…We are not looking for other genres of speculative fiction and we are not looking for…

So I come across a writing contest that’s right up my alley and I get all fired up about. So I dig up a story that I wanted to extend it was one of the ones I did as a writing prompt.

I read and re-read the contest entry rules and the extended The Ruins to the meet the word count requirements and had a blast while doing so. Once that was done I had three people read it and I read it out loud to two others to insure that I wouldn’t make an ass out of my self in front of a panel of judges (well not really in front of, but you get the picture.)

I read and re-read the contest entry rules. Changes were made, and I was stoked! I scoured the Internet on the correct way to submit to a contest and learned all the mistakes I’ve made in the past when submitting entries (D'oh!)

So I reformatted my mini-manuscript. I read and re-read the contest entry rules. I called my BFF and read The Ruins one more time out loud. The phone call ended in elation because we were both sure that I had written, at the very least, an award wining runner-up story!

I read and re-read the contest entry rules. I called my BFF to ask if I should include something in the body of my email, or just send it off. She suggested that I include a short bio and the cover letter in the body of the email. Sweet.

I read and reread the contest entry rules. I took a deep breath, ran spell check on the email I had just composed, attached my story, took another deep breath, and clicked send. It was 3am so I went to bed.

I was in a super good mood when I woke up, knowing that I The Ruins was going to be at the top of the pile. I read and reread the contest entry rules…we are not looking for other genres of speculative fiction and we are not looking for…

Uh Oh.

I googled the definition “speculative fiction.” I binged the term “speculative fiction.” I re-read The Ruins. I read and re-read the contest entry rules and burst into tears. I think The Ruins falls under the "other genres" of speculative fiction.

I called my BFF we googled speculative fiction together…she did what she could to try and reassure me. I was beside myself because I knew I'm not going to place in this contest. Not because I didn't write a good story, I did, however I wrote a good story outside the contest guidelines (queue the tears and violins)

I have no idea what genre I write in. I thought The Darkness was a horror novel, but I was told by a close friend of mine that The Darkness isn’t scary but it’s suspenseful another friend of mine said he thought it was a little scary but he thought it was Science Fiction.

A romance novel can be frightening; a thriller can be science fiction, an action book can be a love story, a comedy can he horrifying…with it being so easy to cross and blend genres its no wonder I’m walking around lost with no real home.

Maybe my writing is crossed and blended like my racial heritage. I'm proud to be Black, Mexican, Am Indian and white (Irish) maybe its a good thing that my horror is also sprinkled with science fiction, has religious undertones, has a pinch of comedy and blended with the supernatural.

But still...it would have been kick ass to place in that contest.