Flattering and Disappointing at the Same Time

"Claire's Departure" took first runner-up for best play at the Silver Spring One-Act Festival. It's nice to know the play was appreciated by the audience, but it's frustrating to have been not quite good enough.

Winning would have been a particularly nice ego boost as I wait to hear from a festival where this same play is a finalist. They were supposed to be tallying the votes on Monday, but I haven't heard anything. A bad sign or just a sign they haven't had the time to tally the votes and/or notify people? Who knows.

But I hate to wait.

Oh, as for that other overdue festival that I complained about in a previous post. They ended up making their announcement on the last day of August. And I was selected. I guess good things come to those who wait...no matter how impatiently!

Honorable Mention Hidden in a Rejection

I just got a rejection email from the Moving Arts One-Act Competition. Well, I thought it was a rejection email. The first part definitely was. Then it listed the winner, and the finalists, and the honorable mentions. Hey, that's my play "A Skewed Nude" at the top of the list of honorable mentions!

Now, getting an honorable mention is not winning. My play will get no production and no prize money (if there is any to be had). Still, I would think that being one of 16 honorable mentions out of a reported 250+ submissions would merit some sort of congratulatory email rather than what is obviously the general "thanks for your submission, but..." email. Not that I'm ungrateful. I'm happy for the acknowledgment. I'm just glad I read the entire message.