FIRST OF ALL!!!
FREE FREE FREE BOOK
FREE BOOK
A BOOK THAT COSTS EXACTLY NOTHING
AND ALSO WILL REQUIRE NO MONEY FROM YOU.
GO PRE-ORDER A COPY OF
THE FREE NOVELLA THAT IS FREE THAT KICKS OFF MY NEW SERIES.
Cimarron Legacy
THE FREE NOVELLA PRE-QUEL COMES IN MAY
BOOK ONE OF THE NEW SERIES
LAUNCHES IN JULY
(this one we're charging you for!)
(this one we're charging you for!)
But for today EVERYONE gets a FREE BOOK!!!
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V is for SPEEDBO
|
THANK YOU!
Thank you for all the great readers on Seekerville
Thank you for the great writers on Seekerville.
Thank you to everyone who is both.
Launching a new series is a huge reminder that it's the WRITER and the READER who are the two essential parts of this equation.
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| Cimarron Legacy Book #1 |
And the encouragement and support and writerly FUN we have on Seekerville is a big part of that encouragement and support for me.
NOW it is finally time to MAKE MY POINT.
SPEEDBO is only one month of your Writer Life. It is a chance to dig deep, find that power forward gear and get some words on the page.
YOU HAVE DONE THAT. (or cheered others on when they did!) But it does NOT end here.
There is more writing to do.
You take what you've accomplished this month and you BUILD ON THAT SUCCESS.
Here are a few tools to help you continue your post Speedbo writing (Tina helped me with this so you know they make sense):
1. Join 1K1Hr. Ask any Seeker about this private Face Book group started by Villager Carol Moncado that provides accountability as you check in for your writing sessions.
2. Check it out: This App Deletes Words if Authors Stop Typing from Digital Book World
3. Eight Online Writing Tools to Help Liberate Your Inner Writer from Book Baby Blog.
Now what I want from you is to REPORT IN!
How did you do? how many words, edits, pages, books did you write this month?
If you succeeded then share! Let us be part of the celebration!
If you struggled then let us help cheer you up, dust you off and get you started again.
I'll go first.
SPEEDBO went really well for me but I had deadlines and that helps a person FOCUS!
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| Spring Into Love--Ah! Romance! |
I finished and turned in my WIP.
I did a final galley read-thru for No Way Up!
I revised an already finished Novella due for the next Seeker Collection which is COMING SOON!
And I started a new novella. I had feared I wouldn't get it started until I turned the WIP in but instead I am at 8,000 words on a 20,000 word novella ALMOST HALF WAY DONE!
I'm very pleased about that.
LEAVE A COMMENT TO GET YOUR NAME IN THE DRAWING FOR A FREE COPY OF THE BODEN BIRTHRIGHT.
(oops everyone gets one. They're free! Still...Great gift)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lonely father
whose grief almost cost him his son
A feisty young frontier's woman who wants the son and may have to take the city slicker father to get him.
A little boy who needs a home.
The beginning
The Boden Birthright
Woohoo! Congrats Mary for finishing your Speedbo AND get 9K words for another novella! And yay for us to get your new novel a FREE!
ReplyDeleteby the way, that app that delete words if you stop typing is a tad bit freaky! It will make me too nervous! Fun idea though! Anyone tried it?
Congrats Mary on all your hard work this month & getting as much writing in as you did!!! I'm super excited for you :-)
ReplyDeleteTo the rest of you who participated......GOOD JOB EVERYONE!!!!! If nothing else, you proved to yourself you CAN write something everyday (or edited, revised or whatnot). Keep up the good work, there's readers out there like me that are looking forward to your books :-)
Secondly....I met & exceeded my reader "Speedbo" (haha) thanks for your suggestion Mary. My goal was to read 7 books, I squeaked in 9! I'm almost curious as to how many words that is all told! But then, like you, I had many review deadlines to meet for various authors which really helped keep me focused & on task! (As if reading is ever a chore) ;-)
Hope you guys got into some good habits that will carry you through on your writing.
I didn't meet my word count for my novel. Not even half. But I did get the Repair Station manual and training program done for our FAA certified reapair statio. And the FAA came and inspected and we passed. So glad that's done now back to my novel
ReplyDelete1 - I wrote 15 of the 15 chapters I pledged for speedbo so 42543 words
ReplyDelete2 - Revised 8 of those chapters and sent to my CP
3 - Line Edit of A Heart Most Certain.
4- Preordered The Boden Birthright
Speedbo was a success!
ReplyDeleteWhoa for you success stories.
Melissa,
Pretty amazing considering you had me wringing my hankie for you on day 1.
I did heavy revisions all month. Due April 1 and done and turned in.
I also wrote and submitted a short story for WW.
I also wrote six blog posts.
Lame but I feel relieved.
MARY, Thanks for the free book! And what a list of goals met for you! WOW.
ReplyDeleteLast year I did just shy of 50,000 words! That was record insanity and didn't last into the next month because I WAS EXHAUSTED and literally ran out of words other than what do you want to eat tonight? (Poor dh...)
This year I pledged 20,000 and hit 19,200 at midnight! I finished a submission - cover letter, synopsis and 50 page partial, wrote 3/4 of a different proposal - marketing, synopsis, cover letter, two chapters. That on top of being on a Great Barrier Reef vacay for 13 days then dealing with jet-lag as my happy-to-be-home-but-can't-function-because-I-don't-know-what-time-it-is gift.
Oh, and that APP that deletes words. NO WAY. I would FREAK if words disappeared. Been there, done that when the computer failed! Wondering if anyone has the guts to try that one!
I say it every year BUT...
I love SPEEDBO month! THANK YOU, SEEKERVILLE!
