WRiTE CLUB – Round 3

We are two weeks in and although I would like to report that WRiTE CLUB is going strong, the truth is it stumbled a bit last week.  But we now have a pair of WRiTER's who have already advanced to the semi-final rounds and just ten more chances for someone to join them there.

Last week we witnessed a clashing of different styles, which prompted some murmurs about maybe it wasn't fair to have samples of different genre's in the same ring together.  Broader still, maybe WRiTE CLUB is inherently biased towards YA WRiTER's since it seemed like the majority of the blogosphere (at least this hemisphere of it) is populated by those working in the YA genre.  I do not accept either of those postulations, for many reasons, but the primary one being that I believe visitors to WRiTE CLUB...regardless of the genre they practice in...can recognize excellent writing!  And it doesn't matter if that writing is YA, MG, Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, etc...etc.  I'm confident that the WRiTER's that have chosen to submit their work (which I have the utmost admiration for) did so knowing that those 250 word snippets would stand on their own, without the benefit of plot or theme, and though there may be an element that suggests a specific genre (vampires are a dead giveaway), it is the way the scene is weaved that would be judged.

That's my story...and I'm sticking to it.  And as they like to say, the proof is in the pudding, so we'll see how this experiment of mine turns out.  Although the number of votes submitted in Round 2 was only down a little, the number of page hits was down almost 50% from week 1.  That raises another question...do you leave a vote even though neither of the submissions appeal to you?  It's a personal choice, but I will say that in some small part WRiTE CLUB is helping to improve each participants writing via the input received in the comments and your votes.  Leaving without posting a comment benefits neither WRiTER.

Submissions continue to trickle in (you guys ROCK!), and once again let me remind you about RULE # 8 - If this is your first week at WRiTE CLUB, you HAVE to WRiTE.  That means that one of our WRiTER's will be selected from the newby pool, and the other WRiTER will come from the existing pool.  So, without further ado....

Here are this week's randomly selected WRiTER's.

Standing in the far corner, weighing in at 250 words, please welcome to the ring……..

NANOSH

Jonah swiped an escaped tear from his cheek and eyed his brother Derek’s bent back suspiciously.

“Come on; three running steps, a quick leap from my back, and you’ll be over the creek before you know it.”

A breeze fluttered Jonah’s turquoise and black butterfly wings. All the other fairies in his clan had a double set of opaque dragonfly wings. Another tear threatened to drip onto Jonah’s cheek, but he furiously blinked it away.

Derek had folded his wings close along his body as he knelt froglike in front of the wide, rushing creek. His face, peeking out from under his slender, bare arm, sported a wide grin.

“Nanosh said I couldn’t fly over water,” Jonah argued. “The mist will collect in the hairs before I can get across. I am too slow.”

Derek twitched his wings like he was ready to buzz across the water. “Just get high enough the dampness won’t weigh you down.”

“You’re coming too, right? Otherwise, how will I get back?”

“See that tree branch,” Derek answered, pointing to a Laurel not far from the other bank.

“Once you have a gooseberry, get a good running start and leap as high as you can. You’ll make it. Your wings are strong enough.”

Jonah twitched the velvety wings that wouldn’t fold. Something about this challenge didn’t sound right to him, but he was sure his older brother wouldn’t tease him like the others.

“Bring back one gooseberry and nobody will ever doubt your wings again.”

And in the other corner, weighing in at a mere 161 words, let me introduce to you ……..

TIMOTHY NINE

Creatures of habit are easier to catch and beautiful Edie Grace was as predictable as a James Bond love affair. For three weeks, he studied her, peering into her life… her soul. He loved her youthful movements, so graceful. She now belonged to him.

Through the front window, he watched Edie jumped onto her sofa and sit cross-legged in front of the television. Avid fan of Wheel of Fortune, her fisted hands move up and down in front of her chest as the wheel went round. As the needle passed every number, she mouthed, one thousand, one thousand and finally called out a letter in turn.

G as in girl.

He smiled. Yes, and what about B as in beautiful or D as in dead? Oh, the hours he stood watching were about to end. Excitements filled his stomach and his heart beat rapidly. He longed to be inside — with her. No, he must be patient; he knew the perfect time.

Now it’s up to you.  Which of these two sample resonated the most?  In the comments below leave your vote for the winner of round 3, along with any sort of critique you would like to offer.  Please remind your friends to make a selection as well.  The voting will remain open until noon Sunday.  

