tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72246502645525911682024-02-20T20:15:03.708-06:00KimLongWritesHereKim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-888662185833109722018-07-14T21:40:00.000-05:002018-07-14T21:40:29.479-05:00It's Time to Get FancyHi everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog. I am moving things over to a brand new website: KimLongAuthor.com. It's currently under construction, but will be up and running soon. In the meantime, feel free to say Hi on Twitter @KimLongMG!!Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-32458216165998187742017-07-17T19:00:00.000-05:002017-07-18T21:30:38.121-05:00Pitch Wars 2017 Wish List - MG!!!<span style="font-size: large;">Well it's that time of year again! This is my third year as an MG mentor for Pitch Wars, and I'm so excited to find a mentee to join #TeamKraken. Why #TeamKraken? Simple. A kraken can definitely whip a manuscript into shape!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As for this year's wish list . . . am I wrong to want more of the same as last year? I received some outstanding subs--so much so that I wanted to work with more than one and was desperately trying to find matches with other mentors!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I'm not going to stray too much from last year's list, which means I would love for you to send me . . .</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">1. Anything science, technology, or STEM related/influenced, bonus points if it's a female MC. I'm not one for hard sci-fi, including stories set in space, but if there's a scientific element in our world that plays a key plot point, I'm all for it. For example, my mentee last year's manuscript focused on flying and the science behind it!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">2. Magical realism or contemporary fantasy where the magical element isn't "found" by the main character or limited to the main character's family. Rather, there is a magical element throughout our world that at either everyone knows about and accepts or a good segment knows about and accepts (like Fablehaven). </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">3. I'm still up for plots revolving around a competition, tournament, or solving a puzzle. Bonus points if the reader can solve the puzzle along with the main character! Doesn't have to be fantasy, but it can be!</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">4. Hobbies/after school clubs, sports, and other activities. I never thought I'd get into a book about flying, but I fell in love with my mentee's story last year. She made her main character so passionate about flying, that I was all in! If you have a book that features a hobby or activity that your main character is really excited about, I'd love to read it! I don't care if it's sports related, cooking, fashion, chess, scuba diving, etc. If your book features a main character who is over the top into something, send it my way.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">5. Straight up fantasy that doesn't involve transporting from our world to another world. Bascially, I'm just not the best for portal fantasy stories. There are some I love (UNLUNDUN), but I'm so picky about them that I think you'd be better off querying someone else than taking a chance with me. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">About those fantastical worlds . . . anything goes! Surprise me! Make it original, and I'm in! Some MG fantasy I love include The False Prince, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Jinx, The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes, The Map to Everywhere, Tuesdays at the Castle, and Dragon Slippers. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Retellings?</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"> I</span>'m game, even if it's a well known fairy tale, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty--as long as there is a fresh twist.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Superheroes?</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> Again, if there's a twist to it, something that makes it stand out, I'm interested!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Mysteries?</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> Yep! Contemporary or fantasy--give me a bunch of kids in a whodunit!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Multiple POV?</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> Not a turn-off at all. Also not required. I write in first person POV and third person POV, so absolutely no preference there either.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #38761d;">LGBT and and diverse voices</span> <span style="color: purple;">are always welcome!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Keep in mind I am not a huge fan of real dark fantasy or gloominess. I like my MG to have a fun angle or bent. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">So with that said, is there anything I don't like? I'm probably not the best for horror, historical, novels in verse, or animal protagonists. I'm also not a fan of issue books or books with serious issues, like diseases or death. Have you read The Seventh Wish? The first half--where a tiny fish in the lake grants wishes and the MC's life is turned upside down? That's in my wheelhouse. The second half of that book--where it turns into a story about the older sister's heroin dependency? NOT in my wheelhouse. Lol. Not saying that book isn't great--it's just not for me, the thing we writers need to get used to hearing.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">OH--I also can't help with graphic novels. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now, about me:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I've written three MG novels and have read for published and unpublished MG and YA authors. I will work with you to make your manuscript as ready as possible for the agent round and querying after Pitch Wars. My strengths are plot, character arcs, and pacing. If you have a real good feel for your characters, but are unsure if they're doing enough/feel the story could be tighter, but aren't sure how/why/feel they're wandering/wondering if there's enough plot, etc., then I am the mentor for you!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As to what I'm looking for--a story I can fall in love with. Voice, yes. Concept, yes, and then . . . a mentee who has a polished manuscript, but is open to revising and even gutting characters or sub-plots if it makes the manuscript better. Declining a suggestion/revision because it's too much work is not acceptable to me. Please do not sub to me if you really are not open to considering massive revisions or changes. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As for timetable, it makes no difference if you sub to me the first hour, first day, or right at the deadline. I'll read everything you send. Don't worry about your query, either! I'm not an agent. I'm going to read your pages no matter what. As for requests, I'll ask for the full manuscript and a synopsis. I don't care if the synopsis sucks. I'm just looking to make sure there is a plot and get an idea that you've thought things through to the end. Sometimes I request right away and sometimes I'll request a week after the sub window closes. It just depends on my schedule. I always go back and re-read subs to make sure I didn't miss anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As to how I work as a mentor, I'll read your full manuscript and send a 5-10 page edit letter with overall issues that I think need work. I'll happily brainstorm as much or as little as you desire. Once we get a blueprint down, you'll be off doing your revisions! I will then read again, doing line edits as time and story permits, doing whatever I can to help along the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Feedback</b></span><span style="color: red;"> <b>for the Unchosen</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm going to make the same offer I did as last year. If you would like feedback on your entry, tweet me @theSol23 after the mentees are announced, and I will do my best to give you some feedback on your query and first chapter. (If you were selected as a mentee, I will NOT give you feedback--you have a mentor for that!) This makes it easier for me, as there are quite a few people who really don't care or want feedback, and as you can imagine, it takes quite a bit of time to craft feedback.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b>Final Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had great subs last year and I'm totally excited to read your subs in my inbox this year! If you have any questions about how Pitch Wars works or about my wish list, please check out my 2016 list below or feel free to tweet me @theSol23!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">FEET</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">BY</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And last but not least---visit the blog hop below, which will hopefully work, but if not-- <a href="http://wp.me/p3YLhv-7Yc" target="_blank">click here</a> to be directed to Brenda Drake's website for a list and links to other mentors! Good luck!</span><br />
