TITLE: Side Effects May Include
GENRE: Chick Lit
Penelope is a severe hypochondriac who only leaves her apartment to see doctors. Delilah, her best friend, reminds Penelope that there was life before her fears imprisoned her. Scene from Chapter 1.
“I have a life.”
“Oh yeah? Let me tell you what you did this weekend. You cleaned the apartment. You worked. You read. You listened to music. You diagnosed yourself with skin cancer. You worked some more.”
“Ha! I didn’t diagnose my skin cancer until today. Shows how much you know. But, other than that, yes, you are right.”
“I know I am right! Penelope, you need to get out of this apartment!” Delilah saw Penelope opening her mouth to speak and she stopped her, “And going to see Dr. Glover or Dr. Jane doesn’t count.”
“Why not? I get out of the apartment, don’t I?”
“In the physical sense, yes, but you need a social life that goes beyond your interaction with your doctors’ receptionists and me.”
“I know, Del, but,” Penelope’s voice went quiet, “I’m scares me out there. There is so much that could, I don’t know… get me.”
“I understand. Kind of. I know it’s hard for you. But I remember the Penelope that wasn’t scared all of the time. You remember, the girl that had fun and loads of friends. You used to get sick all of the time. Cold allergies, the flu - none of it phased you. I miss that Penelope. Don’t you miss going out to dinner? Going shopping? Any of it?”
“Sometimes.” Penelope fidgeted with the spoon in her coffee cup and took a deep breath. “Listen, I am trying, but I am afraid you are stuck with this Penelope.”
Miss Snark's First Victim
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Winners for Talking Heads: Beta Test
Winning numbers have been drawn for Talking Heads: Beta Test and the owners have all been emailed their entry numbers.
If you didn't get an email, sorry, that means your ticket number wasn't selected.
Here is the complete list, so you may double check:
If you didn't get an email, sorry, that means your ticket number wasn't selected.
Here is the complete list, so you may double check:
- T4DHQRVJ as ENTRY #1
- 74MR0UFT as ENTRY #2
- 83WL9Y9O as ENTRY #3
- NE79N9Q4 as ENTRY #4
- JYFG6P1G as ENTRY #5
- NYV629ZX as ENTRY #6
- TPXA0T67 as ENTRY #7
- QK9G6SDN as ENTRY #8
- VK5A1IQV as ENTRY #9
- ZL5ZZLQK as ENTRY #10
- PHIK570P as ENTRY #ALT-1
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Call For Submissions: Beta Testing Round
Okay, this is going to be fun! (No, I promise!)
Michael Extraordinaire wants to be sure that everything's running smoothly by the time the Baker's Dozen submissions open (next month!). So we're running a live test right here on the blog.
Best part? It's still going to be a real critique! So please only enter work on which you would like to receive feedback.
FUN THING NUMBER ONE: This round is going to be a LOTTERY! That is, everyone who submits will receive a lottery number. Once the submissions close, the bot will randomly choose the winners. These winners are the ones whose entries will be included in the crit round.
FUN THING NUMBER TWO: Our submission web form is ALIVE AND WELL! So for this round, you will have the option of using email or the web form, whichever works best for you. (We need to test widely, so please don't feel compelled to only use the web form.)
FUN THING NUMBER THREE: Plain text in emails is no longer necessary! When you receive your lottery number, you will also receive a link to preview your entry. So you'll get to see exactly what it will look like BEFORE it goes live. (If your entry is chosen, naturally.)
FUN THING NUMBER FOUR: Italics will work in the web form! Instructions are included in the form.
SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:
Email: authoress.submissions(at)gmail.com (same as always)
Web form: msfv.thoughtbin.org
With me so far? Yay!!
Here are the submission guidelines:
1. Submissions will open tomorrow at 9:00 am EDT and will close at 3:00 pm EDT. All entries will receive a lottery number.
2. At the close of the submission window, the bot will choose 10 winning entries. All winning entries will receive email notification. Winning numbers will also be posted on the blog.
3. The crit: Talking Heads! Please submit a 250-word excerpt from your novel (completed or in progress) that is heavy on the dialogue. Please include a BRIEF lead-in sentence to help drop us into the scene. (You will be allowed 30 extra words for this.)
The format:
EMAIL:
SCREEN NAME: (type it here)
TITLE: (type it here)
GENRE: (type it here)
(type your lead-in here IN ITALICS)
(type your 250-word excerpt here)
WEB FORM:
Follow the instructions on the web page.
That's everything, I think. Please post your questions below.
Michael Extraordinaire wants to be sure that everything's running smoothly by the time the Baker's Dozen submissions open (next month!). So we're running a live test right here on the blog.
Best part? It's still going to be a real critique! So please only enter work on which you would like to receive feedback.
FUN THING NUMBER ONE: This round is going to be a LOTTERY! That is, everyone who submits will receive a lottery number. Once the submissions close, the bot will randomly choose the winners. These winners are the ones whose entries will be included in the crit round.
FUN THING NUMBER TWO: Our submission web form is ALIVE AND WELL! So for this round, you will have the option of using email or the web form, whichever works best for you. (We need to test widely, so please don't feel compelled to only use the web form.)
FUN THING NUMBER THREE: Plain text in emails is no longer necessary! When you receive your lottery number, you will also receive a link to preview your entry. So you'll get to see exactly what it will look like BEFORE it goes live. (If your entry is chosen, naturally.)
FUN THING NUMBER FOUR: Italics will work in the web form! Instructions are included in the form.
SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:
Email: authoress.submissions(at)gmail.com (same as always)
Web form: msfv.thoughtbin.org
With me so far? Yay!!
Here are the submission guidelines:
1. Submissions will open tomorrow at 9:00 am EDT and will close at 3:00 pm EDT. All entries will receive a lottery number.
