Get Your Pitch On Workshops!!

Thank you all so much for stopping by. I am super excited about this contest, please stop by and help out on October 1. There are no requirements to join this blog to participate, but it would be way cool if you did as well as comment to help all the fellow authors participating.  Below you will find all the details.

Workshops for Get Your Pitch On will start on October 1, but you can send your pitches through now to secure your spot with a host blog.
There is no date deadline for the workshops. Each blog has allocated a set number of pitches that they can host and once those spots are full then no more submissions will be taken.
Important Rule: If you want to participate in a workshop, you must be prepared to comment on at least one other pitch.
How to submit: Email your draft pitch to pitchonws@gmail.com and include PitchOnWS and the title of the manuscript in the subject line. Pitches must follow the formatting as specified for the Get Your Pitch On contest. If you missed if before check out this post here and you can see the list of blogs participating here.
Draft pitches will be evenly distributed between host blogs.
And interview with Commissioning and Managing Editor of Hardie Grant Egmont, Marisa Pintado, will be coming up soon on my blog so that you have an idea what she's looking for before she takes your pitches both here on Down Under Wonderings and on my group blog YAtopia on October 15th. The exact contest opening times will be included in that post.

ADDITIONALLY, there is an opportunity for you to win a ten page critique from some of the blog hosts: "Make sure to check out all of the workshop host blogs to critique more pitches. For each critique you leave in the comments, you get an entry into the drawing to win one of eight 10-page critiques from our contest host Sharon Johnston and workshop hosts Larissa Hardesty, Stephanie Diaz, Catherine Scully, Jodie Andrefski, Paula Sangare, Talynn Lynn and Kaitlin Adams, "Also, Sarah Nicolas will be giving away three query critiques!"

  Please use the exact same name for all of your critiques. The opportunity ends 10/14/2012." 



Have fun honing your pitches!

GET YOUR PITCH ON OCTOBER

Here's the details you've been waiting for!

Commissioning and Managing Editor of Hardie Grant Egmont, Marisa Pintado, will be poised and ready to take your pitches both here on Down Under Wonderings and on my group blog YAtopia on October 15th. 

Marisa is looking for YA in any genre and is accepting submissions from any where in the world. It's your chance to skip the slush pile and put your pitch right under the nose of a fantastic editor. There's even better news - there is no limit on how many requests Marisa will make from the contest. 

Here's the rules:

• Your manuscript must be complete, polished and ready to query - this means no first drafts or almost finished manuscripts.
• It must be YA.
• When the contest goes live on October 15th, post your entry details in the comments section of either YAtopia or Down Under Wonderings - each blog is accepting 100 entries only.
• Your entry detail needs to include a 50 - 70 word pitch.
• You can enter more than once if you have more than one complete, polished, ready to query manuscript.

Your contest details should be formatted like this:

Name: Sharon Johnston
Email: smjohnston [ @ ] live.com.au
Country of residence: Australia
Title: SLEEPER
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Word-count: 58,000
Pitch: Seventeen-year-old Mishca Richardson is a sleeper soldier with a weak heart. She has no idea that a life saving heart transplant has accidentally triggered her programming. In the search for answers, she discovers the truth and that her creator, Wirth, has classified her remaining "sisters" from her experiment group as defective, scheduling them for termination. Mishca sets out to save them before they're eliminated. 

Just as it's important to get someone else to look over your manuscript before you query, it's a good idea to get feedback on your pitch before you post. We have about twenty blogs who are ready to help you hone your pitch. These workshops start on October 1 and you can find the list of blogs participating here. 

GET YOUR PITCH ON WORKSHOP

I'M A HOST BLOG FOR

YAtopia and Down Under Wonderings are coordinating GET YOUR PITCH ON. a chance to skip the slush pile.  A snippet of information from YAtopia:

Here's the rules:

• Your manuscript must be complete, polished and ready to query - this means no first drafts or almost finished manuscripts.
• It must be YA.
• When the contest goes live on October 15th, post your entry details in the comments section of either YAtopia or Down Under Wonderings - each blog is accepting 100 entries only.
• Your entry detail needs to include a 50 - 70 word pitch.
• You can enter more than once if you have more than one complete, polished, ready to query manuscript.

Just as it's important to get someone else to look over your manuscript before you query, it's a good idea to get feedback on your pitch before you post. We have about 26 blogs who are ready to help you hone your pitch. These workshops start on October 1.


I'm one of the 26 blogs hosting pitch feed back October 1!

Want more information? Check it out

Want to be a host for the Get Your Pitch On polish? Sign up here.

Looking for other blogs hosting the Get Your Pitch On polish? They're here.

I'm not participating as my MS is still a WIP, but I can't wait to finish all these contest are so exciting and the information you can take away is invaluable. Good luck to all the participants!!!
I'll share more information as I get it. Be sure to bookmark YAtopia and Down Under Wonderings for the latest news.

October Challenge

With Gutgaa and Pith Madness and all these new blog things going on I have to make time for work and writing..
I must admit I am having a blast, and I absolutely love meeting new writers and talking about books, books and more books.

So to add to the pile, here is another blog Challenge I've been ask to partake in, and I must admit I am pretty excited to do . If you want to know just  click HERE
 I hope you can join, I can't wait to read all the fun post.

Pen 2 Paper: Short Stories

Pen 2 Paper: Short Stories: Death Why Is It So Long...? Drowning didn't  seem like a bad way to die. At least that's what I told myself as I succumb to the pitc...

Does anyone use Scrivener

Hey all, does anyone use scrivener to write your novel?


Someone recommended I use it, said it's a good tool for organizing your story. I will admit there are some pretty cool features and it really does help with organizing it all. 

For me there is something about the simplicity on actually writing on paper that sparks my create flow. This is how I usually map out a story. From there I use micro word to work in. what I love about scrivener is it breaks the scenes and chapters up for you. IF you are a sticky not and 3x5 index card user you will love it as well. These are features I haven't utilized as of yet.

I love the research and notes features normally I have these items pinned all over my computer, so this is a big help.
Over all I think it is a great tool, maybe if I master all the features it would be more beneficial for me.

Does anyone know of any other programs? Have you used scrivener and can compare it to something you like better. Maybe I'll try it. Maybe you use scrivener and love you can offer me some pointers on how to use it better.

Thanks for stopping by , don't be a stranger.

So... I was tagged!!

I was tagged by the fabulous  Heather Bryant stop by and show her some love if you haven't already.

Thank you Heather this is a lot of FUN,i needed a break:)

What is the working title of your book?

That a good Question.. no really right now  it's Sapphire's Dawn

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I really can't remember I know that I created the people from my fantasy world first I knew what they were and what their purpose was. Funny thing is that who they are is the reason I haven't completed my MS.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA Fantasy I think  during #GUTGAA  I was classified under horror, goth, and epic I think. You  can get the just of it from these:0

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I only had one actress in mind for my MC and I never really thought of famous people for my supporting cast:) however I always find myself relating them to real life people I run across

The role of Zara Sapphire Stillos , I would love to have the beautiful Zoe Saldana

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

Twin cousins share more in common then looks,` when one is astral projected into another world only to find she is not a stranger there.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agent?

Without a doubt  represented by an agent, but I believe in my story so maybe I will do a Marissa Myers and self publish sell a ton and have agents search for me:)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

 I am 2 years in and still not completed:(

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

There are a lot of twist and turns, as soon as your stomach settles another nerve racking adventure ensues. There are also a few surprises

Who will I tag ..hmm

Angie

TAG! You're it!