7 Days to Contest

It's in earnest now. I've been working on the premise and cover blurb, and I'll work on the first 500 words after my poll closes tomorrow, but I also want to read through and revise my manuscript one more time.

I haven't been to the acquisitions form page yet to see what I have to send or how I have to send it. That will probably happen today. You may be wondering why it hasn't happened yet.

I don't handle stress well. I suffer from "eye twitch." My optometrist tells me it's caused by an excess of histamine, and I certainly have that, but stress is what triggers the twitch.

I can feel it building, a little bit of tension in my left eyelid. I haven't started twitching yet, but the last time I did, it lasted four months. That's a long time to tolerate a twitching eye.

This is why I'm taking one baby step at a time. I'm trying to convince my eye there is nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine. I don't know if it will believe me.

I don't plan to wait until the 29th to submit, actually. I'm thinking the 28th is better, so technically I have 6 days to contest, and then the Sabbath rest, followed by mozzarella sticks and a mocha java chiller.

I would like to say I'm excited. I can't get excited about this. Excitement leads to hope, and I really don't think I have a hope of making it past the first round. I hate the crash of hope deferred, so I prefer to remain in a semi-calm state of disinterest.

I do have moments when I think "This is good. I'm doing a good job," followed almost immediately by "too bad it won't matter."

Welcome to my thought life. Depressing, isn't it?

Don't let it get you down. I don't dwell on this stuff. I'm just a turtle, plodding ahead, trying not to worry about what might happen.

I can promise you, if I make it past the first round, they will hear the "Woo-Hoo" in Colorado Springs. Followed almost immediately by the sound of vomiting.

Woo-hoo.

PS: I just checked the acquistions form requirement. It's basically the same things as the contest wants, just slightly different word counts: 10 word hook, 100 word premise, 750 word synopsis and first 500 words. Sounds about right. I'm strangely calm right now. I'm sure I'll freak out later.