Saturday, January 30, 2010

kidlit.com contest TODAY!

Mary Kole, literary agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, is having a contest! And the deadline is today, January 30th!! She's had contests before, but this time around she's doing something different. She's asking for novel beginnings. Specifically, the first 500 words of your YA or MG finished novel.

For more info, go here. So hurry up with those submissions and good luck!

Monday, January 25, 2010

What I'm Working On

Right Now: Thinking of having Mexican food for lunch. It's gorgeous and sunny outside. Listening to Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, been busy with a million things. I promise to be more consistent! Anyhow, here's what's going on with me:

1. I'm back to making some edits to my YA paranormal romance. I plan on finishing this week. Then, back to queries.

2. I've hooked up with three awesome Houston writers. One agented, me and the other two not agented as of yet. We are forming a local YA/MG writers group. I'm so psyched! It's going to be a great group. Stay tuned for more details.

3. I've started a new book. (on the back burner right now, though) It's a YA mystery with a supernatural undertone. I'm really excited about this one. It's got a lot of suspense, and several twists and turns.

I promise to post more frequently. That's it for now!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

A Look Back on 2009

Right Now: The Arctic blast is moving into Houston. So windy and cold outside! Listening to Let Go by Frou Frou.

I've always been the kind of person who looks at my circumstances and my experiences for a message--a lesson if you will. In order to keep moving forward, it's necessary to make such reflections. And so, that's what this post is all about, a look back at 2009. Here we go...

1. The biggest part of 2009 was, for me, spent on writing. I love my story, my characters, my setting. It was such an incredible experience for me, living in another world that was so vivid that I even dreamed about it. And even though the experience was positive, I learned something...see below.

2. As good as I thought my writing was, I needed help. Enter the critique group. Having your "baby" critiqued isn't easy, but boy was it good for me. Show, don't tell. Add some sensory perception to your story. Less dialogue please, more action. These are just a few of the things I learned, and I'm so grateful!!

3. Revisions are just as important as the initial writing. I've got some more to do before I plunge back into the hunt for an agent, and I'm cool with that. It's all about producing the best possible story, right? Revisions are just part of the game.

4. Another important lesson I've learned is to NOT put all your eggs in one basket. To that end, I've written a PB and I'm currently writing another YA book that I'm really crazy about based on a short story I wrote for a competition. I'm only on the first chapter, but my brain is busily plotting out the entire book.

I'm sure I could say more, but that's really the most important things I learned in 2009. As for 2010? All I have to say is this, 2010 is going to be MY YEAR. You just wait!