2. At the close of the submission window, the bot will choose 10 winning entries. All winning entries will receive email notification. Winning numbers will also be posted on the blog.
3. The crit: Talking Heads! Please submit a 250-word excerpt from your novel (completed or in progress) that is heavy on the dialogue. Please include a BRIEF lead-in sentence to help drop us into the scene. (You will be allowed 30 extra words for this.)
The format:
EMAIL:
SCREEN NAME: (type it here)
TITLE: (type it here)
GENRE: (type it here)
(type your lead-in here IN ITALICS)
(type your 250-word excerpt here)
WEB FORM:
Follow the instructions on the web page.
That's everything, I think. Please post your questions below.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Friday Fricassee
And so September creeps in.
I've got to tell you how blown away I am by the response to my plea for blog support for the Baker's Dozen overflow critiques. More than 60 of you have offered your blog space, and I've done nothing more than stare at all the emails in my box. Paralyzed by your eagerness! And not sure how to proceed.
I mean, I don't really have the time to look at more than 60 blogs and decide which ones to choose. And anyway, I'm not sure how fair that would be. So I'm going to go through them in the order they were received (seems fairest). I'll peek at each one, and unless it's a major train wreck or it doesn't seem active enough (i.e., the blogger isn't active enough; I need go-getters to hang with this project), I'll pop an email to verify.
I'm thinking 10 blogs. If we get the full 500 entries (and that might not happen), there will be 440 left over. That will give each of 10 bloggers 44 entries to post. It'll be optional for the entrants, too, so you'll actually only be posting the ones who get back to you.
Does that sound fair?
Anyway, everything else is going smoothly behind the scenes. I'm gathering agents (and loving the enthusiasm I'm seeing!) and special editor and author critters for this year's auction. I will post the early auction info NEXT WEEK! Because submissions are going to happen earlier and in several smaller, more manageable chunks (at different times, to accommodate wide time zone spreads).
Also we'll be having some logline critique sessions to get you in shape.
Whew! Start spreading the word. This is going to be a HUGE amount of fun!
Also this week, I went through some beta testing with the awesome Michael Wulf, whom we have to thank for the automated submissions. Guess what! We're MUCH closer to having an online submission form--I LOVE it! And he's fixed the formatting issues for the email subs as well. Wait until you see how cool things are going to be! (Yeah, this guy is amazing. I think I would have run away screaming a long time ago if it weren't for him.)
He's even created a lottery system. So when we've got those uber-popular SA contests (you know, the ones that include MG and YA and SFF all at the same time), you won't have to play hover-over-the-mouse. Everyone will get an entry number, and the bot will draw the winning numbers after the time window closes.
Yep. Fun stuff!
(And huge thanks to Corinne Duyvis and Holly Bodger (and her hubby) for helping with the beta testing.)
Okay, I'm off for a day of lots of rabid writing. Gonna hit 60K this weekend, but I have some tricky stuff to work through first. Hoping today doesn't have TOO much staring in it.
Have a glorious weekend!
I've got to tell you how blown away I am by the response to my plea for blog support for the Baker's Dozen overflow critiques. More than 60 of you have offered your blog space, and I've done nothing more than stare at all the emails in my box. Paralyzed by your eagerness! And not sure how to proceed.
I mean, I don't really have the time to look at more than 60 blogs and decide which ones to choose. And anyway, I'm not sure how fair that would be. So I'm going to go through them in the order they were received (seems fairest). I'll peek at each one, and unless it's a major train wreck or it doesn't seem active enough (i.e., the blogger isn't active enough; I need go-getters to hang with this project), I'll pop an email to verify.
I'm thinking 10 blogs. If we get the full 500 entries (and that might not happen), there will be 440 left over. That will give each of 10 bloggers 44 entries to post. It'll be optional for the entrants, too, so you'll actually only be posting the ones who get back to you.
Does that sound fair?
Anyway, everything else is going smoothly behind the scenes. I'm gathering agents (and loving the enthusiasm I'm seeing!) and special editor and author critters for this year's auction. I will post the early auction info NEXT WEEK! Because submissions are going to happen earlier and in several smaller, more manageable chunks (at different times, to accommodate wide time zone spreads).
Also we'll be having some logline critique sessions to get you in shape.
Whew! Start spreading the word. This is going to be a HUGE amount of fun!
Also this week, I went through some beta testing with the awesome Michael Wulf, whom we have to thank for the automated submissions. Guess what! We're MUCH closer to having an online submission form--I LOVE it! And he's fixed the formatting issues for the email subs as well. Wait until you see how cool things are going to be! (Yeah, this guy is amazing. I think I would have run away screaming a long time ago if it weren't for him.)
He's even created a lottery system. So when we've got those uber-popular SA contests (you know, the ones that include MG and YA and SFF all at the same time), you won't have to play hover-over-the-mouse. Everyone will get an entry number, and the bot will draw the winning numbers after the time window closes.
Yep. Fun stuff!
(And huge thanks to Corinne Duyvis and Holly Bodger (and her hubby) for helping with the beta testing.)
Okay, I'm off for a day of lots of rabid writing. Gonna hit 60K this weekend, but I have some tricky stuff to work through first. Hoping today doesn't have TOO much staring in it.
Have a glorious weekend!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
A Fun Critterly Interview of Authoress!
I must tell you how endlessly gracious Mary Baader Kaley has been while waiting for my answers to her interview questions. I sort of stopped halfway, saved the email as a draft, and...forgot about it.
Thankfully, she nudged me a few months later. I'm so glad she did!
READ THE INTERVIEW HERE.
And thank you so much, Mary!
Thankfully, she nudged me a few months later. I'm so glad she did!
READ THE INTERVIEW HERE.
And thank you so much, Mary!
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