GUTGAA Critique Groups and Final Prizes!

Now that GUTGAA has come to an end I've been able to relax, spend time with my family and begin plotting a new novel. Life is good! I hope everyone enjoyed all the festivities over the past month. I know I did! There were so many requests made! I really couldn't be happier...unless you all land agents and grab book deals from it:)

I apologize for not being at my best toward the end of the blogfest. I wasn't able to get to the last prizes so I'm doing that now. Check HERE to see if you won:)

Also, to those that helped out with GUTGAA, I can't thank you enough. I SERIOUSLY wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys! I wish I could list everyone, but there were just sooooo many. Please know how very grateful I am to you!

Now, for critique groups. I've finally been able to out them together and I did so based on the info you all gave me. Thanks for your patience with this.

I will list the groups below. Please go find the names on the initial sign up list HERE. There you can read their interests as well as contact info. If an email address was left I'll put it beside the name as well. It is my sincere hope that these groups work out, but if not, I'm very sorry:( You are welcome to try to contact anyone on the list yourself and look for yourself to find your perfect match.

Group 1
Connie Dowell - cgbdowell (at) gmail (dot) com
Heather B (Heather Brady)

Group 2
Fel Wetzig - fwetzig@scotzig.com
Diana Riggins - sjledge2@aol.com
Bobbi Romans - vitch36@embarqmail.com

Group 3
Kathryn Blake - krbfeedback@kathrynrblake.com
Misa Buckley - misa.buckley@gmail.com

Group 4
L. Dean Pace French - deanfrech@aol.com
Carrie-Anne - CarrieAnne79@yahoo.com
Katie J.H. Teller - katiejteller@hotmail.com
Robbie Macniven - r.d.macniven@live.co.uk

Group 5
Abby Cavenaugh - abscavenaugh@yahoo.com
Karma Brown

Group 6
T.J. - t.j.loveless@gmail.com
Todd R. Moody - kardaen@gmail.com
Cregg Stuart Hardwick - cStuartHardwick@earthlink.net

Group 7
Kim - marianmlibrarian@gmail.com
Aldrea - aldreaalien(at)yahoo.co.nz
Kay Kauffman - kaysielynn@suddenlytheyalldied.com

Group 8
Amy Cavenaugh - amycavenaugh@gmail.com
Melissa Sugar - sugarlaw67@yahoo.com
Hunter Emkay - hunteremkay@gmail.com
Daniel - daniel.lawrence.baker@gmail.com

Group 9
Jeri Walker-Bickett - jeriwb@gmail.com
Jenny - jenny.c.herrera@gmail.com
Mia Siegert - siegert.mia@gmail.com

Group 10
Selim Yeniceri - gorre_7@hotmail.com
Amanda Salisbury - salisburyfreelance@gmail.com
Dr. Margaret Aranda - drmargaretaranda@yahoo.com

Group 11
Cheryl Hettick - koevoetfamily@hotmail.com
Heather Riffle - heather.sizemore1@gmail.com

Group 12
Jen Haight - jenn.haight1602@gmail.com
Ellen Rozek - ellenmrozek@gmail.com
Jess Schira - naggingdilemma@yahoo.com
Meagan - meagan@happyowlbooks.com
Jodie Andrefski - paradoxgrl@gmail.com

Group 13
Kissed by Ink - kissedbyink@gmail.com
Emily Mead - emily.mead3@live.com.au

Group 14
Beth Pond - bethpond90@aol.com
Diana Gallagher - diana.m.gallagher@gmail.com

Group 15
Jodie Andrefski - paradoxgrl@gmail.com
Jenna - fansoffiction@hotmail.com

Group 16
Quixcy - ashleyposton90@gmail.com
Jenfromtheblock - kreftci@att.net
Connie - connieannmichael@gmail.com
Lyla - lima_bean_13@yahoo.com

