tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62577880235940841882024-03-05T11:30:13.100-08:00The Novel ShifterAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-47942889229742671232016-01-01T15:54:00.001-08:002016-01-02T20:12:55.530-08:00New Vocabulary 2016Happy 2016!<br />
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This is going to be a great year for all of us seeking representation and publication. You're wondering why? Because you and I are going to keep pressing forward, clogging up the inboxes of agents and working on our next great masterpiece! That's our goal this year--to just keep going.<br />
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I've got a little mind shift for you, though. I've always disliked the term <i>rejection</i>. To me, it really doesn't encompass what an agent or editor is doing after looking at our work. It's just too strong, even if it is somewhat accurate.<br />
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Consider Webster's 1828 English Dictionary definition:<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i> <i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">REJEC'TION</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">noun</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"> [Latin rejectio.] The act of throwing away; the act of casting off or forsaking; refusal to accept or grant.</span></span></i><br />
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Now, there might be a few agents who ask for that paper copy of our work, and they do literally throw it away. (Most likely nowadays they recycle it.) And we do <i>feel</i> cast off and forsaken when those form emails hit our inboxes. And it does boil down to their refusal to grant us representation, but that is not the whole truth.<br />
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The publishing business is so subjective that I can't spend my time thinking X number of agents have rejected me and my work. Instead, I use the word <i>pass</i>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">P'ASS</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;">verb intransitive. To be done.</span></i></span><br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Segoe, 'Segoe WP', Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></em> You can't imagine how many definitions there are for <i>pass</i>! But this one is the simplest. Basically, an agent is done with my work...for the present time. This word instills hope, without the personal dismissal or cold shoulder or kick in the teeth that the word <i>rejection</i> brings to my mind. A pass still leaves the door open with hope that they'll consider another work in the future and they don't hate me.<br />
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Yet, I do know there are those who send our true rejection letters, cutting us down until we're ready to trash all our hard work. Those emails deserve to be called rejections, but I choose to delete or stick them in a recycle bin, depending on their mode of communication.<br />
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So I just want to encourage you to think in the positive for 2016 and that the writing world's "rejection" letters aren't as bad as they sound. Actually, the ones I've received that haven't been forms, are quite nice. I call those ones passes. :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-3473751751546112162015-11-12T15:24:00.002-08:002015-11-20T07:17:09.787-08:00Ogres and Turkeys Just in Time for Thanksgiving!<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">What do ogres and turkeys have in common? In the land of Ogregon, they’re both ginormous next to your smaller-than-usual hero. <i>Milo Speck: Accidental </i><i>Agent</i>, by Linda Urban, weaves together a unique tale of socks and turkey feathers with a boy who wants to make his father proud.</span><br />
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<span class="s1">While I was reading this novel, I was reminded of some of my favorite books and movies when I was younger. So rather than give accolades about the writing or the setting or the characters (all of which are excellent), I want to motivate you to read <i>Milo Speck</i> based on these other works of fiction you might have already enjoyed. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Linda Urban encourages readers in her endnotes to read some of Dahl’s books and says the <i>BFG </i>inspired her novel. Giants… ogres… see the connection?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Another Dahl book I was reminded of was C<i>harlie and the Great Glass Elevator</i>. If you haven’t read this one, it continues the story of <i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i>, only this time they go into space!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Now, I don’t want to give too much away, but Linda Urban uses a very unique mode of transportation to get Milo from the “real” world and into Ogregon. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span> <span class="s1">HINT: It has to do with laundry.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">And where do the turkeys come in? First place you’ll see one is on the back of the book jacket.</span><br />
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But I will tell you there is a scene very reminiscent of this one from <i>The Swiss Family Robinson</i>.<br />
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Haven't you always wanted to ride an ostrich? What about a giant turkey who can do the chicken dance?<br />
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Before I give anything else away...<br />
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And, yes! There are spies with strange technology!<br />
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So I hope I have made you curious enough to rush out and buy <i>Milo Speck: Accidental Agent</i>. It's a great read for all ages, and especially fun for reluctant readers. If they resist, just show them the pics on this awesome blog post. :)<br />
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To read some other amazing MG book reviews, go to <a href="http://www.middlegrademafia.com/">www.middlegrademafia.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-31839794018609526862015-10-30T23:30:00.000-07:002015-10-31T22:12:26.774-07:00THE WONDER OF PITCHWARS<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">The last two months being a PitchWars mentee have been amazing! My excellent mentor @CopernicusNerd, aka Tom Torre, was so encouraging. He helped me fine tune my novel and showed me things I never realized about my own writing. Below are the books and movies that he saw within my novel that were inspirational to me and I didn't even know it!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span class="s1"><b><i>Alice in Wonderland,</i> by Lewis Carroll</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span> <span class="s1">This was my favorite book when I was 10. I reread my father’s copy from 1941 so much the binding broke and pages were smudged with butter. (You know, the tea party—bread and butterfly? It made me so hungry!) </span></div>
