Flogging My Dying Horse

There is a finished draft taking up space in one of my folders that I have the biggest Love/Hate (capitalised on purpose) relationship with.  I love the concept, I love the characters... and I hate how rough it feels now, how I'm losing confidence in the story and how I don't actually know if I will ever get it to work.

I want to. I want this story to work.

I want it to work so badly I gritted my teeth, ignored all I think is wrong with it, and submitted to the North Texas RWA chapter's contest, 'Great Expectations'. If nothing else, I will get some fresh eyes on it, and hopefully get some feedback to allow me to see it more clearly. Then I might get really brave and drag it back out to work on again.

For anyone who missed it the first time Melissa Shirley made me a very lovely trailer for it.

Every time I think I've consigned "What You Wish For" to the drawer under my bed for the last time, something makes me get it out and dust it off for one more go. Maybe it's destined to be that story - the one to haunt me for the rest of my life as the 'nearly there'. Nearly, but not quite. Or, maybe one of these times when I get it out ands it off and hunt through it for whatever it is that just isn't working, inspiration will strike.

I built a play list for it, although it's always in progress:

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

Pink - Just Give Me A Reason

Christina Perry - A Thousand Years

John Legend - All Of Me

Aha - Take On Me

Air Supply - Two Less Lonely People In The World

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man

Bryan Adams - Please Forgive Me

Olly Murs - Dear Darlin'

Bruce Springsteen - Sad Eyes

Gloria Estefan - Can't Stay Away From You

The Bangles - Eternal Flame

Rod Stewart - I Don't Wanna Talk About It

Plain White Tees - Hey There, Delilah

Harry Nilsson - Without You

I even started a Pinterest inspiration board for it, but that needs a whole lot more work and very many more pins before it even gets close to being inspiring:

http://www.pinterest.com/ginawriteswords/what-you-wish-for-inspiration-board/

Today, is my birthday, though. I'm touching "the wrong side" of my thirties. A good day to use the metaphorical duster again and remind myself why I love this story. Anything negative about it can wait until a different day, I think.