Oh, look, Lyndee is still up. We should play internet Scrabble.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this, and I love the new series premise!!!!
ReplyDeleteAND FREE STUFF!!!!!!!!
Oh mylanta, this is so fun.
Okay, reporting: Not as many words written as I set my goal for, but I did write a novella for Christmas, I edited "The First Gift" my third Franciscan novel to be released in September 2016, I wrote FIFTEEN blogs for "Back in the Saddle", I began edits on "Home on the Range" the sequel to "Back in the Saddle" (October, 2016) and completed a historical proposal for a trilogy set in Second Chance, South Dakota where my Seekerville historical novellas are set, so a return to Hattie McGillicuddy and all those young brides and grooms, taming the west one story and claim at a time!
So it was a good month! And now I'm knee deep in edits for a couple of weeks, but that's okay, I love editing and shaping a story. That extra set of eyes and thoughts on a story are huge.
Okay, I've got an hour to work before I must get ready for kids. Going to check in at 1K1HR and I'll see youse later.
MARY!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS!!!!!!!
Lyndee, that's awesome! Go you!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree, I'd punch an app that steals my words, I'd be fighting mad.
But you know, I don't need an app to encourage me, telling stories is encouragement enough, so maybe it's different if you sit down and feel like you're doing a job.
It IS a job, but when you absolutely love writing, it makes it such a great job!!!!
Melissa!!!! I am so happy for you!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGO YOU!!!!!!!!
That absolutely delights me and amazes me, 42K with a young family. You rocked it!
Did Tina just call herself lame???????????????
ReplyDeleteOh mylanta.
Revising books generally takes me close to a month. At least THREE SOLID WEEKS of not writing and working on revisions.... so you were not lame at all, you dork.
That's what they pay us for. I think you're awesome.
(And this is my pep talk to me, too, as I continue on the revisions for current book...)
:)
So my April will look like your March, but it's all good in the end!
I feel like if I had that app I would try to "cheat" and do a couple of jskl;fjsa ag ajk a;(keyboard mashing) when I couldn't think of anything to write, LOL. I wonder if it lets you backspace/delete as you go? The article wasn't clear on that ... =P
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteYou got a TON done during Speedbo. GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!
I hit the half-way mark reading through a 'how to' book on writing cozy mysteries and doing the exercises at the end of each chapter. Which also means I have a rough draft synopsis of the book, a scene by scene outline of the book and the first chapter which would only need one more revision. I didn't meet the goal that I set, but I'm very happy with the progress.
I didn't meet my goal, which was a 10-chapter Christmas novella, but I got 8 of the 10. It's 8 chapters I didn't have before of a book I didn't have before. But I also worked on my main WIP with my critique partner and worked on blogs, so Stuff Got Done.
ReplyDeleteI also entered Manuscript Matchmakers, but it was with a finished story for their Pony Express division, so I don't know yet if I made it. But that's okay.
And I LEARNED something. Working on the novella sharpened my skills for GMC and hero/heroine growth. Most of what I write is in the saga form, with multiple plots and multiple viewpoints, unless I'm aiming it for LIH. And it's easy to "hide" behind all the stuff in a more complex book. Writing the novella (okay, STARTING the novella) got me to focus on the H&H and their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and it is a skill I will take back to the longer works.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons I didn't finish was because of a major research question (early sawmills, anybody?), and when I do SPEEDBO again, or NANO, I'm going to get the research out of the way first.
But March was good to me.
Thank you everybody for your support.
Kathy Bailey
WHOOP WHOOP! SPEEDBO COMPLETE! Take a deep breathe, unwind and enjoy a break before your next project!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATS MARY! You have writing super powers!
Thanks to Speedbo, I kept working on my story in the middle of some life storms. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSo Mary, congrats on your victory. Now how much is your novella? JK, I just pre-ordered it.
Thank you!
Just Commonly, surely Tina just gave us that app to scare everybody to death! What if it ate your whole WIP and was STILL hungry and started deleting the other stuff on your computer?
ReplyDeleteWhat if it finished up your computer and started after YOU! It might start on your fingers if you are near the keyboard.
I can feel the app chewing on my ARM right now.
Good morning, MARY! Sounds as if you had a productive March. Me, not so much due to day job commitments, but I'm making up for it now! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats again to all those who made headway in your writing (or in another part of your life) during the month! (Congrats on the FAA certification, Tina P!)
Trixie you're a great cheerleader and a fantastic readers.
ReplyDeleteI can picture you reading while holding your pompons.
Kathy Bailey, writing for Love Inspired (needing a tighter time line and romance-focused story) and writing novellas (tighter story yet, wrapped up in 20-30K usually) has taught me so much. It's taught me to get to the point, to move the story along (well, I still dawdle here and there!) and how to write tight.
ReplyDeleteWriting tight is huge for novellas, and I've discovered that sometimes I can say more with less. "His Beloved Bride" is a great example (With This Kiss Historical collection) and learning to wrap a love story in the folds of a novella is like the best college class ever, to the 10th exponent.
GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!
Trixi has Pom Poms????
ReplyDelete(makes note to buy pom poms).....
Tina you survived a government inspection. That seems huge!
ReplyDelete42000 words sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great month, Melissa!!!!
And thanks for the pre-order
Tina as always you're an example to us all!
ReplyDeleteLyndee 19,000 + words is a great accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteYou did a HEROIC job last year but take NOTHING away from getting so many words down.
YAY FOR LYNDEE!
Look at all you late night people....and now giving way to early morning RUTHY!
ReplyDeleteThese is a PARTY going on here at night!
Ruthy isn't it amazing how much there is to writing that is not exactly forward progress on the WIP. And it's all really important and HAS to be done.
