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Question #1
What was it like to "get the call" about
finaling?
Answers
Tera -- "I
was so stunned I barely said anything. The woman who called,
clearly unnerved by my silence, asked
if I had somehow already known the results."
Paula -- I
have to confess--I didn't know what day the GH finalists
were going to be contacted.
I'd entered my one complete manuscript and forgot about
it, figuring my chances were slim. Imagine my shock when
I got the call at work, telling me I'd finaled, first
time out. (BTW, I don't have any expectations for
this year's entry, either.
But this time I do have the date circled on my calendar.
::g:: )
Lois --
My phone rang a little after 8 AM eastern time. Since I knew
the calls weren't supposed
to go out for a few hours, I didn't jump when the phone rang.
The caller ID said California, so I figured it was my sister-in-law. But
it wasn't. It was an early-rising RWA
board member! After I shrieked a few hundred 'omigods!',
she said, "It
gets better." Turns out
after years of not even making the top
quarter with any of my GH entries, I wound up double-finaling!
Leanne -- Well,
they had to hunt me down. I'd gone on vacation to Orlando, Florida.
Thankfully, I was checking work email, because my assistant sent
me an email saying someone was trying
to get in touch with me. So actually I had to call to, er,
get the call.
I got off the phone and screamed and jumped up and down. The
only problem was -- I had nobody to tell!
My husband was at the conference, and I
was miles and miles away from family and friends. For the next few
days, everytime I saw my husband (including when he came out
of the bathroom), I proudly told him: "I
finaled in the Golden Heart."
Corrina --
The morning the GH nominees were due to be announced I was
out of the house until the
afternoon. When no messages appeared on
my machine, I have to admit to disappointment as I'd been
very pleased with both my entries in 2004. I whined and bitched
and complained in email to some friends about
it all. Then I found out RWA was not leaving messages--they
wanted to reach each and every finalist
in person. Which led me to hit *69 on my telephone, just to see
if there was a number I didn't recognize listed. But after
a couple of hours, I sucked
it up, stopped thinking about it and started fixing dinner.
That's when I got the call and, by this time, I knew
exactly what it meant when the caller identified
herself as from RWA.
Shane/Shana --
I'd forgotten it was the date the finalists were notified,
but when I got home from
work there was a message on my anwering machine from RWA,
and I knew. I'd entered two historicals,
and I really wanted to know which one finaled. It was not the one I was expecting, the book that
finaled hadn't finaled in any contests before. It was a good
omen because I sold that book shortly after I finaled.
Julie (aka
In bed with a goat-legged sex god)'s chat:
biddy says:
when is the awful time? In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
now biddy says:
AGGGG In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
yup biddy says:
slap me for being clueless In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
just got home 5 mins ago In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
I won't get a call biddy says:
oh... why? In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
because I suck! Because I didn't final!! AGGGGH biddy says:
YOU DON'T SUCK!!!!!!! biddy says:
do I have to come over and kick Julie butt? In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
ah I suck, I didn't final biddy says:
they no nothing biddy says:
know biddy says:
sheesh I can't spell I suck In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
you don't suck In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
God I wish I didn't have any hopes and then I wouldn't be
caring biddy says:
pumpkin... some of the best never finaled at GH In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
damn damn damn biddy says:
now is it definite that you didn't final??? In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
no biddy says:
*gives Julie stern look* In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
I only got home 10 mins ago In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
and they don't leave messages biddy says:
*drums fingers* In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
my 1471 was a call at 4, from a number I don't recognise,
but not an international one biddy says:
tehy probably stumped by international dial codes In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
they probably are not calling biddy says:
either way you get to drink loads In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
yes, I feel like starting now biddy says:
hmmm but then you'll be too drunk when they do call and you'll
forget ;-) In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
AGH I HATE THIS biddy says:
I am biting my nails for you
***here follows much edited conversation about other things
and a long pause following*** In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
I FINALLED!!!!! biddy says:
YES!!!!!!! biddy says:
I thought that might be why you were quiet In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
holy shit biddy says:
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO biddy says:
I am saving the beginning of this conversation to remind
you to HAVE FAITH!!!! In bed with a goat-legged sex god says:
holy shit holy shit holy shit
