Class of 2k9 Book Giveaway

2009 is coming to a close ... and the Class of 2k9 is graduating!

Find out how to win one of these debut authors' books at the Class of 2k10's new Live Journal page!

I Won!

I never win anything, but I found out today that my name was randomly selected from 191 people who correctly solved this week's puzzle over at Matt Gaffney's Weekly Crossword Contest!

For my reward, I get my pick of one of Matt's many awesome books. Can't wait to read "Gridlock: Crossword Puzzles and the Mad Geniuses Who Create Them"!

If you love crosswords, check out Matt's blog. He is a genius!

Do Not, I Repeat, Do Not, Repeat!

Writers are often advised to avoid repeating the same words and phrases. And that’s great advice for words such as “looked,” “seemed,” “felt,” “very” and my personal Achilles’ heel, “just.”

But sometimes repetition is used to great effect. At a recent Northern Virginia Writers First Friday event, author Kate Blackwell spoke on “Playing with Voice” and examined how authors can use repetition to establish a distinctive rhythm and voice.

Case in point: Observatory Mansions: A Novel by Edward Carey, published by Crown in 2001. Check out this first paragraph:

I wore white gloves. I lived with my mother and father. I was not a child. I was thirty-seven years old. My bottom lip was swollen. I wore white gloves though I was not a servant. I did not play in a brass band. I was not a waiter. I was not a magician. I was the attendant of a museum. A museum of significant objects. I wore white gloves so that I would not damage any of the nine hundred and eighty-six objects in the museum. I wore white gloves so that I would not have to touch anything with my bare hands. I wore white gloves so that I would not have to look at my own hands.

Gives you chills, no? And as Kate points out, it not only establishes a voice, it tells you quite a lot about the main character. OCD much?

BTW, our next First Friday event is going to be a blast, with three literary agents on hand to critique queries, with fabulous prizes for the Idol winners. If you live in the D.C. area, you’ll want to check it out. Here’s the promo and instructions should you wish to throw your manuscript into the ring:

Northern Virginia Writers First Friday: Leesburg Idol
October 3, 2008; 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176

Similar to the pop culture TV show, this will be an opportunity to have your work judged by industry professionals: literary agents Deborah Grosvenor of Kneerim and Williams Agency; and Paige Wheeler and Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management.

To participate, please STAPLE together your entry in the following order: (1) a cover sheet with your project’s name, genre, and “tag line” (a one-to three-sentence description of your story), (2) one-page query letter addressed to "Dear Agent," and (3) the first three pages of your book. DO NOT include identifying information on any page of your submission. All genres are welcome. Prizes include free tuition to a multi-session Writer’s Center workshop (up to a $340 value), free one-year membership to the Writer’s Center, and free admission to all NVW 2009 First Friday events.

For more information on how to write a query letter, please go to www.foliolit.com/sub-basicquery.php.

We anticipate a packed house. Advanced reservations strongly recommended. Go to www.writer.org/events/details.asp?id=336.

Admission: $4 for Writer's Center members and Leesburg residents; $6 general public.

Hope to see some of you there!

Lessons on Great Starts

UPDATE 1: Instead of the first sentence of the works in progress, I am going to ask for the first 8-10 sentences, as I think that will give us a better feel for the writing and the story. So far I have five writers interested in participating. If you'd like to participate as well, please leave a comment with your submission or with info on how to reach you. Thanks!

UPDATE 2: Nathan Bransford has picked the finalists for his First Pages Contest. Alas, my entry is not among them. But some truly amazing first pages are! Check them out and vote for your favorite here.

UPDATE 2(b) Nathan just posted the winner of the contest ... very much a deserving first page! And, he named his top 10, including mine! Yippee!

A two-part post here. First, I wanted direct any of you who are interested in writing novels to some fantabulous advice regarding first pages being doled out over on agent Nathan Bransford's blog (the advice begins about a third of the way down in that entry).

Nathan is in the midst of judging a first-pages contest in which he received a mind-numbing 620 or so entries (including mine ... you can go here and do a search for "lindabudz" if you're inclined to check out the first page of my current WIP). Warning: It might take a minute for that page to load. Did I mention he had 600+ entries?

Anyway, reading all those openings has led Nathan to a few revelations about what works and what doesn't. And if you scan through a handful of them, you'll probably see what he means. Interesting stuff.

Secondly, in a brouhaha too convoluted to discuss here, many entrants expressed a desire in Nathan's comments section for critiques from their fellow writers.

This gave me an idea, and so I've decided to institute a new edition of my "It's a Start" feature in which I will give my opinions on the first sentence (or so) of kid lit writers' works in progress. This will not replace the regular "It's a Start" feature but will be posted in addition to it on occasion. I've had some interest from a couple of writers and am hoping it will build on itself.

If you'd like your first sentence(s) included, please leave me a comment and I'll work out the logistics from there. Thanks!

Gift Ideas: Cybil Nominees!

Appearing on the sidebar over there to your right is a promo for the 2007 Cybil nominees. Each time you visit (or refresh your screen), you'll find a different book pictured ... you can click on the cover to find out more about that book or click on the "buy" links to order the book at Amazon or at your local bookstore.

The Cybils is an awards program run by a group of kid lit bloggers and reviewers, recognizing both quality and "kid appeal" among books published in 2007.

Two of my personal favs have been nominated, Sam Riddleburger's Qwikpick Adventure Society and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why. Good luck to both!

Update: Having had some more time to peruse the nominees, I want to point out a few other deserving books: Sara Lewis Holmes' Letters from Rapunzel, Beckie Weinheimer's Converting Kate and Laura Bowers' Beauty Shop for Rent. Congratulations to these talented authors and to all who were nominated!

I'm Not a WINner, But I Know People Who Are!

I failed to get my butt in gear and enter the SmartWriters' Write It Now! Competition, but I am so excited today to cheer for the WINners. An amazing group of writers.

You can find all of the winners at the SmartWriters Web site, but I wanted to give a special shout out to the three folks I know (or feel like I know, anyway). I'm so thrilled for you, ladies!

Lindsay Eland, who took first place in the middle-grade category for her AMAZING manuscript, "You Gotta Be Kidding Me." The judge raved: "Funny, great voice, character very interesting, starts with a well orchestrated bang. YAY!" Couldn't agree more. That story is fantastic, and I can't wait to hold it in my hands one day as a real, honest-to-goodness book! Double YAY!

Mindy Alyse Weiss, who received an honorable mention for "In My Heart," also a middle-grade manuscript. The judge wrote: "Really a stunning opening scene. Huge emotional possibilities in the plot." Congratulations, Mindy!

Gail Maki Wilson, who received an honorable mention for her picture book manuscript, "Ants Can't Dance." Said the judge: "Fun story. Excellent rhyming." Wow, praise and recognition for a rhyming picture book! Not too shabby, Gail!

Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who entered. You put your work out there to be judged, and that can be a tough thing to do!