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My Write-y Senses are Tingling.....

So, I just went through my submissions spreadsheet for this year's Short Story contests.... somehow, I assumed I was woefully behind and had missed dozens of deadlines because I hadn't submitted anything in the month of January.

There were about 3 contests whose deadlines passed in January that I was well aware of. Still feeling the draining effects of having survived another Christmas working retail, having prepared for a huge book sale and signing event with a local school and just getting over a mild flu, I agreed to allow the January deadlines to pass without a second thought. As much as it pains me to admit---- I really can't do EVERYTHING....

And, now February is well into its first week without a known deadline itching in the back of mind.... this is when the panic alarms started tingling in the depths of my subconscious---- if it's possible to have the Spidey-Senses version of writing 'alarm bells', then I gots 'em.....

I'm one of those people that has to have a specific date in mind to know what is coming up, and to prepare for what I might miss, and without a specific date in mind, I begin to panic, thinking that I've let dozens or hundreds of things slip by.

I knew my January deadlines---- I had known them since December. And, I should have picked up my February deadlines in January as I dutifully worked through my January dates. But, as I didn't work through any submissions in January.....

I fully expected to open my neglected submission spreadsheet and see at least 2 deadlines looming for tomorrow or today even. I also expected to see 3 deadlines for Feb. 1st that had already flown by. So, holding my breath and with one eye squeezed tight, I clicked open my submission tracker and lo..... there are NO deadlines for the month of February!!!!!!!! Whew!!!!!!!!!!  I have not failed at life!!!!!!!

There are a couple mid-March and a couple more at the end of March, but that's it..... I hate when the panic bells ring a false alarm---- well, maybe I don't. At least it WAS a false alarm.

Also noticed that I currently only have 1 short story that is not otherwise occupied in previous contest deadlines....which was very surprising. I was positive that several other "winners-announced" dates had passed---freeing up my arsenal of shorts to send out---but, they have not. There are still 3 looming announcement dates that are tying up stories.

Though I know it's common practice to send out the same story, article, etc to multiple contests/journals, I really prefer not to, at least, not yet. I like the idea of the story being exclusive to wherever it currently is...that way, if it is picked up, I haven't wasted the contest money somewhere else AND I don't have to go through the effort of "removing" it from every other place that it is currently participating.

So, my Write-y Senses might have been tingling to remind me to check my submissions tracker, if for no other reason that to assure me that I still have stories floating about and that if I'd like to submit to the March deadlines, that I need to start working on new shorts as those deadlines will hit while I still have other stories out in the contest ether....

Now, if I could just get a certain superhero theme-song out of my head......
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