Artist Librarian I had the same thought only you wouldn't have to do so MUCH no asdeopt9iuqwoeitnadrgoh you'd just have to type ONE LETTER once in a while right?
ReplyDeletejust even hit the space bar? So then wait the alotted however long and hit the backspace key?
Yes I'm already plotting how to defeat the app. Probably best not to get it to begin with.
Hi Rose! We've all got our work to do and you're doing it!
ReplyDeleteGO ROSE!
I'll see you at the Wordsowers Conference at the end of the month! YAY
Kathy that is really interesting that working on a novella helped you.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool angle on novella writing. I like doing them but maybe that's why and I never quite realized it before.
Great comment. Made me think. (Yes, I know, OUCH atrophied brain!)
Caryl, okay but not a LONG break! LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI pre-ordered your novella the moment I saw it (looked it up, it was 3/10) but honestly the first thing I thought was, being a Mary Connealy book we would have paid for that! So thank you for the free offering. I read that article in the WE that said free increases sales by 67% or something like that. I hope it does that well or even better for you. (I think I see Tina frowning over there in the corner at the free part :)
I'm smiling at the Spring into Love cover reveal with not so much as a single word plug. I'm really looking forward to it.
Jackie the novella is, I believe, VERY AFFORDABLE! LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat job on Speedbo goals!
Why WILL Blogger comment box persist in marking Speedbo as a misspelled word? Don't they KNOW!!!
Glynna I know how hard you work at BOTH jobs. You'll make it!
ReplyDeleteInteresting Pompon fact. Pompon is actually spelled Pompon but it is so widely misspelled pompom that it's become an accepted variation to the point that Blogger comment box marked pompon as a typo but not pompom.
ReplyDeleteI had daughters who were on the dance squad. I know waaaaaaay too much about pompoms.
Tracey thanks for grabbing the book!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe are hoping reading the prequel whets your appetite for the series!
A sneaky plot but so far it's working! :D
Hi, Mary, Every time I see calves along the hillside I think of you and how much I want to be reading one of your books. By the way, I ordered your book a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to read it. I can't wait for the new seekerville collection.
ReplyDeletePraise report! I was able to go to church for the first time since February! It was awesome to be back in church.
Speedbo report! While I did not reach my goal, I am still excited that I got 11,000 words written plus I sent in a contest entry on April 1. All done while still being sick. This proves that I can still persevere through rough times.
I am signed up for Camp Nanowrimo so hopefully it will encourage me to continue on in April.
Have a good week everyone!
I didn't do very well. Working full time and trying to write don't go together very well and I have 3 daughters at home and one is a senior in high school so I'm trying to plan a graduation party and finish her graduation scrapbooks and we are looking at colleges and so on and so forth. I did enjoy starting the process though and the Seekerville weekly tips were great. I'm trying to figure out a time of day when I can just write and stick to it. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of Speedbo.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI did not meet my word count, but I did get a good foundation for the book. I did research on the book, and I had completed three editing jobs I had. Not to mention continuing to unpack boxes from our move in February!!
Thanks for your encouraging words - I will definitely check out those sites!
Blessings!
Hi Mary:
ReplyDeleteI think preordering a prequel is preparedness personified. So, of course, your prequel I preordered a few weeks ago.
However, I had a problem reading the blurb for "The Boden Birthright". Every time I see the name 'Chance Boden' my minds reads it as 'Chick Bowdrie' and when I try very hard to read it the right way, it comes out as 'Borden Chantry'.
Is this some kind of updated subliminal deep marketing like Vance Packard's "Hidden Persuaders" of the 1950's?
Vince
"Measure success by results, not efforts! Sometimes unanswered prayers provide the greatest rewards."
So...I got the 'hint' about the 'free' novella and have duly preordered it, Mary.
ReplyDeleteYAY for a new Conneally Classic! So excited!!
Goals....1. finish a proposal for HQN Heartwarming submission
2. Write my WW2 Novella
3. IF...big IF.... start work on my new A Spice of Life novel - A Thyme for Romance :) HAD TO have a little fun with my name for this series ;-)
Congratulations, Mary, and the others who met and/or exceeded your Speedbo goals! Mary, I'd already pre-ordered your book. Can't wait to start the series and read the rest. I did not get anywhere near my goal. I wrote about 1,000 words. I'm just glad March is behind me and a new month has started. Here's to more writing in the months to come!
ReplyDeleteThose are my 'goals' for this month, btw. Missed Speedbo due to deadline stuff :-)
ReplyDeleteI reached my goal of 22,000 words with several days left to spare, so then I pushed for the goal I never thought I'd make - 25,000! And I succeeded! So now I know if I could do 25,000 with Influenza and several weeks of lingering side effects, I can surely do it again. And again. And again. And I may complete a book or three!
ReplyDeleteSucessful Speedbo, sort of. My goal was to edit a book I'd already written, which I did. Problem is, those edits got bigger and bigger until I'd practically changed so much of the original story, I decided just to rewrite the whole thing. I did manage to get the first three chapters completely rewritten and edited, also got a new synopsis completed and made some of the biggest changes throughout the book. Now I still have to go back and rework (and or rewrite) the rest of the chapters, not as daunting as it sounds since they are written once (albeit badly in parts). Speedbo was good for me this year, planning to continue. But I will definitly make time to read The Boden Birthright as soon as it appears on my Kindle. Thanks Mary!
ReplyDeleteMary the free book looks wonderful! I can't wait to dig in to it. Congrats on a very productive month. I didn't reach my goal of 15K probably because I stopped the WIP I was writing and started something else. I did write about 6K. However, I am excited to share that I signed not 1 but 2 contracts with an ACFW approved publisher, Lovely Christian Romance Press. The first book, part of a collection of Christmas novellas, will be out late fall and it's my very first Christmas book. I've been wanting to write a Christmas book for forever.The second is part of a flower theme collection of novellas and will be out early spring 2017. I'm thrilled to have these 2 wonderful projects on my plate and I thank everyone here at Seekerville - you all inspire me to do and be more.