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<span class="s1">In my novel, a boy finds himself in an off-kilter dream world where people rarely make sense.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span class="s1"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span class="s1"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span class="s1"><b><i>Peter Pan</i>, by J.M. Barrie </b> </span></div>
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Honestly, I never read the book, but I was very familiar with the Disney movie. One of my childhood cassette tapes (have you ever heard of those?) had the <i>You Can Fly</i> song, which I can still sing to you word for word.<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">My main character can’t fly, but he does have the ability to catch a lie.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><b><i>Time Bandits</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is where things get a little strange…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When I was 12, I started having flashbacks of what I thought were old dreams…a boy traveling in a desert with a bunch of little men, God’s face in a closet, a burned lump that made parents disappear. It was rather disturbing until I told a friend. Then she said, “Oh, I’ve seen that movie.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I soon found out my older sister took me to see it in the theater when I was only 5 years old! It probably doesn’t compare to some of the scary things little kids watch today, but it’s weird to think about the impact it had on me. Some of those memories inspired some of the scenes in my book, and I didn’t even realize it!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><i><br /></i></b></span> <span class="s1"><b><i>The Goonies </i></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Think back to the days before you had a VCR. No idea what that is? Never mind.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When I was little, I didn’t have a way to re-watch movies in my home, but I did have a tape recorder (an ancient device that would record sound only). So when <i>The Goonies</i> came on TV one night, I recorded the audio. I had a pretty vivid imagination, so every time I listened to it, I could picture everything that was happening.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">No wonder a bunch of goofy kids on a ship ended up in my story!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><i>Inception</i></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The previous films and books I experienced as a child, but this one came out just a few years ago. I only saw it once, but it left an impression. My book centers around a boy who moves between dreams and reality.</span></div>
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Some people say to write what you know, so in a way, I guess I did!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-61428526862671420332015-09-18T08:45:00.004-07:002015-09-18T08:45:46.372-07:00SCBWI OKLAHOMA FALL RETREAT<h1 class="title" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3b3a3a; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="auto-style1" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #993399; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SCBWI OKLAHOMA FALL RETREAT</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">October 9-10, 2015</span></div>
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<a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/FanTheSpark.png" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="FanTheSpark" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1870" height="35" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/FanTheSpark.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="218" /></a></div>
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BEST WESTERN MOTOR LODGE, STROUD, OKLAHOMA<br />BETWEEN OKC AND TULSA<br /> </div>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 500px;"><tbody style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" colspan="3" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Register On- Line:<br /> – <a href="https://oklahoma.scbwi.org/events/scbwi-oklahoma-fall-retreat/" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://oklahoma.scbwi.org/events/scbwi-oklahoma-fall-retreat/</a></strong></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </td><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline;"> </td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;">OR Download Registration Form: <a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/OK-2015-FALL-RETREAT.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">OK 2015 FALL RETREAT</a></td></tr>
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<b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="auto-style3" style="border: 0px; color: #993399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FRIDAY, October 9, 2015</span></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Daytime Program:9:00 AM — 4:00 PM<br /> </span></b></div>
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<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 20px;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 380px;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Illustrator Track</strong></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Tim Jessell <a href="http://www.timjessell.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.timjessell.com</a></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Full day of technique instruction, hands-on practice, and group critique.</span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="100px"><img alt="Stacks Image 43" height="101" src="http://www.timjessell.com/bio/files/stacks_image_43.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="80" /></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Picture Book Track</strong></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Janee Trasler <a href="http://www.trasler.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.trasler.com</a></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Successful picture book writer.</span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Morning workshop.</span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="117" src="http://www.trasler.com/images/trasler%20-%20photo%20with%20puppet-crop-u483.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="80" /></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Novel Track</strong></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Anna Myers <a href="http://www.annamyers.info/" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.annamyers.info</a><br />- with Pati Hailey & Ginny Sain</span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Novel writing/editing workshop including drama techniques for character development.</span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><img height="88" src="http://www.annamyers.info/assets/images/AnnaMyersphotoC.gif" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="80" /></td></tr>
