Yay! My futuristic won the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon contest for unpublished manuscripts! I was very excited to get the judges’ comments, particularly from the final round judge, Meghan Conrad from Cerridwen Press/Ellora’s Cave. Bad Girl has been seen by agents but never by an editor, so waiting to see what she had to say was nerve wracking. But her comments were positive and shed some light on where I could make the story better. And that’s really what we’re looking for when we enter contests–advice that makes our stories better.

Congrats to fellow FF&P category finalists Eden Glenn with her story, Dragon’s Mark, and Mary Karlik with her Izzy’s Tale, as well as to all the Beacon contestants and finalists. Thanks to the first round judges who have a lot of entries to read (this contest was for up to 30 pages! 30!), and it’s not an easy task. They did a great job explaining what worked and what didn’t in my story. More thanks to Ms. Conrad for her comments and suggestions, and for taking the time to explain things as well. And thanks to the First Coast Chapter and its contest coordinator Maria Connor. Contests are part of a chapter’s bread and butter. Fees let them continue the work of helping writers of all levels navigate the world we’ve decided to occupy. Plus, you get read by people who understand you. How cool is that? And coordinating a contest requires more patience and organization I’ll ever possess. My hat is off to you, Maria.

Finally, a big thanks to my friends and crit partners, Sharron and Jody. Your comments on the early manuscript helped form Bad Girl, for better or worse : ) Thanks!