ReplyDeleteMary, are you sure we absolutely don't have to pay anything for this free book??? I mean, I'm not sure you were totally clear about that. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm calling Speedbo16 a success. I completed and turned my edits in a few days early for Castles in the Clouds (next book in my Flowers of Eden series), and I added over 16K to my wip (a new Love Inspired romance). Plus I had to fill out a complicated marketing plan for one of my publishers, AND Project Guy and I painted the living room and dining room!
Congrats to everyone who worked toward your goals during Speedbo16! Count it all progress, whether you achieved everything you hoped to or not. WAY TO GO!!!!!!
Wilani you've had a GREAT MONTH.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're feeling well enough to go to church.
btw I sent the Kindle to you. Let me know when it arrives okay?
I don't want it wandering around.
And I'm not sure if I am responsible to help you get it going. I bought it registered as a GIFT so I think it's okay but if you need anything, let me know.
Naomi, sweetie give yourself a break. Getting a kid graduated is all consuming.
ReplyDeleteYou've accomplished a LOT if you've raised a human being...let alone THREE.
Edwina that's writing, the planning. GOOD FOR YOU.
ReplyDeleteAnd moving, yeesh.
Have you heard the old saying, Three Moves Equals a Fire.
I hope you tossed a bunch of stuff out.
Vince I didn't realize it but yep, you're right. I was subliminally doing whatever it was you said.
ReplyDeletePS Chance is a TRICKY NAME for a book. I've used it before then abandoned it. Any time you use a NAME that is also a WORD you use in the book it can get confusing.
And also I kept spelling Chance's name CHANGE.
Pepper it sounds like you are hard at work. HOWEVER I expect NOTHING LESS FROM YOU!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, girl!
Sally if I had a glass of champagne (and sinces it's nine am I do NOT!) I'd drink to your 'here's to more writing' toast.
ReplyDeleteRACHEL!!! Good Going!!!
ReplyDelete25,000 words is FANTASTIC. Sorry about the flu. Maybe it kept you seated and inside???
Hey Cindy, here's something I learned in college (probably the ONLY thing!)
ReplyDeleteThe best writing is re-writing.
There, you're doing your best work RIGHT NOW!
CHRISTINA!!!!! GOOD FOR YOU!
ReplyDeleteWOW!
Great month! And those 6000 words are there for you to build on, but of COURSE you do your contracted books first!
TINA - We should play internet Scrabble? Do you do that? Are you teasing me while I'm still jet-lagged? That might not be fair...
ReplyDeleteAnother WW story...They're going to make you senior editor...
Myra I can't wait for the next book in this series. Larkspur's book.
ReplyDeleteI loved book one so much.
And I loved Larkspur, such a great character! I have Castles in the Clouds on preorder
Lyndee I used to play Internet Scrabble with Myra. She beat me EVERYTIME!!!
ReplyDeleteVery humbling.
I think I accidentally BROKE my computer just to make it stop!
Congratulations to all the Speedbo-ers! *tossing confetti in the air* Please have some of these Danish pastries as a celebratory treat....zero calories.
ReplyDeleteMary, thank you for the freebie....preordered and anticipated!
Reporting in: SUCCESS! What I learned during Speedbo 2016:
Entering three contests is possible, but do more proofreading :/
Proposals (synopsis!!!) are challenging...especially with a new, uncompleted story
Sitting at my laptop for two to five hours a day can be done...exceeded my goals
Deadlines DO help
I have MUCH to learn, but I believe I'm aware of my weak spots, some of them, at least
Word 16 can be tackled...not conquered, mind you, but worked with
Seekerville and Facebook #1K1HR are awesome support, but I knew that already
Faith-filled romance is the writing place God plans for me. I can't stop!
I have FACED MY FEARS!
THANK YOU, Seekers and Villagers, for providing this amazing community where we are encouraged to work toward our dreams...together! Blessings! Now to get back to writing.....
Yeah, I love free!! Can't wait to read it!!! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats everyone on any progress you made, even if it wasn't meeting your goals - progress is still progress :)
ReplyDeleteI managed to draft a novel - it came in at about 40,000 instead of the 50,000 I'd aimed for, but I know it'll get there by the time I finish my edits/rewrites. I'm counting it a win, because I've got the book (basically) written - the wordcount is variable, while I revise.
Now onto plans for April... :)
Mary, I didn't do Speedbo, but I cheered on those who did. It's always fun and informative to learn tips from other writers. And what an encouraging group Seekerville is!
ReplyDeleteHere's to continued success! *clink*
RACHEL, wow--40K! That's impressive! I know what you mean about how word count changes during revisions. I typically find things I need to expand upon as well as areas that are redundant or just plain boring and need to be cut.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all of you! Wow! I'm impressed with the numbers. Nice work! And even if you didn't make your goals, just be proud to have made some progress.
ReplyDeleteMARY, I'm excited about this new series! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteMega congrats to all who met their goal!!!!!!
I met 2/3rds of my Speedbo goal. I stumbled on the track, but I'm dusting myself off and back in the game. Thankful there are no losers in Seekerville.
Janet
Congrats to all who survived Speedbo and progressed! Moving forward is always good. I can feel the energy in the comments today. We're upbeat and ready to keep pushing through those pages...
ReplyDeleteNote to self, I don't have to judge my own achievement by what others have done. It's a personal thing. I accomplished goals and am at a better place today than at the beginning of March, so it's all good!
