Do I Hear $200?

Most of you have heard about Brenda Novak’s auction for juvenile diabetes.  I first found out about it last year, when I started writing and thought, someday, when I’m further along in my craft, I’m going to bid on one of those.

Well, this was the year.

I started off bidding on two different auctions, one by Kristan Higgins and one by Christie Ridgeway. Both of whom write in a style I love, and both offered a three chapter critique.

Starting off at $20 was a piece of cake. Even when I muscled it up to $100 (each!) I hadn’t broken a sweat. But suddenly, I was at $180. Each. It was time to pick one.

I went with Christie Ridgeway. Why? Not only because I admire her writing, but because I can also see how far she’s come since I first starting reading her. She’s learned a LOT in the last couple years. I further admire Kristan Higgins more than I probably should (even though I’m not on her stalker list – yet!) but I just really worried the bidding was going to jump on her at the last moment.

I sat at $180 for two weeks. Walk in the park. Piece of cake. No stress management needed.

Until five minutes before closing.

Despite my best intentions (and everyone at an auction has best intentions right?) when someone outbid me, I immediately slammed in a counter bid. NO ONE IS TAKING CHRISTIE AWAY FROM ME!

I laugh at myself now, I laughed at myself then. And actually had the presence of mind to wait another minute or two before topping the bid. And giggled semi-hysterically as I refreshed about every 15 seconds, until…finally….it was over.

And I had won.

I was frantically emailing my friend Jen at the same time, and panicking that I would get it, that I wouldn’t get it. It was like pulling off daisy petals….he loves me, he loves me not. I won the bid, I spent $205.

Now some of you are going to snort. Yeah, go ahead, get it out of your system. *Waiting patiently*

Some are going to tell me it’s a waste of money *waiting…..waiting*

And some of you are going to rebuke me for trying to cheat my way to being published *hate being rebuked, but go ahead…I’ll take it….*

But – here’s my side of the bidding story.

For the past 13 months, I’ve taken writing classes. Lots of them. I’ve read tons of books, I’ve studied craft books. I read blogs daily in an attempt to learn more.

And I have. I still argue with where the darn little comma goes, but I’ve learned a lot.

But not about writing humor. Oh sure, I’ve taken two classes on how to write humor/romance. And almost every single story or short story I’ve written has an element of humor in it, except that one vampire story. But that’s for another time. =)

But imagine being taught, critiqued, analyzed by someone who writes rom com for a living? What can I learn? The possibilities stagger the mind. A well published author, who is willing to critique my work, and possibly, hopefully, offer advice on how to make it coalesce into the book I want it to be.

To me, it’s worth it. Every single hard-earned cent.

Look out Christie – here I come!

=)

carrie