Remember, here in WRiTE CLUB, it’s not about the last man/woman standing, it’s about who knocks the audience out!

The results will be posted Sunday night, just ahead of ROUND 4 which will happen next Monday.   You can throw your pen name into the hate anytime during the first twelve rounds by submitting your own 250 word sample.  Check out the rules by clicking on the badge below…then come out swinging!

Where words are the true knockout!

PS.  There's a pretty amazing blogfest going on that you may be interested in.  Check out the Deja Vu Blogfest scheduled for December 16th.

WRiTE CLUB - Round 2 Results

The second round was a bit of a blow out with the majority of the votes going to one contestant, but the score was a bit deceiving as just about everyone found merits in both WRiTER's work.  Myself, I enjoyed both pieces and was glad I didn't have to cast a deciding vote.  The total number of votes was also down a bit this week, but with NaNo in full swing that's to be expected. Here are the final results for round 2.

JAMIE STUART - 23 votes     TRIXIE LaRUE - 1 vote

This weeks winner is JAMIE STUART!  JAMIE will join ANNE SHIRLEY in the semi-finals which will begin in February and TRIXIE will go back into the general pool for a possible WRiTE in one of the remaining ten rounds.  Remember, WRiTER's that go back into the pool are free to submit a different 250 word sample in preparation for being selected again, or they can just let their previous submission ride.

As always, the results from all of the rounds will be posted on my WRiTE CLUB page, along with links to all of the writing samples.

Round 3 begins tomorrow morning! :)

Untraceable - The Shelli Johannes-Wells Interview

Coming Nov 29th!

I have a special place in my heart for Shelli from Market My Words.  You see, she may not remember this but on October 27^th 2009, she commented on one of my blog post.  I’m sure for her it wasn’t a big deal, but for me it was something quite different.  At the time I was still a fledgling blogger, still trying to find my way around the blogosphere, and her comment was my first from what I will call a main-stream blogger, a blogger with hundreds of followers.  It rocked my world to know that someone of her stature had not only read one of my posts, but she actually took the time to leave an encouraging comment.  Her simple remarks leant a sense of credibility to what I was trying to do and helped expand my horizons.  Since then I’ve continued to follow her progress and now it’s my turn to help her out.

We’ve both come a long way since that time.  Shelli’s first novel, Untraceable, a new young adult wilderness thriller with a missing father, a kick butt heroine, and of course - two hot boys, is due for release on November 29^th (you can read my glowing review next week).  I’m honored to have her over for a virtual cup of coffee and a chat this morning to discuss a topic near and dear to many of our hearts, marketing to Agents and Editors.  But before we get to Shelli, how about some more general info about her book and Shelli herself?

Book Description:

16 year old Grace was reared in the wilderness. Her first pet was a bear named Simon. Her first potty, an oak tree. And, her first swing, a forest vine. Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her everything he knew about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. 

When Grace's dad goes missing on a routine patrol, unlike everyone in her sleepy mountain town, she refuses to believe he’s dead. After finding a Cheetos bag and stolen government file, Grace is convinced she’s one step closer to proving all the non-believers wrong.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from imminent danger by Mo, a hot guy who has an intoxicating accent and a secret. Grace has never felt a connection like this before, certainly not with her ex-boyfriend, the adoring, but decidedly unrugged, Wyn. 

After a few run-ins with the town's police chief, her father's partner, and some new evidence, Grace travels deeper into the wilderness that has always been her refuge only to learn that her father's disappearance is not a mere coincidence. 

Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to emerge from an epidemic that’s spreading like wild fire, threatening everything and everyone she’s ever loved.

http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2010/01/grace-under-fire-book-trailer.html

Book Blurbs:

"Grace is a spunky, independent, nature girl who doesn't need a boy to save her. With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page—and still begging for more!" 

-Kimberly Derting, author of the The Body Finder series (Harper Teen) and The Pledge series (S&S)

Author Bio:

Shelli Johannes-Wells started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for “Be a Smart Cookie”, and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant.

In 2000, Shelli traded in her expensive suits, way-too high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She started her own marketing & communications business, www.bilaninc.com, and continues creating materials for a variety of large profit and nonprofit clients, including Spanx, Goody Hair Products, Chick Filet, Delta, CARE, and the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Shelli’s dream is to publish children’s books and magically imprint the imaginations of kids. In addition to juggling nap schedules while attending client meetings, Shelli focuses on her writing. She is a frequent marketing speaker at SCBWI conferences across the U.S and runs a popular marketing blog, Market My Words (www.faeriality.blogspot.com) where she provides marketing advice for authors in the hopes of helping them better market their words.

