Five Magic Spindles

The day many have been waiting for with baited breath is finally here, and Rooglewood Press has announced the winners of the Five Magic Spindles contest! They also graciously listed the five runners-up in the contest, which is very cool.To the winners: a hearty congratulations! Bask in this moment, wrap it around yourself like a warm blanket and enjoy your victory! But when you're done, bolster your courage. You are about to embark upon one of the most amazing, whirlwind writing journeys of your life. You will definitely learn more about writing in the next three months than you thought possible. You have won not only a coveted spot in this collection of fairy tales, but also the amazing privilege of working with a great team of editors who truly want what is best for your story.Remember that. They do want what is best for your story. They LOVE your story, that is why they chose it. But that doesn't mean you don't have some work left to do. And as you read through the editing notes you are soon to receive, you may find yourself struggling with quite a few doubts and wondering what in the world possessed them to choose your story anyway, if so much is apparently wrong with it! You will probably experience all of the stages of receiving editor's notes that I wrote about last year (you can find them here P. O. U. T.) but stick with it. Emerging through that last stage is worth everything! And you will be amazed at how much better and tighter and beautiful and brilliant your story is once you get there! You have a journey ahead of you, and some of it will be over rough terrain... but the end of that journey is more than worth it.To the runners-up: All my congratulations and well-wishes! You wrote stories worthy of recognition and that is something, indeed! Though you may be struggling with feelings of disappointment today, remember that your stories were too good to let them slip past without mention. Take them, edit them, polish them, and release them to a world of readers hungry for your words.To the ones whose names were not on the lists: I've been there, too. And I know that your spirits are low this morning. I wish I could give you all hugs. But you have accomplished something amazing and beautiful. You have FINISHED a story! That is an amazing accomplishment in and of itself. Take a moment to accept my hearty congratulations! You have done something many people will never do. For one reason or another, your story has not been chosen, and that hurts - I know. But do not walk away from this experience disheartened and discouraged. Your story was not right for this collection, but that doesn't mean you're a bad writer or that your story was horrible... knowing that it's a rough or second draft, it probably does need a lot of work and polish... but even the winners' stories need that! So congratulations to you, as well - do not be afraid to put in the work to get your stories edited and polished so that you, too, can release them to a world of readers ready to be enchanted by them.