Tuesday Monday Meeting

Right now, I feel like this about my revision.  Like I'm driving behind a slow moving, wild, pregnant horse*.  How are you doing?  What are your goals for the week?

I might not be posting again this week, since I'm going on another mini vacation.  Here's hoping the horse gets out of the way!!

*How do you like my Assateague picture?  Very cool place to visit.

Friday Feature: Where Are They Now

Hello, all!!  Welcome to a very special Friday Feature--one I've been thinking about doing for a while.  

Many of my interviewees in my Friday series, Journeys Toward Publication and Beyond, have moved on to yet another level.  I want to take a moment to spotlight their accomplishments.  And give everyone the feeling of progress and forward motion.  Keep your eyes on the prize, people!  It does, can, and will happen.  Here's the proof:

Anna gets a BOOK DEAL!!  

Yay!! Anna's MY UN-FAIRY TALE LIFE will be published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in Fall 2011.  Here's where Anna spills the BIG NEWS and describes her book that is soon to be sold IN STORES!!  Here's where Anna talks (at Adventures in Children's Publishing) about how this book wasn't the book that she thought would be THE ONE.  But it was!!  Woo-hoo Anna!  Congrats again!  And, I'm happy to continue the trend I started with Anna for the next person who gets a book deal-- celebratory cheesecake (although I think she got a chocolate mousse).  If that isn't motivation enough, then I don't know what's going to kick you in the butt and get you writing!!  Cheesecake on me!!  Here's Anna's Friday Feature interview, in case you want to say you knew her when... 

Terry Lynn gets an agent!!  And cover art for DOGSLED DREAMS!!

Yay Terry!  Terry signed with Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. ::swoon::  Here's her interview at Adventures in Children's Publishing describing how she snagged her agent.  Here's her post at her blog shouting the news.  And, here is her cover art for DOGSLED DREAMS, which is due out in January 2011!!  Isn't it beautiful?! Oh, and Terry has an awesome new website for DOGSLED DREAMS and an article published this month about Summer Sled Dogs.  Congrats, Terry--and OMG--do you even have time to sleep?  Here's Terry's Friday Feature way back when...

Anita gets an agent!!

Anita signed with Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency. Woo-hoo!! Congrats, Anita!! Here's where she spills the beans, and here is where she outlines how it happened. Here's an interview with Anita at Adventures in Children's Publishing.  Do you see a trend here?  Get thee to the Adventures in Children's Publishing blog posthaste, people!! Clearly, it's where all the coolest people with rising careers go!  Yay Anita!  Here is Anita's Friday Feature interview if you want a blast from the past...

Dianne's Book WE HEAR THE DEAD is FANTASTIC!!

Okay, so it's not exactly a new publishing deal, but I just had to weigh in as soon as I finished Dianne's book, WE HEAR THE DEAD.  I couldn't put it down!! The book sucked me right into Maggie Fox's world (I even cried at one point).  It is a wonderfully written historical fiction.  Dianne, I'd be super happy to treat you to some cheesecake.  :)  Here's Dianne's heart warming Friday Feature, where she told us how her book was published--first through self publishing, and then with Sourcebooks.  What a roller-coaster ride! Soon she'll be telling us about the movie deal, right Dianne?

Erica Orloff's MAGICKEEPERS II COMES OUT!!

Last, but most certainly, not least, Erica's second MAGICKEEPERS, THE PYRAMID OF SOULS enthralled my whole family!  If you aren't familiar with this MG series, check it out--you won't be disappointed!  I love all of Erica's books, Adult, and MG alike, and can't wait until she publishes a YA.  She's versatile, and prolific.  And her blog is an amazing gift to writers everywhere.  Yay, Erica!!  Here's Erica's Friday Feature, where she talks about writing the first MAGICKEEPERS...

I hope that everyone has found this update as motivating and encouraging!  If I have missed anyone's big news, please forgive me, and let me know.    And, keep your eye on the promised cheesecake!! 

Congratulations Winners of Tour de Writing! Woo-hoo and Huzzah!

Thanks to everyone who made the Tour de Writing an awesome success! I am so impressed with the progress that everyone made in a short amount of time.  And I know how fickle writing and muses can be.  One thing that I have learned this year is that if I sit down with an open word document, then I will make progress.  I may call it The Practice Room, or unplugging, or ignoring the kids, but it is all forward motion.  And I have also learned that taking breaks and having fresh eyes is just as important.  Thanks R, for the reminder!!

And I am so thankful to be writing in kidlit, where community (writeoncon!) is everything.  If you want to see some writers starting the conversation about hard topics, check out Jon's interview with Marybeth over at Know Diversity.  We are a gifted and empathetic group of people--kidlit is wonderful.

