge is that you attempt to write a novel, and that it reaches the word count. That's been my biggest challenge - not picking it to death!

I attempted to do NANO the first two years after I discovered it, but I wasn't able to accomplish the goal. Too busy, too much going on, not emotionally able, whatever the excuse, I used it …

Then, 3 years ago, I made it! And I actually felt like I had something worth editing, and eventually, worth reading! I was so excited!

But it wasn’t until this year that I seriously started editing that novel (major rewrite in some places!). I had the incentive to reach the January 31^st deadline, but it was a huge reach to try to edit the whole thing by then!

Lo and behold, I received an email from the writing contest officials telling us that several folks had asked for an extension. They weren't able to do that, but they did decide to allow the submission to be only 4 chapters and an excerpt!

"Overachiever Me" decided to edit and submit as many chapters as I was able to complete. I ended up with 13 pretty good chapters! And now await a decision in March.

Meanwhile I'm going to continue to edit it, and try to have the whole book completed before March. There is also another contest coming up, for which there is a March deadline. That contest requires the entire manuscript. So I may do that also.

Are there any other budding or actual novelists on Allnurses? Or any kind of writer? How much do you use your nursing experience in your writing? Do you have other goals you keep putting off?

I'd love to hear from you and hear what you are doing, and also know what keeps you going!

I know there are nurses here at AN who are professional writers!

Poll: Do you have dreams you keep putting off?

• Yes I will do it tomorrow

  22.22% 2

• Yes but I keep trying

  22.22% 2

• Yes and I am reading about them

  11.11% 1

• No, I am satisfied

  22.22% 2

• No, it is too late

  0% 0

• No, I never have time

  0% 0

• Yes or no (other, see comment)

  22.22% 2