In her spare time (yeah right!) and if the kids allow (yeah right!), Shelli obsesses over movies, reads children’s books (over and over), wishes she could squeeze in Bikram Yoga sessions, and dreams of sleeping in on the weekends.

She currently lives in Atlanta with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess that someday will change the world.

DL:  Good morning Shelli.  How’s my coffee?  Is it to your liking?

Shelli: As long as you have flavored cream and caffeine – I’m good.

DL:  Are you comfortable?  Can I get you anything else?

Shelli: Yes, here’s a list of my demands when I do an interview. (List includes praises, compliments, laughing at jokes, a bus of any size would not hurt, and I love cupcakes.) 

DL: Great!  Let’s get to it, shall we?  I understand marketing is a specialty of yours.  You even have your own marketing web-site (bilan).

Shelli: Yes – after a life event – I decide to quit my high-paying job (I know crazy right?) and go out on my own. I was tired of being tossed around and traveling and wanted to get some control back on my life. I started doing copywriting and it grew from there.

DL:  A lot of unpublished writers might consider marketing something that comes after the book deal is signed, but that’s not necessarily the case is it?

Shelli: Okay so I see marketing different that the average marketer. I think marketing is about relationship building. So yes – start building relationships way before you get published. To me marketing is doing for others as you would have done to you. Know what I mean?

DL:  Absolutely!  What kind of tips can you offer my readers?

Shelli: * leans back and puts feet up * How long do you have? My main thing is it is never too soon to get started. Never! Start taking small steps now. It took me 2 years to build relationships with people online. And my goal was to help them not myself. If you go out there expecting people to help you – you are in the wrong place. We bloggers can see a fake a mile away J

DL:  * eyeing the feet now on his coffee table * Ummm...Just how important is a blog or web-site in the overall process?  

Shelli: It’s only important if you want it to be. You don’t have to blog. Only blog if you love it. If you blog once a month – it doesn’t matter. Just do what you want to do or it will show.

DL:  Are you ready for a refill yet?

Shelli: Uh yeah, like an hour ago. I'm still waiting on the cupcakes though.

DL:  Uh...me and the oven had a bit of a disagreement this morning, and, well, unfortunately it won.  How about a pop-tart?

* Awkward silence *

DL:  Let's press on then. My wife is a travel agent and with the proliferation of sites like Expedia and Priceline, people are drifting away from using a travel service.  But every day I see the added value she can bring to the travel experience that doesn’t cost the consumer anything extra, so I was wondering, with more and more authors undertaking their own marketing activities is there still value that a marketing and publicity service such as yours can bring to bear that they’d be missing out on?

Shelli: No. Just kidding. (Like I would say yes – duh!) I think it’s great people are doing their own marketing. They should. No one loves your book the way you do. You are the best advocate. But I think it helps to have someone help you make sure you are targeting the right audiences the right way. Someone to get you organized so you don’t spin in a circle doing everything and getting little return. People like me help you narrow in on your target audience and create materials that matter. But if everyone thinks they can do it alone – you can always call me to do web sites, blog designs, or book swag :)

DL:  ?

Shelli: That’s it? Did you not get my note about fireworks at the end of every interview. The band playing my song? Get my manager on the phone….

DL:  Why don't we cut to some important links?

Contact information:

Author newsletter - http://blogspot.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=114def4ad4e805b98ea071bff&id=68312804dc

Email: shelli@srjohannes.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/srjohannes

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SRJohannes/249888602550

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/srjohannes

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

Book Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12731861-untraceable

Blog: http://faeriality.blogspot.com/

 

I want to thank Shelli for stopping by this morning and sharing some of her knowledge with us.  November 29th is going to be a very important day for her...so mark it on your calendar.  You won't be disappointed.  :)

And while you're here, why don't you sign up for the Deja Vu Blogfest, and then after you do that cast your vote for round 2 of WRiTE CLUB.

The Deja Vu Blogfest

On December 16th, 2011, a blogfest was held where participants re-posted their favorite blog offering, or one that never received the exposure it should have.  On that day the blogosphere was chock full of past writing brilliance!  Encouragement, enlightenment, knowledge, bared souls, stimulation, hilarity, insecurities, success stories!  All on display…the very same day…like no other time before.

