Sometime back in July, I got a phone call from Joni Labaqui letting me know that not only had I won Writers of the Future, I’d won first place for Q2 of V31. Yes, winning WOTF is a major squeegasm, but it’s more complicated than that, too. In addition to doing the Tom Cruise sock dance in the middle of my kitchen, I also got hit with a healthy dose of impostor anxiety, survivor guilt and a weird, disoriented “Well now what do I do?” feeling.

See, I sent in my first WOTF entry as a dreamy-eyed teen back when Reagan was president and the Berlin Wall was still standing. At that time, my twin goals as an aspiring writer were to A) win WOTF, and B) join SFWA.

In March of 2014, I joined SFWA as an Active Member, and by then I’d accepted the idea that I’d probably pro out of WOTF before I won. I guess I should have heard the Universe laughing. Then July rolled around and boom-boom, major life goal accomplished – now what? I felt a little lost. I guess I’m a person who needs goals.

Then someone said I’d make a great Dread Pirate Roberts. Er, no wait, someone showed me Christie Yant’s awesome, customizable career bingo sheet, and ZOMG!  I WILL DO ALL THE THINGS!!

Anyhow, so while I was rolling around with my head all asploded, I neglected to post that I’d won. Then it was time for the Q3 finalists / winners to be announced, and I didn’t want to steal their fire. Ditto for Q4, and now here I am, feeling like a goofball and finally blogging about it almost seven months after the fact.

So, um, hey – I won Writers of the Future!!!11!1!