Thursday 25 September 2008

Happy Hippy


As the old song goes - what a difference a day makes!!!! Yesterday, I was way down in the dumps with the rejections - today I'm leaping with joy.

I finished writing the new My Weekly story yesterday morning (the Christmas commissioned one which I'd called A Real Cool Yule, which I'd even given the alternative title of Willow Sticks and Sushi, just in case the title put them off before they even read a word...) - just made the deadline - and emailed it to them last night after re-reading it about twenty million times, convinced that I was no longer able to create a decent short story.... and with no great hopes that it would be anywhere near what they wanted.

And, yes! As always happens in this weird, unpredictable writing world, they loved it! They accepted it this morning - less than 24 hours after I sent it and Woman's Weekly zapped my confidence - and have already put the payment through.

Oh, blimey - the ups and downs of being a writer are enough to drive you doo-lally, aren't they??? Still, today I'm smiling...

9 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Congratulations, I can't wait to read it.

Love the pic too, very sunny and cheerful, just what I need.

Christina Jones said...

Thanks debs - it cheered me up too - the pic I mean, as well as the acceptance - after yesterday's abject failure... Who'd wanna be a writer?????

Margaret McDonagh said...

More fool the WW is all I can say. They must be loopy. Still, I am absolutely certain someone else will snap them up and be delighted to have them, but I know all rejections continue to hurt. And I know that, like me, you have NO confidence, despite all your well-deserved and fabulous achievements. I am crap - you're not!!! As I keep telling you!

Thrilled to bits about the MW Christmas story. Congraultations. I can't wait to read it.

Hope the pc is behaving a bit better and will let you get back to Moonshine with renewed enthusiasm.

I shall be thinking of you tomorrow! Have a WONDERFUL day.

Much love,
Mags xxx

Christina Jones said...

mags - you are NOT crap, you write brilliant books with to-die-for sexy heroes - we're just both lacking in confidence, that's all. Thanks for the wishes for tomorrow, too. As debs would kindly say it's a "special" birthday - and actually, yes, one I'm looking forward to...

Jayne said...

Congrats Christina :) That's fantastic news! Good ol' zero confidence club strikes again eh?
:0S

Pat Posner said...

Hey, I didn't know you were blogging! I saw Bucolic Frolics listed on Debs' blog and wondered if it could be you. Funny thing is, I just pre-ordered your Happy Birthday from Amazon yesterday!

We met at Durham RNA conf and spent a lovely late night/early morning with wine, chocolate, smokes and Wendy.
I can't belive those 'passes' you had from WW!!! I'm looking forward to reading your long Christmas one in MW.

Christina Jones said...

mummy - won't say welcome to the zilch confidence club because you've already told me you're in it!!! Thanks for the congrats - but talk about a bleeping roller-coaster... we must be MAD!!!!

Pat - great to be able to *talk* again. Thank you so much for ordering Happy Birthday and for the kind words on the shorts (good and bad). Oooh yes - it was all very Enid Blyton, you, me and Wendy having that lovely late night in "the dorm" with all sorts of forbidden things and far too much raucous giggling for grown-ups... Great time. One of my most cherished memories.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Happy 'Special' Birthday to you, hope you have a fabulous day.

Much love Debs, R and Grumps xxx

Christina Jones said...

Thanks so much debs - well, it was certainly a birthday I won't forget! More flowers than a gangster's funeral, masses of cards, some lovely presents (including a champagne hot air balloon trip) - but this morning have banging hang-over as had the silly idea of working my way along the liqueurs shelf in the restaurant... ah, well, you're only old once...