The Positive Practice of Brain Switching
So What?
When I watch the University of Oklahoma (OU) football games, I want and expect OU to win. OU did not do so well last time out, though. The losses were huge. Does Texas 49, OU nil ring a bell? Sadly, that bell cannot be unrung.
When OU wins, I think the world is a wonderful place, players are powerful, and the sun is shining (even figuratively at rainy, too hot, too cold, icy, and/or night games). When OU loses, my brain switches around another way and thinks, “So what? It’s just a game. Someone has to lose. Every football game has a winner and a loser.”
My brain switches with writing contests, too. That’s because every writing contest has winners and those who don’t win (but everyone is a winner for trying, yes?).
When I win anything, I’m walking on air, so happy that at least one person liked my work. I was fortunate to win a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and HM at the 2023 OWFI conference this year. My brain, ala Sally Field, was saying to those four judges, “You like me, you really like me.” (That makes no sense because the judges do not know who wrote the pieces they are reading and ranking. But, I never let logic get in the way of a point being made).
There’s no explanation for my lopsided smile, but I was happy to win.
Yet, as usual, my entries lost more than they won. Thinking about each loss, my brain switches to, “So what? It’s just one judge.” Besides, I am excited for all the other writers that won at OWFI, too. Just knowing these talented people who share their writing with the world makes me a better person.
Please tell me in the comments if you won at OWFI or at any writing awards so far this year. I have a friend who was recently nominated for an Oklahoma Writing Award. That’s an award where it really is an honor just to be nominated.
You never know what pieces of writing will work in writing contests. So, if you are inclined to enter writing contests, go ahead. Be daring. Take a chance. Enter as many categories as you can. Then, switch your brain around if the results are not what you wanted.
Brain switching saves your sanity, protects your heart, and keeps you from getting discouraged. Just like with OU football, so what? There’s always another year.
Hilarious! I loved the videos. Where do you come up with these things? You're downright creative-- see, I told you that already. (Remember when I said I got bypassed when the creative genes were passed out?) Well, to be honest, I've entered one of my children's picture books in one contest, two categories. We shall wait and see. I entered my YA novel in three contests, already lost two. So I had to do the brain switching thing, although I'm not sure I recognized that's what I was doing! And just yesterday, I got an email for another contest. Sheesh, should I do it? Ummmm, thinking on it!
I find this brain switching difficult. Therefore when I win an award, I don't see it as "a really big deal." I don't have major publishers contacting me to ask about my winning work. Finally, I do believe that after a while some judges do know whose work they are reading and not because anyone is cheating. I've read some of your books and I read your blogs frequently. I know your style. Anyone reading my blog probably picks up on my style.