Very Fun News, Nacho, & Barry Manilow

I forgot to blog my good news! It's a little silly and crazy but really fun and I'm anticipating my teenage daughter running and hiding in the closet under the stairs from the results because when she asked, "Does this mean you will be involved with something potentially embarrassing?" my resounding answer was "YES!" I think I may have thrown my arms up in the air and twirled.

LDStorymakers holds a great big huge writers conference every Spring. As part of the conference they hold two contests. One is a First Chapter contest, inviting any unpublished/uncontracted writers to enter. I don't qualify for that. Yay! The second contest is a Music Lyrics contest. The entrants choose a popular song, any song that can be found Karaoke-style, and write their own lyrics. The subject must be writing, being a writer, getting published, etc. The winner gets to be involved in a music video featuring his or her song. IT'S FOR FUN.



The video will be shown in front of lots of writerly people at the conference lunch. Yikes.

I make up my own lyrics to songs all the time. Ask my kids. This one is sung to Barry Manilow's Oh, Mandy:

"I remember all my life, doing dishes once or twice. My mom would ask and I wouldn't even question, I'd stand at the sink and do my best to help her, Oh Children, well you can't all have to go to the bathroom. Your mother needs help, Oh Children, someone empty the dishwasher now, before I call for your father, Oh Children . . ."

It's a wonder I don't get more help.

So, with the contest on my mind, I was driving in the car and a great song came on and blammo, I was singing new lyrics. When I got home I was all giddy and hurried and wrote them down, worked on them off and on all evening, let them sit, then sent them off to LDStorymakers the next morning.

Then, I forgot about it. Well, it was clear back in October! If only it were that easy to forget manuscript submissions. Every once in a while, I'd hear my song, though, and it would remind me and I would smile at the idea.

So, guess what. I WON! *skip around the room*
And the song is a secret so I CAN'T EVEN HINT. I think I'll be able to post the video after the conference, though. I'm excited and nervous and it will be fun. And my daughter will have to hide in the closet for like, a whole week.

Hooray!