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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

Finding a Contest or Two (or Eight)

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You know what I love about contests? I like knowing something definite.

When that something is a win, Wheee! But even when my writing doesn’t place at all, at least I can check the website a month or two later to find all the winning details.

Submitting to children’s markets can be so frustrating! You write a splendiferous story or article, send it off with a painstakingly crafted cover letter, and then sit around, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Not that all markets are like thDSC00455at. Some are swell about rejecting you immediately. But others will let your fine work just sit like this poor turtle, looking for a home. (I found him , or possibly her, in the backyard, and my maternal instincts kicked in when I saw Sally dog sniffing around.Miss Turtle, or Mr., eventually found the way back to the river.)

So, back to the contest at hand, which happens to be sponsored by the White County Creative Writers. There are quite a few contests you can enter, at a very reasonable price, I might add. But the one I’m most interested in is the Children’s Story category: 1500 words, writer specifies the age group. And it’s not published, so you can still submit the story to a market. And wait.

But you won’t be waiting long to hear the results of this annual contest. They’re announced at the Writer’s Conference (you don’t have to attend) on September 5th. If you happen to be in Arkansas, you may want to drop in. And hey, am I the only one out there who has to stop and think whether AR is Arkansas or Arizona?

Anyway, check out further details at the group’s website, and get that story mailed by July 24th! Oh, and thanks to my writing bud, Donna at Donna’s Book Pub for passing this gem along. Check out her blog here for other writing opportunities!

Computer, Sweet Computer

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I took Cathy-on-a-Stick on a little vacation, and hilarity ensued. But all play and no work makes Cathy C. Hall a dull girl. So, I checked my email here and there, just to keep up with business.

I used my dad’s computer, and Mr. C. is quite generous when it comes to computer usage. But his computer is set to his specifications, and he has a different server, and oh, all sorts of stuff is different on his computer.

I try to work. I really do. But it’s just not the same as my sweet computer. On my computer, the scathingly brilliant words seem to just flow from my fingertips. But on Dad’s computer, or any other computer for that matter, the scathingly brilliant words dry up to a tiny drip, drip, drip.

So, I’m blaming my lack of scathingly brilliant words last week on CLD (Computer Location Dysfunction). Or is it just me?