I just got an Ontario Arts Council Works-in-Progress grant for my current project! I’m happily screaming “yahoo” and seriously disturbing the neighbours. This particular novel has given me angst for a few years now, so it’s wonderful that the jurors liked it. Maybe I CAN finish this project.
I’ve tried for grants before with this novel but haven’t been successful. Rewriting and persistence are so important.
I remember once, when I was an unpublished writer, I sent an impulsive email to an author I admire – Karleen Bradford. I was looking at her website because she had useful information for emerging writers. I was feeling discouraged at the time, and I asked her for advice on how to get motivated to continue writing after a rejection letter from a publisher. I never really expected an answer, but I got one quickly. Karleen wrote something like, “A writer’s greatest talent is sheer pig-headed stubbornness.” Her words helped me pick up the pencil and return to my story once again. Thanks, Karleen. I’ve found those words to be true over and over again.