GUTGAA: Week 1 - Let's Get our Meet and Greet On!

It's Meet and Greet Time, Writers!!!

Who's ready to get to know each other? I feel like we've already bonded...in a way. It's our writing that links us and which has brought us together for this six week blogfest. But just as our writing journeys differ, so do we all. And it's those differences that develop lasting friendships and writing partners. (How's that for deep?)

So...

Who's ready to meet some writers?

 Here are the rules as a reminder:

-You must first sign up on on the master GUTGAA linky list found HERE (this is so I know who is participating in any one part of the blogfest).

- Then, sign up on the Meet and Greet  linky list HERE (meaning you will have signed up on two different lists in order to participate). You can jump in any time this week, sign up and join the introductions.

-Copy the questions below and paste them in your Meet and Greet post along with a mini bio about yourself. If you don't like these questions, make up your own.

-You will have from Monday, Sept 3rd- Friday, Sept 7th to visit other's blogs and get to know them. Have fun and visit as many as you can!

Here is mine...

Me Doing Me!

What is 'me doing me' exactly? HA! Your guess is as good as mine. I'm 33 years old, married with two kids, and still trying to figure out who I am. But that's okay, because I love being an imperfect, constantly evolving human who still enjoys the thrill of discovering something new about myself. 

 What I have already figured out, though, is that I'm a loner, daydreamer, reader, family gal, 90's hip hop fan and guess what else? I love to write - to invent stories and characters. Gah! There's nothing like creating people and places, then throwing them into tumultuous situations. What's even better is learning that your characters and your story impacted another. And that's one of the main reasons I'm throwing this blogfest. Because if you haven't felt the thrill of that yet, and you're a writer. YOU MUST!!!!

Now for the questions...

-Where do you write? At my desk in the basement.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see? Well, I'm visiting family in Atlanta so I can't honestly do this. BUT, I will imagine I did and what I see is my computer that crashed two weeks ago. I went and picked it up from the Geek Squad last week (fixed), but the crash erased everything so I can't use it again until the programs are installed again.

-Favorite time to write? Morning. My brain hasn't started to overheat yet.

-Drink of choice while writing? Diet Pepsi all the way!

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence? I wish I could say I listen to music, but I'm waaay to easily distracted. Silence is my writing friend. The music comes before and after.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it? I gain my ideas from anywhere and everywhere and I really hope I don't upset anyone by saying this, but my latest idea came from events surrounding the Aurora, CO movie shootings. Nothing about the shooting itself, just a tiny thing really. And it brought about this crazy, absurd story I'm obsessed with. Please know, however, the guilt I feel is pretty massive, that such a scary time for so many brought about one of my stories. My heart goes out to all those affected by that horrific tragedy. Whew, that made me nervous saying that, but I couldn't lie about the question.

-What's your most valuable writing tip? Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. If you haven't read it, you MUST! It changed my life as a writer!!!

Welp, that's me in a very small nut shell! I can't wait to learn more about you!

Reminder:

Wednesday I will be posting some information about getting connected with beta readers and crtique partners if you're interested.

Sure, I Can Do That...

I think it only fitting to share with you some of the things I took away from this past weekends writer's conference I attended. Since...well...they were awesome!

The biggest thing that's sticking with me is from a motivational talk Kevin Anderson did. If you don't know him, you should. He is AMAZING. He's written over 50 books and been on the best seller list over 50 times. Those are some crazy odds!

And the way he tells it. He started young. He never gave up. Even after he got an agent. Even after he was published. He didn't sit back and smile in his new author status and say, "I made it!".

No. He went full force. If he was asked to do something, he said, "Sure, I can do that." He made major bank, but still continued to say, "Sure, I can do that." He said it was this 'go get it' attitude that allowed for more and more opportunities to flow his way.

I love this idea! The fact that his resume is longer than most short stories and that he is still willing to learn and grow and DO. What an inspiration! Not just in writing, but in life. And one I hope to carry with me throughout my own.

What about you? If you were uber loaded down with money and sittin' pretty on the best sellers list, would you say, "Sure, I can do that."?

Stay tuned next week for a giveaway here on my blog. Let's just say, you will enjoy this one if your headed to your own conference in the near future.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Free For All!

source

I have dreams of the perfect writing day.

