Tarting writing - things I'm learning

Eager to spread my literary wings... ok, make that, desperate for acknowledgement of some sort... and the prize money will always come in handy...

I thought I'd send a few of my pieces of writing to a few competitions.

Ok, make that send one of my pieces of writing to one competition.

In the process I have learned many valuable things:

1. Thinking and doing are never the same thing. I knew I wanted to join the Memoir Competition since last November. I also knew the deadline for the above was today. It didn't occur to me until five minutes ago that I had to actually get moving and complete the form and email them them the story, like NOW.

2. Editing and drafting in five minutes does not work.

3. Read through in less than that while panicking does not work.

4. I do not have a hope in hell.

Another thing I have learned:

In Ireland there is such a thing as a tax-exempt law for artists thanks to this post by EllenB. Of course such a law has already been used to great financial advantage by the richest of them, like U2 and the Ahernes. Of course.

Which brings me to this little anecdote - its truth verified by urban mythical fact:

U2 are playing to a packed stadium. In a moment of retrospection, Bono clicks his fingers. Click, click. "Everytime I click my fingers," he says to his audience - click, click, "A child in Africa dies."

To which some ne'er do well from the crowd yells out, "Well stop bloody doing it then!"