I've brought fresh strawberries and blueberries to share. Yogurt as well, if you want to mix the two. Enjoy!
Mary, I want to pre-order your new novella! Congrats on a new series. I know it will be wonderful.
I didn't know Carol M started 1K1H!!! Thanks, Carol!
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe of people who can do Speedbo including you, Mary! If only I had better discipline. Maybe when I'm older and more mature. LOL.
ReplyDeleteTrixi (and Mary) what a cool idea...instead of writing, I'll count my books I've read. I LOVE IT! Next time, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the free book, Mary.
I love all the success stories mentioned here. That is awesome!
MARY, you are such a clear communicator. I love that about you. I think I counted 10 "frees," but honestly, I could have missed one or two. BTW, I ordered THE BODEN BIRTHRIGHT when it was first released on Amazon. I can hardly wait for a brand-new series from you!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSPEEDBO UPDATE: I turned in my 20,000-word novella to the publisher on the due date of April 1, despite my back surgery on March 9. I give all the glory to God. He's the one who pulled me through. And a big thank you to every Seeker Villager for encouragement! Now I have a couple of Christmas collections to edit in April and May, do a second pass edit on another manuscript, and rewrite my full-lenth novel. A lot to accomplish, but I prefer this to sitting around biting my nails and waiting for rejections.
Thanks for the tips in this post!!
Fresh fruit and yogurt sounds perfect, Debby!
ReplyDeleteI feel like Punchinello when he gets to the top of the mountain with his boxes and balls. "I made it! I made it!" But the prize is a lot better than those meaningless boxes and balls. :-) I made it more than 1,000 words over my goal. Thanks, Seekerville, for the encouragement and the opportunity!
WOWZER!! I feel like a real slacker compared to some of you...over 40,000 words? That's the speed of lightning.
ReplyDeleteWILANI, I'm so glad you were able to go to church last Sunday. I really missed church too. Easter was my first day back. I felt resurrected! I actually sat through Sunday school, church, and a $4 taco salad at Steak-N-Shake last Sunday. Every step is a victory!!
There is no basking in the post-Speedbo glow, is there? Of course not, because writing isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.
ReplyDelete(A shamelessly stolen quote.)
What did I get done in March?
1 - I met my 25K goal on my WIP and hit a good solid mid-point. The deadline is June 1, so there's no way I'm slowing down on that word count this month!
2 - I revised and resubmitted a proposal for an LIH series.
3 - I wrote multiple blog posts.
4 - Read, read, read, and read some more. Constant research for the next project.
It was a busy month. And with that June 1st deadline and our only daughter getting married in June, the next two months are going to be crazy.
One day at a time, right?
And yes, I have pre-ordered "The Boden Birthright." :)
Remember the Gong show? Go ahead and give it a good hit.
ReplyDeleteThat's my Speedbo results.
But I'm ok. I'm moving in a different direction than I was at the beginning of March so I'm just going with it. I was on track for the first week before I had surgery. And then I found out I didn't progress to the next stage in LIH's contest. Bummer. Then I worked to complete the last chapter or two of a ms and make more revisions in case I got a request from a contest I was in.
Place second in the contest, but no request from the editor.
Whew!
So now I'm starting a suspense that I've been wanting to write. I'm also going to sit down and read 2-3 books. I haven't read a book in a long time and am way-over due.
Congrats to all who made their goals!!!!
Mary, the Kindle arrived on Saturday. Thank you so much. It is registered in your name so I am not sure how to change it to my account. I was going to contact Amazon when I had time, but if you know how to do that. I will wait to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteBARBARA, glad you're doing so much better--and great on the writing goals, too!
ReplyDeleteCONNIE, some months are like that. Good for you for taking everything (including surgery!) in stride and starting something new.
Congrats to you, Mary, on your Speedbo success...and to everyone who kept at it!! The new book looks wonderful and I'd love to read it!
ReplyDeleteMy Speedbo goals changed mid-stream...well, really right after I waded in! Worked the entire month on writing, revising and refining three chapters and a synopsis to have ready by April 6th for the Love Inspired Historical Manuscript Matchmakers! Whew...almost there! Historical is fun!! Now I want to dig out all those family journals...I know there are stories to be told from those pages!! Wishing all the participants the BEST of luck!!
Love the new FaceBook page #1K1HR
This is my FAVORITE writer hang-out! So much encouragement and fabulous help!! You all ROCK!!
Reporting in! During the month of March, I finished and revised a proposal for my editor, and I came THIS CLOSE to finishing a novella. (That's my goal for today. Finish!)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Seekerville, for Speedbo each year. I love, love, love it!
Wilani and Barbara, I'm so glad you were both able to go to church!
ReplyDeleteConnie, enjoy the reading! I've done some of that myself lately. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mary!!Reporting in:
ReplyDeleteDuring the month of March I managed to get a total of 38,142 on my WIP which is a rewrite/revision/re-everything on a romantic suspense story I've been battling with for several months now.
I completed three book reviews and posted to my blog :)
and recommended Seekerville to a fellow writer
I loved Speedbo.
Naomi, I think whatever you were able to accomplish is like Brains in the Bank for what you want to do when there's a block of time each day or each week.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is you stepping into the water, discovering you don't drown, and then ready to jump in when the slot opens!
Go you!
Pepper, that deadline/edit/revision stuff is so crucial to the final product, and I can see that.... but boy I'm excited when I jump into a new project (WHICH I DID THIS WEEKEND!!!) because when I'm editing, sometimes I just need to jump into fresh, open water of imagination...
ReplyDeleteI love it. It refreshes me, and that's clutch!!!
Vetsch!!!! So proud of you, girlfriend!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteKeep the editors happy. This is not a bad bit of advice!
Sharee Stover!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst things first: Are you related to Russell? Because I LOVE HIM!!!!!