For me it would be waking up after 8AM to a roaring thunderstorm pounding on the roof, creating the only noise in an otherwise quiet house. The day has to be overcast and dark so I don't have any desire to head outside.The kids, hubs and dog have conveniently decided to go on an all day outing and would have already left. I don't have breakfast to make, a toddler to usher to the potty, a seven-year-old's hair to brush as she complains or a dog to walk. Just me, a Diet Pepsi, my computer and focus.

Ah, the perfect day. Maybe it will happen. One day.

What about you? What would your perfect writing day consist of?

Warm Fuzzies: Week 4 and a Mix-Up

Before I get into the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest...
Last week was my final Firsts Fridays post, at least for the time being. Well...sike! I realized yesterday that I have one more lovely writer to interview so join me Friday for the real last Firsts Fridays with author, Damyanti.

Now, on to Warm Fuzzies. This week is the final week of Juliana Brandt's super fun blogfest. Here is our assignment:
This week, post what makes writing worth it for you and most importantly, post one of your Warm Fuzzy moments. It can be a scene from a WIP, short story, poem, anything that strikes your fancy. Visit one another’s posts and enjoy the writing you find there.

This assignment for me is like taking a sneak peak at Heaven and then being asked to describe it in detail. What words have we possibly invented on this earth to describe something like that?
That's how it is for me when I try to explain why I wake up every morning revelling in the thought of sitting down to a blank screen with just my imagination. It's why I go to bed at night reworking scenes in my head. It's why I wake up in the middle of the night to scribble dreams down or better yet, the perfect words that had eluded me until three in the morning.
It's a whirlwind romance and a long lasting marriage. It's that itch you can't ignore and when you find the spot and scratch it's bliss, but when you can't find it you drive yourself mad searching.
What can I say? I love to write and I love to hate writing. I wish it were more eloquent and fantastic than that, but its really a manic obsession, an obhorent addicition that I can't get get my fill of but I will keep trying.

What about you? If you're a writer what is it about the craft that keeps you doing it? If you aren't a writer, what is your passion you can't go on living without?

Juliana would also like us to post some work and since I am a big baby about posting my stuff I'm going to make mine short and sweet. One line from my current WIP, Ripple Effect:

Her eyes are ablaze and I don’t know who she is in that body of hers, but she wants a piece of me, and not in a good way.

#wipmadness

I have just joined up with the ever inspiring #wipmadness group. The mastermind of it all? Angelina Hansen.  You may have seen the hashtag on Twitter, if not you should check it out!
Amazing goals are set and a host is picked every month to have Monday accountability posts. This month Lora Rivera is hosting on her site so if you are needing some major motivation with your WIP, I highly suggest heading over there.

What about you all? Where are you at with your WIP goals?

Bloghop Fun!

Luck would have it that I get to co-host not one, but two fantastic blogfests for the month of October! The Killer Characters Blogfest that I am co-hosting with E.R. King, I have already posted about...which by the way you should totally sign up for. By telling us about your most Killer Character in literary history you will get the chance to win a critique from Elana Johnson. Whaaa? Yep, no lie.


The second blogfest I am helping out with has come from a group of us from Rach Harrie's Writers Campaign and you may remember one similar to it from a few months ago as the Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop. Join in on a journey of choices as you hop from blog to blog making up your own adventure as you go. Should be an adventure to say the least:) More details to to come!


But that's not all....

Is it just me or do you notice everywhere in the blog-o-sphere there is some awesome blogfest to join in on? Seriously, there are so many I can't do them all, but I want to! So I thought I would spread the love and let you know of some of my faves that have crept up. Enjoy bloghopping!

Juliana Brandt is hosting a fabulous Warm Fuzzies blogfest where we get to celebrate our unique writer side. She has a slew of prizes and giveaways from a 30 page editors edit to a full blog makeover! You have got to get in on this one!


Fighter writer, J.C. Martin, Flash Fiction Author Lisa Vooght, and Storyteller and author, Stuart Nager are hosting a blogfest for fiction writers to, in their words, "Showcase their skills and receive comments on their work." This one is called the Rule of Three Blogfest.



And the last one I am going to mention (but there are so many more), is the I Love Dark YA Blogfest hosted by YAtopia's Kelley York, Heather McCorkle and Christa Desir. I think the title speaks for itself so get over there and sign up. The fun will happen on Wednesdays.

