David*Macinnis*Gill.com

I am very hon­ored that my MG entry into the Smartwriters.com W.I.N. con­test, Yam­abushi and the Seven Gods of Hap­pi­ness, took an hon­or­able men­tion. Many thank-yous to Cyn­thia Leitich Smith, who judged the MG segment.

I am also more than a lit­tle befud­dled. Yam­abushi was a last-minute thing. I wrote a first chap­ter and an out­line only to cement an idea, and I would con­sider it by far the weak­est entry I made. I thought my YAs were much stronger (as well as completed).

Let this be a les­son to me: I have to under­stand what made Yam­abushi more appeal­ing that the YAs. Was it the story? The hook? Or the syn­op­sis? Am I so close to my own work that I don’t know which story is bet­ter or more likely to sell?

Either way, I am still thrilled to be men­tioned among this group of excel­lent writ­ers. I’ve been won­der­ing which novel idea to pur­sue as my next project. Now I know.