The Tao of Contests

I always fret on what I should talk about whenever someone invites me over to his blog. I lucked out this time because Maia gave me the perfect segue. Since she looked up some of the contest winners from Samhain's First Line Contest, I thought it would be apropos to talk about contests.



I've had pretty good luck in contests. I usually final and sometimes I win. Recently, I was asked if I had any tips on placing in contests.



This is what's worked for me.



• Always follow directions. If they want no more than 25 pages, don't send 26.



• If it's a huge contest, you'll want your entry in early. Judges can get tired and jaded toward the end. Catch'um while they're fresh.



• Read your entry backwards. You'd be surprised how often you can catch errors and readability issues.



• Find a virgin reader. Hand your partial to a crit partner who hasn't read the entire novel. You'll get a purer reaction.



• Target your entries. Always look for contests that will put your work in front of editors or agents you'd like to work with.



And now that I've told you the right things to do, let me assure you that luck plays just as important a role. I am living proof.



When I entered the Samhain contest, I had exactly five lines! Pathetic, I know. A friend of mine talked me into entering. I waffled a bit, knowing I had nothing to offer, but then I came across a short story set on a post-apocalyptic Earth. I had written it as a workshop assignment. The more I thought about it, the more the setting piqued my interest.



I entered the contest on an idea and a bucket load of chutzpa that I could pull this off. TOUCH OF FIRE was born.



By the time the contest ended, I had a full outline and the first three chapters polished. My little fingers flew across the keyboard because I knew exactly what was going to happen in the story.



There was going to be adventure, sacrifice and sex. Leda, the haughty young mage learns a lesson no elder can teach her. And Grey, an ex-soldier turned scavenger discovers danger he can't fight alone.



The world building is probably the most intriguing part of Touch Of Fire. I love blurring the lines between science fiction and fantasy. And this world is unlike any other.



Set 1200 years in the future, Earth is a fusion of language, culture and religion. Society is divided between the plainfolk and fae, mages who can manipulate the four great elements: air, earth, water and fire. When a dangerous alchemist's book surfaces, it threatens to introduce technology to a world that knows only magic.



These are the lines that started it all:



The Reverend Mother used to tell acolytes that if men were going to brawl, they should at least be naked and glistening with oil.



Leda’s money was on the hulking brute with the Cydian blade, but right now she needed the other guy to win. That one had information she needed, and she wasn’t going to get it if he got himself killed. She was just about to intercede when her quarry tripped on his feet and knocked himself out cold.



Idiot.



***


I'm glad Maia looked me up. Her blog party is a great idea and I'm thrilled to be here! (I really don't get out enough.)



And now that you know who I am, I hope you'll pop over and visit me over at my place.



During the week, you can count on me to discuss publishing news, business, markets and gossip. (The good gossip--like new agents in town or the latest conference intel.) On the weekends, I let my hair down and talk about movies, dogs, or weird-but-true stories.



Stop by and visit me. Read an excerpt for Touch Of Fire here. And buy the book. Buy Maia's book. You'll love'em. Honest.



We wouldn't steer you wrong.



Links o' Luv



www.mariazannini.blogspot.com


www.mariazannini.com


www.myspace.com/mariazannini



Buy: Touch Of Fire

Don't miss out! Guest blogger Saturday!

While I was participating in Samhain's contest last summer, there were a number of entries that caught my eye. Each week--once I'd check to see if I made it, of course ;)--I would check to see if those other entries had, too. One of those entries just happened to belong to Maria Zannini who made it to the finish line and whose book, Touch of Fire, came out in May. She has kindly agreed to guest blog here tomorrow. How awesome is that? So make sure to stop by tomorrow to learn a little about her. You'll be sad if you miss it. I know you will.

And remember that I'll be back again on Sunday with another excerpt. This one'll be more [R] than [PG]. ;)

The Story of a Minstrel, or World History

Long years ago, in an unassuming high school classroom where US History was taught by a balding and beloved liberal, a girl invited another girl into a fantasy world. This world was unlike any the second girl had visited before, for it was known as a Shared Universe with myriad characters and countries already established, and yet plenty of room for more and more and more. And the girl thought, How cool! How fun! How rad!

There were several royals in this world, each with her own nation. Strong women with power and responsibility. And there were fabulous names to the nations where they dwelled. Names like Zephren, Ifstael, and Glengannoch. The girl looked at these royal women in their respective countries and thought, You need some ordinary people in this world. And you need some men. But these "ordinary people" needed to have access to the royal courts, otherwise the girl's characters couldn't play with the others' characters. How to achieve this? Who to create? What to do?