Who Do You Write Like?

I write like
Chuck Palahniuk

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

My totally cool writing pal Marcie Bridges shared this link with me and I love it so much I thought today I would share it with you.

You may have already heard of the I Write Like site where you paste a portion of your writing and it gives you a famous author you write like. Well, I'm sure I am no way close to being as awesome as Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club or Issac Asimov, author of I Robot (he is the author I got when I entered a portion of my first MS into the dealy. How cool is that?). But still, a girl can dream!

I thought you all might find it cool. Check it out, it only takes a second to do. I'd love it if you'd tell me...
Who do you write like?

Firsts Fridays: Jen Daiker

This is no kidding, my guest today for Firsts Fridays is AMAZING. She truly inspires me by her blogging and writing. Read on and I think you will agree.

Let us get to know the too cool for school….JEN DAIKER! You may know her from her very popular blog UNEDITED.

Tell me she isn’t funny. Just read what she has to say about herself:

I love to lie. Wait a minute, I love to tell stories, yup that's my calling. I spend my days day dreaming of distant lands, fairies, witches and that one handsome prince who will whisk each and everyone of my characters off their feet and into a more beautiful place. Why write of reality and live in reality when there are so many possibilities through imagination. They call me crazy, but I call myself a writer. This is my life on paper.

DB: Jen, you are so awesome for letting me pick your brain. Thanks!

Let’s talk about platform…

You have a great platform through your blog—a slew of followers—and word on the street is this happened in a matter of months. Could you share with us your wisdom on how you did such an amazing feat and how you keep it up?

JD: *Blushes* I can’t get past the fact people talk about me on the streets, how cool is that? I am lucky enough to have been blogging for a year and have all wonderful people following me. I have to say I have so much fun with it I couldn’t imagine giving it up. I started it as inspiration to find myself. Now it’s a part of me. If you love to blog, then blog, if you don’t, then don’t. People know when you aren’t in to it. They’re like vampires, instead of feeding off blood; they’ll feed off the negativity.

DB: So it sounds to me like your love for blogging has people feeling the happy vibes. I really couldn’t agree more. I have visited blogs where you get this weird vibe. Strange, but true.

What is your take on a fiction writer having a platform? Do you think this will help you when you get your dream agent (which no doubt it right around the cornerJ)

JD: I think it’s a great way for the agent to get to know your personality and work ethic, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Many agents ask you not to force it. Like I said before, if you don’t feel it, don’t do it. Blogging is like a job, it’s a lot to keep up, if you’re not willing to put in the effort, it won’t make it. Focus on what you love, if that’s writing, the agent will love you no matter what. After all, they’re looking for a book to sell, not a blog. HOWEVER, it doesn’t hurt to have one J

DB: Very good advice!

How do you time manage your writing with your blog, Twitter and any other platform avenues you use?

JD: Saturdays I write all my posts. I’m a M-F blog poster, so everything is pre-scheduled. Sometimes I’ll even have a month of posts set up. Twitter happens while I’m sitting on the couch with my hubby. Writing happens every morning, thirty minutes before work, and every fifteen minute break I can get. When I’m inspired I can write 10K in one sitting at home (hubby cooks dinner those nights). I use facebook, but more to lurk, and it’s for family. It’s all about knowing your limits. I wish I could comment around the blogging world but if I want time to write I have to let go of it. It’s the hardest thing to let go of too. I still struggle daily.

DB: It sounds like you are winning the battle though. So dang organized!

Getting to know the writer in you…

What is your writing style? Do you write every day, are you a plotter or a pantster, etc?

I write when I feel it, and when I feel it, days of silence set in until it’s finished. I used to be a panster, but recently a plotter. Every book is different for me. No matter what, I write fast. My slowest book written was 14 days, my shortest was 5 days. Ranging from 60K – 120K (and no, the 14 days was not for novel sitting at 120K).

DB: Holy smokes girl 14 days?! That is IMPRESSIVE!

You are shopping agents for chick lit right now, how is the querying going?

JD: Right now I’m learning about the agents and who best suits me. I decided to go through another round of revisions before sending it off into the world. I believe everyone is different and my first experience with querying showed just how new I was. My idea was too unique for agents to take on, however, the newest novel is getting a lot of attention from readers about how relatable it is, and I already have an agent lined up who is interested. Sometimes the world of blogging and tweeting pays off!