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<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td colspan="4" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-center; vertical-align: baseline;">Afternoon for Picture Book/Novel Tracks</b><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; line-height: 20.8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: -webkit-center; vertical-align: baseline;">First Pages and Panel Discussion</span></span><div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-top: 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </td><td colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td align="center" colspan="4" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FRIDAY Evening Program<br /> 6:30 PM — 8:00 PM<br /> </b></span></td></tr>
<tr class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fan The Spark of Creativity</span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Keynote Address</span></strong><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Linda Urban <a href="http://www.lindaurbanbooks.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.lindaurbanbooks.com</a></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Successful author of picture books and novels</span><span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/LindaUrban.jpg" rel="" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="" title=""><img alt="Linda Urban" class="size-full wp-image-1899 alignright" data-pin-nopin="true" height="73" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/LindaUrban.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; padding: 20px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="" width="84" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td align="center" class="auto-style3" colspan="4" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; color: #993399; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SATURDAY, October 10, 2015</span></span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="auto-style3" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9:00 AM — 5:00 PM<br /> </span></span></b></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; height: 41px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; height: 41px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Editing Workship</strong> – (Part 1)</span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Linda Urban</span></td><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; height: 41px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9:00 – 12:00</span></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lunch Break</strong></span></td><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12:00 – 1:30</span></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Editing Workship</strong> – (Part 2)</span><br /><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">- Linda Urban</span></td><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1:30 – 4:30</span></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; color: #577c3e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="bulletpurple" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1869" height="15" src="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/66/files/2015/06/bulletpurple.gif" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="15" /></a></td><td class="tblStyle" colspan="2" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Closing Remarks</strong></span></td><td class="tblStyle" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4:30 – 5:00</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-52601321072587023512015-09-03T20:29:00.001-07:002015-09-04T06:46:27.363-07:00Expand Your Horizons with Twitter Contests<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">First thing you need to do before you read any more of this post is start a Twitter account. I know, it’s the last thing you want to do. I hated it at first and was so confused and intimidated about tweeting, but if you’re serious about getting your book published, you really should create an online presence. Here’s why:</span></div>
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<li><b>You meet other writers. </b>Just using #amwriting when I tweeted brought me in contact with other writers from around the world and I started to build a following.</li>
<li><b>You gather a growing fan base.</b> The writing community champions fellow writers, so your good news will be retweeted and the more followers you have the more their followers might be seeing the be announcements about your book release (Dream big…you will one day have a book release date!)</li>
<li><b>You learn about contests.</b> There are so many writers online that want to help fellow writers. It’s amazing the free time people put into organizing contests and then reading all the entries. Besides getting amazing feedback, you also get info about your book in front of many more agent eyes than just sending a query through their email.</li>
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<span class="s1">So now I want to focus on contests. I’ve done a few different kinds and here are my opinions about each. If you have a completed manuscript, query, and synopsis, then you really should be putting it out there in these contests. Yes, there might be a little rejection, but the encouragement far outweighs it. Plus, people are donating their time to share with you about how to improve your book.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">#PitchSlam - <a href="http://llmckinney.com/pitch-slam/"><span class="s2"><b>http://llmckinney.com/pitch-slam/</b></span></a> </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is a semiannual contest that is organized by L.L. Mickinney <b>@ElleOnWords</b>. You didn’t have to have a Twitter account for this one, but it helps to keep up with what’s going on. There are four rounds where you submit your pitch and first 250 words and receive feedback from a team of writers and editors. Then you have a chance to polish your work before the final choices are made about which submissions will be presented to agents. Best thing about this contest is it has guaranteed feedback! Next one is coming up in October. Check the website for exact dates.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">#SunVsSnow - <a href="https://chasingthecrazies.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/its-back-2015-sun-vs-snow-contest/"><span class="s2"><b>https://chasingthecrazies.