AWESOME MARCH!!!! GO YOU!!!!!!
I'm over the moon delighted for you!!!
I am not saying a thing about Internet games.
ReplyDeleteNope.
Not saying a thing.
The silence says it all.
(lips pressed tightly together, absolutely silent Ruthy!!!!)
I love Scrabble. I used to play internet Scrabble with Myra as well. Beat me too.
ReplyDeleteBut now that I learned Qi, I feel empowered.
Well Scrabble is at least about writing.
ReplyDeleteIt sure beats all those other games people invite me to play. Candy Crush?????
Naomi Shores! You started the process. That's a plus. Now find fifteen minutes each day that are all yours. Don't let anyone touch those fifteen minutes. After a bit expand it to twenty minutes.
ReplyDeleteBecause you deserve fifteen minutes of your very own, right? And if 1K1HR is 1000 words an hour. You can write 250 words in 15 minutes. You will have a 55,000K novel written in 220 days. That's LESS than a year.
Go you!!
Ah, yes, the power of "qi"!!!! And you can also add an "s"!!!
ReplyDeleteI made minimal progress during Speedbo. So minimal one could almost say I WAS that delete your words APP for the month of March. What little I did write was a direct result of my creative muse getting de-fibbed by Seekerville posts. It has been otherwise non-existent this month. Not sure why... it may have something to do with our family being under the weather since the beginning of the year.
ReplyDeleteI do know that the Speedbo posts have been well worth the time spent here. I'm hoping to take some baby steps in April. This turtle is continuing to plod through the peanut butter (or maybe just eating it... not sure) ;)
I've already pre-ordered the novella, Mary. I keep hitting that FREE button every time I see you post for it and Amazon keeps reminding me that yes... I have pre-ordered it already - now go hit a different order button please.
I shall cheer you guys from the sidelines. Although six-year-old Eli taught me how to play Canasta yesterday and I beat him once, and he won the other hand... so I am educable!
ReplyDeleteThe power of Qi! :)
I don't think Qi was allowed when I used to play Scrabble, but it's a cunning word. Go you!
I am immersed in the world of editing right now. I love edits... I love examining (despite my obvious shortfalls so lovingly mentioned by editorial staffers.... ) But I love that I can back up and see what they're saying and examine how I can do it better...
ReplyDeleteAnd it always comes out better, and I bet there are authors who could do this on the first try, but if you're out there, hush up!
I want to pretend that every author needs editorial interventions on a regular basis!
But let me just say... Nick Stafford.... Aye caramba! I love writing cowboys!
Was that 1960 Ruthy? Whadda ya mean it wasn't allowed when you USED to play Scrabble.
ReplyDeleteI think cell phone wasn't allowed either. And possibly computer......(ducking and running away fast!)
I set a modest goal for myself of 12,000 words and exceeded it by 203 so I'm more than pleased with myself. I think that what I learned was really how much I can get done with just an hour to an hour and half! So glad I took the challenge!
ReplyDeleteSo grateful for his wonderful community and all the Seekers who invest so much of themselves, their talent and their knowledge in all of us wannabees! You are a true blessing!
Now I think Mary MIGHT have said something about a FREE book so I'm off to check that out!
I AM BACK!
ReplyDeleteI spent the last few hours at a funeral for an elderly lady in my church who's been ailing for a while. Nice lady. 91 years old.
I am on the funeral service committee and used to do it all the time but I went and got a JOB for about a decade. 11 years. And haven't helped with a funeral in all that time.
SOOOOO I went into the back door of our church to find the kitchen bustling with.... a whole new funeral committee.
All nice ladies I know well, it's a small church. But it was shocking to realize the whole funeral committee I served with is GONE.
Either retired or dead. In fact the lady who's funeral it was today was such a faithful member of that group.
It's not like I don't know what happened to each and every one of those ladies. I do, like I said, small church. But I was really hit with the cumulative affect today in a way that made me really sad.
I loved each and every one of those ladies I worked with and I hadn't realized they were all gone. I think one still attends church and is in good health but she's no longer on the committee. :(
Sherida, proofreading! So true. I once entered a contest adn when I got it back (I did VERY POORLY) I realized I'd cut and pasted something completely out of place onto the beginning of the book. The entry made NO SENSE!
ReplyDeleteOops.
Barbara I love starting a new series but it's also hard to say goodbye to old friends from earlier books.
ReplyDeleteWow, this sounds a little like my chipper funeral committee comment.
RACHEL GOT TO 40,000 WORDS! Don't worry Rachel, books always grow on revision!
ReplyDeleteMeghan went OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
RAGE ON MEGHAN!!!!!!!!!!
JAN you make an excellent post. This is no time to relax.
ReplyDeleteYes, if you've set really HIGH goals maybe you can ease off a little but DO NOT QUIT!
We've all been PRACTICING writing every day. Now is the time to carry on with that habit!
Connie I think March sounds like you got a LOT done. Placing second is great. Make sure and add this to your writer's resume.
ReplyDeleteAnd finishing a book
And starting a new one
ALL GOOD!!!!!!
Yay for all your Speedbo accomplishments, writers! Mary, congratulations on your newest series!
ReplyDeleteAck, Wilani, no I don't know how to do NUTHIN'
ReplyDeleteAsk Amazon. If they say I need to do something I will be glad to do it.
Kathryn good for you for realizing what a great opportunity the HQ contest was and jumping on it. Way better than sticking with Speedbo goals and you made NEW goals so it's terrific.
ReplyDeleteSharee 38,000 words is fantastic. You guys are humbling to me.
ReplyDeleteSigned
Mary 'The Slacker' Connealy
Erica!!!! Good for you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what Qi is and I'm not going to find out.