The list of links on MR. LINKY below point directly to the post for that day so that anyone who missed the blogfest can still peruse some really dynamite blog posts.  Enjoy!

WRiTE CLUB – Round 2

So far, WRiTE CLUB is a rousing success and it will be really hard to top the level of competition we witnessed in round one, but call me silly, I think we're just getting started!  Hurry up, find an open seat.  Things are getting a bit tight in here, seems like the word about WRiTE CLUB has been making the rounds and tickets are going fast.  That's alright, we're all friends here so let's get cozy.  The action is about to begin.

Our submissions continue to roll in, so let me remind you about RULE # 8 - If this is your first week at WRiTE CLUB, you HAVE to WRiTE.  That means that one of our WRiTER's will be selected from the newby pool, and the other WRiTER will come from the existing pool.  My wife is doing an excellent job of keeping things organized and allowing everything to remain 100% anonymous.

So, without further ado....

Here are this week's randomly selected WRiTER's.

Standing in the far corner, weighing in at 250 words, please welcome to the ring……..

TRIXIE LaRUE

Ian jumped off the couch as if ice water had been poured over his head.  I giggled because, for some reason, I found it endearing.  He brushed his fingers through his hair and looked around the living room like he expected my mom to jump from behind the furniture at any moment.

I sat up and smoothed down my hair.  “Don’t worry.  She’s locked herself in her room and probably won’t come out until tomorrow.”

He sat down next to me, not saying or doing anything until his breathing slowed.  When it did, he rubbed his eyes, then turned his head to look at me.  I smiled timidly.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

“Like, on a date?”

He smiled.  “Yes.  I was thinking we could get some dinner and see what’s playing at the theater.”

My heart fluttered beneath my chest.  My first kiss and my first date all in one day.  Granted, they were in the wrong order, but I was past caring.  I nodded.  “I need to get changed first.”

“I’ll go tell Greg so he can go home.  Plus, I have to grab my car.”

“Wait.  You can drive?”

He raised an eyebrow.  “I’m sixteen.  Last time I checked, that was the legal age.”

I was dating an older man!  At least, I hoped we were dating.  Kissing on couches and in the middle of the woods, followed by dinner and a movie constituted as dating, didn’t it?  Well, in my world it did

And in the near corner, also weighing in at 239 words, give it up for ……….

JAMIE STUART

Charlene Gentry didn't know what to expect when she died. She wasn't necessarily an evil person, so would heaven welcome her? She wasn't an angel, either, so would hell be her destination? Not that she had a choice, but she assumed those were her only two options.

Certainly not 5542 Sycamore Lane.

She must be dead. How else could she explain the view of her bedroom from above? She didn't own a mirror on the ceiling, as badly as she had dreamed of putting one up there. And the eyes of the body – her body – lying on the bed below were closed.

The front door slammed. "Charlie? You here?"

Robbie. Her big brother finally made it. Was he in time? How long had her body been lying there? Minutes? Hours?

"I'm in the bedroom!" She yelled, but did he hear her? Dammit! How could she move to him? Was she stuck up on the ceiling for all eternity?

The sliding door to the backyard opened. "Hey, fella. Whatcha doing out here?"

Barnaby's claws ticked, ticked, ticked, as they skittered across the kitchen floor. Soon the chocolate lab burst through the bedroom door, Robbie close behind.

"Charlie?" He rushed to her body and placed his fingers against the neck.

Did he get a pulse? Was she still alive? He pulled out his cell.

"It's my sister. I think she OD'd."

"No, I didn't," she said. "It's not what you think."

You folks have your work cut out for you again.  It’s up to you to decide who moves forward to join ANNE SHIRLEY in the semi-final round, and who will return to WRiTE another day.  In the comments below leave your vote for the winner of round 2.  Get your friends to make a selection as well.  The voting will remain open until noon Sunday.  

Remember, here in WRiTE CLUB, it’s not about the last man/woman standing, it’s about who knocks the audience out!

The results will be posted Sunday night, just ahead of ROUND 3 which will happen next Monday.   You can throw your pen name into the hat anytime during the first twelve rounds by submitting your own 250 word sample.  Check out the rules by clicking on the badge below…then come out swinging!

PS. Stop by again Wednesday for the announcement of a truly special Blogosphere event!