Winter Rose Final Judge Comments

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final judge’s comments from my 2nd place finish on the Winter Rose. She didn’t disappoint.

The first thing I’ll share is the last thing she wrote. She thought my heroine was well-developed. You have NO idea how much that pleased me. I love rich characters. My heroine is a work in progress and I’ve gotten to know her better since I submitted the entry to the Winter Rose Contest.

The other thing she said is that she liked the premise (YEAH), but didn’t think it was unique enough to stand out on the YA shelf amongst the other paranormals. That might sound like a huge downer, but I agree with her that as a paranormal it’s not going to stand out. That’s okay. I’m not writing it as a paranormal. I would never enter it in a paranormal category of a contest. I’d define it as a YA novel with a dose of mystery and a smidge of paranormal.

This is a story about transformation and growth. Kiera’s truthseeing ability is just a fun twist. She sees her familiar world in a new way and must deal with what she learns. I’m not trying to write a paranormal, I’m trying to write a great book with a catchy idea. As for the premise not being unique. I haven’t seen any other book like it.

As this pictures shows, sometimes what you see is all about your perspective.

Today's goal: 1000 words
Yesterday's achievement: 1200 words
What I'm grateful for: Feedback that tells me I'm on the right track
Quote: "Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats." -Howard Aiken (1900 - 1973)