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<tr><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">1. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11053011.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.sharischwarz.com/pitch-wars" target="_blank">Shari Schwarz</a></div>
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2. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11053100.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://sharigreen.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank">Shari Green</a></div>
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3. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11053214.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://gaildvillanueva.com/gail-and-isabelle-pitchwars2017-wishlist/" target="_blank">Gail Villanueva and Isabelle Adrid</a></div>
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4. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11055434.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://www.nikilenz.com/blog" target="_blank">Niki Lenz</a></div>
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5. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11058331.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.elatimer.com/2017/07/pitch-wars-wishlist" target="_blank">Erin Latimer</a></div>
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6. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11058745.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://hannahkarenajones.com/" target="_blank">Hannah Karena Jones</a></div>
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7. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11058748.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://www.maerespicio.com/pitchwarsmg/" target="_blank">Mae Respicio</a></div>
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8. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11059169.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.kcheld.com/pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">K.C. Held</a></div>
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9. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11059613.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.jessicabaylisswrites.com/blog/PITCH-WARS-BLOG-HOP" target="_blank">Jessica Bayliss</a></div>
<br />
10. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11060133.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.taracreelbooks.wordpress.com/pitchwars-wishlist" target="_blank">Jenna Lehne and Tara Creel</a></div>
<br />
11. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11060528.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://julieartz.com/news/team-unicorn-mojo/" target="_blank">Julie Artz and Jessica Vitalis </a></div>
<br />
12. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11061380.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://www.rebeccapetruck.com/single-post/2017/06/15/Pitch-Wars-2017-Wants-and-Needs" target="_blank">Rebecca Petruck</a></div>
</td><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">13. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11061676.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://cassnwrites.wordpress.com/?p=912" target="_blank">C.B. Catalano and Shauna Holyoak</a></div>
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14. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11061684.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/2017/07/2017-pitch-wars-mentor-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Stephanie Faris</a></div>
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15. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11061796.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://jennbrisendine.com/2017/07/18/mentor-wishlist-for-pitchwars-17/" target="_blank">Jenn Brisendine</a></div>
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16. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11061919.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://caelacarter.com/blog/" target="_blank">Caela Carter</a></div>
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17. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11062076.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.aeconran.com/pitchwars-mentor-wishlist/" target="_blank">A. E. Conran</a></div>
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18. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11062132.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://joymcculloughcarranza.blogspot.com/2017/07/pitchwars-2017-lets-do-this.html" target="_blank">Joy McCullough</a></div>
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19. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11062929.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://julianobel.com/pitch-wars-mentor-wishlist/" target="_blank">Julia Nobel</a></div>
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20. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11063382.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.katejfoster.com/general-blog/my-2017-pitch-wars-wishlist" target="_blank">Kate Foster</a></div>
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21. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11065611.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://miriamfranklin.com/pitch-wars-mentor-wishlist/" target="_blank">Miriam Spitzer Franklin</a></div>
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22. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11067569.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://ncchase.com/pitchwars2017/" target="_blank">Neal Chase</a></div>
<br />
23. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11067694.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.lemonbiscuitcrumbs.com/2017/07/my-2017-pitchwars-mentor-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Ashley Martin</a></div>
<br />
24. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11068859.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.gkbyrnebooks.com/" target="_blank">Gabrielle Byrne</a></div>
</td><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">25. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11069286.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://blog.cindybaldwinbooks.com/p/2017-pitch-wars-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Cindy Baldwin and Amanda Hill</a></div>
<br />
26. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11070050.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://jennylundquist.com/2017/07/18/pitch-wars-2017-bring-forth-the-mg/" target="_blank">Jenny Lundquist</a></div>
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27. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11070185.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://kimlongwriteshere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kim Long</a></div>
<br />
28. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11070406.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://laurashovan.com/?p=1457&preview=true" target="_blank">Laura Shovan and Tricia Clasen</a></div>
<br />
29. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11070494.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://allisonzieglerblogs.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/allison-julianas-pitchwars-2017-wish-list" target="_blank">Allison Ziegler and Juliana Brandt</a></div>
<br />
30. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11070855.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.mikegrossoauthor.com/2017/07/pitch-wars-blog-hop-my-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Mike Grosso</a></div>
<br />
31. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11073515.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://karasealbooks.weebly.com/karas-blog/2017-pitch-wars-mentor-blog-hop" target="_blank">Kara Seal</a></div>
<br />
32. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11075301.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.alexandraott.com/2017/07/18/pitch-wars-mentor-wishlist-2017" target="_blank">Alexandra Ott</a></div>
<br />
33. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11075801.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://heidistallman.org/2017/07/19/pitch-wars-wish-list-2017" target="_blank">Heidi Stallman</a></div>
<br />
34. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11076008.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://wadealbertwhite.ca/pitchwars" target="_blank">Wade Albert White and Timanda Wertz</a></div>
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35. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11076256.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://authorlogic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Shanna Rogers</a></div>
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36. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MjltYXkyMDE3/11076504.png" height="75" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://kevinaspringer.com/blog.html" target="_blank">Kevin Springer</a></div>
</td></tr>
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Powered by... <a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/" target="_blank">Mister Linky's Magical Widgets</a>.</div>