On to the business at hand.  I have some PRIZES to give out!!

Drum roll...

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the YELLOW JERSEY is TOM with 61,844 points!

He wins the Tour de Writing!!  Woo-hoo!  Champagne and applauds under the Arc de Triumph for Tom!!

Krystey Belle has won the GREEN JERSEY for most DRAFTED words, with a total of 57,053 points.

Awesome drafting, KB!!

Patricia has won the POLKA DOT, revising jersey, with a total of 56,353 points!

Yay, Patricia, you blew me out of the water!!

And the winner of the WHITE JERSEY, signifying highest points in revising and drafting is Taffy, with 46,606!!

Congrats Taffy!

Congrats to all the participants--Dianne, Marisa, Lily Cate, Jon, Robert, Sarah, Kate, and Tina, and all others who cheered and lurked.  It was an extremely close race, and I'm excited for the atmosphere of writing energy around here.  Thanks for participating!  Please let me know if I didn't tally things up correctly, and I'll make changes.  What a convoluted system I created for my game... (it's been a challenge to get the standings in the correct order.)  I'm already trying to come up with a more straightforward system for the next contest.  :)

Thanks everyone!  Winners, please email me with your address and top two prize choices, and I'll get them in the mail!!

I encourage everyone, in the spirit of writerly community, to go to the winners blogs and get to know them.      Follow them.  Congratulate them!

Check back Friday, where I have a special, where-are-they-now addition of my Friday Feature interviews!

And, how's everyone doing?  I apologize for my spotty posting during my vacation/writeoncon/summer-black-hole-that-I've-fallen-into.  I'm looking forward to September and getting back to my regular posting/commenting schedule!

Last Call for Tour de Writing Tallies and Feedback

For all those waiting for Tour de Writing results, you'll have to wait a little longer.  Bummer, I know.

I am busy finishing up writeoncon things, and tying up loose Tour de Writing business.  On that note, if you participated in the Tour de Writing, and haven't yet emailed me your numbers, (you know who you are) because you were so busy at writeoncon (I mean, we all were, right?!) please email me your final tallies.  You just never know who might win--maybe you.  I know I said that last Wednesday at midnight was the deadline, but this past week was all writeoncon all the time for a lot of people.  So, I want to make sure that nobody misses the chance to be awarded a prize for their hard work!  In case you forgot--my email is hegkelly at gmail dot com.

And, what worked for you for the Tour de Writing?  What would have made it better? I'd love to do another competitive writing game some time (maybe in the winter) and would love any feedback you could give me.  And, next time I'll try to not go on vacation during the darn thing!!

Still feeling my writeoncon high!! How about you?

An End, a Beginning, and Horses.

Hello!  Thanks for keeping up the Tour de Writing comments in my vacation absence.  We had a blast, visiting Sesame Place, Luray Cavern, Atlantic City, and the horses of Assateaque Island.  Unfortunately no writing took place.  And, if you are paying attention, you will see that we visited PA, VA, NJ, and MD. Phew.  It was indeed a tour of the east coast.

But today is a different story--WriteOnCon begins, and the Tour de Writing ends.  And four people will win prizes!!

I'm buzzing off to check out the writeoncon festivities, but before I go, I want to say thanks to everyone for inspiring all the revising I got done this past month.  The camaraderie and competitive writing was a wonderful incentive to get the work done.  What with vacation, and the natural rhythm of revision, I'm not quite where I wanted to be today, but I am so excited that I am seeing the end of this revision.  Cheers!

So, here is the protocol for the finish line of Tour de Writing:

1. By midnight on Wednesday, please email me (hegkelly at gmail dot com) with your total count--every word written and every word revised between July 5th and today, August 10th.

2. Let me know the total number of practice rooms, or let me know that you already included those point totals in your above total.  1 Practice Room=500 bonus points.

3. Tell me what is your first and second prize choice.  Mockingjay?  Paranormalcy?  Livvie Owen Lived Here?  Or your choice of an awesome Mad Bag!!

4. Tell me whether your word count is drafted words, revised words, or a combination of the two.

Please check back at the end of the week, and take a view of the fabulous winners!!

Congrats to everyone who has participated!!  Thanks for making my crazy competitive writing game a success!

Okay, and I was going to add wonderful pictures to this post, but maybe later, as I just checked out today's schedule for writeoncon, and it's already in full swing!  I'll see you there!

Monday Meeting

Well, I'm on vacation, so who knows what my Tour de Writing count is?

 I'm sure that you are plowing ahead, though, in order to win some awesome prizes!  Please post your total word counts in the comments.  Hopefully, I'll find internet access so I can update the standings this week!

Write on!