A Glorious Mess

Eighteen months ago, I started this blog because I wanted to be a writer, and writers write. So much has happened since then!

I’ve had some of my writing accepted for anthologies and collections, told a story without notes at the Joondalup Festival, read a preapproved poem at an Open Mic, attended writing workshops, enrolled in courses, entered a few competitions for poetry and prose, and worked my way through the frustrating process of setting up an Instagram account and business Facebook page. I even created themed business cards using a hand drawn daisy as a symbol. Daisies are what I doodle when I’m taking notes, and black and yellow are the West Australian state colours.

On the back of my card are the four titles of books where people can find some of my work: 50 Give or Take 2022 & 2023 (and 2024 when it’s released), The Voice in the Paint, and Brush Tales Silent Stories. I felt very audacious (as in impudent) and impostery walking into a print shop with the card I’d designed as if this was something I did regularly.

I still giggle to myself each time I whip out one of those cards to invite someone to look up my work or follow me as if I’m someone of note. I keep waiting for someone to call me out as a wannabe for daring to promote myself as a writer.

But on Monday, I did something even more audacious (as in bold). I dared to apply for the Writing WA Emerging Writers program. If I get selected, I will be awarded a year’s worth of mentoring and workshops designed to help me have my book ready to send to publishers by August next year.

Like most things I’ve entered, I don’t expect to get anywhere. I’m sure there are many deserving writers out there who have applied for and would benefit from inclusion in the program, but the facilitators can only choose 20 people. The odds are low that I’ll be one of them. But my chances would be even lower if I hadn’t applied.

The application process was intense. I had to compose author bios and statements of intent and promote myself and the book I’m writing, as well as submit a completed chapter of my draft. And in doing all those things, even if I get nowhere, I’ve already won a major prize – that of showing I believe in myself as a writer.

Plenty of people have told me over the years that I’m a good writer. I know that I’m good at writing. But to openly declare myself as a writer who intends to pitch books to publishers, and invite them to also believe in me, well, that’s all a bit next level. And scary. And exactly what I’m doing anyway.

I will have a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ by the end of June. If it’s yes, I will be delighted. If it’s no, nothing will change. I will simply slog on towards my goal, seeking help from wherever I can source it.  

Let’s see where another 18 months finds me!