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Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-38249467467370923212016-07-19T19:02:00.000-05:002016-07-19T19:02:36.985-05:00PITCH WARS 2016 WISH LIST!!!!!!!!!!<span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b>elcome Pitch <b>W</b>ars 2016 entrants!! So excited you stopped by my blog! No surprise here--I'm mentoring MG! <b>W</b>hy? DUH. MG rules, others drool. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">On<b>w</b>ard to the good stuff . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">MY 2016 A<b>W</b>ESOME <b>W</b>ISH LIST!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Anything science, technology, or STEM related/influenced, bonus points if it's a female MC. </span><span style="font-size: large;">My <b>w</b>riting always has a tinge of science--so far I've included comets, teleportation, a supervolcano, and alchemy. I've even made up sciences--like wishing science and luck science. So anything contemporary <b>w</b>ith a real or made-up scientific element (robots and engineering tech, an environmental angle, i.e. Hiassen, and computer science all count) is right up my alley! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me your science and tech-themed babies!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Anything revolving around a competition/tournament. Think GOLLY<b>W</b>HOPPER GAMES, ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY, BOOK SCAVENGER, THE CANDYMAKERS, THE LEMONADE <b>W</b>AR. And, similarly, if you have a group of kids who have to figure out how to <b>w</b>ork together in some sort of game or puzzle or even to solve a cool mystery, I am totally in! (I've also <b>w</b>ritten a tournament book that is currently on sub, so I totally understand the issues that can crop up in the puzzle-like environment!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Any contemporary fantasy that takes place in our <b>w</b>orld, such as the Fairy Godsister books, Emily <b>W</b>indsnap, Fablehaven, The Sixty-Eight Rooms . . . I cannot tell you how much I love contemporary fantasy. Our world with a touch of magic (magical realism or straight fantasy) is exactly what I <b>w</b>rite, and there's just not enough of it out there to read! If you have a story involving any kind of magical element in our <b>w</b>orld, you have no choice but to send it to me! (*I'm <b>w</b>aving my hand and using the force right here, so, no, you really <i>don't </i>have a choice.*)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Any fantasy that takes place completely in another <b>w</b>orld. <b>W</b>hat this means is that I am not the best for portal fantasy. Secret doors/passages, etc. that lead kids to another magical land have to be REALLY different and special to grab and hold my interest. Yes, they can be done <b>w</b>ell, but I find myself having a hard time getting into them. There are a lot of other a<b>w</b>esome mentors doing fantasy, so your chances might be better <b>w</b>ith them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As for those other <b>w</b>orlds/other magic systems/other lands . . . the more off-the-<b>w</b>all, the better! I have totally been on a <b>w</b>himsical kick lately--the Iremongers (HEAP HOUSE, FOULSHAM), to UN LUN DUN (Mieville) (and yes, <i>technically </i>this is a portal fantasy), to fello<b>w</b> MG mentor <b>W</b>ade <b>W</b>hite's forthcoming novel (releasing September 2016!) THE ADVENTURER'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES, and YA mentor Charlie Holmberg's PAPER MAGICIAN series! Finally, I can't neglect to mention my beloved AGATHA H (steampunk). Basically, if you've got a super-<b>w</b>eird manuscript where it rains squid, books have legs, and camels have five humps (t<b>w</b>o for storing sprinkled donuts), let me have at it!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">5. I have some favorites where genre <i>really</i> doesn't matter. I love baseball and like most sports (football, tennis, hockey, basketball), board games, mazes/labyrinths, video games, cooking competition sho<b>w</b>s, HGTV (new obsession: tiny houses!), Springsteen, Star <b>W</b>ars, cephalopods, llamas, and owls. I also have a thing for amusement parks, circuses, safaris, anything nautical, and treasure hunters. If your manuscript has any of these, you <b>w</b>ill not go <b>w</b>rong SENDING IT MY <b>W</b>AY! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Have something else? Don't fret! Thing is, I read a LOT of different genres in MG. That's <b>w</b>hy I shaped my <b>w</b>ish list to focus more on topic than genre. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Semi-serious contemporary a la Lisa Graff (i.e. UMBRELLA SUMMER & LOST IN THE SUN) <b>w</b>ill<b> w</b>ork</span><span style="font-size: large;"> if it has a dose of humor/light-heartedness. I also enjoy light, funny horror, like MAY BIRD a</span><span style="font-size: large;">nd voice-y contemporary with humor (Paul Acampora, Kristen Tracy). And, finally, <b>w</b>hile I like new <b>w</b>orlds, let's face it, a good traditional fantasy with s<b>w</b>ords, magic, and fantastical beasts can never be <b>w</b>rong!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Hmmmm. <b>W</b>hat else can I tell you? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The high end on <b>w</b>ord count for MG is about 50,000 (with a few exceptions). We only have a couple months to <b>w</b>hip your MS into shape, so the cleaner it is by submission time, the better. <u>I'm not setting a <b>w</b>ord limit on submissions</u>, but regardless of <b>w</b>ho you submit to, keep <b>w</b>ord count in mind and trim before you submit. If you do have a 75,000 word MG, please know I am going to do my best to streamline that sucker! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b>hich leads to a bigger point--if you sub to me please keep an open mind and be ready to REVISE, REVISE, REVISE. The idea of Pitch <b>W</b>ars isn't to pick perfect manuscripts, it's to pick manuscripts <b>w</b>here <b>w</b>e think <b>w</b>e can add something to help it get an agent's attention and then get published. If you're un<b>w</b>illing to consider suggestions and revise, then, as much as I'd love to read your baby, please reconsider subbing to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Getting substantive notes doesn't mean your manuscript sucks or your <b>w</b>riting sucks. I just got chapter notes back from a CP, and they're littered with suggestions and comments. Criticism is intended to help. <b>W</b>e're all in this together, and if I mention something it's because I think it <b>w</b>ill make your book better in the end. Yes, revisions take time and it can be difficult looking at your story a ne<b>w</b> <b>w</b>ay after the months/years it took you to <b>w</b>rite it, but just because something is hard doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And on that note, the goal here is not to make something "good enough" for an agent. The goal is to make your manuscript A<b>W</b>ESOME and the best it can be. Team Kraken will not stand (or swim) for anything less!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: lime; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Feedback</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last year I promised feedback to everyone who submitted to me, but some people really seemed not to care. It takes a lot of time on my part to craft feedback, and there's no sense in spending the time if people don't want it. So, ne<b>w</b> rule: I will give feedback only if you request it! The best <b>w</b>ay is probably to just t<b>w</b>eet me (@theSol23) after the mentees are announced. I'll add you to the list and get back to you!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Schedule</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This really depends on <b>w</b>hat changes I think are necessary. The plan is to email an edit letter within the first <b>w</b>eek, and from there be available for bouncing off ideas. The revising is obviously up to you, but if <b>w</b>e can get it to the point <b>w</b>here I can read and do line edits before the agent round, I'm all for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Final Thoughts</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I tried to be specific but not too specific in crafting this <b>w</b>ish list, but I know I'm overlooking something! Last year was my first year as a mentor, and after my list posted I sa<b>w</b> mentees t<b>w</b>eeting away and was like, "I want that too! And that, and that, and that!" So if you have any doubts, feel free to t<b>w</b>eet and ask! If it's for me, I'll let you know, and even if it's not, I can try to steer you to other mentors who may be a good fit. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For me, I'm essentially looking for a story that is <b>w</b>ell <b>w</b>ritten that I can get lost in! I will read your pages regardless of the quality of the query. I'm not an agent. I'm a <b>w</b>riter, like you, and my goal here is to find a manuscript that I can help. The pages will play so much more of a role in my decision than your query (and synopsis, if you have one), so don't let query/synopsis fears play a role in subbing to me. We can fix that later. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Last words in my attempt to garner your interest if you're on the fence about picking me: Brenda has increased the number of mentors you can submit to if you make a donation, so go on and donate and give me one of those extra spots! Lol.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks so much for reading, and best of luck!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Oh, and last but not least:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Don't forget to read about the other MG mentors! Hopefully the links display below, but if not go directly to Brenda Drake's website to visit the <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">MG Blog Hop</a>! </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;">** And for clarification, my secret letter is <b>W</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<!-- beginning of export. owner: brenleedrake, postid: 02Jul2016, columns: 3, mode: link --><br />
