Author's Games Entries

Note To All Contests I'm In

Hey. So you may have noticed (or not) that since around 1:12 PM Central time on Christmas Day (25th, Friday) I haven't been on save for a few times. There's a big reason for this and I want to personally explain.

My Grandmother was moving apartments. Now, she's old. She is 79 and has severe arthritis in her legs, can barely walk the majority of the time, is losing her memory, and has no clue what my name is a lot of the time. (She calls me my momma's name a LOT.)

She moved officially on the first. Why did I have to be there for seven days? Not just to help her pack (like she thinks) but also to look after her because neither I nor my family trust her alone with big boxes and sharp ends. She's highly diabetic and had a heart attack and stroke twice last year. During the time with her she had to go to the emergency room on Thursday night, at nine PM, and wasn't back home until 2:22 AM. It wasn't a blood clot (like we thought) but it was extremely bad arthritis. The doctor said she may need a fake knee, but she hates that idea. Two days later she had no idea that Wednesday even happened, even though she was awake the majority of the day.

I've had around three hours of time to myself a day, but even so, I've had no time. During those hours I was exhausted and hardly able to write a thing, let alone finish entries, work on my stories, or write my character's forms for the contests I wanted to join. I literally passed out each night I went to bed and I had to get up at six am to help her.

I cried several times. I stayed up for hours working on my entries and praying that I could find a way to get online to send stuff, edit works, and help people like I normally do. I had to co-write an entry with a friend though a flip phone during extremely odd hours and had no internet. While I was able to write bits offline (and I wrote near 1000 plus) and give them to Katie a few days later, when I was in town (either at a gas station or my Uncle's store), it's just not the same as actually writing together.

I had NO time to edit and so everything was rushed. I wanted to make every entry perfect but had no time.

I was exhausted when I went to write, worried to death over my Grandma (who keeps talking of dying), and being pressured to turn stuff in and to get it done. It's my own fault, I should've tried harder to get everything written (no matter how crappy) and I should've turned it in the one day I was home, but I was tired. Too tired to honestly work. Too tired to do what I should've done. I hate that.

Everything happened at the worst times. People expected me to do stuff I couldn't, I was being pressured to join one contest that I honestly didn't want to join but did anyways because it did sound cool, then couldn't turn in my entry form because I wasn't online until days later. They didn't understand why it took so long and it's no secret they were displeased with me. That upsets me more than I can say. I hate crying and I couldn't stop because everyone wants me to do stuff and I just couldn't.

The entries I could write were all turned in late and for the most part I didn't get to see them before turning them in--because Katie turned them in for me. MyNameIsInigoMontoya is honestly the best girl I know and the only reason anything could get done.

She was the one who messaged everyone for me, explaining my problems and helping me so much. All I had was my Grandmother's flip phone to talk to her through when I got the chance and she did so much. There hasn't been anyone more patient with my problem than her, which I thank so much.

Though, ShayTree was incredibly patient too. She offered me so many extra days to work on my entries and that's the best thing I ever heard that week. I would have definitely had zeroes for both my characters if not for her. Still, I'm sorry I wasn't able to turn things in on time and that one entry still isn't finished.

In short, I'm sorry for this mess. I apologize for all who went through it, and that's why I'm tagging you, so you can know without me having to send the same message out tens of times.

I'm sorry for not being on or able to participate fully in these things. I'm usually always on Wattpad, so this wasn't common. It shouldn't happen again. I fully accept responsibility over any and all late entries and time spent without stuff from me that you were supposed to receive. I did not mean to upset anyone over my inabilities and I hope not to do so again.

Sorry guys(gals). :( I suck, I know.