Writing Contests

I'm pretty much done the story for the Pockets magazine contest. It ends August the 15th which gives me plenty of time to buy new ink, the only problem is that it's 700 words over the count! Yikes!!!! Anyway, we ran out of time to send the story for the Random House contest, so my mother and I will send it next year. I feel the reason we were lead to do it now was because next year we'll be to busy to work on it, and we'll just need to send it then. So I don't think it was a purposless effort. It's typed and ready, all we can do now is hope and wait.

Random House Competitions

OMG! It's almost July already, why is time so cruel to me?!!!
My mother and I are almost done editing my story for the Random House contest, it all comes down to my dad getting ink and paper this week hopefully. Although I have another contest I want to enter this summer, this one is at the top of my list of writing goals, I don't think it will be too bad to send it next year, I'll have lots of creditials to go with too. There is another Random House story contest for October this year, only for the more mature reader (12-18), and I've already thought of a new idea and I'm working on the story now so it will be edited. 224 pages or less maybe be a big goal but I think it'll be worth it if I win!
With either contest and at any time, I'm just definite I will win at least one when I send them in. I'm not going to think about a chance in next year's contest until my chance of winning this year's is over!

The Write Books

Just yesterday my mother, sisters and I visited the new library of Baltimore! And I got a few helpful books on writing, my favorites starting at the top:

•'s are ratings

* A Teens Guide to Getting Published by twins Jessica and Danielle Dunn - Very informative with advice, a few very good teen listings, and an upbeat feel to the book. Plus examples to help you get started. •••••

* Websters New Explorer Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms - When you're trying to write a sophisticated or comedic story or article and you need the right word to fit your theme or feel, awesome help! •••••

* The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D. - When your internet decides to Zap out and you can't go to a helpful grammar site like Grammar Girl, this book is not only humorous but helpful to understand if your sentence is grammarically correct ( if you want it to be ) ••••


* Your Name in Print by father and daughter Elizabeth and Timothy Harper - Yawn . . . oh . . . yes the book review! This book is chockful of helpful information and testimonials, but maybe it's the font and letter size . . . this book is very boring. It's very hard to get through a helpful chapter without skipping to the interesting stuff. Besides the dullness of it, this is a very good book. I would probably only check it out again for the exercises and info, listings and such. •••


I'm probably going to buy my favorites and many more others( if I need them) when I get the money to do so. Until then having them at the library is just four thumbs up of help!

Gathering Days

Usually my schedule for writing is mon-wed and then I work on jewelry during my three day weekend (thur-sat, sometimes sunday less likely). But this week I was feeling really tired and the schedule swapped. So today I woke up and typed some stories and articles for my mother and I to edit next week. My feature story is moving along slowly in the editing process, but I will have it ready before july! I don't want it sitting around in september. I want editors reading it by august. So it's alot to do and focus on but I must do it, if I don't I might just die of faliure and depression. So I'm going to get the edited files on my computer this weekend, then I'll work some more on them monday.

In submission news I'm sending my manuscript to DevoZine this weekend, deadline is in 4 days! SCREAM!!! But I have stamps and it shouldn't take long to get there so no worries. Becoming a professional writer is a very interesting adventure, I would say journey but it's such a... quiet word. So I'll say adventure.

But anyway back to what the subject is about, Gathering Days. The days you may feel like writing or don't, you just live and play and interact with your family. You gather what you might need for a story, a description, a song. Gathering Days and Pages, oh the most important tools for the creative person. They boost your creativity and knowledge, if not make it better. You'll know what pages are if you've read the Artist's Way all the way or some, or heard it from someone or book. They are what you write in the morning, on paper ( I've been using my computer since I lost my notebook) in long hand as fast as you can writing whatever comes to mind for three pages. That doesn't mean plan what you're going to write if your really feel like strangling your cat or brother for hurting you. It clears the cobwebs of your mind and lets in new ideas.

Wow this was a long post!

REJECTED!! Muhahaha!

American Girl letter came today saying my article wasn't right for their magazine. But it doesn't bother me because I'd love to send it to another magazine I was considering, I actually feel sort of like a real writer now that I got that rejection letter. I'll put it in my time capsule, my very first rejection!

Although, I may be upset if Stone Soup doesn't publish my story, I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, want it in there! Then again☹... there are alot of other magazines and even book publishers! I think that's what you have to think when you get rejected or unaccepted for something, or you won't get anywhere. Positive thinking is key! Best of luck to my little story, you can make it through the static Z.!!!!