What do you write?

I wanna know! Tell me all about your projects.

• Genre(s)
• How many books you've written
• Have you submitted to agents/publishers?
• Anything else you want to share
  

QueryTracker Carnival and a FREE WEBSITE

Hey friends, we have some fun things going on the next few weeks over on the QueryTracker blog. I'm going to hand the microphone over to the lovely Elana Johnson, dear friend and fellow QTblog author:

QueryTracker Turns Two!

That's right. It's like a proud parent moment. Except I am not the parent, and well, Querytracker.net isn't a kid. But it's the same excitement!

Because we're having a party!

Click on the picture below for more details. Oh, and there's also a little blog chain contest going on. The grand prize of this hulla-baloo is a FREE WEBSITE designed by the awesome Carolyn Kaufman and QT's daddy, Patrick McDonald. That's right. FREE. (They're the Purple Squirrel Web Designers. Check 'em out.)

You want that, don't you? Um, yeah.

You get one entry into the grand prize drawing for every contest you enter. (Details on the carnival page, click below.) You can also get another entry by helping us advertise!

Thanks, Elana!

Now here's how you do it: Simply make a post like this one you're reading on your blog. Make sure to use the wicked fun graphic and direct them to the carnival page for more deets. Then come back here and leave a comment with your link and real name. Or email your link with your real name to SuzetteSaxton(at)QueryTracker(dot)net.

I'll make sure you get in the drawing.

Be sure to tell your readers to EMAIL ME (or comment here) their link and real name so I can put their name in the drawing. You can link to this post so everyone knows how to make sure they're entered for the FREE WEBSITE!

And hurry! You must have your blog post up by next Saturday, May 23 to get the extra entry.

Spread the word! Win a website!

Contest Underway & Critique Groups

The pitch contest on the QueryTracker blog officially opened today and is running very smoothly. It will close at midnight tonight. If you want to enter, be sure to head on over to the QTblog for all the details. Only certain genres will be accepted, so be sure to read the fine print. Speaking of fine print, tomorrow I'll be forwarding the pitch entries to Brendan Deneen of FinePrint Literary Management. (Yes, that cool pic is of none other than Mr. Deneen.) He's one awesome guy to work with, let me tell you. He'd be a great agent for anyone to have!

I've recently reconnected with an old school chum who is at the beginning of his writing journey. He asked me about critique groups. I'm very lucky to belong to Write For Tweens, a critique group via Yahoo Groups. I cannot tell you the many, many ways my crit-mates have helped me become a better writer. However, my membership in this group kind of fell into my lap, so I've never had to seek one out, which leads me to my question for you:

How did you find your critique group?

It's About Time

Now that my family and I are nearing the end of the complete renovation of our home, I'm free to pick up where I left off with my writing. However, life is crazy most days and I'm having a hard time finding time. I'm hoping you can inspire me.

• When is your best writing time?
• Do you stick to a schedule or are you spontaneous?
• Where do you write?
• How do you deal with distractions?
• Anything else?

A dear friend and fellow writer, Angie Lofthouse, gave me a framed quote as a house-warming gift the other day. It says:

Inspiration is the act of pulling up a chair to the writing desk.

I love the simplicity of this thought, that if you just take the first step, everything else will follow.

Suzy

Contest Details

It's official! From the Query Tracker Blog:

The QueryTracker Blog is pleased to announce its second agent-judged contest. Literary agent Brendan Deneen with FinePrint Literary Management has graciously agreed to judge one-sentence pitches. (Yes, the very thing Joanna Stampfel-Volpe guest-blogged about yesterday.) You can only enter if your manuscript falls in the following genres: YA thriller, YA horror, YA fantasy, YA sci-fi, or adult thriller. The contest will open May 11th at 9 a.m. Eastern time, and the submission window will remain open for 24 hours. Be sure to keep an eye on this blog! As the contest nears, we will be posting full instructions on how to enter. (The submission process will be different for this contest.) We are very excited to work with Mr. Deneen, and we wish you all the best of luck!