Suzie Peace Pybus won the 2022 CALEB Award for unpublished fiction. We asked her about her experience entering the CALEB and her writing journey since entering.
What inspired you to enter the CALEB Unpublished Award?
Back in 2022, I had what I thought was a completed manuscript (my first novel). It took me several years to write and had recently undergone a manuscript assessment, resulting in another deep edit. But I still wasn’t sure it was any good. I’d heard the CALEB Award judges offered feedback to all submitted manuscripts and I really needed that. So I entered.
How did you handle the feedback you received?
I took all feedback seriously, even when I wasn’t sure I agreed with the judges. One judge picked up an issue which scored me 1 out of 5 on a criterion. I researched the issue and discovered I didn’t know as much about grammar as I thought. It was a wonderful learning moment and my writing has improved because of it.
I think coming from a place of humility and willingness to learn is best when entering the Award.
How did entering help you in your writing journey?
Entering my first manuscript was a big step and I felt vulnerable. But the judges’ comments were fair and honest and encouraged me that I was on the right track.
From there, I simply kept taking more scary steps – making new friends, joining an online writing group, asking for help, attending two Omega conferences (online and in-person), beta reading for other writers and volunteering as a judge.
Another big win from the Award was my family accepting that my writing is more than a hobby. Now they take it as seriously as I do.
What opportunities have you had since entering?
I discovered I LOVE indie publishing and the control it affords me over my books.
I write what I call Women’s Fiction with Mystery. I write stories about social issues that impact on women and children, and some of my themes are heavy. My heart is for the unsaved so I write for a mainstream audience from a Christian worldview.
I’ve published two books since the CALEB, with a third being released in October which is a rewrite of that original CALEB-winning manuscript. So that’s exciting. You can find all my books on my Amazon page.
What would you say to anyone still deciding about whether to enter?
Please enter! The submission process itself is an education and you will learn from it.
Whether the judges love your manuscript or not isn’t the point. Take their thoughtful feedback and use it to grow as a writer. I can’t express how important this is. Also, entering is fun and exciting and nerve wracking (and who doesn’t want their nerves wracked!)
Penny Reeve shared some words of wisdom with our Tassie Omega Writers chapter a while back. She said, “The first novel you write could be the novel you needed to write in order to learn how to write a novel.” (That’s a paraphrase, Penny!)
You may or may not publish that first manuscript. Either way, it is still a crucial piece of work. So my advice is give it the best chance and get all the feedback you can.