IWSG Wednesday

IWSG GROUP

Please thank our awesome co-hosts for this month, Stephen Tremp, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Tyrean Martinson
Co-hosts are wonderful beings who enjoy helping make this blog "hop" a success, so make sure you visit and thank them for all that they do, as well as our Ninja Captain, Alex himself...





For this month’s IWSG post, I have some introspection I’d like share. What does it mean to win an award? How many writing awards are out there and is there a list of those who “count/matter” and those who don’t?

I don’t know. I just know what it feels like to (finally!) win one! A Royal Palm Literary Award, first place in mystery, from the Florida Writers Association's annual competition. To win a contest where no one who knows me is amazing. That my work was judged by no one who has anything to gain by liking what I wrote, that's a wow. I love this feeling about winning an award.

On the other hand, I made the mistake, perhaps, of reading the rubrics (I should have waited until I wasn’t working on the current WIP) from the judges who commented on the other novel I entered that did not win. Depressing. Not because they were mean. Contrarily, they were professional about what they said and I could see truth in some of the comments, which made me feel terrible.

However, “it’s too late to turn back now.” What I learned from this is that I may not be able to go back and change what is already out there, but I can learn from what I did and did not do and make this next novel that much better. I’ve decided to take that route and get over my pity party, as soon as I can, which probably won’t be for another few days. I know myself. I need to grieve and dwell. Then I can move on.

How do you handle criticism, no matter how “constructive?”

Flowers and Evangeline's Miracle

Okay I said I was taking a break from blogging, but honestly, I've never won an award for flower arranging, having never done it before, so I have to post about it! I'm a member of a local garden club here in south Georgia. We have a big "plantation" style historical house in our town that is unique in that it is formed in the shape of a half circle. Therefore it is named "The Crescent" and we hold a flower show here every year. This year the name of the show was "A Day to Remember" and the themes were based on "Days" throughout the year where we celebrate something; Gardening Day, Book Lover's Day, Mother's Day, etc. You get the idea. My club asked me to enter something into the flower arrangement part of the show. I have never done this but was assured I would have help.
Well, not so much, but I read a lot about it (yes I love books) and asked questions and made my arrangement based on the idea of flowers springing out of a book, while doing the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. I did it, and I won!! I still can't believe it. I got First Place in my category, Pedestals and my section, Book Lover's Day. Go Me! My club is very happy with me right now!
Yes, I chose Evangeline's Miracle as my book. Here is what I put on the card explaining my arrangement and what EM is about:

Evangeline's Miracle Arrangement and me.

Evangeline’s Miracle

Book Lover’s Day

Floral Elements:

Lilies, Tulips, Ivy and Moss

Evangeline didn’t know she was waiting for a miracle, until one found her.

In Evangeline’s story flowers bring the past

and present together to help heal ancient wounds.

With my "Tri-Color" First Place Ribbon!

Images from:

www.georgiaencyclopedia.org

vanishingsouthgeorgia.com