Kra Leigh, Queen Bee

Hello gang.
The last day of NANO has arrived.
Did anyone succeed? Did anyone hit their goals?
I for one did NOT. But a few of us at work were participating. Every day we didn’t write, we had to put money in the “writers jar.” Because all of us are failures, we now have money for a pizza party at work.
I know, what a terrible punishment for not succeeding our goals.
Anyway.
Though I didn’t finish my 50K, I get get a solid start to something I think might be cool. Something that could actually be a story. Now I just have to write more and revise A LOT. I read part of it to my boyfriend a few weeks ago, and he says it sounds like something he’d read, so that’s a plus…right? I also have to share part of it at work today. {NOT looking forward to that part!}
I’d love to hear what everyone else was working on for their NANO stories.
Fantasy? Contemporary? Ghost story?
I bet there are some awesome ideas in there that will someday be real BOOKS!
Happy last day of November, everyone.
For everyone that hit 50K, CONGRATS! YOU ARE AMAZING. For everyone who didn’t… YOU ARE ALSO AMAZING.
We are all living the dream! We are all amazing writers!

Late Monday

From our WIFYR Newsletter

Everyone is invited to attend a NaNo reward party on Saturday, Dec 3 at 4pm. The address is 11192 South Automall Dr. Sandy, Utah. There will be treats. Come whether you win or not. (And, BTW, you still have time to get some words!)

The WIFYR Website will be up and running in December. Drop by and see the awesome faculty we have for 2017.

Our WIFYR Launch Party will be Friday, Jan 20, 2017 from 7-8:30pm at the Provo Library. More information on how to get your free tickets coming soon.

Agent Erin Harris at Folio will be giving a writing workshop on Feb 22-25. More details to come!

Agents and Editors for WIFYR 2017

Ben Grange Agent

Ben has been the assistant at JABberwocky since September 2015. In April 2015, he graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English literature, and emphases in Shakespeare and creative writing. Four months later, he picked up and moved from Utah to New York, where he interned at at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management for three weeks before starting at JABberwocky. Before working at JABberwocky, Ben did internships at Dystel & Goderich, the Bent Agency, A+B Works Literary Agency, and Shadow Mountain  Publishing, where he gained a range of experience in the publishing industry.

Amy Jameson Agent

Amy Jameson began her career in publishing working with renowned literary agent Lynn Nesbit. During her seven years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, Amy had the privilege of working with acclaimed authors such as Michael Crichton, President Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, Joan Didion, Jeffrey Eugenides, and many others. She also sold audio and first serial rights for several years at J&N while building her own select client list. In 2004, she left Janklow and partnered with her husband Brandon to form A+B Works. Amy has always had a passion for young adult and middle grade fiction.

Emily Feinberg Editor

Children’s book editor at Roaring Brook Press, a Broadway music lover, and a dog fanatic. She works on mostly picture book, chapter book, and middle grade titles, though she would never turn down a chance to look at a humorous, realistic young adult novel. Feinburg is looking for quirky, voice-driven picture books and middle grade and nonfiction for young readers. Young adult fantasy is not her thing. Her recent titles are upcoming nonfiction picture books Coyote Moon and Highway Hawks by Maria Gianferrari. She also recently acquired Marina Cohen’s The Inn Between, a supremely creepy middle grade story about a haunted Nevada inn with a strong emotional hook.

SATURDAY POST!!!

Five Days!

That’s it!

You have five days left!

(I’ve just used my allotment of exclamation points for all the novels I write next year.)

How’s the writing?

Are you going it? Succeeding with NaNo?

The truth is, I’ve done my best.

But I still have several writing days left.

So I’m going for it. ;0)

Here’s what dear Bruce Luck said about making it this last week or so:

Mired in the middle of my story, Carol’s wonderful Throwing Up Words post last week was timely.

Of special significance was her suggestion to list the scenes that still must come. Did that and a zillion ideas floating in the brain gained clarity. Boosted the word count, too, and Carol says that’s legit.

But how to order those scenes? So I took it a step further and created a document titled Writing Backwards. It starts with “the end” and lists events in reverse order. It looks something like this:

TE-1 (the end, minus one) final scene in which the MC reconciles with grandma

TE-2 MC visits grandma in hospital

TE-3 MC locates Angela

TE-4 etcetera, etcetera

That walked me back to where I am now. Well, almost. Middles are notoriously mirky. And mucky. It’s going to take a slog to get to the path toward the end, but at least I know which direction to head.

Thanks, Bruce. A perfect post to help us these last days. As is this one:

Says Gatanathoa (Your slightly rum soaked and piratical ML) who reps Utah County for NaNoWriMo:

You don’t need to have hours alone, you only need 10 minutes. If you can take 5 or 6 ten minute breaks through out each day you can easily get the daily word count. Everyone can manage that.

Good luck, Everyone!

Kyra Leigh, Queen Bee

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting lately.
Things have gotten crazy in the writing world for me.
Revisions of my latest novel are never-ending. Been making goals to get it sent to my agent, and never reaching those goals.
Then there are revisions for Reaper. HOPING THAT BOOK IS FINALLY DONE.
And of course, been working on my Nano novel. But lately I haven’t been successful. {I blame the election. And also my work schedule}

So yeah.

I know I keep saying this, but I do plan on getting some interviews up on the blog within the next few weeks with some Awesome Authors. I have a couple in mind that I think would make for an interesting interview or two.

How is NaNo going for everyone else?
Is anyone taking off their writing for the Holiday?

Also!

I’ve been actively using Instagram and trying to promote my book and Fellow Authors’ books. {If you’d like to follow me on IG my user name is KyraZLeigh}

I’d like to get my write nights up and running again. Would that be something people would be interested in participating in? Just get together and write our little hearts out? Me and fellow author Kate Coursey used to get together to write every few weeks, and it was very inspiring. {Partly because she’s such a fantastic writer and partly because she’s one of the smarter people I know!}

Anyway….

I guess that’s all I have to say for today.
Happy Thanksgiving!