IWSG: About Writing, Blogoversary Contest, and Express Yourself Meme

Click here for Wating on Wednesday Post.

So another IWSG day is upon us. Today I'll be discussing my upcoming blogoversary and news on my writing. When I created my blog Queendsheena, I was determined to get my writing off the ground, get published and make friends and contacts with other aspiring and successful writers. While I've not yet published a novel, I have achieved the other two. But while I'm not yet published, I don't regret my decision. While I plan to go both the self-published and traditional route. Neither will be done with half-polished or okay work. Until I'm satisfied that my novels are ready, none will be published. I've had various issues. A chapter doesn't work, the voice of a character sounds too old (happened in Sacrifice Her with Kale, I'm correcting that) and etc. I nearly decided to change one to New Adult but decided against it because it's part of a YA series of single books. Instead I worked getting everyone down to the appropriate age. My self-published books have been pushed to 2013 publishing dates and I'll start agenting for my manuscripts for traditional publishing when I feel they're ready.

Now unto my Blogoversay. Nearly a year ago on October 25, 2011 I created this blog. During this time I have accomplished a lot as an aspiring writer and met blogger friends that connect with me just as well (if not better) than those who I see day to day. Now I have decided that as a way to thank those who have been visiting my blog to give them a chance to do something few people get to do. Decide on a novel an author writes. Everywhere they're offers of gift cards, books and so on. I love those giveaways and contests, don't get me wrong. But I like a challenge. So instead of just giving something away, how about giving an opportunity. I thought really hard about something that would set my blogoversary apart. Get the blogoshere chatting, typing, whatever. Then it came to me. I had decided about the first three books in The Sacrifice Series for a while and planned on deciding on others later since I had other self-published titles to think about for the future. Why not make a decision on book 4. In fact, why not allow fellow bloggers to decide. That's how my unique Blogoversary idea was born. Having a Blogoversary Bloghop Contest where the prize is getting a chance to title and create the story for book 4 in the sacrifice series.

For more on The Sacrifice Series please visit The Sacrifice Series Page. The entry page will be posted October 5, 2012. So be ready to enter your links this friday. October 25, 2012 will be the big Blogoversary celebration and the winner will be decided between November 8-15. Depending on the volume of entries. Full details will be revealed on Friday when entry page is unveiled.

The basic requirements for the contest are:

1. A title no more than three words. e.g. Sacrifice Her, For My Country

2. The main character has to be a teenager, no younger than thirteen, no older than seventeen. You can have up to two protagonist. Gender is your choice. He or she has to be in a situation where they're up for sacrifice. You can choose how and why.

3. A quick sumary of what your idea for book 4 is about.

4. 500-1000 words of your idea in story form.

5. Being signed up on the entry page by October 25 at noon. Posting entry on your blog between Oct 24 - 26. No late submissions will be accepted. If you have an issue with posting dates let me know by email or in comments. I'll contact you and see what can be arranged. Anyone who can post on the 25 would be greatly appreciated but if not you have between the 24-26 to post.

Optional:

1. Naming other characters you'd like in the novel.

2. Detailed setting.

3. Anything else you'd like to say in your entry that's G-PG-13 and doesn't go against the requirements for entry.

Genres Allowed: (Please remember this is book is part of a YA series) Contemporary, Dystopia, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatureal, Light Sci-Fi, Romance. And no, you don't have to pick a genre but your idea is likely to fall under one of these when I make it into a novel.

Absolute No No's: Western, Steampunk, Horror, extreme gore, Heavy Sci-Fi (can't write Brave New World type fiction, sorry).

Winner has their entry turned into a novella for June 2013 or September 2013 release. Sorry but July and August are for promoting and releasing my self-published novel Snow that I plan to have in both paperback and ebook format. So if not June, it has to wait for September. You will be credited and have a pre-released pdf version to read and free copy of ebook when it's released.

Express Yourself Meme

Dani and Jacki are co-hosting the Express Yourself Weekly Meme.

Here's the schedule:

Oct. 1-5- pick a name in your current wip; what was your process of acquiring it?
Oct. 8-12 List five movies/books that cause the hair to stand on the back of your neck.
Oct. 15-19- What language would you like to speak and why?
Oct. 22-15- List five favorite monsters throughout history?

Name in my WIP: I'll discuss the names for The Lost Boys from my WIP Nevermore.

For my contemporary dystopian zombie ya novella Nevermore I had to name Peter Pan's crew of Lost Boys. I recalled them in the original Peter Pan and decided I wanted something completely different. So I thought about what I wanted and decided I wanted a variety of young people brought together by the unfathomable circumstance of a zombie apocalypse. I knew they needed to be resourceful, smart, fast and unique. So I ended up with four members and their names are as follows. Three are nicknames, one isn't. Loud is the only girl in the group, I gave her that name because she is loud and outrageous. But she's also strong and independent. Blur is the only non-teenager in the group. He's an asian Peter Pan had picked out because he was small enough to crawl into tiny spaces. He earned his nickname by being unusually fast. Razor is a white teenager who earned his nickname because of his very blunt outlook on life. He and Blur are the only non-African Amercians in the group. Spike is the last member and Peter Pan's best friend before the apocalypse. Spike's his real name. I couldn't think of a nickname for him and decided Spike could work.

Thank you for reading my latest IWSG post and hope to see you on my Blogoversary whether you enter the contest or not.