{"id":4092,"date":"2012-04-26T14:01:37","date_gmt":"2012-04-26T03:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zenashapter.com\/blog\/?p=4092"},"modified":"2013-11-22T09:41:56","modified_gmt":"2013-11-21T22:41:56","slug":"validation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenashapter.com\/blog\/validation\/","title":{"rendered":"Validation!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, there are congratulations all round.<\/p>\n

CONGRATULATIONS… me!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I sold another short story today \u2013 yay! It’s my first international sale (details to follow soon), so… watch out world! (he he)<\/p>\n

CONGRATULATIONS… Ditmar nominees!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A lot of my author mates got nominated today… for Ditmar Awards. Ditmar Awards have been awarded annually since 1969 to recognise achievement in Australian speculative fiction and speculative fiction fandom. I’m so proud to see so many of the friends I made at Conflux 7<\/a> last year on the list, which is set out below.<\/p>\n

Writers can waste way too much of their writing lives in turmoil. As I said to one of my publisher-mates earlier this week, we often work ourselves up into what I can only describe as an ‘anxious mess’. Sometimes I swear it borders on paranoia! In only a matter of minutes we can go through what I will now dub as ‘The Fear Cycle’:<\/p>\n

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The fear that sneaks in.<\/p><\/div>\n

There is so much to fear about writing, awards like the Ditmars are imperative in reassuring writers that they really are very good at what they do! Even so, I’m convinced that even well-established authors experience writing fear, in one form or another.<\/p>\n

Throughout May, the writers on Write Anything<\/em><\/a> will be asking themselves what is their greatest fear as a writer. It was a difficult question for me to face \u2013 you’ll find out why on Tuesday 29 May when my post goes live. But in the meantime, I thought I’d conduct a little survey among us writers. What is your greatest fear as a writer? Go to my Facebook page<\/a> to vote in the poll and I’ll collate the results in my next blog.<\/p>\n

After you’ve voted, or before, join me in celebration at the joy and relief that validation such as the Ditmars (and story sales!) brings to writers by looking over this great list of writers and perhaps adding some extra titles to your to-read list:<\/p>\n

\u20132012 Ditmar Nominations\u2013<\/h3>\n

Best Novel<\/p>\n