Thought I had two more days, but, beat my pre-set word count when I was struggling with a chapter, and realized I could rewrite the revised scene from a journal of five years ago. It was a difficult scene, the middle of an easy chapter. However, that singular moment consisted of several literary and grammatical devices I would have to use. It consisted of flashbacks, inner monologue, thoughts, inferences, personal history, and epiphany. While this sounds like an absolute mess, thanks to the training, feedback, and constructive criticism I received from MFA mentors and classmates, I didn't even look at the scene's previous typed draft but pulled from the journal to rewrite an entirely new scene.
No matter what, this April is not only special because it is my mom's and a brother's birthday month, but this contest is synonymous with the writer's life. We must be persistent, consistent, diligent, and persevere in this business. When we do that as writers, we learn and open other opportunities for ourselves and others.
