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Have you ever come across a piece of writing and immediately fallen in love with it, only to find out that YOU wrote it? That happened to me recently. It took me aback because I hadn't remembered writing it. But as I read, I thought, This is really good. I almost couldn't believe the author was me!
The truth of the matter is, I write the kinds of things that I like to read. I don't write devotionals because, generally, I don't enjoy reading devotionals. I do love to read stories filled with whimsy and wonder. So, that tends to be the kind of thing I write.
Lately, I've been taking stock ... going through old pieces of writing: some finished, some barely begun; some written many years ago, and some more recent; some that seem like dull non-starters, and some that still spark excitement.
I've been taking another look at the ones that stir up something in me. It might be the feeling that this could be a good piece of writing; like it could go somewhere. Or it might be that I still love the characters and want to find out what happens to them. Whatever the allure, I think it's worth pulling them out again and giving it another go. This could be the perfect time to find the right words to tell the story.
This happened to me last year when I was looking for something to submit to InScribe's Fall Contest. I went back through stories I'd written but that had never gone anywhere. And I found one that I still really liked. I worked on it a little more, polished it, and entered it. Lo and behold, it won first place in its category. I was so glad I'd taken the chance.
As a former InScribe Fall Contest Coordinator, I know the work that goes into offering this contest to InScribe's members. I know how dedicated and diligent the judges are; how much they want to make the writing of the entrants the best that it can be. Their detailed and conscientious critiques are worth more than any prize. Over my years of entering the contests, I've learned so much from them about how to develop my writing and make it even better.
There's still time left to enter this year's Fall Contest. The deadline is midnight, August 15. You might say you have nothing to enter, but I'm sure you've got some old unpublished pieces somewhere that just need a little tweaking. Why not give it a go?
Take stock.
Take another look.
Take a chance.
You might be glad you did.
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Joy writes from her home in lake country, Alberta, where she lives with the Cowboy, a couple of seniors, and a couple of pets. Find more of her joy-infused writing at Scraps of Joy.
