Venting

[UPDATE]: Coordinator emailed me about the whole thing and all is well. Evidently, the late night wasn't alright with members, so the 9pm cut-off this week was an attempt to reign things in. Promised to review my piece the next critique. Call me fickle, but now I'm not sure I want the piece reviewed or want to continue with the story line at all. As much as I've been enjoying the group, I've also been addressing it like school - as in assignments. As in pressure. I need to just back off and take it easy. Especially with everything else going on. We'll see.

Ok, I know I should be “bigger person” or more of a grown-up about this, but tough, I’m not and I need to vent. Last evening at writing group we were critiquing works and my submission was supposed to be last because chronologically, I had submitted it last of the entries. No problem, that system is fair. After all the others had been addressed thoroughly, and I had given what I hoped were encouraging-yet-helpful comments and waited patiently for my turn, however, we “ran out of time” at 9pm. Which essentially means that my piece (a first chapter of a proposed novel) won’t be considered at all, even at a later time unless I press the issue at the next critiquing session. So, basically, it would just drop off the radar.

Now, last week, the meeting was going strong at 9:30-ish when DH Jeff & I left. But evidently, that was ok.

I tried to be an adult about it last night, at least until we left the meeting. Sure, folks can email me with comments. No problem. Now, one nice gal had actually written comments for me. I appreciated that. But no one else bothered.

But after we cleared the building, I expressed my really pissy mood. DH Jeff found it hard to relate because his story had been reviewed, thoroughly. But, he rightly suggested that next time I specifically ask to go first. Yes, good idea and so is submitting early so I’m first on the list. Yep, I’ll work on that. Doesn’t really help my mood now.

Let’s have some context for this situation:
- After an exceedingly tedious day at work, I was looking forward to the meeting & feedback
- I managed to review all the submitted works and gave the authors my notes, which clearly was a waste of effort on my part
- I had not exercised all week and in light of the lack of satisfaction with the meeting, my time would have been better spent at the gym. At the very least, I could have gotten some endorphins out the deal.
- To add insult to injury, it was thundershowering when we headed home and – our apartment lost power!

What a brilliant evening. The only high point was dinner out: a very good Japanese Rockfish and grilled asparagus dish. And the waiter was nice. And I didn’t have to clean up afterwards.

OK, rant over.