Last week, Readers’ Favorite announced the winners for this year’s contest. I had high hopes for The Girl Who Broke the Dark. To me, it’s the best novel I’ve written, even better than Flight of the Spark which won a silver medal a few years ago.
So I wasn’t sure how I felt when I learned The Girl Who Broke the Dark was a finalist. Not a medalist, not even honorable mention. A finalist. Part of me says “Celebrate the win!” Part of me wonders why it didn’t do better. I tried so hard to write a compelling, entertaining story. And it feels like I came up short.
It’s a good thing I don’t define myself by book awards. And as a writer, I know that failures (or what feels like failure) are the best ways to learn and grow. So I’ve taken what I’ve learned from this and am pumping it into my current work in progress. And can already see ways to make it more exciting and immersive.
But enough of that. Time to get back to writing.