<table border="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">1. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10863915.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://joymcculloughcarranza.blogspot.com/2016/07/pitchwars-2016-i-want-your-mg.html" target="_blank">Joy McCullough</a></div>
<br />
2. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10863927.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.sharischwarz.com/p/pitchwars-mentor.html" target="_blank">Shari Schwarz</a></div>
<br />
3. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10863938.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.lisalewistyre.com/?p=754&preview=true" target="_blank">Lisa Lewis Tyre</a></div>
<br />
4. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864228.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.jessicavitalis.com/pitch-wars" target="_blank">Jessica Vitalis</a></div>
<br />
5. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864319.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.brooksbenjamin.com/#!pitch-wars/c1oxn" target="_blank">Brooks Benjamin and Caroline Thompson</a></div>
<br />
6. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864449.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://myinnermg.wordpress.com/2016/07/17/my-middle-grade-pitchwars-wishlist-is-here" target="_blank">Melyssa Mercado</a></div>
<br />
7. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864457.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.lemonbiscuitcrumbs.com/2016/07/pitch-wars-mentor-blog-hop-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Ashley Martin</a></div>
<br />
8. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864468.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://julianalbrandt.com/2016/06/pitch-wars-wish-list-2016/" target="_blank">Juliana L. Brandt</a></div>
<br />
9. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864894.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://elliahterry.com/?p=620" target="_blank">Ellie Terry</a></div>
<br />
10. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864929.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.stefaniewass.com/" target="_blank">Stefanie Wass</a></div>
<br />
11. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864943.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.rebeccapetruck.com/#!Pitch-Wars-2016-The-Wish-List/cxro/577962f20cf231c9c3faacab" target="_blank">Rebecca Petruck</a></div>
</td><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">12. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864957.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://www.weebly.com/weebly/apps/readDraft.php?draftId=281796677686381635&userId=38552499" target="_blank">Kate Foster</a></div>
<br />
13. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864958.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.juliedao.com/my-2016-pitch-wars-wish-lis" target="_blank">Julie C. Dao</a></div>
<br />
14. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10864966.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://kimlongwriteshere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kim Long</a></div>
<br />
15. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10865215.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.gkbyrnebooks.com/" target="_blank">Gabrielle K. Byrne</a></div>
<br />
16. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10865231.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://kevinaspringer.wordpress.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank">Kevin Springer</a></div>
<br />
17. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10865278.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://patricecaldwell.com/pitch-wars-wish-list-2016/" target="_blank">Patrice Caldwell</a></div>
<br />
18. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10865402.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.kcheld.com/pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">K.C. Held</a></div>
<br />
19. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10867259.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://teamabbygail.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gail Nall and Abby Cooper</a></div>
<br />
20. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10868320.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.writeforapples.com/2016/07/dee-jens-pitch-wars-bios-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Dee Romito and Jen Malone</a></div>
<br />
21. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10868642.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://laurashovan.com/2016/07/pitch-wars-mg-mentor-wishlist-laura-tricia/" target="_blank">Laura Shovan and Tricia Clasen</a></div>
<br />
22. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10868837.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://apalessandri.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/pitch-wars-2016-mentor-bio-wishlist/" target="_blank">Alexandra Alessandri</a></div>
</td><td align="left" class="blenza-td" valign="top" width="33%">23. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10868927.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://karasealbooks.weebly.com/karas-blog" target="_blank">Kara Seal</a></div>
<br />
24. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10869556.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://amandarawsonhilldotcom.wordpress.com/?p=667&preview=true" target="_blank">Amanda Hill and Cindy Baldwin</a></div>
<br />
25. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10870290.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://sarahecannon.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/mentor-bio-2016" target="_blank">Sarah Cannon</a></div>
<br />
26. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10870451.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://theprintingprincess.blogspot.com/2016/07/pitch-wars-mentor-bio-2016.html" target="_blank">Jenna Lehne</a></div>
<br />
27. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10870642.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.jcdavis-author.com/2016/07/pw2016.html" target="_blank">J. C. Davis</a></div>
<br />
28. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10871999.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://wadealbertwhite.ca/pitchwars/" target="_blank">Timanda Wertz and Wade Albert White</a></div>
<br />
29. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10872346.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://ellyblake.com/?p=155" target="_blank">Elly Blake & Ron Walters</a></div>
<br />
30. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10872452.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://rebeccawellswrites.com/blog/2016/7/15/its-that-pitch-wars-time-of-year" target="_blank">Rebecca Wells</a></div>
<br />
31. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10872962.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="http://www.jcdavis-author.com/2016/07/pw2016.html" target="_blank">J. C. Davis & Addie Thorley</a></div>
<br />
32. <br />
<div>
<img border="0" height="75" src="https://www.blenza.com/thumbs/b/brenleedrake/MDJqdWwyMDE2/10872977.png" width="75" /><br />
<a href="https://allisonzieglerblogs.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/my-pitchwars-2016-wishlist" target="_blank">Allison Ziegler</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border: 2px solid #000000; color: black; padding: 4px; text-align: center;">
Powered by... <a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/" target="_blank">Mister Linky's Magical Widgets</a>.</div>
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Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-77022674413568610722015-08-03T01:03:00.000-05:002015-08-03T01:03:30.185-05:00Pitch Wars Mentor Bio AND Super-Awesome Wish List!!!!!!<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<img height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11800331_1007111082641640_5186527858701621562_n.jpg?oh=7769c3888b111a34341000665bb99c4e&oe=5654CD37" width="400" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is it!!! The post of all posts! The post where I tell YOU, Pitch Wars Star Applicant, what I'm looking for as a 2015 Pitch Wars mentor!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ready?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Set?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Go!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I want your . . . .</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>MG </b></span><br />
