The Tassy Walden New Voices in Children’s Literature Awards ceremony is a stellar event. I mean it, this hard-earned recognition for a writer is a moment when the clouds clear and the stars shine and shimmer not on everyone, or that one, but on you.

I was a finalist, and after a friend suggested I try again, I won for a middle grade novel. This is the process of writing — write, edit, revise, submit, hold your breath, and, likely, edit, revise, write, and submit again. Do this while trying like the dickens to not give up before you get there.

Alice Bauer (of WUOA) gave a heartfelt and encouraging speech about the disappointment of being “only” a finalist some years ago. Now her third novel is shaping up for publication. That just goes to show you that the judges that year had foresight and Alice gets the prize for keeping on keeping on.

So often we work alone and in a tunnel of confusion. We write alone. We edit alone. We sit for hours with words all scrambled when we thought we ordered sunny side up. Before breakfast and during breakfast. At lunch with pencil in hand. And we sup more often than dine. No hairdo required, no fingernail polish pizzaz recommended for this vocation. Most writers do not have many opportunities to dress up their Writer within.

I say the ultimate glitter from an event like the Tassies, is to take your tender Writer out for an evening and shine. Yes, even for a work in progress (self or story), clean up the Text, follow the Rules, submit that manuscript, and submit it again. Then, at least once a year, polish up your Dreamer and come inhale stardust from the talks, the friends, and the Promise that if can just keep on going, you might get there.

Tags: Bauer on writing Stanley Urbain

Posted by sanna on Sunday, May 23rd, 2010 at 9:59 pm under Events, Writing and tagged: Bauer, on writing, Stanley, Urbain. Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Comment, or trackback.