Last week the shortlist for The Word Guild writing awards was posted.  Having submitted my book published last year, I was both excited and nervous about reading the list. I watched for familiar names and people I knew; there were many.

As I read the headings and titles more closely, I remembered entries in other years and the pain of not placing. Is the pain larger with a book? I don’t know.

There was the category of Books:Life Stories, the one I had entered. I paused, holding my breath… My book title and name were there, listed alphabetically by author’s last name. For that moment I focused on one thought, My book is on that list, and let it sink in. Then I called a friend to tell her the exciting news.

For much of that day, between sending and receiving messages of congratulations, I got little else done. My husband was fortunate to get supper that evening, with dessert added. The dessert in celebration, I suppose.

Excitement mixed with humility. It’s not just about those named on the list; it’s also about the steps along the way, the small publication credits, the rejections that make us step back and assess things, as well as the people who helped us get there.  The journey continues, for I’m still learning. I suppose we all are.

For me, it’s been fellow writers, critique members, certain editors who guided my first writing efforts toward publication, and friends and family members who have cheered me on. It’s been about workshops and conferences where I’ve learned more about the writing business and submissions. For those one-on-one meetings that I signed  up for with a good deal of courage and trepidation. For my book, it’s been about my family and community members and their willingness that I could write a piece of  their story, and still others who gave me the time for an interview and answered my many questions.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement in the process. It has meant so much that it’s hard to measure. And while we sit at our desk writing, or sit in the author’s chair at a book signing, the one who is always with us and makes things possible.

Now we wait, anticipating again, the outcome and award-winners of all categories that will be named at gala. There’s plenty to do until then.

Read below and follow the link for the entire press release.

PART ONE

TORONTO – On June 13, The Word Guild will present Canada’s top Christian writing awards for 2012, rewarding the best in Christian writing during 2011. Awards Administrator Mary Ann Benjamins reports a record of almost 360 submissions – up more than one hundred over last year!

Entries in the 35 award categories included non-fiction books, novels, articles, columns, blogs, poems, and scripts and screen plays. The article categories proved most popular, attracting a record 199 entries, with book categories not far behind at 158.

The quality of entries remains high. Audrey Dorsch, a judge in one of the book categories, remarked, “It was very difficult to choose among the top three in the category – but that sort of difficulty says a lot about the calibre of books entered.”

To read more, go here.

C. R. Wilker, author of Once Upon a Sandbox

Editor and contributor, Big Ideas for the Big Stage