Friday, July 8, 2011

Winner for Week 1 and Sign-ups for Week 2



How smart do you think I am now?  After visiting each of the 50 blogs who signed up for the week one shindig, I'm pretty darn smart...or extremely frazzled.  Take your pick.  I learned one very important thing.  How much I still have to learn!  Thanks to everyone who participated in week 1 and made my brain churn that much harder!  I seriously love you guys:)

And now it's time to do a little dance for the winner of our first critique giveaway! 


Yay for you!  Email me, Catherine, and I will get you and Margot Finke connected so you can collect your very valuable winnings:) 

As for everyone else who commented, you will not walk away empty handed.  Margot is giving each of you a pdf of her new children's adventure!  Be on the lookout in your emails.
On to the next item of biz...
***
Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Week 2

Story Chain

Are you ready to take the blogfest into second gear by getting those creative juices flowing?  The story chain is going to get you there.  Everyone who signs up will have a part to play and we will take this story through fun twists and turns and see where we end up.

Don't know what a story chain is? 
Basically it is a story written by a chain of people.  I give you a set of things to work with in your specific chain, you write it, then the next person takes over where you've left off until we have a complete story.  Here are the specifics to this chain.

The Rules:
-Sign up in the week 2 linky below and beside your name let me know the best time for you to post your portion of the chain on your blog so I can get a list made up of who goes when.  A note on the time: You don't have to post exactly at that time, just BY that time so the next person in line can follow.  So if you want to post in the morning but your time isn't until 12pm than that is fine because it will be ready when the next person is ready.

-Today through Monday, as the sign-ups come in, I will make assignments for each participants portion of the story chain along with a time to post for Wednesday.

-While I'm working studiously behind the scenes, get to know your fellow blogmates, stop by their blogs, follow them, make connections.

-I will post the final list on Wednesday (I know I already said this but repetition is a good thing), which will have your time to post.  If the time doesn't work for you, let me know in the comments section. 

-If you miss your time during the fest then the next person in line will go when he/she is assigned and sadly you will have to bow out of this blogfest round  :( 

-The length of each post should be between 10-100 words.

How do I know what to post for my story?  Well Lora Rivera, writing buddy, fellow blogfester and  lit agent in a past life helped me come up with a splendid idea. 

Here it is:

-We are going to write a story and like any story we will have a protagonist (main character). 

-This protag will have something that he/she wants (a goal).  This will be the thing that carries him/her through the story.  These two things will be a constant throughout the story chain (the protag and the goal).

-Your part will come when I throw things out to each of you to work into the story while still trying to make the protag reach their goal.  For ex: Protag (goal)wants to make it to work on time BUT (this is the 'thing' I throw out) a car revs its engine and heads full speed in his/her direction.

-Important note: Aside from provocative and lewd scenes that are not allowed, I want this to be your individual creations, so if I send a car toward the protag and you don't want it, it will be up to you for the protag to dodge the vehicle.  Makes sense so far?  If not ask questions below:)

Alrighty then moving on...

-Along with the 'things' I throw at you, you will also have three specific words you have to use in your piece.

So let me give you a full example of an assignment I will give...

*This is only an example*

Lora Rivera
Time to post: 10AM
Protag: Johnny Appleseed
Goal: To get to work on time

Event for you to deal with: A car revs its engine and heads full speed at Johnny

Words to use: pickle, full-blown, castle 

-One more thing, everyone will see the list and times they are to post on Wednesday, so if you aren't the last person on the list, don't end the story.  I'd also like to have a crisis and climax in the mix as well so if you see your spot and think it is a good place for something like that, by all means bust it out!

-Oh and one more, one more last thing, if you want to do this through Twitter than go for it!  When you sign up just put your twitter address in the linky and still put the time by your name.  When you post on Twitter just use the hashtag #GetanAgentBlogfest so the person who posts after you will know where to look. 

How does this sound?  Confusing?  Fun? Again, I'll answer any questions.  Ask away.

