Being A Golden Heart Finalist

Soon it will be that nail-biting time when people wait to find out if they are a finalist in the Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart contest for unpublished writers. I know exactly what that is like, since I was a Golden Heart finalist, many years ago.

I had entered a couple of times previously with one manuscript, but I decided to try again with a different story. I polished the manuscript, and tweaked the synopsis to get it down to the correct number of pages. I mailed it on the last day possible, spending a small fortune getting it overnighted.

I remember feeling SO excited as I left the post office. I just knew this was the one. I had a crazy giddy feeling that wasn't mere hopefulness. I have no idea why I felt that way, but I did.

I also worried that I hadn't properly sealed the box, and that everything was going to fall out before it reached its destination. But that's how I roll. I can't feel elated for too long before I start worrying about something over which I have absolutely no control.

Fast forward a few months later. . .

I was vacationing in New Orleans, with a beau I was newly in love with. This was back in the day when cell phones weren't commonplace, and there definitely wasn't internet in the hotel room. We were taking our time getting ready to leave for the day, because honestly, nobody rushes in New Orleans. It's not that kind of place. The phone rang, and it was my secretary from work. She was also a friend, one of the few people who knew I'd entered the contest, so when she told me that so-and-so was trying to reach me. . . we both knew instantly what that meant.  

I'd mentally practiced what I thought I'd do in this situation, but I discovered it's surreal to have your fantasy interact with your reality. I remember feeling numb, like I was waiting for my brain to tell my body how to react. The best it could come up with was making my hands shake, and then making it nearly impossible to speak coherently.

Afterwards, we went out to celebrate the awesome news. What better place for revelry than New Orleans? Twelve hours and many alcoholic beverages later, the giddiness had not subsided. I can only hope my celebratory dance moves were as cool as I thought they were at the time.

Later, reality collided with fantasy again. I had hoped that being a Golden Heart finalist would end the same way for me as it did for many others--with a publishing contract--but it didn't. And then the category I had finaled in, Traditional Regency, kind of disappeared a couple years later, along with the market for those particular books, even though the popularity of Jane Austen movies was at its highest.

Since things didn't turn out like I hoped, I think I started viewing it as a fluke, or myself as a failure. I quit writing for many years after that, although the writing bug didn't go away. It just stayed dormant while I concentrated on other creative pursuits. Being a Golden Heart finalist didn't really seem to matter anymore. Even worse, mentioning it after so much time had passed. . . wouldn't it seem like I was clinging to a faded moment of glory?

A few years later, I attended a writing conference that encompassed all kinds of genres, not just romance. While I was at lunch with other attendees, we talked a little bit about our writing. I said I wrote romance, and for some reason I added that I had been a Golden Heart finalist. The woman next to me said, "I don't know much about romance, but I have heard of that. Good for you!"

And I realized I should celebrate that particular achievement. It is a milestone, and like other milestones, it doesn't have to have a certain outcome for it to be valid. In fact, that's one reason it was so important to me at the time: it validated me as a writer. When you're starting out, validation is important. Heck, it's vital no matter what stage you're at. But it's very important in the beginning, when you need proof that you won't always have "wannabe" on your writing resumé.

So I applaud everyone who enters the contest, whether you are a finalist or not, whether you win or not. You may get discouraged by the outcome, or you may find the route to publishing lined with even more gold. 

Whatever happens, I hope you celebrate.

Celebrate your unending desire to turn words into stories. Celebrate the stubbornness that keeps you moving forward, even when it feels like everything is pushing you back the other direction. Celebrate wrangling those unruly characters into place, especially when you'd rather do something easier, like brain surgery.

Celebrate all the victories, big and small, every chance you get. Even if it's just a momentary smile of satisfaction before you dive back into the WIP.  

Comments

[Mae Clair]

That was a lovely post, Donna! Congrats to you on that achievement, however many years ago it may have been. It IS a milestone for your writing successes.

I've never entered the Golden Heart. Even though I write mainly romance, I have never been involved with RWA, shameful on my part. I really need to connect and learn more about the opportunities that are out there. In the meantime, I send my well wishes along with yours to everyone who is entering. Thanks for such a beautiful post!

[Donna Cummings]

Thanks, Mae. I'm learning how much we need to celebrate our successes, since there are many days when it doesn't feel like we have anything to be festive about. LOL I don't belong to RWA anymore, but I gained a lot from it when I did, and I definitely benefit from all of the online writing friends and information/support available out there nowadays. :)

[Melissa]

Love this! Thank you very much for sharing. :) I think I've done the same thing a time or two. No, not final in the Golden Heart, but stop doing something (writing) after a certain level of early success. There is such a huge expectation of more milestones down the road, and the next one must be right around the corner. But you're right, the next milestone doesn't diminish the earlier ones, even if it can feel like missing it meant the last one I passed must have been the end of the road. But that's just silly. The road couldn't have disappeared if I'm still on it, right?

Thanks for giving me a new perspective when I give that next milestone too much power. :)

[Donna Cummings]

Melissa, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think our expectations can get the better of us sometimes, especially when we compare our journey to somebody else's. And I laughed at "the road couldn't have disappeared if I'm still on it" -- yes, exactly. I have to keep that in mind, and this phrase will help me do just that. :)