THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION A Year of Spectacular Postings

Photo by L. Fernandez

Critique Offer
Last Day. Last Day. Last Day.
Offer Ends Today at the Stroke of Midnight.

That's it.

The End.

No More.

Done.

In honor of our anniversary, we are offering a Peer Review Critique! We build our email list. You get a critique of the first three pages of your current MS. Everybody wins.

 

We are not agents nor editors, we are writers, we understand how you feel. We know sometimes, a new pair of eyes works wonders.

In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that some things are still free!

This limited time offer begins November 1st and ends November 30th, 2010.

What kind of critique?

That depends on which one of us does the critique. We all have different strengths. 

• Hilde G. the quietest member of our group, will search for voice and help you strengthen it.
• Lupe F. caresses characters, palpitates plots, and strokes styles. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Outcall Service Available.
• Sue B. often swirls your thoughts around in her magic teapot and puts them in a new order.
• Kris K. the picture book writer and sanest member of our group excels at logic problems, fact verification and all things grammatical.

Guidelines:

• Must be first three pages of your story.
• One story per author.
• Please do not submit unedited Nano Pages.
• Submit to penink04@gmail.com. Put Critique request in the subject line.
• Provide us with your name, email address, genre and a brief synopsis in an email and then attach your document.

Happy Writing!

THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION A Year of Spectacular Postings

Pen & Ink is One Year Old

...but only for TWO, count 'em TWO more days.

Hurry.

We know who you are.

Offer ends November 30th at the stroke of Midnight.

Photo by L. Fernandez

In honor of our anniversary, we are offering a Peer Review Critique! We build our email list. You get a critique of the first three pages of your current MS. Everybody wins.

We are not agents nor editors, we are writers, we understand how you feel. We know sometimes, a new pair of eyes works wonders.

In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that some things are still free!

This limited time offer begins November 1st and ends November 30th, 2010.

What kind of critique?

That depends on which one of us does the critique. We all have different strengths.

• Hilde G. the quietest member of our group, will search for voice and help you strengthen it.
• Lupe F. caresses characters, palpitates plots, and strokes styles. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Outcall Service Available.
• Sue B. often swirls your thoughts around in her magic teapot and puts them in a new order.
• Kris K., the picture book writer and sanest member of our group excels at logic problems, fact verification and all things grammatical.

Guidelines: 

• Must be first three pages of your story.
• One story per author.
• Please do not submit unedited Nano Pages.
• Submit to penink04@gmail.com. Put Critique request in the subject line.
• Provide us with your name, email address, genre and a brief synopsis in an email and then attach your document.

Happy Writing!

Mood Altering Words

by

Lupe Fernandez

Who doesn’t need a positive pick-me-up while practicing the craft of writing? I sure do. Here’s a few handy phrases guaranteed to turn that frown upside down.

Dark outside?

Don’t worry, the Sun still has five billion years before it expands to a red giant and burns the Earth.

Worried how long your book will last?

In a warm, moist landfill, paper will decompose in 2 or 3 weeks. In a dry climate, your book might last a thousand years.

Feeling ill?

The odds of being struck and killed by a meteorite are 1-in-600,000.

Not enough time in the day?

The planet Pluto – yes I’m from the Pluto is a Planet School of Thought, want to make a celestial case out of it? – takes 248 years to orbit the Sun. Plenty of time.

Stuck on character motivation?

The zonal geranium secretes a compound on its petals that paralyses Japanese Beetles when eaten. Light activated flavonoids or anacardic acids are not suspects.

Taking forever to get published?

The Paleoproterozoic Era, including the evolution of bacteria and eukaryotes, lasted 900 million years. That’s a long time.

 Worried about paying the bills?

According to the The Economist as of 11/24/2010, 12:16pm the world debt is $40,698,066,937,458…wait make that $40,698,068,137,600…no wait…the amount is …that number keeps getting higher.

Feeling better? I know I do.

THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION A Year of Spectacular Postings

Photo by L. Fernandez

Pen & Ink is One Year Old

...but only for one week and three days.

In honor of our anniversary, we are offering a Peer Review Critique! We build our email list. You get a critique of the first three pages of your current MS. Everybody wins.

We are not agents nor editors, we are writers, we understand how you feel. We know sometimes, a new pair of eyes works wonders.

In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that some things are still free!

This limited time offer begins November 1st and ends November 30th, 2010.

What kind of critique?

That depends on which one of us does the critique. We all have different strengths.

• Hilde G. the quietest member of our group, will search for voice and help you strengthen it.
• Lupe F. caresses characters, palpitates plots, and strokes styles. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Outcall Service Available. 
• Sue B. often swirls your thoughts around in her magic teapot and puts them in a new order.
• Kris K., the picture book writer and sanest member of our group excels at logic problems, fact verification and all things grammatical.

Guidelines:

• Must be first three pages of your story.
• One story per author.
• Please do not submit unedited Nano Pages.
• Submit to penink04@gmail.com. Put Critique request in the subject line.
• Provide us with your name, email address, genre and a brief synopsis in an email and then attach your document.

 Happy Writing!

I Am Thankful For My Writing Tools

by Sue Berger


Photo by L. Fernandez

November is thankful month so I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for modern day writing.

Aeschylus the Greek playwright, who was (supposedly) killed by a falling turtle when an eagle mistook his bald head for a rock, wrote the Oresteia on paper made from reeds.

I bless Staples and all trees everywhere.

The medieval monks copied books by hand. It could take up to a year to make a copy of a book. They were works of art with colors that have never been repeated.

I am grateful for my printer and its ten pages a minute.

Shakespeare wrote with a quill pen using an ink pot and a blotter. (I hope he wasn’t left handed. It’s much harder if you‘re left handed.)

