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Can rejection be a cause of rejoicing? Last Thursday an email from the Bridport people told me that my Flash Fiction entry ‘Doors’ was not one of their winners. So far, so boringly normal. Like most writers, my collection of rejections could warrant entry in The Guinness Book of Records.
HOWEVER, the wonderful Bridport administrator, Kate Wilson, went on to say that I was on their shortlist. Pause while I reach for my smelling salts.
The list was generously long – thank you, Bridport, you really care about writers and their insecurities, don’t you? – since they shortlisted 50 out of 2,141 entries. But the feeling of encouragement at being one of those fifty cannot be measured. Actually I’m having trouble getting my head through doorways at the moment…
I nearly didn’t send that piece in, it was a last-minute thought after I’d entered my novel into their Peggy Chapman Competition (which predictably sank without trace). But the lesson is that we must all keep trying. Even if we don’t win, there might be some encouragement forthcoming…
ninevoices 
Maggie, I’d love to see your short-listed piece on here!
Elizabeth – I thought of publishing it on the blog – but the Bridport administrator said they only publish the names of the people shortlisted, not the titles of their pieces, so that they can enter them elsewhere. I am therefore thinking I ought to submit this to another competition. Maybe I’ve hit a lucky streak.
Maggie
Well done! That’s a great achievement!
Thank you! I’ve been entering more competitions this year – while hopefully not neglecting the novel – but this is my first positive response.
The administrator emailed, asking ‘if I’d mind’ having my name on their website. What a question. I’d be prepared to pay them for the honour…
Maggie