Sunday 21 October 2012

What's luck got to do with it?


 
The other day, I discovered I hadn't even been shortlisted in a novel writing competition I'd hoped to win. But, I shouldn't have been surprised.

This isn't the real lilac pen. I'm too superstitious to take a picture of it.


You see, when I recorded my entry in my diary, I didn't write it in my lucky lilac pen.

Let me tell you a little bit about my pen.

Every time I've written things down using that pen I've been lucky.

Lucky strike.1 - A publisher asks to see more of one of my novels.

Lucky strike.2 - Two days after sending my revenge novella Hell To Pay to Sassy Books, I sign a contract. The book will be out in 2013.

Lucky strike.3 - I noted the details of an idea for an article I sent to an editor. I got the commission.

Writers and their superstitions, eh?

I know I'm not the only one who's very superstitious when it comes to my writing. I have a friend who writes in longhand. Whenever he makes a mistake he scrunches up the paper and throws it in the bin then starts again.

Extreme? Maybe. But, we all have our ways.

Now, where's that lucky pen?

5 comments:

  1. I can spend five minutes wondering if a coloured paper clip will be luckier than a plain one! I also think that certain post boxes are luckier for me, and try to post from those if I can. But then of course that post box falls right out of favour if I get a rejection. Let's face it, in this highly competitive world, anything you can do to give your work that teeniest extra chance is worth it, isn't it? Bring out the lilac pen!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Joanne, I'm the same:) Just don't know what I'll do when that pen runs dry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Joanne, I have lucky post boxes too! Writers are an odd bunch, aren't we?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have lucky pens too. They're precious so I keep them in a "safe" place. That means I can never find them! Good post, Jen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous-9, I don't know what I'll do when the ink runs dry:)

    ReplyDelete

Most read