I'm Tired...

Exhausted, more like. Today, I made all my candies and turkey soup. Obviously, the turkey strike didn't last too long. It's a good, honest fatigue. I was in the kitchen most of the day, only taking a break to read through my notes on the writing contest I'm helping to judge. I only have four entries to read, but I wanted to do a preliminary read to gather first impressions. So far, I've made it through two of them. Other than small issues--commas, small plot holes and sentence structures--the writing is pretty good. I've wanted to turn the page and learn more about the characters. That being said, I am the type of reader who hates to leave a story unfinished. For a Gemini, I have a weird need for closure. Most people who share my star sign tend to flit from one project to another and have difficulty finishing things. That is not my burden. Part of me thinks I would want to know the rest of these stories just because I'm wired the way I am.

Judging is a unique experience because theoretically, the judge is supposed to be impartial. In this case, that means that whether or not the story is their kind of story, the judge is supposed to evaluate the writing based on how well the writer tells the story. I guess both the writer and I should count ourselves lucky that there isn't a type of book that I won't read. My hope is that when someone reads my work, they will be as impartial as humanly possible and evaluate my writing based on the story. When I submitted my entry fee, I thought the contest date would never come. Then I sent in my entry, and again, it felt like I'd entered some sort of cruel time warp. As of next Friday, the judging officially begins. Now, I have to cross my fingers, toes and eyes and pray that whoever reads my work will see some merit. Like every other contest entrant, I want to win. Which brings me back to the Golden Rule--do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So will I read with a critical eye? Absolutely, but in the back of my mind, the hopes and dreams of the writers who were brave enough to submit will rattle in the few empty spaces left in my brain.

So while I'm not creating confections, doing karate and cleaning, I'm reading. I'll be starting a new book tonight based on a friend's recommendation. It's a set of three short stories by three different authors. My friend enjoyed the work of the first two authors, but hasn't been able to get through the third. Being a nosy writer, I had to ask why. I expected a trite answer--not because she isn't a "real" reader (whatever that means)--but because a lot of people will tell you they don't like something and are unable to qualify their response. This was certainly not the case. My friend was deeply offended by the perspective painted by the author about people from the Deep South. Seeing as she's from the great state of Texas, I could see where she could have been offended. The fact that the author is from the South didn't matter to her. The initial description of the heroine's interpretation of Southerners turned her off.

But there was more. She would have been willing to forgive the jaded view if only she'd liked the heroine. To prove her point, she read the beginning of the story to me over the phone. As open-minded as I try to be about new-to-me authors or books, I have to admit the opening left me with a lot of doubts. The writing was intelligent and well done from a technical standpoint, but the heroine had a larger than life background for her age. Until I read the book for myself, I'll have to suspend formulating too strong an opinion. Of course, that means I'll have to read it tonight.

Off I go to do what must be done. Four days until Christmas from where I sit. It's all becoming very real! Am I the only person left who hasn't done all their shopping? Here's to candy cane wishes and eggnog dreams...