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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.

What Not to Do Wednesday: Contest Feelings…Oh, Feelings

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Oh, little grasshopper, I am so annoyed. Extremely annoyed. Maniacally annoyed. Okay, that’s a little extreme. But I am seriously, definitely feeling ticked off.

When I considered a certain contest a few months ago, I had one of those feelings. A not good, I-can-feel-it-in-my-gut feeling. But I pushed that feeling down, sat on it, in fact, and paid my five bucks. And now I’m feeling used, bruised, and stupid.

I did not follow one of Cathy C. Hall’s rules for contests: wait a bit before entering. Maybe that first time around contest is legitimate, especially if it’s associated with a website that’s constantly updated and/or is associated with a reputable name. But a website that’s all about a contest-only can be a money-making mill for a savvy web designer. And do you, little grasshopper, have any recourse if a website takes your hard-earned Fortune and runs?

Er, no. So wait a bit if you come across a contest website that has a “dicey feel”. Give the contest time to establish its credentials. Then, if you pay your five bucks and lose it, all you’ll feel is rejected. Which is way better than feeling stupid. Trust me.

Finding Something Friday…Fruit?

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Here’s a Finding Something Friday mystery for you: What does this lovely basket of fruit have to do with Cathy C. Hall?

And please don’t say that I’m a melonhead. Instead, sit back and I’ll explain how these delicious melons, grapes and strawberries connect to the Road to Publication (and Cathy C. Hall).

Think of these fruits as your wonderful pieces of writing…essays, short stories, poems. Perhaps you’ve placed these documents in a safe place, like a file on your computer. Maybe you’ve made a hard copy, too. Or zapped them onto a flash card. The point is, you’ve saved them and you think they’re safe.

But wait! Here comes a tornado! (Or some other natural disaster; I’m not that picky) Are you going to scramble around, looking for your flashcard? Laptop? The plastic crate filled to the top with your notes and manuscript? I don’t think so. My guess is that you will run for your life and lament your lost words later.

Unless you’ve already set up another email account and sent copies of all your files to said account which you use primarily as storage. Then you could access every single word you’d ever written. All those wonderful strawberries, melons and grapes will be just as fresh as ever and waiting for you.

I found that little storage tidbit in this month’s Writer’s Digest. And I found the basket of fruit in my kitchen today. It was delivered to yours truly and Mr. Hall for our anniversary.

Granted, it was a bit of a stretch connecting that basket of fruit to my tip for the day. But hey, us melonheads are smarter than we look!