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!

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

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

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  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

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

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