Group 17
Jadzia Brandli - jadzia.brandli@Visucomm.net
Rebecca Ethington - contact@rebeccaethington.com

Group 18
priyakanaparti - pkanaparti@gmail.com
Lindsey Frydman - LindseyMFrydman@gmail.com

Group 19
Amanda Foody - akfoody@gmail.com
Anime - thatgirlani@gmail.com

Group 20
Meghan Kirkland - kirkyland@gmail.com 
Brinda Berry - brinda@brindaberry.com

Group 21
Ruth Anne Frost - ruthann.frost@gmail.com
Heather M Bryant - heather_b@live.com.au
Sarah J. - sjc@sarahjclift.com

Group 22
Jessica Becker - jessicabeckerbooks@gmail.com
Jessica Foster - jessica.foster45@yahoo.com
Johana Vera - johana.vera.garcia@hotmail.com
Meghan Drummond - medrummond@gmail.com

Group 23
Stacey Nash - contact@staceynash.com
Kathleen - gaelicfairie@gmail.com
Paula Sangare - psangare51@gmail.com
Virginia Boecker - virginia@virginiaboecker.com
Lauren Spieller - lauren.spieller@gmail.com

Group 24
Rebecca Fyfe - Rebecca@Fyfe.net
Donna L Martin - donasdays@gmail.com

Group 25
Brandon Stenger - b.stenger@gmail.com
Craig Schmidt - craigschmidt@msn.com

Group 26
Rachel - racheljipso@gmail.com
VikLit - viklitblog@gmail.com
Sara - riouch.sara@gmail.com
Alex Brown - alex.brown815@gmail.com

Critique and Beta Connections

If you're here for the Meet and Greet, follow this LINK

Looking to sign up for GUTGAA? Go HERE

Questions about GUTGAA? Look to your right and you will find the Helpful GUTGAA links. 

All I've wanted to do is scream with joy and give each one of my Gutgann's (a name one of you geniuses came up with:) a massive hug. You all seem to be having such a good time getting to know each other and making writer connections in the Meet and Greet. It just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. So naturally, I want to continue the love fest and take things one step further. Get your minds out of the gutter people, not that way.  

Critique and BETA Connections

I know when I began writing seriously five years ago, I had no clue what a BETA reader was, much less where to find a critique group. Not only that, but I was embarrassed to ask because I didn't want to look like an idiot. 

Don't be like me. There are no idiots here. For those of you that need a little schooling, here are some basic definitions of a critique partner and a BETA reader:

Critique Partner/Group

A critique partner is typically a fellow writer who is giving you an objective opinion and generally focuses more on improving the craft of your writing as well as editing and clarity. 

BETA Reader: 

1. A BETA reader is there to give you a reader's perspective on your story, which is entirely subjective. Did they like it? How did they feel about the characters? How about the pacing? At any point were they confused or thrown out of the story?
2. A BETA reader is often NOT A WRITER, just someone who is widely read in the genre you write in and whose opinion you trust.

However, as anyone who's been in a critique group or who's had a good BETA reader knows, sometimes the lines are blurred. But generally, the guidelines are: 

Subjective = BETA Reader 

Objective = Critique Partner/Group

Rosslyn Elliot has great in depth answers to all these questions on her blog if you want to check it out.

Here's the fun part...

Today, myself and Ellie Heller, (a fellow GUTGAA buddy) will be lending a hand to those of you that are lacking in the BETA/critique department by helping you make some connections.

Here's what you do:

If you are a writer looking for a critique partner or group, please answer the following questions in the comments section below. If you are looking for BETA readers, please keep reading past this.

1) Name and a one sentence intro of who you are.

2) What do you write (age target and general genres).

3) Are you ready to jump right in and begin submitting your work to another?

4) Are you looking for a critique partner or a group?

5) Would you prefer to submit weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or as needed? And how much would you like to submit each time (chapter, 2 chapters, etc)?

6) What kind of critique feedback are you looking for?