<b style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">MG</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">MG</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>MG </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>MG</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>MG</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>MG</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But what kind of MG, you ask? This is a bit tricky to describe. I write contemporary fantasy with a sprinkle of science and am partial to fun, light-hearted stories. If your manuscript is a dark fantasy, an epic fantasy, or a realistic contemporary involving *serious* issues, I'm probably not your gal, and there are certainly other mentors who are a better match.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's some MG I've read and adored:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Wendy Mass's </span>Willow Falls' series (<i>12 Finally, 13 Gifts, etc.</i>) and, really, ANYTHING by Mass, including <i>Every Soul a Star</i> and <i>The Candymakers</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Liz Kessler's</span> <i>Emily Windsnap</i> series and <i>Phillipa Fisher</i> series</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Chris Grabenstein's</span> <i>Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Carl Hiaasen's</span> <i>Hoot, Flush, Chomp, </i>and <i>Scat</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Brandon Mull's</span> <i>Fablehaven</i> series and <i>Candy Shop War</i> series</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Jennifer Nielsen's</span> <i>Ascendance</i> trilogy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jody Feldman's</span> <i>The Gollywhopper Games</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Jodi Lynn Anderson's</span> <i>May Bird</i> trilogy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Natalie Lloyd's</span> <i>A Snicker of Magic</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Jessica Day George's</span> <i>Glower Castle</i> series</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Megan Frazer Blakemore's</span> <i>The Water Castle</i></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: large;">As you can see, I like my MG (for the most part) with some foot in the real world and a tad of whimsy or fantasy, but there's some straight medieval type fantasy and contemporary on the list. If your manuscript falls anywhere in the above range, even if you wouldn't necessarily use one of these books as a comp, SUBMIT to ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Here's what else I'm looking for in a mentee:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Someone who has a polished manuscript you've just started querying OR are *thisclose* to starting to query. If you've already queried widely or if you already have full manuscript requests out with agents, your time is better spent working on a shiny NEW manuscript, not continuing to focus on this one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Someone who is open to comments/suggestions and really wants to take his/her manuscript to the next level, not just "get in" to Pitch Wars and then do nothing until November, when it's time to post your pitch for agents.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Here's what I'm NOT looking for in a manuscript:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Perfection. Seriously. If you think it's perfect, there's no need for this contest. If your CPs love it, betas think it's great, and you've already received agent interest and things are rolling along, don't submit because . . . what do you need me for??!!! (Also, if those things are true--YAY for you!!) I'm looking for a manuscript that I think I can help, and that means polished, but it doesn't mean perfect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Anything that's not MG. Duh. MG' s target audience is 8-12 years old with the main characters no older than 13. Word count is about 40,000 to 65,000, but 65,000 is the end of the spectrum and usually limited to fantasy. That being said, word count is something we can easily work on, so don't fret too much about it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Here's what you can expect with me if I choose you as a mentee:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** I read fast. You can expect a full set of comments/suggestions pretty quickly. I'll be open to discussion as you make edits/changes after my comments, but remember it's YOUR story and you'll know the characters the best, so after receiving my notes, it will be up to you to make any revisions you think will improve your manuscript.</span><br />
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** I'll read your revised manuscript again, with another round of comments (as long as time permits) prior to the agent-reveal time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">To Everyone who Submits to Me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will try and provide feedback to those who submit to me who I do not choose. I entered Pitch Wars twice and was not chosen either time, but yet I really appreciated any feedback the mentors gave me. So, I will do my best to offer feedback, even just a couple sentences, to everyone who submits to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">More about Me:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I always struggled whittling down which mentors I was going to submit to, so if you're still wondering if I'm your gal, here's some extraneous info:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** My day job is a lawyer. I'm a big fan of strategic board games (mostly from Europe)--particularly those designed by Stefan Feld, but my new favorite game is Castles of Mad King Ludwig. Other hobbies are biking, fantasy football and baseball, and drawing with soft pastels. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Some favorite TV shows are Seinfeld, White Collar, Mad Men, Top Chef, and Once Upon a Time</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">** Some favorite movies are Star Wars, Shawshank Redemption, Pitch Perfect, Rounders, The Prestige, and The Devil Wears Prada</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">And I think that's it! Really, reading my MG list above is the best way to tell if your MG is something I'd be interested in reading, but hey if you're in doubt, go ahead and send it! You get to submit to FIVE mentors this year, so take a shot.</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">I read a lot of MG, YA, and adult fiction that includes contemporary, fantasy, horror, and everything in between. Overall, I just want to get lost in your story and root for your MC, whether she/he is training to be a trapeze artist, a spelling bee champion, or conductor of an animal choir. Make it fun, make it original, and I'm in. Totally. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Still have questions? Comment below or tweet me - @theSol23! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And please visit the <a href="http://wp.me/p3YLhv-41R" target="_blank">Blog hop!</a> to see the other mentors' pages!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/">Find Other Pitch Wars Mentors Here</a></span>
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<link href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/styles/default.css" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/loc_en.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/opt_defaults.js"></script><script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/misterlinky.js"></script>Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.If this widget does not appear, <a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=brenleedrake&postid=29Jul2015">click here</a> to display it.<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/autolink.php?mode=standard&owner=brenleedrake&postid=29Jul2015" type="text/javascript"></script>Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-27264913225113165042015-07-26T21:45:00.000-05:002015-07-26T21:45:17.502-05:00<br /><h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">PITCH WARS IS COMING!!!</span></h2>
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All of the important dates can be seen at <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/07/pitch-wars-2015-is-coming-are-you-ready/">Brenda Drake's blog</a>. I'm not allowed to announce my wish list yet, but make sure to join us for the blog hop on August 3!!!!</div>
Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-13336982036191148572015-07-06T21:31:00.001-05:002015-07-06T21:31:44.584-05:00AFTER Query Kombat!Query contests are always thrilling. Throwing your work out there to be judged takes courage, and if you're lucky enough to make it into a contest, your work will be posted/commented on/seen by others. It's easy to get caught up in votes, moving on, agent requests, and the whole whirlwind of twitter activity.<br />