ReplyDeleteAh DebH sorry Speedbo was giving you trouble. I hope your family is feeling better.
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying Seekerville is like one of those heart shock machines?
That clears up some serious things I've been wondering about.
Kelly! You exceeded your goals! You Go Girl!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I meant to mention the free book. If I didn't, I have one!!!
Beth Erin, Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSpeedbo was a couple of HomeRuns & a Single for me. Well, the last was probably a Double or Triple, but not what I wanted. The deadline was moved, so it was perfectly acceptable not to completely finish Ferocious Faith, but I'm disappointed.
ReplyDeleteBut!!!! What I did get out of Speedbo this year was a Writer's Identity!! I think I might actually be a Writer now! Very unexpected outcome, but exhilarating all the same!
Free book? Is there a free book? How did I miss this??
ReplyDeleteJana! You're a writer! I'm one, too! It is a thrill isn't it?
ReplyDeleteTina it is not only FREE it's also extremely low cost and very affordable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning it. I don't like to self-promote.
Thank you Mary for the free book. I'm trying to download it but Amazon keeps wanting to know what card I'll pay zero with ...hmmmm. strange. I am looking forward to enjoying another of your series.
ReplyDeleteI was able to get 6 chapters done and rewritten. A good goal for a busy person. Congrats to all who accomplished huge goals. I'll get there one of these years.
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhew! Everyone has been SO busy!
I just got my grueling galleys in for my next contemporary. I even remained calm (relatively) when I hit the wrong key and got booted out of the system and lost all my changes!! But I managed to re-do them and hit the SUBMIT button!
Now to chill out for a few hours. Then tomorrow we are back to editing another book!
I think it's time for wine!
LOL.
Jana, you are a writer! Claim it!
ReplyDeleteSusan, sorry for the huge delete. Hate when things like that happen. I wouldn't be as calm as you!
Mary, we have what's called the Circle of Friends. Groups of women who host the luncheons after the funerals. Each group takes two months a year. Often we stay quite busy throughout our designated months. Just learned a dear man died yesterday after church. Sudden. No pain, but so hard on the family.
I am satisfied that I achieved my goals. The goal was 1K a day. Most of that was on my novel, but a couple days on my short story. Toward the end of the month I had to get my story in the mail to meet the deadline for submitting, so there were a couple of days in which I didn't write as much but edited my story so it could get in the mail. I decided the editing could count as I was still writing. So I was pleased.
ReplyDeleteI wrote just shy of 60,000 words during the month of March, but perhaps the biggest deal was that I got past my block of starting a new story and giving up on it before I could really begin. Now I have a lot better idea of where this particular story is going and (gasp!) I'm kind of excited about it. Not that I don't have my bad days where I am somehow able to see it in a different light and think there's no hope (personality flaw, I'm afraid) ... but for the most part, things are looking up. Thank you for the supportive environment (and the free book). Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteqi |CHē| (also chi or ki)
ReplyDeletenoun
the circulating life force whose existence and properties are the basis of much Chinese philosophy and medicine.
Plus it's a really handy Scrabble word.
Hi Myra I love that word. I use it in scrabble all the time. LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Mary sorry I'm late to the party today. Wow. Looks like you have been busy. smile. Great post. And reminder that we need to keep applying those speedbo goals to our work every day. Yippee.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover of the novella collection.
Thanks for the free book and lead in to a new series. Wow. Another Mary Connealy series. yippee again.
Erica Great to see you again. congrats on making those goals.
ReplyDeleteLooks like congrats go to lots of you folks. Yay. I'm so tickled that speedbo revved you up. Now do as Mary says and keep on writing. Yay
ReplyDeleteHi Sherida Thanks for the yummy pastries. They hit the spot this afternoon and especially with no calories.
Bettie, good luck.
ReplyDeleteI have my card saved on Amazon so I guess that's why they cooperate with me, even free!
Susan, just keep going forward march!
ReplyDeleteThat's the job part of writing.
We take it on and love it, but it's not all sweet and easy!
We have such a small church, Debby. I think someone told me we had three funerals TOTAL last year. Six is more like it. We've had three already this year.
ReplyDeleteSo we have one group that serves the whole year and EVERY year. People come and go but it's a pretty steady group of the same people.
But that's possible with only six funerals a year.
Sandy that sounds like a GREAT month. YAY!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you got a story sent in!
Wow, Lara. That is a fantastic achievement. Sixty thousand words.
ReplyDeleteWow! I wish I'd done that. :(
Sandra, yep, here we go again, huh?
ReplyDeleteI ended up really loving this new series.
The free ebook prequel is called The Boden Birthright. Book one of the series is called No Way up.
Book #2 Long Time Gone
Book #3 Too Far Down
They're a good saga I think.
Mary, if it makes you feel better my only job right now is taking care of my two-month old, which means I wrote a lot of my ideas on my iphone while taking care of my baby girl in the middle of the night ... so being up might've actually worked in my favor. Plus, I already know I'm going to have to cut some of it. So maybe you're just a more efficient writer. Hope that puts a smile on your face. :-)
ReplyDeleteTwo months old. Wow, you're BUSY! But what a precious baby. She'll be grown before you know it.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on raising children
The years fly by, but some days will NEVER END!
:)
There a smile for you Lara. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI'm late...rough Monday. Thanks for the copy of your book, Mary!
ReplyDeleteThank you Seekerville for Speedbo. You know how to light the fire and get us moving. I reached my goals and then some. You rock!
Thanks for the free book, MARY! I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteI've only skimmed the comments so far, but I'm so in awe of what Speedbo participants accomplished in a month. Congratulations to all!!
