Small rewards

Writing is definitely a slow burn process and that is in terms of both the writing itself and any rewards that come from it.

Many people don’t write for any form of reward other than their own desire to create a story; others prefer to put their work out there. I guess I get a sense of achievement from writing complete stories, but I do have to admit that I look for external validation as well.

Last week I submitted my final assignment for my Masters; a 15,000-word novella. I am proud of having completed that and of submitting it. I have read it through, and I think I have done a halfway decent job (results won’t come in until the end of October, I think). The act of finishing the course and (hopefully) passing brings with it a strong sense of achievement.

This week, I got an email naming me on the long list for a flash fiction competition (see the name here: https://freeflashfiction.com/competition-five-long-list/ ). The story didn’t make it into the final five, so the work itself isn’t being published, but seeing my name there in that long list was a delight.

These small rewards – intrinsic and extrinsic – are one of the best parts of writing, and they are what will keep me going, no matter how slowly they arrive.