DB: Oh YAY! I’m sure we will be hearing about you landing an agent on your blog soon no doubtJ

Just for fun…

Can you tell us something we just have to know about Jen Daiker?

JD: I’ll share three odd things about myself: I don’t eat condiments, nope, not even on French fries. I have a friend who designs shoes for me based on the characters and stories I write (all are ridiculously awesome and one day I think they’ll sell, she’s brilliant). Licking fingers grosses me out, if I eat pizza or Cheetos I’ll wash my hands directly after – take me to a wings place? Forget about it… not a chance!

DB: Wow, all these are interesting, but I think you’ve got every girls attention on the shoes! I want a friend like thatJ

Thanks so much for doing this interview Jen! You are one of kindJ

JD: You’ve been a fabulous host! Thank you so much for having me!!

If you are like me and want to stalk Jen...I kid, I kid:) But seriously...here is her Blog one more time and her Twitter

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

Oh, and guess what? I'll have internet again Monday!  YES!!!

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! 

Catherine Johnson

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.



Motivation

For me, motivation to write comes in many forms. 

Some examples:
- There's something about sitting in a dark theater with a hundred or so people, all of you ready to watch a new story unfold on a screen as big as a house.  The thought just makes me giddy with the motivation bug. 

- When I read a book in a day because I can't put it down, because the words sing to me like the most addictive siren song I have ever heard, I want to do nothing but write something that may move another in the same way.

-I'm also an observer of people.  Watching the interactions of a husband and wife shopping together or a group of girls out to dinner is magic to my writing juices.  Wondering where they came from, what they are talking about and what they plan on doing in their future...well, it's inspiration in its purest form!  To me.

- I was reading someones blog the other day and the way they came about their inspiration inspired me too. 

So as you can see, tons of ways I can be motivated to write.

What about you?  What gets you excited to create another page, and another, and another until you have thousands of words and your own masterpiece?

Firsts Fridays: Rockin Debut Author Jennifer Hiller and ARC Giveaway!

If you haven't signed up for the Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest, now's your time!

It's that time again and boy have I got a Firsts Fridays doozy for you!  If you don't know Jennifer Hiller yet, what are you waiting for?  This girl is fab squared, just check her out (sadly I couldn't get her pic to download so I opted for her killer --no pun intended-- book cover instead).  Head over to her blog to check out her beautiful face and much more.

Jennifer was born in Toronto, which is where she spent the first three decades of her life. When her husband was offered a transfer to Seattle, she didn't know which would be worse: leaving Canada or moving to the West coast. She spent her first few months on American soil bemoaning her existence and writing her first novel. Now nicely settled in the Pacific Northwest, the only thing she misses — other than family and friends — is snow.
A member of International Thriller Writers, she's always been drawn to dark fiction, even though she sleeps with the lights on when her husband isn't home.

DB: Congrats on your debut novel Creep!  Can you tell us a little bit about it?


JH: Creep is a psychological thriller about a popular college professor who is stalked and terrorized by her teaching assistant. (Hey! I think I actually remembered my elevator pitch for once!)

DB: Ooo that really is creepy! 

Can you tell us about the process for Creep being born, from the first write to becoming a debut author?

JH: I started writing Creep back in the summer of 2008. I woke up with an idea about a serial killer and thought I’d bang out a short story. What I ended up with was a first chapter. Five months later, I had a completed first draft. With the help of a workshop I took through Gotham Writers in NYC, I revised the heck out of it, and ended up with a pretty polished seventh draft by the fall of 2009. I was ready to start querying, but I was terrified to jump in, even though I had written a query letter and had a detailed spreadsheet with a couple hundred agents I’d researched all ready to go.

I queried close to one hundred agents over a three-month period, sending out my queries in batches of about twenty each time. Half the agents rejected me. Ten requested. One offered. I blogged about getting The Call here: http://www.jenniferhillier.ca/2010/02/call_08.html.

My agent and I worked on another two rounds of revisions for Creep before going on submission on April 30, 2010. My book sold exactly two months later. And now, a year later, the book is about to come out! Creep will be available in stores on July 5, 2011.

