It's All Right

I feel the dust is still settling after this years Pitchwars, and what a year it’s been. There were over one thousand entrants, and from them, 125 were picked to be mentored. It’s pretty exciting stuff, and while I wasn’t involved in Pitchwars in any way this year, working on Whiskey, Wine, and Writing meant that I was very aware of the mayhem going on behind the scenes.

Obviously, not everyone could be picked. So as the molecules drift to the ground, I have a couple of things I’d like to say, and hopefully I’ll cheer a few people up along the way.

It’s all right to feel like poopers. 

Seriously, it is. You got all excited and now that you didn’t get picked you’re feeling a bit meh. That’s perfectly fine. Meh away. It’s cool. I’m holding surgeries with cake and tissues, let me know if you want to attend.

It’s all right to growl at your manuscript. 

As a person that growls at people in the supermarket (yeah, I do that…quietly), I feel it’s okay to growl at paper or a computer file. You can be angry with it, and you can be angry with yourself, but ask yourself why. That’s your baby your growling at, so growl softly or under your breath (like I do at the supermarket) and then give it a cuddle and go back to work.

It’s all right to quit. 

Yep. It really is. As long as you’re only quitting for a couple of hours or maybe a few days. It really is okay to feel as though you don’t want to write anymore. I’m sure we’ve all felt that way at some point, but you have to have to have to move on. Unfortunatley you’re going to be rejected many, many times, but as my good friend Kathleen Palm says, every ‘No’ brings you closer to the only ‘yes’ you need.

It’s all right to drown in ice cream. 

Not literally though. You can eat the tub, or two…or three if it makes you feel a little better. Whatever your poison of choice is, just don’t do it for too long, your bottom will not thank you for it!

It’s all right to become a baking obsessed zombie. 

As long as you don’t eat any brains because yuk, and hello prison. What I’m saying, is that it’s okay to go and do other things that will distract you from your disappointment. It can really help. Maybe channel it productively. Got any DIY projects around the house you’ve been putting off? Go do them, just make sure you come back to your writing at some point soon.

So there’s the ‘all rights’ and I feel I should add that you will be all right too. Hopefully you’ll get some feedback so you can look at some areas that may need working on. Also, don’t forget to congratulate those that did get picked. They were on the very same emotional rollercoaster ride, regardless of the results.

Have faith in yourself and your writing, don’t lose that. That would not be all right.

@ELWicker