Pulitzer Prize |
Every writer, no matter what level, or what genre, knows what winning a Pulitzer Prize would mean to their career. I'm no exception. My first love is Western Romance, but I do dabble in what I would consider, literary fiction. It's that little part of me that prompted this article. I'm sharing it with all of you because I truly believe every writer has the right to dream.
May 4, 2020, the winners of the Pulitzer
Prize were announced via an online Zoom feed from Columbia University. It took
twenty excruciating minutes of listening to the dozen other categories before the
fiction winner was read.
I held my breath and prayed. Up until the moment, I really believed I could win. My heart
wrenching novel, Beyond Forever, ticked every emotional and literary box. There
was absolutely no reason it couldn’t take the prize.
If by some miracle, my entry was
announced, even as a finalist, it could change my life. Up until then I allowed
myself to believe my honest story of the last day of a young woman’s life could
compete with the works from the great literary minds of our generation.
My entry, Beyond Forever, is loosely
based on my very own battle with cancer. The sentiment and fear that poured
onto those pages came directly from my heart and soul. I created a fictional
character living through a fictional scenario of dying at the age of
thirty-three, leaving behind the love of her life, and a dysfunctional family
who needed her.
I cried through writing the entire
first draft. It was painful, yet so cathartic. Ironically, it was never meant
to be a novel at all as I was never meant to be an author. My career, and the
miracle of the birth of this book were borne of this experience. During a
woman’s retreat in the mountains, I asked a friend to read a very rough copy of
the story to show how I had written away my own fear of dying. In tears, she
demanded I send the manuscript away to agents right away.
And send I did. I had three agents
interested. That was unheard of for a first-time author, and it boosted my
confidence to the moon, though, that excitement was very short lived.
My hopes of becoming a published
author went down with the planes on September 11, 2001. Along with the mourning
nation, editors were looking for happy endings. Don’t get me wrong, Beyond
Forever, leaves open a door of hope in the end, but publishers shelved my
manuscript for another time when our people could handle the struggles faced in
this book.
I understood, but I was devastated
to say the least.
Some two decades later, the time finally
came to publish the long-anticipated novel. I worked feverishly with a very
attuned editor to bring a dual perspective to the dying experience. Lily, a
young advice columnist, and her ever-dedicated, ever-loving, ever-protective
husband, David. I wanted their love to be one for all to emulate. Experiencing
the final transition and the closures, then finally the hope for another
chance, through both of their eyes, brought a new layer of realism to this sad,
yet beautiful final day.
This brings us back to the day I
noticed the Pulitzer was accepting entries for the 2020 prize. I hemmed and hawed, considering it, then I felt foolish
believing my novel could ever win.
But then I said, WHY NOT ME? If I
don’t enter, I’ll never know. It took every bit of my courage, but I did it!
What happened next was more
worrisome. I TOLD NO ONE I’D ENTERED. Why not? What was wrong with me? If I was so confident, why didn’t I want anyone to know?
Let’s be honest, I feared failure. I
loathed the thought of others laughing at my arrogance. But then I reasoned,
who cares what other people think? I’m at a stage in my life that if I don’t
try things now, I’ll regret it later. That’s really what this exercise was all
about. That’s the message I’m trying to bring to anyone reading this article.
If not now, when?
When the finalists and winner for
the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction was announced, I wasn’t surprised when my
name wasn’t read, but I admit, I was disappointed. I believed, wholeheartedly, in this project and I was damn
proud of myself for at least, putting myself out there. That, in itself, was a
HUGE accomplishment, and it just makes me want to keep on striving.
My takeaways from this experiment
are:
·
Winners always enter.
·
Continue writing to the highest
standard & read Pulitzer winning novels.
·
Enter as many times as I have a
worthy novel.
·
And last, but not least, continue to
take every chance.
Stay safe out there and thanks for
listening.
Award-winning author, Rhonda Frankhouser, pens stories with beloved ghosts, twisted mysteries, and timeless love. Her favorite genres are Western and Contemporary Romance, with the occasional mainstream tear-jerker to keep things interesting. Rhonda's Ruby's Ranch Series, earned a starred review in Publisher's Weekly; a finalist honor in the Uncaged Review Raven Awards; a second runner up in the prestigious InD'Tale Magazine RONE awards and a Book and Benches, Reviewers Top Pic ~ Books of Distinction award. Her follow up Shadowing Souls Series and Let Yourself Believe Series, have captured the attention of both romance and mainstream readers alike. After a lifetime in Central California, Rhonda and her own knight in shining armor, moved to beautiful Northeast Georgia to embark on a brand new journey.
Subscribe to Rhonda's webpage at https://www.rhondafrankhouserbooks.com/ and get your FREE book.
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4 comments:
Glad you took the chance, Rhonda, though I can sympathize with your hesitations. I think all of us are like that when it comes to putting out work out there to judged. Hugs to you and thank you for sharing your experience and take away.
Congratulations on your accomplishment. That is a high star to jump for and you did well to even enter. I applaud you. I'm sure one day soon, I'll see your name on the list.
Nan
You took a chance and that makes you a winner!!
Thanks you guys. You never know, right?
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