A number of years ago, I used to submit stories to the Writers of the Future contest--check the contest out, if you're able to submit to it. It's well worth it.
Unfortunately, I stopped submitting.
The reason: what if I won?
Now, this may seem like a stupid reason because of course one wants to win. But at the same time, there are a lot of perks that go along with being a finalist in the contest. The biggest is a week-long intensive workshop with a number of authors in the science fiction / fantasy genre, and the knowledge gained is priceless.
Unfortunately, given my wife's health, I stopped submitting. I cannot be away from her and our kids for a week--this would be in California and I live in Minnesota. For two weekends in November, I go deer hunting about an hour and a half away from our home. Even this is a feat, because I may have to return on a moment's notice--and I have, more than once.
At my full-time job, there is an industry experience program that allows 3-4 individuals to learn about various aspects of the electronics business. This goes for 7-8 weeks, with a full week at the end for travel. Again, I cannot do this but would love to experience other aspects of the industry.
I am fine with all this. Despite these obstacles, there are plenty of things I can do. I may not enter the WOTF contest, but I do continue to write on an almost daily basis. I also publish. And I support the contest by purchasing the books.
On a final note, I didn't write this for any sort of sympathy. I love my family and will do anything for them. They are the reason I write (and publish) in the first place.
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