The SCARE THE DICKENS OUT OF US ghost story contest and fundraiser (for the Friends of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas) has just received its first entry for 2012.
No matter that the time span for the contest is July 1 – October 1. While we will disqualify for a late entry, early birds are welcome. As coordinating judge, I’ve logged the entry and sent the “we got your entry” email. Right now I’m busy trying to interest Texas public libraries in putting up information about Scare The Dickens etc. Our efforts to reach colleges and universities across the country seem mostly to have failed.
Plenty of time left to write a great ghost story for the possibility of a $1000.00 prize. There are also $500.00 and $250.00 prizes as well. Go to http://clarklibraryfriends.com for full information and entry forms.
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My new novel TALKING To The DEAD GUYS has reached the revision and editing stage.
I’m what they call a “pantster” as a novel writer. I write first and then fix second. I have just finished outlining the novel (which is ass backwards of what logic dictates). Now I have a clear idea where every character is and what they are doing step b
y step. The next part of the revision stage is to read the novel as a “reader” from first to end without stopping to correct or to even make notes. This will give me a clear idea of what someone other than a writer gets out of it.
Obviously I had to read it chapter by chapter to make an outline. Making the outline was ao damned boring, I’m glad it’s over. And given what I felt this morning in starting the read-through of TTTDG, outlining also gave me a slightly distorted view of the quality of my work. From the outline reading I wasn’t too happy with my first draft. From the “reader” reading, I’m much happier. I see problems, but they’ll be easy to fix.
Link to my published work —
https://www.amazon.com/author/gretchenrix
WHAT I READ THIS WEEK– Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson. Man Plus by Frederik Pohl. River Bottom Blues by Ricky Bush. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.