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/its-back-2015-sun-vs-snow-contest/</b></span></a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is an annual contest hosted by Amy Trueblood <b>@atrueblood5</b> and Michelle Hauck <b>@Michelle4Laughs</b>. Usually held in January, the above link is for this past year’s contest, but keep tabs on the site for when the new dates will be posted. It’s similar to #PitchSlam in that you do get feedback before agents see your submission.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">#PitMad - <span class="s2"><b><a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitmad/">http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitmad/</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="s1">Organized by Brenda Drake <b>@brendadrake</b>, this contest includes a full day of tweeting your pitch over and over, getting it on the feed so agents might see it and request more from you. Best thing about it is Twitter won’t let you tweet the exact same thing twice, so I had to think hard about how to write multiple pitches that fit only into 140 characters. I felt like they kept getting better the more I worked on them. Next one is December 4th, so I encourage you to do it!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">#PitchWars - <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/07/pitch-wars-2015-is-coming-are-you-ready/"><span class="s2"><b>http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/07/pitch-wars-2015-is-coming-are-you-ready/</b></span></a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLh3tGA9hkbwba_a_Gf3B8pO05GnV1FV52u4W2c5xHCKhITNZY96VXC9F0Oi0a3_tyke_vxJAYjm-KHKtwKVc_GXiAYxsr5DD1N4_xt_fXCHQ4AyU203mjoixhcfePNcow_a5ceYTMEDg/s1600/paintball.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLh3tGA9hkbwba_a_Gf3B8pO05GnV1FV52u4W2c5xHCKhITNZY96VXC9F0Oi0a3_tyke_vxJAYjm-KHKtwKVc_GXiAYxsr5DD1N4_xt_fXCHQ4AyU203mjoixhcfePNcow_a5ceYTMEDg/s320/paintball.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<span class="s1">This was by far the most stressful, but exciting contest I entered, and Brenda Drake is a champion for running it every year. You submit a query letter and the first chapter of your book to five prospective mentors (agented and/or published authors). Then they spend two weeks reading and debating who gets to mentor which manuscripts. Initially, I had three of the five I submitted to request to read more, then it was silent for two whole weeks! That was the stressful part. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">So I was ecstatic when I saw my name on the mentee list! So now I get to spend two months editing my whole manuscript with my mentor Tom Torre <b>@CopernicusNerd </b>before agents take a look at it. This is a huge benefit to any writer, and I’m so grateful for the time and interest these mentors give to all the mentees.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">But, even if I didn’t make it, the contest would have been totally worth it. Many of the mentors write back to everyone who submitted to them, giving them a bit of feedback. Also, I learned so much just from people tweeting encouragement to keep writing and giving tidbits of advice. I also have a new bunch of followers and writers I feel confident to call upon when I have questions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Unfortunately, this contest will not happen until next year, but there are many others coming up if you just keep an eye out on Twitter.</span></div>
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<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">So I hope to see you on Twitter soon! My handle is <b>@Kaup_Novel</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-71168044619527835522015-08-06T19:17:00.003-07:002015-08-06T19:22:31.113-07:00Let Your Characters Choose Your Point of ViewSo, you’ve got this idea for the next best-seller in children’s books. You take the time to plot out the story line, develop your characters, and do some background research for your setting. Then you sit down and write, but what appears on the page is not what you expect.<br />
<br />
This happened to me when writing my most recent novel. I love telling stories from my characters’ point of views, so I had always written in first person. I also enjoy the immediacy of present tense. So all my books up to this point had the main character as the narrator, giving the reader a play-by-play of what was happening.<br />
<br />
But there was only one problem with my new novel—my audience would be preteen Americans and my main character is a European boy who struggles with English. See my dilemma? How could I make my intelligent European character appear smart if he had a limited vocabulary? He also has a thick accent, so it would be a challenge to constantly write his mispronunciations. I could’ve changed him into a slick, foreigner with a sharp tongue, but he would no longer be the same character and I didn’t want to lose him. So I flipped into third person past tense for the first time. It was hard at first and my writing was a little clunky, but now the reader can understand why my main character is the way he is.<br />
<br />
Then I faced another surprise—a different character demanded more attention. I would’ve been very limited using first person, but now with third, this secondary character gets chapters all to herself and her perspective is the perfect contrast to my main character.<br />
<br />
So don’t limit yourself to one point of view until you know your characters. Try writing one chapter multiple times each in a different point of view. I’ve not delved into second person, but there are a number of authors, especially for middle grade, that do this now. Explore your novel through the eyes of your characters and let them have the voice that is perfect for your story.<br />
<br />
(And when in doubt, let your excellent critique group give you their opinions!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-2344086822772326962015-03-23T20:10:00.001-07:002015-03-23T20:11:13.585-07:00There’s still time to join us at the SCBWI-Oklahoma Spring Conference!<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Oklahoma Spring Conference</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Saturday, March 28, 2015</span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Crowne Plaza Hotel-Tulsa Southern Hills</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Registration Open Until Thursday, March 26</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Register at: <a href="http://oklahoma.scbwi.org/">oklahoma.scbwi.org</a></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Questions: <a href="mailto:newtonhelendunlap@gmail.com">newtonhelendunlap@gmail.com</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">SPEAKERS and Topics for the SESSIONS </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Laura Biagi – Jean V. Naggar Literary “The Spark an Agent Brings to the Table”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Julie Bliven – Charlesbridge Publishing “Elements of a Successful Picture Book”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Kristine Brogno – Design Director for Chronicle Books “Words + Pictures/Pictures + Words: The Difference That Creates That Spark!” </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Alyson Heller – Aladdin Books “Put a Spark in Your First Pages/Chapters”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Erica Finkel – Abrams Books “Put a Spark in Your Submission by Knowing the Market”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Rachel Orr – Prospect Agency “Main Conflict: The Spark That Fires Up a Manuscript” & “A Conversation with an Agent & Author” (with author Jen Latham) </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-31320335527268185412015-02-13T10:32:00.002-08:002015-02-14T21:26:36.409-08:00Blog Hop Submission<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This is a sample of my writing that is awaiting critiques from other writers. Please feel free to join in with commenting below. Thanks!