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But eventually the contest will end. They all do. So what's next?<br />
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Um, old-fashioned querying! You've evaluated feedback and made your revisions. You're ready to send out that shiny new query!<br />
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But my advice is to wait a second and take a good look at your <i>entire </i>manuscript. If you received comments regarding your first 250 words that your language was too flowery, was it really the case that you were too flowery <i>only </i>in the first 250? If you received feedback that your language tags were confusing--check and change throughout your manuscript. If you received comments that you were repetitive (and I saw a LOT of this), I doubt that issue was limited to only your first 250 words.<br />
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So before you jump on querying, take a look at the suggestions you received, and if you think there's merit--if you revised your first 250 based on those critiques--do yourself a favor and apply those same principles to the rest of your manuscript. Your work will be that much stronger for it, and when you get that full request from an agent, you can feel comfortable sending it off without first diving back in and trying to make a bunch of quick fixes before you press send.<br />
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Good luck everyone!<br />
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OH! And since I'm a part of Michelle's guess the QK judge contest, all I can say is: 138.<br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-38761546234061378822015-05-11T09:07:00.000-05:002015-05-11T09:07:32.709-05:00<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: purple;">Query Kombat - Standing Out</span> </span><br />
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<b>Last year I entered my MG contemporary fantasy into Query Kombat. It was the first contest I entered with that MG, and I was thrilled when <a href="http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/">Michelle</a> chose it for her team. I subsequently advanced through a few rounds and received a few agent requests. While those didn't pan out for me and I eventually found my agent through the slush pile, more than a few of my former competitors did obtain their agents through Kombat. I also found CPs and beta readers during the fight, so yeah, in case you didn't know before, it is a big contest. </b><br />
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<b>Of course, before you even get to the Kombat stage, you have to be picked by one of the three creators: <a href="http://michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/">Michelle</a>, <a href="http://scwrite.blogspot.com/">SC Write</a>, or <a href="http://writersoutworld.blogspot.com/">Michael Anthony</a> for their team. They get only 21 picks each, and with hundreds of entries expected, that in itself is going to be a challenge. So how can you stand out? Here's a huge tip from what I noticed last year:</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">*** The queries chosen were not perfect. ***</span></b><br />
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<b>I know, right? But for real--I saw typos, unclear thoughts, queries with no stakes, queries a bit too long (ME!), etc. Thing is--this is a query contest, but it's also a mentoring contest in that, when voting, the judges offer suggestions and critiques on how the query can be stronger and complement the first 250 words. The entrants then get to make changes to their queries and first 250 as they advance. This means that the queries chosen are not necessarily the most expertly written, but they do have one thing in common:<br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">ORIGINALITY<br /><br />VOICE<br /><br />AWESOME FIRST 250 WORDS</span><br /><br />ALL of the entrants that made it into Query Kombat had one or more of these things in common. They had a clever hook or a fresh idea or voice that killed. Something to make Michelle, SC, or Mike sit back and think, "Hey, if this query was better, this could rock." <br /><br />I'm not saying you shouldn't proofread, and I'm not saying you shouldn't format your query the right way. What I'm saying is that to stand out in this contest, you need to provide that spark or glimmer of a cool idea to show you're different from the others and can benefit from the structure of the contest.<br /><br />How can you do that?<br /><br /><span style="color: #cc0000;">BE SPECIFIC</span><br /><br />None of these: <br /><br />"If Kim can't defeat the king, the kingdom will fail." <br />"Kim has to choose between her heart and her career." <br />"Kim discovers a secret that will change everything."</b><br />
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<b>You get the idea--nothing vague. Offer us those details that show you're story is different. <br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">Instead of "must save her kingdom":</span><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">"If Julie can't travel to the neighboring solar system, steal the sun, and trap its rays in the bottle, her kingdom will freeze." </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">Instead of "choosing between heart and career":</span><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">"If Amy accepts the appointment to the bench, thereby fulfilling her life-long dream of becoming a judge, she'll miss out on moving to Wyoming and being with the man she loves." </span><br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">Instead of "discovers a secret":</span><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">"Then Carrie discovers her rescue dog is a robot and is just one of many animals the government is using to collect secrets on its citizens."</span><br /><br />It's those details that peak our interest and make us stop and think, "Hey, this sounds neat. Yeah, the query could be clearer, and I'm not sure about the first 250, but the idea's intriguing. I want to see more."<br /><br />THAT type of thing gives you a better chance of making it through than a perfectly written, dry query. For more ideas of what caught each judge's attention the first time around, head over to the three judges' blogs. I know Michelle still has last year's rounds on her blog--you can see what caught her eye!<br /><br />Good luck! Can't wait to read!</b><br />
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Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-84951265904236371222014-12-06T01:06:00.001-06:002014-12-06T01:06:33.123-06:00Liebster Award/Blog Hop fun!Been stuck here with the flu (I think--but isn't that the purpose of a flu shot?) so sorry for the delay, but here we go . . .<br />
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I've been tagged by <a href="http://wadealbertwhite.ca/" target="_blank">Wade White</a> to answer the following questions for the Liebster Award/blog hop.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">1. Is the book you landed an agent with the first book you ever wrote?</span></b><br />
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Alas, it is not. It is not even the first completed book I wrote. When I began seriously writing a YA a few years ago, I would read "How I found my agent" posts and see that, most of the time, the successful writer reported the book that landed the agent was not the first book. I'd scoff at those people. Scoff! Because of course MY first book would be different. It'd be awesome, and I'd get an agent once it was done. Uh, not so much. I think it does take one under the belt to understand not only the writing, pacing, etc. process, but also the query process.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>2. Favourite type of pie (you must answer this even if you don’t like pie)?</b></span><br />
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Easy. My sister makes a triple berry pie for my birthday and for Thanksgiving -- raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Yum!<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>3. Was there any aspect of querying agents that turned out differently than what you anticipated? If so, what is it?</b></span><br />
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I don't think so, but I joined Query Tracker early on, so I could see what other people were doing, what worked, what to do/not do, etc.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>4. Name one book or author that has had a significant impact on your own writing and why.</b></span><br />
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Stephen King. I loved his books when I was in high school, especially the short story books--Night Shift was a particular favorite. His <i>On Writing</i> is one of the best books on writing there is. I also loved Crichton and the way he brought science into mainstream fiction. His nonfiction book, <i>Travels, </i>is one of my favorites, and I will still go back and read it, along with stories in <i>Night Shift.</i><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">5. Where do you do most of your writing?</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">My basement. And I know that sounds creepy, but I remodeled my basement, and it's comfy without distractions.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>6. The genre(s) you tend to read the most versus the genre(s) you tend to read the least.</b></span><br />