I still can’t believe it all really happened.

DB: I honestly never tire of hearing these amazing stories.  Talk about motivation!

How do you go about writing?  Are you a plotter or a pantster and how long did it take you to finish the novel?

JH: On my own, I wrote seven drafts, which took fourteen months. Another two revisions with Victoria took an additional three months. I’m a pantster, but I’d love to be a plotter. As fun as it is to write a first draft organically (I love surprising myself!), second drafts are a nightmare for me. Once I get into the third draft, though, it’s fun, because by then the story structure is in place and it’s just a matter of making the prose as polished and shiny as possible. For my final draft, I print out the entire manuscript and read the whole thing out loud to myself. And I always edit with a purple ink pen.

DB: Did you read that readers?  Even the successful ones have draft after draft. 

What do you think has helped you develop your talent enough to become a published author?

JH: Workshopping helped a lot. I got my work ripped to shreds many times over, and while the feedback wasn’t always easy to take, it made my writing so much stronger (and my skin that much thicker). I also read extensively in my genre – I’m a huge fan of thriller authors like Jeffery Deaver, Chelsea Cain, and Greg Iles – and so I felt I had a good idea of what type of book would be marketable. In the end, I wrote the book that I really wanted to read.

DB: Can you tell us a little about your query letter and where you learned the most about queries?

JH: I spent a lot of time in Absolute Write’s Query Letter Hell forum reading and absorbing as much as I could about queries. I also read Janet Reid’s Query Shark blog religiously. In the end, though, I don’t think my query letter was all that strong – queries are ridiculously difficult to write! I tried out three different versions, and you can read them all here: http://www.jenniferhillier.ca/2010/03/which-query-got-me-my-agent.html. (Hint: Version A, which was actually the second version I sent out, was the one that piqued my agent’s interest).

DB: Now see, I thought that was pretty good:)

Do you have any fun plans for the debut of Creep?  If so, how can we find out how to be a part of them?

JH: I’ll be at ThrillerFest in New York the same week that Creep is released (July 8 and 9) as part of the Debut Author’s Breakfast panel. Afterward, I’ll be signing books alongside my fellow debuts. I’m excited and nervous! I was at ThrillerFest two years ago when Creep was somewhere between the third and fourth drafts, and I can’t believe I get to go back this summer as a debut novelist. It’s so surreal… but in an amazing and wonderful way.

DB: I love it!  I couldn't be more excited for you:)

Who is your agent and how do you like that working relationship?

JH: I’m repped by Victoria Skurnick of Levine Greenberg. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the woman  kicks ass! We’ve been working together for over a year now and have developed a really strong relationship. She’s been in the publishing business a long time, and her advice is always spot-on. Plus she makes me laugh. I’ll be meeting her for the first time at ThrillerFest, and I can’t wait to give her a big fat hug for all her hard work.

DB: That gave me cold chills Jennifer!  You get to finally meet her!

Just for fun…

What is something we just have to know about you?

JH: Hmmm… not that this is a big secret, but my favorite movie of all time is The Princess Bride. I can find a quote from that movie to suit any occasion. I’m always surprised when someone tells me they’ve never seen it. INCONCEIVABLE!

DB: Haha...well I HAVE seen it.  I get your obsession!

JH: Thanks so much for having me, Deana! Since my book doesn’t come out for another two weeks, I’d love to offer one of your blog readers an ARC of Creep. I’ll do a random drawing for anybody who comments below, winner to be selected on June 21^st.  

DB: How cool is that?  Even I can be suprised at my own interviews!

 

Get Out of Your Own Way!

If you haven't signed up for the Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest, now's your time!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who makes a list of writerly things to do the night before.  You know, the kind when your head hits the pillow, just before you float away to sleep you smile because this is it.  Because of this list you are finally going to get it together and make it all happen the way you want. 

Then the next day comes.  You oversleep, the baby is sick, your daughter is yelling at you because she wants to go to the pool and your husband is out of clean socks.  By the time you get the children calm and load of laundry in, your emails have piled up.  You really should check them because you don't want to get behind.  There could be some great writing info in there, maybe a tidbit on great agents and that will be important if you ever finish your novel.

