NANOWRIMO- READY-SET....!!!!

As I mentioned in my last post I plan to do nano this year. This will be my first year, and I must say I am pretty excited. This year I have really immersed myself in my writing and am seriously looking to complete my first novel.

What I'm doing to prepare

I will be meeting with my local writers group twice a week hashing out plots and get mentally ready for this challenge.

I've charged up my Starbucks gold card, for those emergency white chocolate mochas:)

My family is on alert, they've been warned if a women with dread locs standing on top of her head, face twisted as if she just ate a child and is hungry for another emerges out of my bedroom. Run Far and Fast

My fridge and cupboards is stock with mouth and finger busy foods such as: cashew peanuts, cheetos(hidden in my night table so my husband don't find them), bottle water and grapes. Did I mention coffee? 

If you will be participating in nanawrimo this year add your check list in the comments, just in case I forgot something:)

oh and look me up so we can be buddies...

Queries and Pitches and Agents ...Oh My!

So, I 've been carousing the blogs, checking out all the pitch contest and having a blast I might add. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new authors and immersing myself in my craft. I have gained a wealth of information and learned a few lessons in the process.

Unfortunately all this fun has wreaked havoc on my word count. I haven't actually written anything on my current WIP but all has not been a waste. I have outline and  mapped out a short story that I will turn into a novel for nanawrimo (which I am ubber excited about). So I have been busy just not working on my novel.

Don't get me wrong, it has not been from a lack of trying. I don't know if it's because I am so excited about my new ms or I'm too engaged in all the blog hops.

All the distractions only added to my issues on my current wip, which thanks to an awesome CP  Stacey I think I have finally hashed out my issues (or blog hopping...just kidding) and am all to excited to kick my writing into high gear.

So I said all that to say, although I have been having mountains of fun with all the great contest happening ( did I say I haven't been able to participate, because my book is just a wip, but I was able to host and critique you know the other meat and potatoes). I am going on contest hiatus to try and finish my wip and gear up for nano. After Get Your Pitch On is over I will go from blog hopper to blog wall flower.

Has any of you participated in any contest? Will you be doing nanawrimo? If so let's be buddies 


Thanks for stopping by and listening to my rantings... as always don't be a strange

Get Your Pitch On! REVISION- PATH UNCHOSEN!!!

Hey ALL!!! Kim has made some revisions to her pitch let's all chime in and offer our critique!!! Thanks in advance.

Name: Kim Cleary

Country of residence: Australia
Title: Path Unchosen
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word-count: 89,000

 Judy Hudson can command the dead. She's the only person who can stop the ruthless Mayor raising dead people and using fear to cement his power. And she has to act quickly to defeat a 200-year-old sorcerer before he gains enough strength to control her. A path towards unimagined power opens to her, can she follow it without losing the people she loves and intimacy she craves?


 WOW! Kim, this is great I feel like I am reading about a new story. I am even more intrigued. I just have a couple of ideas.


 And She has to act quickly to defeat a 200-year-old sorcerer before he gains enough strength to control her. I would take out the And, it's not needed and slows down the flow.

A path towards unimagined power opens to her, can she follow it without losing the people she loves and intimacy she craves? Maybe unimaginable works better here 

 Question: Are the mayor and this 200 year old sorcerer the same or two different antagonist ( which is how it reads now)? If it's not your intent you should make it clear to the reader. 

She's the only person who can stop the ruthless Mayor raising dead people and using fear to cement his power. She's the only person who can stop the ruthless Mayor, whose using fear by raising the dead to cement his power.(suggestion)

Get Your Pitch On! #2 PATH UNCHOSEN!!!

Name: Kim Cleary

Country of residence: Australia
Title: Path Unchosen
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word-count: 89,000

Pitch: Judy Hudson is in trouble. After the orphanage she yearns for freedom and independence, but dead people rise and she is the only one who can stop them. Judy’s search for truth brings her into conflict with a ruthless Mayor and a long dead necromancer. What she finds hardens her resolve to make new choices and take a path to unimagined power. But will it bring what she most craves?

Hi Kim, thank you for participating in GYPO! you are so brave:). Below are my suggestions, and I stress my suggestions. I hope it helps.