Thus was born the Sect of the Wand'ring Minstrels. Ordinary people with extraordinary training. Ordinary people with the facility to travel anywhere they need to go. Ordinary people with the authority to work with rulers and the accessibility to address common folk all at the same time. Handy that, don't you think?

Of course not just anyone can become a Wand'ring Minstrel. Individuals must first be found and found worthy. Wand'ring Minstrels are always on the lookout for talented youths with great potential. Some are never discovered. Some who are chosen to study do not choose to go or do not complete the training. It's hard work becoming a Wand'ring Minstrel and even harder work being one.

The girl liked this Sect she had created and so created her first Wand'ring Minstrel. Next she created his mentor, and then the Headmaster, and finally his roommate and best friend: Jimothy Redwing. Zephreni by birth, Wand'ring Minstrel by vocation. Educated in music and poetry, statesmanship and survival. Ultimately bound only by the laws of the Sect that trained him. His professional imperatives are simple: travel, seek, learn, inform, entertain, and always get the mail through. His personal imperatives are a great deal more complex. But that is another story.

And you can read that story in The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing, available on 10 June from Samhain Publishing and My Bookstore and More. :D

The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing – Excerpt One

Here's the first of three excerpts for this blog party week. This one is strictly PG--safe for anyone who might stop by. Check back Sunday for a slightly steamier segment of story. (Oo! Aren't I all alliterative today?) Remember, the more you comment this week, the more chances you have to win one of three spiffy prizes. And everyone who posts will be entered once into the Grand Prize drawing for a free download of The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing, coming out on 10 June. Whee!

*****

Eventually, with everything piled neatly around him on the floor, Jimothy shook his head. "It's all here—not that there's much." He looked around at his meager belongings. "It would be easy to tell if something were gone." Even his folded bit of parchment containing his abortive attempt at a new love song was there. He began putting it all back, starting with the pages. He didn't want Ricky to see them yet.

With everything put away, he closed the chest and leaned heavily on it to rise. Ricky reached out his free hand to help him up. "Thanks. I feel like an old man."

"You know," Ricky said, placing the lantern on the table, "I still owe you that back rub. You could collect now if you like."

Jimothy was strongly tempted, but shook his head. "My ribs are so sore I don't think I can hold myself upright much longer tonight, and lying on my stomach just sounds like a bad idea right now."

"I suppose you're right." Ricky sat on the edge of the bed and looked around, frowning. "Why would someone break in and not take anything?"

"Why would someone mug me without stealing my money?" Jimothy sat next to him. "Who could have gotten up here this evening?" he wondered aloud.

"Anyone going to the privy would have had the opportunity."

"But would that give someone enough time to come all the way up here, pick a lock, search a room, relock the door, and come back down without anyone wondering?" Jimothy shook his head.

"It is unlikely," agreed Ricky.

"Besides, there are people coming and going from the kitchen constantly. Surely someone would have spoken up if anyone headed upstairs without permission."

"They could have slipped in between the staff. Or it could have been another guest," mused Ricky as the idea struck him.

"Could be. Seems more likely, too, doesn't it? And there's only one other guest." Jimothy fought back a yawn. His mind was spinning, but his body was about worn out. "At least, as far as I know," he added wearily.

"We'll ask Maeve or Japheth in the morning. You should get some sleep," advised Ricky, concern in his voice. He wrapped a warm arm around his lover who happily leaned into the embrace.

"When there's the chance someone could break in while I'm asleep?" he argued half-heartedly. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"You can't stay awake all night, and there's no real evidence that anyone was in here."

"What about that healthy paranoia you invoked earlier?"

Ricky shrugged, admitting stalemate. "All right," he admitted. "Still, I'd rather you not be alone tonight. I'll stay. I'll have Nita bring some strong tea to keep me awake."

"No." Jimothy shook his head and sat up. "I'm not the only one who needs some rest. I see those dark circles under your eyes," he said, his tone almost scolding. "You should go home. Get some sleep. If the woman in the next room really did break in here, she didn't find anything. There's no reason for her to try again."

"Except maybe to finish what those thugs started," said Ricky darkly.