***

Prize for Week 2 

Rach Harrie, Crusade guru will be giving away a double query critique! And by double I mean she will critique it not once, but TWICE. This should really get you geared up for week three...
-If you haven't signed up for the blogfest yet and you want to now, go here to sign up and let me know your blog address, twitter, if you have one (tweeting under the hash #GetanAgentBlogfest) ,and what you write. ex: YA Urban Fantasy and I'll get you signed up!

Until then...
Keep learning.  Keep writing.


22 comments:

Alleged Author said...

How are you able to make your post show up now and it says Friday? Ugh. Mine says 2:32pm Thursday, and I JUST wrote it. So annoying.

Deana said...

Cara, you may need to change your time settings. Do you have blogger? If so it is fairly easy...Go into your dashboard, then to settings and formatting. That should do it.

Unknown said...

Can this be done on twitter? I'm assuming we have to write our pieces on the blog the problem is next week is the release of Harry Potter (yes I'm a fan) so all my posts will be dedicated to it... so can we possibly do the story chain on the blog??? Where each person just comes in one after the other and they pick up where we left off??? Or just do it twitter style...

Or should I just forgo adding my name to the list? Feel free to email me so I can figure it all out...hehe.

Loralie Hall said...

Sounds like awesome fun ^_^ I really can do ANY time after 8 am because I'll just write my post then and schedule it - it looks like a lot of people can do morning slots, so I can do later.

Looking forward to this so much!

Christina Mercer said...

When will the actual posting times begin? My concern is if it's after Wednesday next week, I won't be avail. for a few days. But I could do a Wed. eve. post.

Otherwise, I'll just wait and participate in week three ;-)

Deana said...

Jen- Yes you can do it through Twitter, just sign up with your twitter link instead of your blog and use the hash #GetanAgentBlogfest. I changed the rules above to let others know they can do it through Twitter also.

Loralie- The time is mainly to make sure you have yours posted before the next person. So if you can do yours early then post it early by all means. Just as long as it is posted before the next persons it will be great!

Christina- If you need to post early, that is fine. As I told Loralie above, the times are mainly to make sure that your post will be up before the next person in line. So go ahead and participate:)

Michelle Fayard said...

Although I won't be able to participate in this week's portion of the blogfest, I can't wait to read the finished result! And congratulations, Catherine; I'm delighted you were selected as the winner for Week 1. :)

Michelle

Kristi's Book Nook said...

Looking forward to round 2!

amber said...

Uhhhhh I already didn't follow the rules! I can post before 3 pm ET.

Unknown said...

If the story has to be on Wednesday, anytime after 6PM would work for me. I have two doctors appointments during the day.
Thanks.

A.J. Locke said...

I forgot to write the time next to mine, anytime after 2pm

Theresa Milstein said...

I'm going to be away next week, so I'm going to have to see if I'll have the time. If I do, I'll return to sign up!

The East Coaster said...

Oh man, this is such a cool idea. Looking forward to reading the finished product!

Jaye Robin Brown said...

It's totally confusing to me! But I signed up and hopefully I'll get it right :0) - let the madness begin.

Leslie S. Rose said...

Deana, you are a creative machine. What a cool activity.

lindy said...

Okay, apparently I'm linky challenged today. I swear I put the times in before I hit submit, but whatever. I'm losing it! Anywhere between 12-2pm CT, please.

Sounds like fun! So I don't screw this up let me make sure I have it right. We are to read the post in the chain that is written just before ours, and proceed from their stopping point, while incorporating the 'event' and the three words you will provide us with?

Poetic Soul said...

Great blog you got here, I really wanna join and as soon as I get the hang of it I will.

lindy said...

Hi Deana! Sorry! I forgot about some swimming lessons that start this week. Could you set my time closer to 2pm? Thanks so much!

Donna K. Weaver said...

I'm very confused, but I'm guessing you'll clarify for us as we approach Wednesday.

Won't we need to see what the previous person has written to know what to write?

Kate Larkindale said...

I'm not sure my time showed up, but probably the earlier the better for me since I'm a day ahead of the US as far as time zones go....

Anonymous said...

Oh no Deana! I hit send before posting my time! :) I can post by 5pm (I'm in Texas). Hope that helps!
KP

Anonymous said...

Sounds fun. Can't wait to read the final product. I'll show up at 7 am PST.