On this day of days (if you’re an Aussie) when the nation stops for a horse race (and gambles hugely) I thought it only fitting to announce the winner of a copy of Courting Trouble from the Darkside Blog Hop last week. And the winner is … Flanagan 🙂 Congratulations!

Today is probably set to break gambling records here in Australia. Not only is the Melbourne Cup running, but we have a $100 million prize pool for Oz Lotto. I’ve got to confess, I bought a ticket. If you don’t here from me again … I won … and fell off the chair, bumping my head and losing the ability to blog. Don’t worry, it’s highly unlikely 😉

But thinking about gambling, and the thrills and spills of taking risks, made me think how similar that is to writing. Not that it’s a gamble (though there is an element of luck in which books take off for the stratosphere in sales), but that there’s so much you can’t control.

For a control freak *looks in mirror* *shrieks: “That’s me!”* that is a scary concept. But it’s also thrilling. There’s no risk quite like putting you heart out there in your work and waiting to see how it’s received.

Yes, writing is a craft, a profession, but it also has heart. As much as authors learn that they are not their work and criticism of it is separate to criticism of them, the uncertainty and risk of writing remains.

Who knew? I’m an adrenaline junkie 🙂

So on this day when anyone might be a winner, I’m wishing you the best of luck in whatever you’re dreaming to achieve.