I love the title, and I can see a lot of promise in the story. After reading your pitch, I feel like there is more to this story and the magic is in what you don't want to tell us, for fear of giving away to much. However you have succeeding in giving us nothing at all...:). What I've learned is you have to master what I call the roundabout, where you elude to your point without giving everything else.

First your first line is as important as the last line it should POP! and GRAB! the readers attention. Saying Judy Hudson is in trouble, is too vague. Why is she in trouble? What does she do as a result of this trouble? Ask yourself these questions and form a first line from that without given away to much of course

Example: Judy Hudson has to face the rise of the dead more often then anyone should. (this to can be tighten, but you get the point).

Your next line says after the orphanage she yearns for freedom and independence. Is she not free? Why not? I would assume after the orphanage means she was adopted or aged out thus making her free and giving her freedom. This isn't clear, maybe expound on this point so the reader gets a better understanding.

She is the only person who can stop the dead from rising, how, why? Maybe give some insight into her ability to do this.

Why and when did she start searching for the truth? Don't tell us the truth brings conflict show us. Who is the Mayor and the necromancer what and why are they significant? Is the truth she is searching for about them?

The next line implies that we knew about the prior choices, we don't know much about her other choices/conflicts to be effected by these new choices.

What is this unimaginable power, and how does it tie into the story? Does it have anything to do with her being able to stop the dead rising?

What does she crave? Can give the reader some idea without giving away to much?

Again these are just my suggestions, I hope it wasn't to harsh and I hope it helps. 

Please everyone chime in and critique Kim's pitch.

  

Get Your Pitch On!! Grand Scheme **REVISION**

Hey All,


Here is Meagan's revision chime in I'm sure the author will appreciate it!! Thanks again everyone for stopping by and sharing your thoughts...How cool are you??!!??!!






GRAND SCHEME *REVISION*


Name: Meagan
Country of residence: United States
Title: GRAND SCHEME
Genre: YA Contemporary
Word-count: 75,000

Sixteen-year-olds Bianca and Yessica make a pact to commit suicide at the Grand Canyon. Only Yessica follows through, and the lingering guilt haunts Bianca daily. When Yessica's ex finds a suicide note, his questions circle the truth. When he threatens to reveal Bianca's secret, she'll have to decide if it's worth it to keep her pain hidden anymore, or if she should finally accept help.

Get your pitch on entry GRAND SCHEME

Hey all if you haven't had the chance scroll down and critique Meagan's pitch, before she faces The Agents:).
We all know how hard it is to pitch/query let's lend a hand
Thanks in advance

GET YOUR PITCH ON!!! #1

Workshops for Get Your Pitch On will start on today October 1, there is no date deadline for the workshops.







Name: Meagan
Country of residence: United States
Title: GRAND SCHEME
Genre: YA Contemporary
Word-count: 75,000


Pitch:  Sixteen-year-old Bianca's best friend Yessica fell to her death
from a ledge at the Grand Canyon. Everyone thinks it's an accident,
but Bianca knows the truth. They made a pact to jump. When Yessica's
ex, the lovable nerd Harvey, finds Yessica's suicide note, he asks too
many questions. If Bianca doesn't come clean about the pact and face
the consequences, Harvey might spill it for her.


Meagan, you have my attention, I really want to know why two teenage girls would make a suicide pact.  I think if you added what some of the consequences are or at least the main one(given the limited word) it will give more impact. Below is just my suggestion. It's difficult since I don't know the story but here's goes anyway.

Sixteen year old best friends Bianca and Yessica made a suicide pact one in which only one girl keeps while the other tries to maintain their secret. Things unravel when Harvey Yessica's ex-boyfriend finds her suicide note and threatens to reveal their secret. 

I think getting rid of things like lovable, nerdy, where Yessica jumps from gives you more space to add pertinent info that will draw the reader in. In my opinion you want to make your pitch jump off the page grab you reader push them to the edge of their seat and just dangle them there, even after the book ends. Just my opinion I hope it helps. 
Please feel free to offer your opinion on how to make Meagan's pitch stronger, thanks for stopping by.




INFO ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND GET YOUR PITCH ON!!!!!!!!!

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.

Interview with Commissioning and Managing Editor of Hardie Grant Egmont, Marisa Pintado, will be coming up soon, 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." 



Stop by and visit all participating blogs and lend your critique. Listed below are links to all blogs. You can find a list of all the participating blogs HERE