Finally, all caught up, it's time to get down to business.  Oh wait, the kids are hungry.  Is it already lunchtime?  And that laundry, can't forget to put it in the dryer.  Might as well do another load while you're at it.  Oh and the house, you at least need to straighten it.

What kids?  You say you're tired of being cooped up in the house all day?  The guilt settles.  To the park you go!

Once again...kids are good, second load of laundry is drying--the rest can wait.  It really is time to write. 

Oh, hey honey.  Is it already 5:30?  Guess you'd better start dinner, clean up dinner, get the kids bathed and in bed. 

Whew!  Now you're going to do it...get one word on paper at least.  No wait, Vampire Diaries season finally is on tonight.  You can't miss that and then if you don't get in bed you won't be able to move in the morning.

Okay, fine, after you watch that you will make another list for tomorrow and this time you'll be better.  This book isn't going to write itself.

Sound like a day in your life?  If not, good for you! 

Do you get in your own way?  This example is one tiny thing I do in a long list of road blocks.  What are yours and how do you deal with them?

A couple things I do to get out of my own way are:

1)Find the writing time that works for me and stick with it.  For me this happens to be early before the kids wake up.  Talking myself out of it and sleeping in would be nice, but then writing doesn't happen when I do.  We are all different.  What is right for you?

2)Break down my writing goals into small attainable goals.  How long do you want your current novel to be?  When do you want to finish the first draft?  How many days do you plan on writing?  Figure those three things out and you will come up with a number.  Mine is 1283.  Is your number doable for you?  If not tweak some things, but get your number and stick to it.

3) Stay on course.  It is easy to get side tracked with emails, play times, phone calls and the many other things that come in our way every day.  Try setting time aside for each of these things so they don't interfere.  Then...don't cheat.  If the phone rings while you are writing, don't pick it up.  Plan play time and when it comes make it happen, don't wait.  The kids will be happier and so will you.

These are just a few things that work for me, but just like my novel, I am a work in progress so I'd love to hear from you.  What do you do to get out of your own way?

Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest Specifics

One month from today it's happening people!  We are going to put our writing caps on, sharpen our pencils (or turn on Word as the case may be) and get ready to rumble.  I'm excited, are you???

I've had two main questions come up that I will answer, as well as give the week to week deets for the blogfest.  So let's get this party started shall we....

I don't think I'm quite ready for an agent, can I still join?  Oh yea!  This blogfest is gearing up to get an agent...if that is tomorrow great.  If it is three, six, even ten years down the line, that's ok too.  We are getting ready by building our platform, moving those creative juices in our brains and, if you are to the point, working on queries and submitting part of your novel to an agent for the final contests.  You can join in on part, or all the fun...the choice is yours.  There will be critique contests at the end of each week so even if you don't have a polished manuscript or query, you can still win a critique!

How much time is needed to go into this blogfest? As much or as little as you'd like.  There will be four different mini-fests.  As I said in the previous question, you can do one or all.  It is up to you as well as the amount of time you take visiting other blogs, making connections and building your platform.

Now we're going to get down to the nitty-gritty.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click on the button above or go here.

Here is the layout for the blogfest...

Week 1:
I Just had to ask...
What burning questions (about writing of course) do you have?  It doesn't matter how ridiculous you think it may be, just ask.  Post the question on your blog and we will hop around the blogs trying to help each other out.  Discussions about topics on writing can really pump you up for your novel, plus you can make connections, follow one another, brainstorm platform building ideas...whatever.  This will be our time to ease into the blogfest and get to know one another.

Giveaway for week 1: a critique overview of a picture book ($30 value), or an overview of the first 3 chapters of a YA or Mid-grade novel ($55 value) from Margot Finke, published children's book author and critique extraordinaire.

Week 2:
Story Chain
We are really going to get those creative juices flowing with the story chain. 

Rules of the Story Chain
-I will create a list for the participants of this mini-fest, each will have a time they have to post their story by on their blog and a word limit of 50-100 words. 
-Follow, make connections with as many in the chain as possible. 
-The first in line will start the story having a certain theme and a few special words that have to be used.  
-The next person in line will continue it with there own direction and words for which they have been assigned to take the story. 
-Each theme will be pretty vague so the individual can really do their own thing and make the story unique. 
-By the end of the day we should have a story...who knows how it will turn out:)

Giveaway at the end of 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...