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Query was updated on Feb. 14th after some wonderful suggestions.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Title: The Mirage Shifter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Word Count: 55,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear Agent Person,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Twelve-year old Aiden Flanagan wishes he was normal,
but his brain has always been a little off kilter. It enables him to catch
people when they’re lying, which is pretty neat, but it also affects his vision,
enabling him to see an invisible world just inches from reality. But when his
best friend Jake goes into a coma and Aiden sees him walking the streets of New
York in a hospital gown, Aiden fears his friend is close to death, if not
already dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Following Jake through Battery Park, Aiden jumps after
him into the East River and they pass through the Mirage, the thin veil that
hides people’s dreams from reality. Aiden learns Jake is only dreaming and still
in his coma, but Aiden’s old childhood imaginary friend is real and doesn’t
want Jake to wake up. Navigating between the dream world and reality, Aiden
races to wake Jake before they’re both stuck in his dream forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I am an active member of SCBWI. Thank you
for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">G. K. Kaup <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: MingLiU-ExtB;">CHAPTER 1</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: MingLiU-ExtB;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The high pitched humming of the approaching subway hits my ears
at the same moment I see the boy walking on the tracks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Stop the train!” I yell, pointing at the boy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">People on the busy platform turn to me and then to the tracks. No
one gasps or screams or yells for someone to save the little barefoot kid.
Barefoot? In the middle of February? I step onto the yellow line and bend over
the tracks, trying to get a closer look at his face. Tan skin, dark hair, and
eyes as blue as a Bunsen burner flame. I know those eyes. He holds my gaze and
smiles before he disappears.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Are you crazy, Aiden?” Jake shouts, yanking me back just before
the subway passes in front of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Breaks screech to a halt and then the subway doors slide open.
People glare at me and shake their heads as they press to get inside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Stupid kid,” mumbles an old man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Jake pushes me in front of him and gets us to the seats at the
back of the car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“So?” he asks. “What was that all about?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I swallow and realize this is the first time I've thought about lying to my best friend. I can’t tell him I just saw an invisible friend, because if I do, he’ll really think I’ve lost it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I try to laugh, but it comes out as a cough. “I don’t know, you
know? It looked like there was something on the tracks.”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442535909603979250noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788023594084188.post-77001047005309716642015-02-08T16:11:00.001-08:002015-02-08T17:00:36.071-08:00Starting my 3rd Book Right<h2 style="background-color: #45966e; border: 0px; color: #443c30; font-family: LeagueGothicRegular, HelveticaNeue-CondensedBold, 'Franklin Gothic Demi Cond', 'Franklin Gothic Medium Cond', Impact, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 30px auto 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: 430px;">
</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I almost finished my first book. Technically, I have an
ending. Well, multiple endings, but I didn’t go back and edit. My second book I
actually completed and did multiple edits. I even sent it to some agents, but
no one has taken it. I never felt quite right about the query and first ten
pages, which is all they ever look at. Or maybe they just stopped after the
first sentence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I used the discovery method for each of these books—it’s the
method where you write and see where your story takes you. That led to hours
and hours of rewrites. So, on my third book, I decided to get organized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I did myself a little Google search and found <a href="http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/" target="_blank">AdvancedWriting Fiction</a>. I was wary at first, thinking it looked like one of those long
sites that reels you in at the end with a sales gimmick.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">It was definitely one
of those sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">But I didn’t need the software and Randy Ingermanson was
kind enough to list the ten steps I needed to start my book right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Currently, I’m almost thorough with eight of the ten steps.
(The last two are chapter summaries and actually writing the book). But I love
that I know my characters and my story now. My previous problems centered
around trying to fit my main character into a world where I was as clueless as
them about what was going to happen. So my finished products were choppy and
inconsistent and I had too many themes to keep track of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I have yet to decide if this method with be my standby in
the future, but I’ve enjoyed the process so far. Writing will start in the next
few weeks and if I can just get over the hump of where to actually begin my
novel, I hope it will be easy sailing. We’ll just have to see.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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