I fell short of my original goal (31,000 words on one new book) but I did get more than 15,000 done on that one, and edits done to my first book after receiving some much-needed, much-appreciated feedback. I also did research and outlined (something new for me since I'm a panster, not that I knew that before I ended up here :-) two new historical books. I even wrote out the character's GMCs, something else I knew nothing about before meeting you ladies. Without a doubt, March 2016 was the most productive writing month for me - ever. Thank you all so much for every encouraging word!!
YAY Jill, sure give Seekerville all the credit. Okay you can take A LITTLE FOR YOURSELF! After all you did the writing.
ReplyDeleteLaura that's a LOT of words. Give yourself all the credit in the world for what you did accomplish!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, MARY! I'm so grateful that modifying my original goal wasn't frowned upon, that there were constant reminders here to keep going - no matter what. I truly believe that it was through God's guidance I found Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteMary, you are AMAZING!! (and funny - - love love love your sense of humor). :)
ReplyDeleteA *FREE* e-book is wonderful - - thank you!
I didn't reach my goal of 55k but got closer than I would have if not for SPEEDBO and SEEKERVILLE! :) If I'd pretend every month is Speedbo I could get a LOT of writing done. ;)
THANK YOU and all the SEEKERS for the wonderful encouragement, motivation, and occasional nudge (that sounds better than "kick" LOL) to writers. Seekerville is THE BEST!!
Hugs, Patti Jo
p.s. Just took a sour cream pound cake from the oven - - bedtime snack, anyone? ;)
Nowhere near my total. I also did not finish the first of my two in-process novellas. Did make a lot of progress.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for your new series Mary!!! I love the current trend of a free novella to get us hooked ;)
ReplyDeleteLaura I'm so glad we are here and for you to say such a lovely thing just is deeply moving to me. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteOh Patti Jo, I did NOT need the pound cake in my head at this hour.
ReplyDeleteI have no pound cake. But I could find SOMETHING.
Walt Speedbo is a month to challenge yourself and it sounds like you rose to that challenge. GOOD FOR YOU!!!
ReplyDeleteHeidi, I loved that Bethany wanted me to do that. I think it's a GREAT idea!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the book, mine is ordered.. Can't wait to read your new series :)
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I'm looking forward to more great reading!
I'm going to look into that app - it'd would be a cool "practice" warm-up just for fun...idk about using it on a REAL WIP. Lol.
ReplyDeleteI use a timer app that is free from the Apple app store. It's called: Pomodoro One. You set it for whatever time you want and whatever break time you want. It works pretty well and pops up with a nice bell sound.
For mind mapping, I enjoy using Scapple - it's a $15 companion app to Scrivener, though you don't need Scrivener to use it. Scapple is less confining than other mind maps I've used.
Tina - What you did last month was not lame...Especially considering you had to host house guest(s) for a week. You did enough traveling around town to write a welcome guide for your chamber of commerce! (Hey - there's an idea if you get bored. ;) As if! =D
ReplyDeleteRuth - How can you write a Christmas book in the spring/summer? Is it still cold where you live...does that help? Or did you decorate for it in your writing area? :) I really like Christmas (think multiple Christmas trees like), but with the weather here I'd have trouble getting into the spirit of the holiday. Maybe if I set it in a balmy area...
ReplyDeleteMary - Got the pre-order! :) Looking forward to it. Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteMy first Speedbo goal was to write each day. My second goal was to write for certain amounts of time. I did good when my goal was to write for 10 minutes a day. But then when I upped it to 20 minutes a day, I started missing days!
The weird thing about this was that when my goal was 10 minutes, I would end up writing for 15-20 minutes lost in my stories - so my session time increase seemed logical. I don't quite get why that didn't work. I was a bit under the weather the last 2 weeks, but that shouldn't have affected my writing but for the day or two my head was unhappy. I started writing about 500 words per day...Then depending on what I was writing, that number increased to about 2k words in a session if I was uninterrupted. I have decided to pull out my keyboarding software and practice my typing speed. I type fast, but I'd like to limber my fingers up a bit more!
I use to write daily with a blog I had back in college, so my goal is to start blogging again too - between having a regular blogging schedule and fiction writing time, my hope is that I can carry on what I started in March.
So now, I'm in a heavy research and planning phase! Yay! =D
And doing what today's quote said: "Don't measure your success by what you didn't do, measure it by what you did..."
(I needed to hear that.)
Joining in late, here. I wrote 29k on a proposal and stopped to edit out many, many of those words. But, what a great time I had writing with all you awesome ladies and gentlemen out there! I'm truly impressed. I joined the 1k/1hr Fb group and rock that thing on a regular basis, now. I look forward to spending a few minutes of every morning on Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on making the 101 Best Writing Websites, by the way. It's well deserved.
Joining in late, here. I wrote 29k on a proposal and stopped to edit out many, many of those words. But, what a great time I had writing with all you awesome ladies and gentlemen out there! I'm truly impressed. I joined the 1k/1hr Fb group and rock that thing on a regular basis, now. I look forward to spending a few minutes of every morning on Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on making the 101 Best Writing Websites, by the way. It's well deserved.
First of all an app that deletes words if you stop typing terrifies me. Seriously, I may have nightmares at the thought of that.
ReplyDeleteSpeedbo was a great exercise for me. I knew it was going to be a crazy busy month so I set me goal low, 12K. On top of the business I got really sick. About midmonth I realized that excuses were out, I had to step it up because there was no way I was missing the 12K goal. I gradually worked my way out of my brain fog and by the end of the month had upped my daily word count. I reached my goal on the 29th and I'm continuing to increase my daily word count.
Oopsey! I missed this post, Mary! I got 45,846 words. I was hoping for 55,000, but since I got a stay of execution--I mean, a one-week extension on my deadline--I should be okay. Almost done!!!
ReplyDelete