Getting Motivated - Writing Accountability

by Susan J. Berger

Best saying I took away from the 2016 Summer Conference: Everything's been written. But not in your voice.
If you are the human who never lets day to day interruptions interfere with your writing  and submitting goals, go away and come back next week. No. Scratch that. Please leave us a comment on how you do it.

I am not that human. Work, babysitting, auditions, various curve balls life throw at me take me out of my writing game. And I haven't submitted to anyone in two months even though I do have three perfectly good query letter, thanks to my critique groups.

The only thing that keeps me writing is accountability. For me, that's my critique groups. Going to a critique group with nothing to critique is not acceptable to my ego.

My friend and critique partner Andrea Loney belongs to several critique groups in the children's book market. I currently belong to two active ones. I write in the children's market and the romance market.

I also need a query butt-kicking and submission group.  The Pen and Ink one seems to be slumbering. Oh how I miss them!. Without their butt-kicking, I don't submit. Anyone want to join that kind of group?

You can start a critique group with the business cards you picked up at conference. Email the authors. See if they are interested.
Or go to online to the SCBWI yahoo group and announce you want to start a group. Be specific about what you are looking for. Here's a link to an article from SCBWI  4 Questions to ask a critique group.

Other ways to be accountable:

NaNoWriMo.

I've written five books with NaNoWriMo. One is published. Two I am currently taming into presentability. NaNoWriMo is about finishing a first draft. It's fantastic, but it's no good for picture books.
 

 

12 x 12 Picture Book

Both Andrea and Sue Ganz Schmidt (also a critique partner) have used 12 by 12 and I am interested in doing it next year. The cost is 137. Once  you have been on the program for  a year, you can up the ante to and have special submission opportunities.

12 x 12 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Once you join, you will be encouraged and supported by the friendliest writing community on earth as you attempt to write one picture book draft a month.

• Receive advice from published authors, literary agents & editors
• Motivation and accountability
• Worldwide Membership
• Encourage & support from the friendliest writing community
• Little GOLDen Book members* will have an additional opportunity to submit one polished picture book manuscript to an agent each month February – November
• Monthly guest post  & fabulous prizes from a talented, multi-published picture book author
• Members-only 12 x 12 Facebook group, which serves as a support network, a question and answer pool, and a place to share resource
• Robust Membership Forum
I've emailed to inquire about next year. Hey it's cheaper than a conference. I need to write more picture books. 
If you Google "Writing Accountability" You can come up with either online groups, or an accountability partner. An accountability partner my be what I need to force myself into submission mode. Cause it sure isn't happening on my own.

What about you? Got some suggestions for me? Anybody know a free picture book group?
This is worth repeating. Everything's been written. But not in your voice.  Write on!

 

 

I sold my novel, Second Chances!

By Susan J Berger
On October 28th, 2009, I wrote my first pen and Ink post, November is Officially Write a Novel Month.

In order to get the information to write it, I had to register for the 2009 NanoWriMo . I had no intention of joining that year's marathon. But my inner voice kept nagging me. You signed up for it. The least you can do is try. So on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 I sat down at my computer with not an idea in my head. On November 30th I finished the first draft of an adult time travel romance, Second Chances.

I couldn't wait to show it off. But, of course it wasn't in any shape to be seen. In April 2010 I showed it to my sister, Kelly, who is my biggest fan and she loved it.

In May, 2010, I bid on a critique of the first forty pages of a manuscript from Kelley Armstrong in Brenda Novak's On-line Auction for Diabetes Research and won it.

Then I got sidelined by unexpected open heart surgery. I finally got the manuscript to Kelley in August. Her critique was both kind and blunt. I had a lot of work to do.

In 2011, two rewrites later, I ran it by a few agents. No response.

At the 2012 Brenda Novak's On-line Auction for Diabetes Research, I bid on a critique from Soul Mate Publishing and didn't win it. But I like the sound of the company.

So I got their submission guidelines and queried them. And I was sure I needed an eBook publisher. There is a logic problem if two women in their sixties time travel back to 1969, and it's published later than 2014

I got a request from Cheryl Yeko asking for a more complete synopsis. I revised the synopsis and sent it to her with hope in my heart. She replied requesting the full manuscript. Needless to say, I was over the moon.

I sent her the manuscript and four days later I get a letter from her detailing revisions to be made before they could offer a contract.

Now I don't have a romance critique group, and I felt odd sending it through Pen and Ink because it's a children's book writers critique group and Lupe's a guy and I was afraid his eyes would bleed. But they said send it. So I did and, chapter by chapter, Kris and Hilde and Lupe helped make the manuscript so much better. I sent it back through one more time for a full read. I also sent it to Nancy Stewart, a fellow GAP writer who returned it with a fabulous line edit.

Last month I sent the heavily revised manuscript to Cheryl. Four days later I got a contract offer. After an email shout of joy to my critique group and family, I printed out and read the contract. I emailed back my questions and Deborah Gilbert, founder and senior editor answered them. I signed the contract.

Soul Mate Publishing  is an eBook publisher that publishes all genres of Romances. I just bought my first book from them, Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel.

The name and the cover intrigued me.  Soul Mate uses Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. I read the first chapter and got hooked.

One of the things I am supposed to do now is write cover flap copy. I know this is one of the most important things I will write. If it isn't good, I won't get read. Debby also invited me to give my ideas on a proper cover. All I can think of is a phone book flying through time and space and that idea's been taken.

HELP!!  (Really. Please help.)

I've got lots to think about before I get my first editorial letter. I have two middle grade books I am revising and a vague flicker of an idea for this year's Nano.

Write on!

NB: The RWA National Convention convenes in Atlanta this week. Soul Mate's editors are accepting pitching appointments at the convention. Soul Mate has been in business less than three years. They will be listed on the RWA publisher list on October, 2014. If any of you also write in this genre, you should check out their website for their individual preferences.