Week 3
Query Critique Contest

Rules:
I think this one is pretty self explanatory.  If you are ready to query then we are ready to help. 
-Monday post your query on your blog. 
-We will hop around giving our input
-Tuesday take your polished query and email it to me deanabarnhart@gmail.com
-Wednesday I will pick top 5 or 10 depending on number of participants and post on my blog
-Friday agent gone writer, Lora Rivera will pick a winner and he/she will get a choice of query critique or a first 5 page critique. 
One thing about Lora and her critiques...
She may not be an agent anymore, but she still thinks like one.  She has told me her critiques are very thorough, therefore I believe they are extremely beneficial!

Week 4:
First 200 Words YA Novel Contest

Literary agent Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and author Monica B.W. (rep by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency) have been awesome enough to help me host this contest!  Sorry, but this contest is only for YA or mid-grade novels. 

Rules:
-Monday post first 200 words of your completed manuscript along with your name, title, genre and novel length
-Those participating and anyone else who wants to help can hop around giving constructive criticism
-Polish manuscript as you see fit
-Tuesday email your final submission to me
-Wednesday I will pick top 5 or 10 (depending on entries) and post on my blog
-Friday Kathleen will pick a first and second place winner
-1st place will win a query and first 30 page critique from her
-Second place will win a first 10 page critique from Monica

***

Do any of these sound like something you could dig your heels into?  If so go here to sign up.  Just give me your name, email address and blog and I will contact you the closer the contest to find out what weeks you want to participate in.

You may want to sign up for email updates or rss feed updates to stay up on the latest and greatest info for the contest.  Other than that, let the countdown begin!!!

Whew!  That was a mouthful.  Please let me know if you have any more questions.  The closer we get to the big day, the more I'm sure I'll remember extra things and let you know.

Until then...
Keep writing.  Keep learning.

The writing world is hard. Keep it simple.

In my journey through all things writing I have discovered something...there are about a zillion and one opinions on any given subject concerning writing, publishing, querying and so forth, and some of it reads like a foreign language. 

Now I don't consider myself too particularly dense, but man, what does a writer have to do to get a straight answer on the web!?!

Not that all sites are this way.  For as many crazy ones out there, you can also find an equal amount of excellent and very helpful ones.  Some of my favorite blogs so far are Elana Johnson, Nathan Bransford, Janet Reid, and Pub Rants.  These seriously are just a few of them and I have gained some great insight scouring their pages...it's like they're are my best friends but they don't even know it...no, that really sounds creepy so scratch that last bit.

Anyhoo, with all the twisted wires in the writer/publishing world as well as the crazy lingo, I thought how lovely it would be to go to a kind of Writing for Dummies place.  So guess what?  I'm going to try to deliver it on my own. 

That's right.  I am a newbie to the writers world who continues to learn as I grow.  I'm not ashamed to touch on the really easy writing topics that some may feel afraid to ask professionals because they will be laughed at in front of the whole writing blogosphere.  I'm also not worried about dumbing down the hard stuff so those not in the complete know can understand.

So come back and check it out and if you have anything (writing-wise) you are desperate for just ask and if I don't know the answer I will surely find and tell you the easiest, most straight forward form of the answer I can.

Happy hunting writers, but don't hunt so hard and so long you waste all those precious writing moments and find nothing but a bald spot where you've ripped your hair out in frustration.

American Idol and Writing...Yes they are Alike!

Well, to me they are.

I can't begin to tell you how deep my obsession runs for AI this season.  I don't know if it's having a judge (Jennifer Lopez) actually giving constructive criticism or because Steven Tyler tries so hard to come up with unique quotes.

No, I know what it is...the freaking talent!  Are you kidding me, these kids can belt it out and I would be completely remiss if I didn't acknowledge how much I love Casey Abrams.  The boy is fabulous!

But more than the talent and the stars that show up every night, more than even the songs the finalists slay (in a good way...most of the time), I love that they are following their dreams.

I can only relate the sensation I get watching the show to how I feel when I beat on the key board in my own rhythmic melody.  I  LOVE to write.  They LOVE to sing and low and behold dreams are achieved when you dare to believe.  Am I right or am I right?

Next time you have a free Wednesday night turn on the tube to FOX and tell me if the lovely AI doesn't remind you of a querying frenzy.