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Hmm. I do read a lot of YA and MG, simply because that is what I write, and it helps with developing voice. Those are more contemporary or fantasy. In the adult realm, I'm all over the map, from King to Patterson to George Martin, Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind, Crichton, and one of my recently discovered favorites is Chris Kusneski. I've also read Patrick O'Brian, whose more literary. Oh, and John Sandford's Prey books! Really all over the map in adult, except women's fiction.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>7. Best piece of general advice you’ve received from a critique partner?</b></span><br />
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Try and make chapter endings have a hook. I try to do this, but he emphasized it.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">8. Do you prefer to read the book first or see the movie first? And with or without popcorn?</span></b><br />
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Read the book, and then complain the movie didn't hold up! Doesn't everybody? Not a big popcorn eater, so I'll sit and sip my Diet Coke.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>9. What is your favourite part of the writing process (first draft, editing, revising, submitting, etc.)?</b></span><br />
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I LOVE editing. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. To me, the best part is getting a good first draft done, so I can print it on crisp white paper, take it to McDonald's, where I again am sipping a Diet Coke, and read it through with a red pen, making edits, revisions, etc. This obsession spills over into my job as a lawyer too, where I am always volunteering to read other people's motions/briefs, and edit them.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>10. The one bit of advice you wished you had discovered before you started querying.</b></span><br />
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I don't think there's any advice I wished I had discovered. I think I pretty much exhausted the query process before I started. Now, there's parts I should have listened to more, like making sure word count makes sense with genre, etc., but I don't hink anything caught me off guard.<br />
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AND, there we go. Now, I hereby tag <a href="http://scribblesbysamantha.wordpress.com/my-writing/" target="_blank">Samantha Joyce</a> with the following questions:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">1. When did you first decide you wanted to write a book, and how long after that did you start your first real attempt?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">2. Is there a particular book or author that made you want to write a book?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">3. Did you pattern any of your characters after people you know? Use any names of people you know as characters in your book?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">4. Do you watch TV, listen to music, or do anything while you write?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">5. What is your favorite movie from a book and why?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">6. While writing your book, did you think of actors/actresses who would play your characters when they make your book into a moive?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">7. What part of the writing/editing/revising process do you like the most? The least?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">8. Do you outline before you write? How much of the plot/character development do you have mapped out before you begin?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">9. If you had to do it over again, from first writing your book, to the querying process, to the phone call with agents process over, is there anything you would do differently?</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;">10. Now that you have an agent, have you started the next book?</span><br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-10793940161346497112014-11-22T09:47:00.000-06:002014-11-22T09:47:08.589-06:00Agent News!Hi everyone! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity at my day job <i>and</i> in writing. But now that the craziness has died down (somewhat at least!), I'm happy to report that I am officially agented!<br />
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<img alt="snoopy_dance.gif#Snoopy%20Dance" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrPQdoMReKx_uCmqCL7JLjpwvBJp4n5fWdoq6WxDMid60npHC8N2bgPdryT6S2yzDGSi1qix-fem2qWiU3VSzUCXVeWhNQesacNnzlzYknD_17YQJW61XvY-dYnVN8kCNCkcEDJIvSVE/s320/snoopy_dance.gif" /><br />
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And although I did not get an agent via Query Kombat, it was Query Kombat where I first submitted my query, got great feedback, met my wonderful CP, and well, why I am telling you all this? Check out the story at the blogs of Query Kombat's sponsors:<br />
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<a href="http://www.michelle4laughs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Michelle's blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://scwrite.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">SC's blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://writersoutworld.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Michael's blog</a><br />
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And while you're at it, check out the blog of my CP, Wade White:<br />
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<a href="http://wadealbertwhite.ca/" target="_blank">Wade's blog</a><br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-21441775497301915922014-08-11T21:21:00.000-05:002014-08-11T21:21:05.154-05:00Pitch Wars is Here!!!!!Part of the fun of any contest is getting to know the fellow contestants, judges, and contest coordinators. With the submission date for Brenda Drake's <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars</a> around the corner, it's time for a "Get to know me" post for my fellow participants. And, hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a "Wow, that woman is strange" post -- "I better stay away!"<br />
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<b>1) I was born a troublemaker</b><br />
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Like most of our favorite YA and MG protagonists, I've faced conflict since birth. The trouble started with my name. That's right, the obviously-controversial name of Kimberly was not met with "Awww, how cute," or, "great name!" with my relatives. Turns out Kimberly, Wisconsin was a huge rival of my father's hometown.<br />
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Apparently, the father's side of my family was very upset when my parents' advised Kimberly would be my name. They seemed, however, to get over it until . . .<br />
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<b>2) The doll incident: </b><br />
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I hate dolls. Always have, always will. They're creepy.<br />
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<img src="http://www.wtfp.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Creepy-Doll-For-A-Baby.jpg" /><br />
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(As an aside, an image search of "creepy doll" produces disturbing results.) ANYWAY, when I was four, and I still remember this, my great aunt (may she rest in peace) on my father's side (of course) gave me a doll for Christmas. I recall opening the box with enthusiasm, seeing it was a doll, and then tossing it aside while saying, "I hate dolls." Yes, that's right. Tons of tact there. But it's really not my fault. I mean, c'mon.<br />
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The funny thing is my younger sister feels the exact same way. There was never a doll in our house. Alas, we've come to learn this trait isn't genetic. I have two nieces who, much to my and my sister's chagrin, love dolls and keep asking for dolls for presents no matter how much we try to steer them toward other, better obsessions, like stuffed animals and board games.<br />
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<b>3) I was writing fan fiction before I knew what fan fiction was:</b><br />
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And what wonderful mash-ups they were! Laura Ingalls meets the A-Team. CHiPS meets Dukes of Hazzard. Star Trek and anything. My third-grade "essays" were based on any combination of the above. Yep. That's right, peeps. I created fan fiction!<br />
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<b>4) I have a favorite game designer</b><br />
