One hit wonder?

goodsuspect

I know there are a lot of experienced writers on here so I just wanted to know how easy you found it to replicate your initial success? This year I managed to win a competition which gave me so much confidence and I've probably been more productive than I have in a long time but I haven't been able to get anywhere. How do you cope with the frustration?

heather

Firstly, you have to accept that it is part of the package. There is going to be a lot of waiting, a lot of disappointment and rejection, a lot of wondering if the last success was your last one ever. This is the same for just about everybody. It was a year between my first story sale and my second, and another year until my third.
Remember that you only see other people's successes, not their failures. It is still not unusual for me to have double-figure 'failures' between the successes.

Secondly, do exactly what you're doing. Keep writing, keep learning, keep sending stuff out. Get feedback where you can, get better where you can. The more you write and the better you write the better the chances of success.

Thirdly, remember that any judgement is just one person's opinion. Don't assume that because a story didn't get anywhere in one comp it won't do better somewhere else. Have another look at it, send it out again.

Mainly, try to enjoy the process and expect nothing. Then any successes will be all the more enjoyable. (I can't quite manage this last one yet - but I wish I could!)

Phots Moll

Good points from Heather.

Many competitions have hundreds of entries so there will be far more people disappointed about the results than delighted with them.

boredrobots

I'm still waiting for my initial success Then I'll let you know.

Tiny Nell

heather has summed it up perfectly. The successes are few and far between. The odd 'fix' keeps you hungry for the next, but you have to be patient as it can be a loooong wait between them! There aren't many writers who 'win' on a regular basis. Rather than judge your success by competition placings, you could aim for publication instead. There are many magazines (and online sites) which publish short stories/poetry. That's not to say that it's an easy option; it's just another avenue.

You could keep the pot boiling by submitting morning, noon and night, then there's always Result Day to look forward to - be prepared for setback upon setback, though... You could, however, look upon the submission process as practice exercises which will help you to improve your craft.

I just think of writing as a lifelong hobby. It's what I do, and while it's lovely to have your work acknowledged, you have to remind yourself that it can't be an expectation... unless, of course, you join a writing group and sup on the feedback offered there.

Mrs Bear

Well done on your win, gs!
Everything heather said. Plus, never give up. Writers write - it's what you do and who you are, so keep at it. No work is ever wasted if it helps to hone your craft. Look over some of your older work from time to time and see if you could have edited it better, perhaps picking up on typos you missed or phrases that could have been reworded if you hadn't been caught up in the excitement of sending it off. We all suffer from that. You may also find something that's worth re-working in another format, or that could be just the thing for another comp. There may be gold in them there files!

goodsuspect

Thanks for all your advice, it's comforting that other people have been in the same boat :-)

Carol

Look upon Talkback as a liner amid a sea of competition opportunities and publishers...

Phots Moll

Does this liner have a massive library with a cocktail bar in it?

Carol

Well we might have to get the alcohol flown in, but the library is guaranteed.

Phots Moll

We could probably fill one between us anyway.

Claudia

You might also want to consider other types of writing than fiction, goodsuspect. I have published more non-fiction articles than stories... just a thought.