So I haven’t had much of a chance to write lately between our crazy number of hospital visits in the past two weeks. Complications from husband’s original surgery have led to not much free time. Plus, there’s that pesky PitchWars thing I’ve been tweeting about.

In preparation for PitchWars, I have slaughtered my pages over the past few weeks, tearing them apart, reordering, rewriting, revising, and generally pulling out my hair until I positively manuscript-blinded myself.

Seriously.

I have no idea whether or not I’ve made my story better or worse at this point. None. Not a single clue. Because I can no longer see what I have written nor judge the quality of the words on the page.

But in blinding myself with a manuscript, at least I can take some solace in the fact that there are not just dozens, but hundreds and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of writers who are in the same boat and feeling the same way right now.

You know what they say. Misery loves company. And nothing is more miserable than a writer in waiting. (Miserable in an entirely good way, of course!)

But don’t take my word for it.

DONE! Submitted. Time to avoid stress eating. #PitchWars #PitchwarsMG pic.twitter.com/LehIVgI92b

— Karah Sutton (@Karahdactyl) August 6, 2017

#PitchWars submission officially sent. Holy friggin hell. And also… bring me all the wine. ALL. THE. WINE. pic.twitter.com/Fdb9WVA9qc

— Elizabeth Zane (@ByElizabethZane) August 6, 2017

#PitchWars feels. Anyone else applying, @ me and let’s breathe into paper bags together. ❤ pic.twitter.com/7oNvPqKVjv

— Rachel Noelle Wood (@FreyjaWood) August 6, 2017