7) How can I contact you? (email)

I'd also suggest linking to your blog/website. :-)

If you're in need of a BETA reader or would like to be a BETA reader, hop over to Ellie's blog HERE and answer her questions in the comments section on her blog.

I'm not sure how long I will keep this beta/crit connection going on. It depends on how the response goes. I'm thinking through Friday. After I close this up I will go to work connecting you wonderful writers to each other. I also have no problem if you see someone listed that you would like to contact on your own. Go for it! Just let me know if you all work out so I can take your names off the list:)

I think that's about it. I hope you have fun with this and hopefully you can make some lasting relationships:)

Conference Updates

This weekend I was able to attend my first ever writer's conference. It was the SCBWI conference in Nashville, TN and wow is all I've got to say! Okay, it isn't even close to all I have to say. If you haven't been to one you REALLY should try to go. It was not only a wonderful learning experience, but being around writers...and not just any writers, but writers that write for the same age and genre, is almost zen-like:)
Not only did I leave feeling I learned more, but I left with a sense of, I can do this! No, it isn't always easy but it is possible.

Some highlights that I constantly want to sqee over:

-I did a class with agent Tina Wexler (I love her by the way!) called First Pages where a person randomly reads submissions of first pages and then Tina crits them. Well I got there late and had to sit in the very front so I got a great view of what she was pulling out of the box and wouldn't you know, the first one was mine! Yep, I literally felt like I was in a scene from a novel. My heart was thumping so hard it was in my mouth. I've never had my work read out loud before so this was just crazy! What was even crazier was her response. She was smiling as she took the microphone and said something along the lines of, "I guess you can tell when I like something from my smile." Nuh uh! She liked it! Then she said my descriptions were evocative and so on and I don't remember because I was about to explode from the inside out:) She did have a crit about the grammar in one sentence and stupid me was so freaked out by the whole experience that I don't ever remember what it was. Oh well. I'll figure it out.

- Another class just like that but with queries, done by the fab Erin Murphy, had my query at the end of the stack. Not nearly as mind boggling that way just so you know. Well, low and behold, she had great feedback too! Said it was an ambitious story and my personality showed through and it was a good personality and that's a plus and that she would request more pages. Woot!

- For lunch Erin Murphy came and sat at our lunch table. She is just cool people how laid back she is. One tip I learned from her at lunch. Don't EVER slide a manuscript under the bathroom stall of an agent when their doing their biz:)

- I took part in my first face-to-face crit group and got amazing feed back and some things I know I have to work on.

-I made awesome connections and gave out loads of business cards for beta reader hook-ups.

The whole weekend was made of cool. And guess what? I didn't puke once:)

I can't wait to go to another one!

Until next time...
Keep writing. Keep learning.

Full Book Critique

I am super duper pumped!!!  Let me tell you why...

I have done it.  I finally edited my book enough on my own that I feel satisfied to send the whole thing out into the world for some other opinions.  I am scared to death, let me tell you!  I spend enough time telling myself that it could be better and to possibly get a confirmation from others that it's true is terrifying, but you know what?  It has to be done.  I can only learn and grow from this process right?  These are the baby steps that I need to take in order to really become a great writer.  If I live in my own cocoon then I will never grow. 

For anyone out there looking for some awesome critique groups I am part of two.

A Writer's Block is a group that I joined last year and we do a chapter critique a month.  I love this group for grammar and immediate insight per chapter.  Plus as I have gotten to know these ladies I have grown to love them.  They're awesome!!!

Mormon Mommy Writer's is the other group I am a member of.  I am fairly new to this group but still just as excited about it.  Personally, for m this group will help me because I am writing an LDS Romance and this group can relate to that kind of perspective.  You don't have to be a Mormon to be a member of this group however.  With MMW, they have a critique group for chapters as well as a full book critique.  I opted for the full critique and hopefully can get some tips on my book as a whole.