It’s said: find a penny pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.Well…my short story A Penny For Your Thoughts has won a place (out of 59 entries) in the RWA 2010 short story anthology – Little Gems – Topaz Edition (and I sooooo wanted to be bound between those beautiful covers, especially designed by Helen Katsinis.
And threre’s a short story about this short story.
After submitting five different short stories over the last couple of years – stories that I’d slaved over, re-writing dozens of times – it’s amazing that the winning story was an 11th hour idea.
I already had my entries organised. Then, just days before the Little Gems contest was due to close, I was out walking my dogs when I came up with the concept (yes, it was going to be a lost dog story at first, but changed when I couldn’t find a girl’s name that went with dog!)
So it became a story about a lost penny instead
Because I have a really short memory, I had to cut the walk short, dragging panting and confused dogs back by their leads at a zillion paces a second so I could pound it out on the keyboard while still fresh in my mind. That night I sent it off for a final check with my grammar gurus – Bootcamper Shayne and super CP, Rae (kia ora, Rae). (Gotta be a message in there about not stressing over the little stuiuff – just write!)
Anyway, what I call my ‘awe. that’s kinda cute’ story (and I actually didn’t think I did cute well) has me feeling very lucky to be in such great company with other placegetters.
Jennifer Kay
Dorothy Martin
Shona HuskCath Ryan
Lilian Begelhole
Helen Ellis
Cara Gabriel
Fiona Gregory
Alicia Hope
Sandra Linklater
Maggie Mundy
Shayne Sands
Bronwyn Stuart
My thanks to the generous group of people who coordinate and judge these awards. A huge task with fifty-nine entries this year. For more info see the RWA blog. I’ll post a short extract next week
WooHoo Jenn. Next time the must leaves the building, maybe you should get your dogs to help track it down 😉
Jenn,
Thanks for the mention! I feel like a star.
I used Helen's cover for my blog, too.
Congrats again. You are really on a roll.
Shayne
YAY Jenn, WOOHOO, you are riding a fantastic tide in the contest world at the moment.
Congratulations, I know how much time you put into your writing and this is so well deserved.
Sandie
Jenn, so happy for you. The cover is stunning and I am so excited to be joining you in the Anthology.
This is so cool Jenn. Congratulations!! Can't wait to type your name onto the back cover! 🙂
Helen (aka Eleni)
What a slack sister I am! Jenn, I knew it was only a matter of time before you received some serious recognition. I'm so sorry I've not had a chance to catch up with your blog until now. Actually Mum mentioned your win to me today and I thought … oops … I should catch up with your blog. Great news! Lots of love from "slack sis Kris". PS As you know, moving home last week is at least a passable excuse. I even managed to find my list of passwords etc (for the Google a/c details to input here)in one of the dozens of piles of stuff still not sorted through!
Congratulations, Jenn. That's wonderful news. I helped judge that contest and I can tell you competition was VERY stiff.
Hi, Jenn, I can't wait to read your story in the Little Gems Topaz anthology (and all the others that made the cut, too).
I remember doing the same as you one year. I wrote a story in the last few days before the due date and submitted it. Amazing what we can do under pressure, eh? 🙂