My muse has finally made it back from Europe, and she seems to have brought my brain with her.

(Wonder what buying levitra online trouble they got into after I left.) Of course the fickle muse now is tantalizing me with new ideas instead of the projects I need to complete. I learned a lot in Europe especially about how to deal with rejection and setbacks in writing and in life.

The Balkans is an area with a very rich history. It’s been ruled by almost every conqueror in the history of the world. Area names change along with the rulers. They can’t build a parking lot without uncovering a Roman ruin and launching an archaeological project that must be completed first.

They built walls around their cities and even across their mountains. Still the invaders arrived. Earthquakes leveled the area on a regular basis.

These resilient people rebuilt, adapted to the changes and continued on with their lives. They are an amazingly friendly and resourceful folks.

Roofs Cheap Levitra of most of the building in Dubrovnik’s  old town were destroyed in the shelling of 1991. Now most are rebuilt and look much cleaner and fresher than the originals.

The persistence and resilience of these people teach lessons that can be applied to your writing career. Like these cities, as a writer, you experience triumph and defeat. Like these people, you need to celebrate your victories and regroup after defeats.

When you receive a rejection letter,

• take time to honor your emotions
• re-read the letter
• determine if any of the comments resonate with you
• are any of the comments things you’ve heard before
• make any revisions you like
• resubmit

When your publisher folds, your editor quits, or something else happens to sidetrack your career,

• honor your emotions
• consider your options
• take the next step forward

Don’t let rejection and setbacks block you from your writing goals. The only way you can lose is to quit trying.

Write on,

Lynn Jordan

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Even though there are great writing contests happening year-round, we are getting ready for the most prestigious contest for Romance Writers — RWA’s Golden Heart Generic Viagra Online Pharmacy Contest. The Golden Heart is the award for Romance soft tabs viagra Writers of America’s unpublished writer’s contest. To enter you must

• Be a member of RWA
• Have written a complete manuscript
• Not have work published by an RWA recognized publisher

Recognized publishers and requirements vary from year to year. The 2010 rules and deadlines haven’t been published yet. Check the Golden Heart Contest page on RWA’s website to get the latest information.

These details remain the same from year to year.

• Entries usually run around 55 pages including a synopsis.
• This contest provides no feedback, only a numeric 1–10 score.
• It’s designed to be for writers who are ready to publish.
• The final round judges are editors and agents.
• The awards are presented at the national RWA conference at the Awards Ceremony.
• Categories may vary, but currently there buy levitra on line are 10 categories covering everything from Young Adult to Novels with Strong Romantic Elements.

The Golden Heart is a good way to get your work in front of publishers who accept manuscripts only from agents. It’s a very prestigious award. You get to wear a finalist ribbon at the conference.

A good warm-up contest to prepare your manuscript is  the Rose City Romance Writer’s Golden Rose Contest. It has the same page count requirement, but provides plenty of feedback from the judges. Also, your book doesn’t have to be complete. The deadline for entry into the Golden Rose has been extended until August 8.

I will be judging in that one as I do every year. Judging in these and other contests is a great 40 mg nexium way to improve your own writing skills. It’s much easier to see problems in someone else’s work. Also, you get to read some great manuscripts. I have a long list of entries that I can’t wait to see in print.

I hope to add your work to my to-be-read list.

Write on,

Lynn