On Your Mark….

Blogger #1: Hey guess what…I just got another notification on my Google reader that DL posted again today.

Blogger #2: You’re kidding. Let me guess, another reminder about his High Drama Blogfest/Giveaway?

Blogger #1: Bingo!

Blogger #2: Geez! Does that guy ever quit? Somebody needs to show him what a broken record looks like.

Blogger #1: I think it must be a man thing…one track minds and all.

Blogger #2: I wish my husband had a little more of that when it came to cleaning out the garage.

Blogger #3: Wassup?

Blogger #2: DL posted another reminder about his blogfest today.

Blogger #3: You mean the one this Saturday, August 7th? Isn’t that the one with prizes also?

Blogger #1: That’s the one.

Blogger #3: I can’t wait. Did you order your coffee’s yet?

Blogger #2: Uh-huh, we got you a Carmel Macchiato. Wait a minute. You signed up for DL’s blogfest?

Blogger #3: Absolutely!

Blogger #1: I did too.

Blogger #2: Weren’t you complaining just the other day about not having enough time to write, blog, read & comment on other blogs, and take care of your family? Now you’re doing a blogfest also?

Blogger #3: I like showing off my work.

Blogger #1: And you get some excellent feed back as well.

Blogger #2: Hey…that’s my muffin!

Blogger #3: Soourrry, Iummmm starfved.

Blogger #2: That’s just gross. Eat with your mouth closed…you’re spitting crumbs on me.

Blogger #1: What kind of drama did you pick to enter?

Blogger #3: GULP. I chose a section from my first book, the one I shelved. You?

Blogger #1: I wrote something original that had been bouncing around in the back of my mind for awhile. I really had fun with it.

Blogger #2: There is this one idea I’ve been toying with for a while.

Blogger #1: You should totally do it. Totally!

Blogger #2: But it’s Thursday, and his blogfest is when…Saturday? There’s no way I can have it ready by then.

Blogger #3: Please…you can churn out 500 words in your sleep. And it doesn’t have to be perfect, everybody starts off by saying “this is really rough”. It’s kind of expected.

Blogger #2: I don’t know…..

Blogger #1: Come on…it’s DL. He’s a dude writer severely outnumbered by female ones. He writes mysteries and we all write young adult or romance. He’s ancient…like 50+…still trying to keep up with the younger crowd.

Blogger #2: So….?

Blogger #3: And he has almost 500 followers!

Blogger #1: Where are you going?

Blogger #2: I’ve got to get home and start writing.

Blogger #3: I call her muffin!

Psych!!

I bet you thought I was going to post another reminder about my High Drama Blogfest/Giveaway on Saturday, August 7th, didn’t you?

I sure fooled you!! *snicker*

A Blogfest Tutorial

Just four more days remaining until my High Drama Blogfest/Giveaway on Saturday, August 7th. Are you getting excited? Do you think I am? Duh!!

One of my fellow bloggers who posted a piece promoting my event had a comment left there that has given me the idea to take some time and explain just what this thing we call blogfest is. There are plenty of newbies out there who still getting acclimated to the blogosphere and everything it has to offer, and if they’re like me the first time I read the phrase blogfest they probably didn’t know what to think. So, let’s do a little educating today.

Basically, the goal of a blogfest is to provide those who wish to participate with an avenue to share their writing with a broader reading base then what might normally visit their blog. Anyone can host a blogfest…and anyone can take part in one. The host usually establishes the topic to be written about, which can cover a wide-spectrum. Anything from scenes involving a first kiss, bar scenes, fight scenes, the first page of your manuscript (my personal favorite so far), and in my case… anything involving dramatic tension. The host also imposes any rules to guide the event (word count limit, PG language, original material only, etc).

The mechanics are fairly simple. The host uploads his blog post announcing the blogfest (complete with scheduled date, topic and rules) and at the bottom of that post is a sign up form (widget) to record the blog addresses of everyone who intends on partaking. These widgets come in many different versions, some are free to use and some charge a minor fee. They can display the links to the participating blogs on the original blog post of the host, or store those addresses at another web-site. On the day of the blogfest, all those who registered to be involved post their contribution on their own blog with a link to the host site so their readers can seek out similar stories. Blog interaction at its finest!

I hope this little tutorial was helpful to some of you. My blogfest is a little unique in that I have combined a prize giveaway with it. This is definitely not expected from those holding a blogfest and its just a little something I’m doing to crank up the excitement.

Before I go, I need to make a slight modification to my own blogfest rules. Originally I had asked that participants to limit the word count to no more than 500 words. I wanted everyone to make the rounds of all the entrants without having to feel like they just read War & Peace. But even I’m struggling with that restriction. If you know me at all, you know my opinion on rules…and I’m not above bending my own. So if you need to stretch your entry by a couple hundred words, go ahead. I’ll tell the word police to look the other way. :)

Oh yeah…have you linked your favorite blog post on my Blog Recycle Station yet?

High Drama in Five Days

That’s right, just five more days remaining until my High Drama Blogfest/Giveaway on Saturday, August 7th.

A chance to win an autographed novel from one of three wonderful mystery writers, or one of three $15 gift cards, just for registering and posting five hundred words of dramatic writing from your own repertoire. How could you go wrong? Use an existing piece of work, or do what I did and write something completely original to show off. I’m sure whatever you choose will impress us all.

I don’t know about you, but when I read great drama, my heart races and I tend to sit up in my seat. So I’m forgoing my trips to the healthclub this week, knowing full well that my heart and stomach muscles will get all the workout I need on Saturday!

Oh yeah…Mississippi and West Virginia are the only two states I’m lacking now in my quest to obtain followers in each of the 50 states. I’m so…so close.

And don’t forget about my Blog Recycle Station.

I’ll be back again tomorrow with yet another reminder. Sick of me yet?

Countdown to a Blogfest

My totally awesome High Drama Blogfest/Giveaway is this coming Saturday, August 7^th, and in anticipation I’m doing something I don’t normally do…uploading a post every day leading up to that date.  That’s right, I’m going to bombard you with reminders because I know that in the past it would’ve helped me.  I’ve missed Blogfests that I really wanted to participate in because I failed to jot it down on my calendar, or I missed the notification entirely.  I won’t let that happen here.  I’ll even be tweeting about it and the bloggers that have already signed up will receive personal e-mail reminders from me.  Everywhere you turn in the blogosphere this week you’ll probably run into me, harking my head off.  Just think of me as an alarm with a 24 hour snooze button. 

Five hundred words of dramatic prose, that’s all I’m after…with oodles of prizes given away to boot.  How could you go wrong?  I’ve even enticed a couple of bloggers who rarely post their work on-line to take part. 

Also, don’t forget about my Blog Recycle Station.  I’ve had tremendous response for this, but I’m always looking for more.

One reminder down….five more to go!  I can’t wait until Saturday. :)