I was up late last night revising my entry for the 80th Annual Writer's Digest competition when I overheard that Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan from my grandma's TV.
"No way!" I thought, having come to the belief several years ago that he had starved to death in a cave somewhere in the mountains and would never be found.
I immediately turned on the TV in the living room and turned to ABC. Indeed, it had finally happened! Osama Bin Laden, the evil leader of Al-Qaeda, was killed in Abbottabad, a city outside of Islamabad. President Obama ordered the attack that day and the world's most vile terrorist was killed in the ensuing shootout. I watched the President's speech and immediately started chanting "USA! USA!" Finally, all those murdered on September 11 have received justice. Finally, all the hard work and sacrifices of the brave American men and women (such as my childhood friend, Sarah) and our allies who served in Afghanistan have paid off and borne the ultimate fruit. I have never been more proud to be an American than I am now. Don't mess with the U.S.!
After watching the news, I submitted "Ecgtheow's Way." Now, Writer's Digest competitions are the WWE of the writing world. I knew that I was competing against the best of the best when I sent in my story. That's why I did some serious revision. The plot stayed the same, but I added a lot of backstory so that the reader would better understand how Max winds up in the dilemna she is in. The story takes place seven years after "Daughter of the Seven Seas", when both Max and Sandra are teenagers. It is also the debut of Max's ruthless and cunning best friend, who ruled Nineveh Academy with an iron fist and terrorized Sandra throughout her entire childhood. I thought it was excellent before, but now that I made the necessary changes, it is absolutely phenomenal. Anything can happen in this competition, but I am confident that it will win. If it doesn't, I am certain that I can get it published.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for my review of "Hop." Not to give too much away, but Hank Azariah never ceases to amaze me.