I am thankful for my computer.

If he wanted to change a line he had to scratch through it.

I bless copy and paste.

What if James Joyce wanted to rename a character in Ulysses? It would have taken forever.

I bless find and replace.

TE Lawrence left his manuscript of Seven Pillars of Wisdom in the refreshment room at reading station.

I count my blessings every time I save and then email myself a copy of a story.

Countless authors trudge countless miles to libraries and archives to research their project.

I love libraries, but I am overwhelming thankful for the internet and its endless possibilities.

Writing is a lonely profession. You can wait a long time to find an audience for your work.

I am blessed by my critique group.

It takes a long time to hone your craft.

I am grateful to SCBWI for its events and the opportunities to meet professional in the field.

L. Fernandez is grateful for the following Writing Tools:

• The Letter M
• Water
• The TV Remote
• More Women Than Men in SCBWI
• The Library Card
• Shake N’ Bake
• The Silicon Chip
• The Electrostatic Charge
• Deinked Pulp
• The Gravitational Constant
• Ms. Berger's Critiques and Comfy Chairs
• Ms. Garcia’s Critiques and Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Ms. Kahrs’ Critiques and Groovy House

Hilde Garcia says:

I'm grateful for Kris, Lupe and Sue. Also my amazing husband Dave and my children Sam and Victoria who I love more than anything in the world. I'm also grateful to SCBWI for being a great, super fabulous organization. You guys rock! And my computer and Staples which has really great deals and rebates, you should check it out.

Ms. Kahrs is grateful for the following writing tools:

• The Gestalt I fondly call Berger, Fernandez and Garcia
• Big, fat, cranky cats that need to put one paw on the keyboard
• Writing oneself out of the Labyrinth
• Cocktails at five
• Talk Like a Pirate Day

How about you, dear reader?
What writing tools fill you with gratitude?

THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION A Year of Spectacular Postings

Photo by L. Fernandez

Pen & Ink is One Year Old

...but only for two more weeks and three days.

In honor of our anniversary, we are offering a Peer Review Critique! We build our email list. You get a critique of the first three pages of your current MS. Everybody wins.

We are not agents nor editors, we are writers, we understand how you feel. We know sometimes, a new pair of eyes works wonders.

In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that some things are still free!

This limited time offer begins November 1st and ends November 30th, 2010.

 

What kind of critique?

That depends on which one of us does the critique. We all have different strengths.

• Hilde G. the quietest member of our group, will search for voice and help you strengthen it. 
• Lupe F. caresses characters, palpitates plots, and strokes styles. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Outcall Service Available.
• Sue B. often swirls your thoughts around in her magic teapot and puts them in a new order.
• Kris K., the picture book writer and sanest member of our group excels at logic problems, fact verification and all things grammatical.

 Guidelines:

• Must be first three pages of your story.
• One story per author.
• Please do not submit unedited Nano Pages.
• Submit to penink04@gmail.com. Put Critique request in the subject line.
• Provide us with your name, email address, genre and a brief synopsis in an email and then attach your document.

Happy Writing!

Do You Speak Query?

by Kris Kahrs

I speak query. Do you speak query?

Lately, query-ing has been on my mind because the prolific writers here at Pen and Ink (yours truly-cough- excepted) have all been preparing their various works for submission. An exciting time indeed.

It then occurred to me that querying is such a specific language that if everyone had to queryspeak like a writer looking for publication, we’d all be looking for a nice place to lay down.

Texting would look like:

Dear Dude. Enjoyed your talk last night at TOH bar. U rock. May I send you my proposal for Friday night? Two guys sit on ice at hockey game. One gets hit with flying puck. Afterwards guys get loud at club 4 real. A timeless tale with YA appeal.

Or twittering:

Dear Andrea. Best schmooze eva. Here’s my story. Girl tries to p/u drycleaning. Drycleaners lost sweater with diamond ring from fiancé in pocket. Drama. Call me.

And the ubiquitous Facebook post:

Allyn! Enjoyed the kidlit podcast yesterday. Very informative. Here’s a pic of me listening to the podcast. I’m the one with the martini glass in hand. Here’s a pic of me working on my MG MS. (I’m the one at the computer. No, wait, that’s the cat. I’m the one with the martini glass in my hand.) My MS is an absorbing tale of love, redemption and loss among 13-yr-olds in the cafeteria. It all plays out between the meatloaf and the mash potatoes. Sort of Anna Karenina meets Harry Potter. By the time the Jell-O starts flying in the food fight, it’s all over but the tears. See you at the retreat! BFF

The Anniversary Edition - The Legacy Continues

A Year of Spectacular Postings



Photo by L. Fernandez

Pen & Ink is Still One Year Old!

In honor of our anniversary, we are offering a Peer Review Critique! We build our email list. You get a critique of the first three pages of your current MS. Everybody wins.

We are not agents nor editors, we are writers, we understand how you feel. We know sometimes, a new pair of eyes works wonders.

In these tough economic times, it's nice to know that some things are still free!

This limited time offer begins November 1st and ends November 30th, 2010

What kind of critique?

That depends on which one of us does the critique. We all have different strengths.

Hilde G. the quietest member of our group, will search for voice and help you strengthen it.

Lupe F. caresses characters, palpitates plots, and strokes styles. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Outcall Service Available.

Sue B. often swirls your thoughts around in her magic teapot and puts them in a new order.

Kris K., the picture book writer and sanest member of our group excels at logic problems, fact verification and all things grammatical.

Guidelines:

• Must be first three pages of your story.
• One story per author.
• Please do not submit unedited Nano Pages.
• Submit to penink04@gmail.com. Put Critique request in the subject line.
• Provide us with your name, email address, genre and a brief synopsis in an email and then attach your document.

 Happy Writing!