Have you been seeing that #sytycw2012 hashtag all over twitter?
I absolutely have. I'd say it's a quarter of my tweetstream - even if the hashtag isn't there, people are talking about Harlequin's annual writing competition So You Think You Can Write. There's some six hundred or so entries, lots of those are people I'm online friends with. The last couple of years, I've entered and had a great time, met some wonderful people, and got to cheer for the winners Leah Ashton and Kat Cantrell and Natalie Charles.
One of the very best things about contests in Romancelandia, is that although they are a competition and everyone wants to win, even if you don't come out on top, you can end up with your own happy ending. The winners aren't the only ones to sell their book. I've been waiting for a certain friend to spill her own happy news and the suspense is killing me.
But most important of all, win or lose, this is a amazing way to meet writers who love to read and write the same kind of books that I love. I've so many people. Leah, Kat and Natalie aren't just names on a cover to me. They are writers, friends I look for on twitter, which makes their successes all the sweeter.
And I've been lucky enough to meet many other wonderful friends. These are the women who cheer me on when I'm staring down my fears and who celebrate my every victory, no matter how small. This year, since I don't have an entry, I get to sit back and enjoy the fun, without any of the worry. Jessica and Jane during the build up to the first New Voices competition two years ago. Joanne and I go back nearly as far. In fact, I knew all the writers mentioned in RLA's post on her favorite entries. It all makes me wildly happy to see all my friends up there.
But I've barely skimmed the surface over at the sytycw site, so help me out. Have a favorite entry you have voted for every single day? Does your BFFL have her first ever book out in the big bad world and it needs some love? Found any gems in the pages (and pages!) of Nocturne entries? The perfect fit for the shiny new Kiss line?
Link me to your fave - or your own! I don't want to miss anything in the few days left to vote.
