Sarah on winning the Mslexia short story competition
"When the phone rang I thought it was somebody coming to book club who was lost, or someone trying to sell me something… When Daneet introduced herself and said she was calling from Mslexia, I couldn't believe it! I thought maybe, just maybe, I won Third Prize. I was shocked when she said I'd won First Prize in the Short Story Competition, and that it was £2,000. (The most I've ever gotten paid for one piece of writing is $225.) I thought, ‘How am I going to keep this secret for an entire month?!?’
When I hung up the phone, I told my husband, who replied, ‘Are you sure it wasn't a prank call?’ What a faithless man?!! (He's generally very supportive.)
I don't usually enter contests – I've entered about ten in my life. They always seem to me like playing Lotto, which I don't do. But I guess it happens that sometimes you win! It's such a thrill – thank you, Mslexia!
(I've been told that writers should ration exclamation points, and use at most seven a year. But I can't help but exceed my ration in writing about the sheer excitement of this news!!!)" |