Bragging Rights

So I entered the THE SECRET YEAR Teen Diary Contest Extravaganza! on Nathan Bransford, literary agents blog. I must admit when I saw the truly moving entries that some of the other writers had come up with, I did not anticipate my name making the list of finalists.

It didn't. But I got an honorable mention. As there were somewhere in the area of six hundred or so entries, I am doing quite the happy dance in the snow today.

The requirements were write a teen diary entry in less than 500 wds.
Here is my entry:

July 3

I know just yesterday I was complaining about the idea of a vacation without technology. I was ranting, even, about living for three weeks without phone or computer to keep me in touch with life. Then I think I touched life today more than I ever have before. Or at least for a moment, I felt more alive.

Please don’t tell Dad I said that.

Walking along the river, I had been kicking stones and listening to them plop when I saw the guy in the red shirt fishing. From a distance he looked old but I went that direction anyway since I had absolutely nothing better to do with my time.

Upon close inspection, his hair was jet black and seemed almost blue where the sun hit it. His skin was this deep gold, like he was in the sun all the time and for a minute I just watched him casting and reeling back in the line. There was this one bead of sweat that was moving down his neck… anyway, he was not old. So I tried my usual. I tried to be flirty and smiley and all that stuff that usually has boys doing the ‘help the poor dumb girl’ routine.

He glared at me.

I shut up and looked across the water. It sparkled like someone had cast diamonds on it. He continued fishing, ignoring me.

No one ever ignored me.

I sat down and felt the sun warm my skin. After awhile the silence bugged me. At first I spoke kind of quietly. He still had not said a word. I found myself telling him things I hadn’t ever told anyone. His quite was oddly freeing. I talked about mom for the first time.

At some point I had closed my eyes. I realized it and wondered if I opened them, would he still be there or would he have left for more optimal fishing?

I peered through my lids and saw him watching me.

His eyes were cobalt, liquid blue. He was looking at me in a way that made my face go hot. I had never been looked at like that before. It was kind of like the look a boy gives you before he kisses you but not really.

I lay there, barely breathing for a moment before he turned away. I know he saw me see him looking.

I did not talk anymore and neither did he. After awhile, I headed home. I am going back tomorrow. I want to see him again and yet am not sure what to do if he is there. What is his name? Where is he from? Why isn’t he talking?

There was something about that look…

This is what was said on the blog: "The honorable mentions, who I'm afraid just missed the cut of finalists but who done quite good..."and then I am listed...virg_nelson.

To see the full article, look at Nathan's blog: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/01/secret-year-publication-day-plus.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed
utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NathanBransford+%28Nathan+Bransford+-+Literary+Agent%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

If you copy and paste all that, you get to the contest finalist page.

Just basically a blog to gloat.

:)

Virg