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I cannot describe the brilliance of Stefan Feld any better than fellow game nerd <a href="http://www.thegamernerd.com/stefan-feld-master-mechanics/" target="_blank">Nicholas Shayko</a>. I am a big fan of European board/strategy games, and Feld's are the best. So not only am I a gamer geek, but I am a gamer geek with a favorite designer. Shhh.<br />
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<img src="http://www.thegamernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Feld-Games.jpg" /><br />
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Some of Feld's greatest games (not my collection, but awesome!!).<br />
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<b>5) I like things with the letter "S"</b><br />
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I have no idea why, but Stephen King, Star Wars, Seinfeld, (Stefan Feld), Springsteen . . . the list goes on, and it's really kind of freaky. Even my MG protag's name (truly coicidentally) is a double S!<br />
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<b>6)</b> <b>I love to write</b><br />
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Always have, always will. I lost my way a bit after college. I, like many others, had no idea what I wanted to do and writing for a living didn't seem possible. So I went to law school, and since then I spend my days telling judges and juries my clients' (absolutely true, of course) stories. Fast forward to a couple years ago when I started (again) a novel. But this time it was different. I fell in love with the idea (YA fantasy) and couldn't stop. It was then I made the decision to switch to being a part-time lawyer so I could focus on writing.<br />
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After an unsuccessful round of querying that YA fantasy, I shelved it to work on an MG story I simply couldn't get out of my mind. I finished it in a few months, right in time for Query Kombat in May, where I won a few rounds and received great feedback. Now, a few revisions later, it's ready for Pitch Wars as I work on a new manuscript. Switching to part-time and giving myself permission to write was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made. To any other forty-year-olds out there: it's never to late to start doing what you love.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by, and best wishes and good luck to all!<br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-91967517002596231822014-04-27T20:15:00.002-05:002014-04-27T20:15:35.669-05:00For your consideration: Olympians!I've never had a problem naming my protagonists or main characters. If a name doesn't come to me, I'll scroll through a baby name website, click on "similars" and eventually find the "ah" moment. But it's harder for those peripheral characters. I want something memorable, but nothing that sounds too close to the main character, and it needs to be authentic.<br />
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When I started my work-in-progress, an MG contemporary fantasy with a cast of characters from around the world, I knew I needed help. What are some popular, but not too popular, Norwegian names? Chinese? And not just first names--I need surnames too. The baby name sites can be great in identifying a name's origin, but I need to make sure it's current. It's be great if there was a way to peruse a bunch of names quickly.<br />
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Behold the 2014 Olympics! With a click of a button, I can see the Norwegian ski team, Chinese speed skating team, Russian bobsled team, etc. Mixing and matching first names and last names, I assembled my cast, and I know they sound realistic. If you're looking for a resource, give it a shot!Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-26849776981154650972014-04-20T21:19:00.000-05:002014-04-20T21:19:55.153-05:00Pitch SlamAnother day, another pitch contest!<br />
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April is the month for query/pitch contests. First came #nestpitch, then #LV14, and today #PitchSlam. What's interesting about each of these is that they don't focus on the dreaded query letter, but rather on your novel's pitch--a 35-word hook that summarizes the main plot, gives a peek at your protagonist, AND, most importantly, gives the stakes of the novel.<br />
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If you think it would be hard to do all of that in 35 words in a way that entices the reader to want to read more, you would be correct. If you think it's more difficult that writing a query letter, Congrats! You've won the parlay (gambling/betting term for all you innocents out there).<br />
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But the fun thing is all of these contests have a theme, and PitchSlam's is music. A battle of the bands, so to speak, where in addition to your entry you have to provide the name of a song that best describes your story.<br />
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Mine? Badlands by Bruce Springsteen from Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)<br />
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In a battle for the kingdom's throne, how can you not appreciate:<br />
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<i>Poor man wanna be rich,</i><br />
<i>Rich man wanna be king,</i><br />
<i>And a king ain't satisfied </i><br />
<i>Till he rules everything</i><br />
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Trying to realize your dreams? How about:<br />
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<i>Talk about a dream</i><br />
<i>Try to make it real</i><br />
<i>You wake up in the night</i><br />
<i>With a fear so real</i><br />
<i>Spend your life waiting</i><br />
<i>For a moment that just don't come</i><br />
<i>Don't waste your time waiting</i><br />
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Right? Judging from the #PitchSlam hashtag, there's been a bunch of great entries and interesting song choices. The contest is running all week, so if you get a chance, check it out!<br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224650264552591168.post-72477817952626604102014-04-18T21:57:00.000-05:002014-04-18T21:57:11.025-05:00FIRST POST!!!!<br />
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Hi Everyone! I've been meaning to start a blog for a while now, and since I'm part of the Like a Virgin 2014 contest by the great Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez, let's start!<br />
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<a href="http://likeavirgin.kristinaperez.com/" target="_blank">http://likeavirgin.kristinaperez.com/</a><br />
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And without further delay, let's get the answers to those questions!<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">How do you remember your first kiss?</span><br />
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With satisfaction. I was in kindergarten and chased him between the monkey bars--he had nowhere to run to avoid my determined peck.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">What was your first favorite love song?</span><br />
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I was a big country music fan in my pre-teen years. Probably Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle's <i>You and I</i>.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">What's the first thing you do when you begin writing for the day?</span><br />
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Turn off the TV and/or radio. Yeah, I know! There was a time I had to have the radio or TV on to study or write, but at some point in my 30s I found I work a hundred times more efficiently in silence. And time flies!<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Who’s the first writer who truly inspired you to become a writer?</span><br />
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Stephen King in my youth. Terry Brooks a few years ago.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Did the final revision of your first book have the same first chapter it started with?</span><br />
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Nope! Chapter Two is now Chapter One.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">For your first book, which came first: major characters, plot or setting?</span><br />
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Setting, then characters, and then plot, although it all kind of came together pretty quickly. Plot changed as I wrote it, but from the start it was always a sibling-oriented novel.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">What’s the first word you want to roll off the tip of someone’s tongue when they think of your writing?</span><br />
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A smile, a nod, along with a <span style="color: purple;">Yes</span>.<br />
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End of my first post! Please make sure to check out the contest on Twitter via #LV14 and visit Rhiann and Kristina's blog.<br />
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<br />Kim Longhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11049789852190211896noreply@blogger.com13