Today I sent my manuscript into the competition I�m entering and now I feel a great sense of relief.

Not that it�s finished. I don�t think it is, frankly. More that I�ve set it, and myself, free.

This is a manuscript that I actually first started writing about twelve years ago. It�s something that I�ve picked up and put down countless times since then. Which means that I do have confidence in it. For something that I started writing as a 19 year-old to still hold my attention in my 30�s can only be promising. The core story and even large chunks of the first few chapters are almost completely intact from when I first submitted them in a creative writing class in 1993.

Other things I wrote in 1993 make me cringe now, so I feel that this piece is at least not bad.

It is also basically the only piece of writing I have been working on since about November last year. Which is highly unusual for me, and has taken a lot of discipline. I�m usually jumping from one piece to another. They�re all long pieces, but I work on them in bits and chunks as the mood strikes.

As a result, by the time I actually finished with the writing on this piece about 10 days ago I was way too close to it and no longer had any idea what it�s lacking or what is great. But that will always be the case to a certain degree, so I was happy enough just to send it off and wait and see what happens.

Of course, having my computer stolen did put a little crinkle in the works, but nothing that wasn�t fixable with a few late nights in the office madly copy typing the final round of edits.

I am also surprisingly relaxed about what the outcome, or lack of one, may be. Perhaps because the winners aren�t announced until September, so there�s no point in getting anxious about it now. But I don�t actually think I�ll be anxious about it at all. Which is strange given that generally I�m nervous about anyone reading my work. Maybe I�ve just reached that stage where this particular manuscript needs to be put out into the world and I can see that and feel content about it.

The other half of the relief I�m feeling is that I can now go back to working on other pieces. On the good, bad and half-formed ideas that popped into my head while I was working only on one piece. On the things I was alternating between before. I feel liberated from writing discipline for at least a short period of time.

Of course, the lack of a computer does put a fairly substantial crimp in that plan.

And I have no doubt that as soon as I get a new computer (please let that be soon very nice Mr Insurance Man) I will come down with a crippling case of writer�s block. But that�s okay too. All my new DVDs will have arrived by then.

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In site related news, I�ve been getting some interesting search phrases in my referral logs. Including �how long is a piece of string�. Hmm. I�m not sure I can provide the answer that this searcher seeks.