Jimothy shook his head again. "They did their job, and she won't hurt me. But you–" He hated it, but it had to be said. "There's no guarantee you'll be safe if you stay here tonight." He stood up slowly and, as they talked, he carefully put away his guitar and transferred his night's earnings from his mug to his purse.

"What makes you think you're safe from her?"

"Something she said earlier tonight. She said that a talented musician was valuable to her."

"And you believed her?" Ricky challenged.

Jimothy met his lover's doubtful, worried gaze. "I couldn't tell you why, but I do believe her, yes."

They stared at one another for several moments. Ricky was the first to relent. "All right. But I'm not leaving you here alone." Before Jimothy could argue, he went on. "I have an idea." He rose and took the chair from the table, lodging it carefully under the door handle. Next, he took the bucket of water from beside the brazier and placed it about a foot to one side of the chair, in the path of anyone who might be hoping to sneak into the room. "Satisfied?"

Jimothy nodded, yawning. It was a stop-gap solution at best, but he was too tired to argue any more. "I suppose it'll have to do."

© 2008 Maia Strong

Prizes? Pictures!

It took a bit of searching, but I found pics online of the prizes I'm giving away this week. (I could have gotten out the digital camera and snapped pictures myself, but this was easier.) Here they are.


The wee notebook.












The thank you cards.















The musical staff charm.







And of course the free download. (I didn't have to go looking for that one. I had it. ;) )

Blog Party Week Begins!

Have you heard? I sold a novel! I know! It's crazy. Who'd've thought it? It's called The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing and it's coming out in one week! Naturally, I'm celebrating. :D How? … It's a blog party, baby! Woo-hoo! For the next seven days, up to and including Release Day, 10 June, it's party time here at Just add coffee. What does that mean? That means excerpts, prizes, a guest appearance by the lovely and talented Maria Zannini, and behind-the-scenes stuff you won't find anywhere else. Check back daily for new and exciting installments. What? Oh! Right! I did say prizes, didn't I? More on that in a bit.

First, I'll tell you a little bit about how I got to where I am right now--plugging my first ebook release. In summer of 2007 Samhain Publishing held a Best First Line Contest. They weren't taking open submissions at that point but the contest was open to everyone. This was a great opportunity for us, the great unwashed, to possibly get a foot in the door. It started with one sentence each from 273 people. One week at a time, Samhain's editors narrowed down the entries. And one week at a time, each of those who remained got to add a single sentence to their contest entry. It was harrowing to say the least. Checking back every week to see if you're still in the game can put a strain on even the most jaded, and I'm pretty freakin' jaded. In the end, ten winners were left. The prize: the chance to submit a manuscript for consideration.

If you've read Aislinn Kerry's All that Glitters or Maria Zannini's Touch of Fire then you've already read two other winners' stories. And may I say how pleased I am to be in such good company? ::waves:: Hello, ladies! I don't know if any of the other winners made it to publication. I admit I've been lazy and haven't gone looking lately. If I've missed someone, please do post and let me know so I can wave hello and read your book, too! I'd also love to hear from Samhain's editors this week. Maybe tell us what you looked for during that contest, or what you learned reading and weeding through all those entries week after week.

Now, on to the prizes for this contest! It's way easier to win, so don't freak out, okay? ;)

There are four fabu prizes up for grabs. In no particular order: a wee, leather-bound "Jot-a-thought" notebook from The Literacy Site; a package of musically-themed note cards; and a silver musical measure charm. And as if that weren't enough, there will be one Grand Prize winner who will receive a free download of The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing. (I don't actually know how to go about that, but I'm sure I can find someone to explain it to me before the week is out.) All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog any time during the party. And get this: each post you make is one more entry into the drawing for the first three prizes! In the interest of fair play, everyone who posts will be entered only once in the Grand Prize drawing. Make sense? Good! I'll be posting the names of all the winners on Wednesday 11 June.

So come join the fun! There's wine on the table and beer in the fridge. There are apples and pears, cheddar and brie, water crackers and sourdough bread. It's my party. I get to serve what I like. ;) There might be cookies later. We'll have to wait and see.

Remember to come back tomorrow for the first excerpt!

Cover Flats

I got the cover flats for ...Jimothy Redwing today. They arrived much quicker than I anticiapted, although I'd been told that VistaPrint is generally speedier than they say on the website. They're awfully purty! And for my first time at ordering something like this, I think I did okay. A little more direction would have been nice, but I can't complain since they were practically free. Anyway, they're here in plenty of time for the release party I'm having for my local friends. Yay!