We're SPRINGING into April!
No fooling!
BIG Weekend in Seekerville
Be sure to read to THE END!
And check out the April calendar here!
We have lots to celebrate, including your Speedbo accomplishments!
Tell us your final tally!
BIG Weekend in Seekerville
Be sure to read to THE END!
And check out the April calendar here!
We have lots to celebrate, including your Speedbo accomplishments!
Tell us your final tally!
If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes. Send to Seekers@Seekerville.net
CONGRATULATIONS SPEEDBO PARTICIPANTS!! YOU DID IT!
Now is the time to check the Speedbo Winners List and send us an email claiming your Speedbo prize! Critiques must be submitted by attachment within the next 60 days to the Seekerville email address.
Monday: Thanks for sharing your deadline stories! We laughed until we cried. Winners of the card catalog note cards are Chill N and Connie Queen.
Tuesday: Sandra Leesmith and Rachelle Rea Cobb talked about editing your work before sending it out there. Winners of Rachelle's book, Write Well are: Laura Russell, Renee McBride, Sharee Stover, Nicki Chapelway and LoRee Peery. Winner of one of Sandra's novellas is Mary Preston.
Wednesday: Glynna Kaye encouraged us with "Speedbo Countdown! Getting Yourself to The End with a 'Quick Win.'" Winners of her latest Love Inspired release The Nanny Bargain are: Valri, LeAnne Bristow, and Angela Couch.
Thursday: The Why of Motivation! Did you learn why? The winner of an ecopy of a book of choice from the 2017 RITA finalists in the category formerly known as inspirational is Cynthia Herron.
Monday: Mary Connealy is your hostess today!
Tuesday: Jen Turano returns to Seekerville today with her post, "Eight Interesting Tidbits About the Gilded Age." Stop by for a fun post and you could win one of 5 (Yes! Five!) signed copies of her latest release from Bethany House Publishers, Behind the Scenes.
Wednesday: We welcome author and literary entrepreneur, Tyora Moody back to Seekerville with her post, "Building a Mailing List." Stop by to chat and you'll learn a lot about mailing lists and you may walk away with a special giveaway!
Thursday: Iola Goulton is visiting Seekerville from New Zealand. Stop by to meet this author and editor and a 2016 Genesis winner. Her post is "Creating Diamonds from Coal (or self-editing your Speedbo Manuscript)." And Iola is generously giving away an e-copy of fellow Kiwi, Kara Isaac's RITA finaling book, Close to You, to one commenter.
Friday: Today Sandra Leesmith presents Best of the Archives:"Finding the Strongest Climax" featuring the Plot Whisperer, Martha Alderson. This is a help for strengthening the plot of your Speedbo project. Comments are closed on Fridays to allow us all to catch up on our reading and writing.
Will spunky farm girl Rose Linwood's longtime best friend, Caleb Wieland, finally win her heart? Their turbulent love story brings back familiar characters from books 1 and 2, returning readers to the small farming community of Eden, Arkansas, during the Great Depression.
And . . . chat with Myra & read a character interview and excerpt on Shannon Vannatter's blog! Includes a book giveaway!
Where in the World are Ruthy's Cowboy Books?
EVERYWHERE THIS WEEK!
Join Ruthy, as she celebrates the re-release of her 4 1/2 Star Romantic Times Top Pick "Home on the Range" in mass market paperback on 4/4/17! Post a picture of "Back in the Saddle" or "Home on the Range" to Twitter or Facebook and TAG RUTHY, and you're automatically entered into a contest for a signed copy of "Peace in the Valley," book three. Win it before you can buy it! Details at http://www.ruthysplace.com/
Don't miss Q&A with Tracie Peterson and Mary Connealy! On the Bethany House Blog! Go there and leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy AND Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson.
Class starts on Monday. There are a few spots open. If you are a previous attendee you can audit the class for free. Unlimited openings for previous attendees!
All the details here.
Thanks for the link love! This is a HUGE information weekend!
It takes a Village. Thank you, Villagers, for this honor. We owe it to you. Please do click on the image to read the kind words. And do support Writer's Digest Magazine as they support writers!
Seekerville: A Writer's Digest Best 101 Websites For Writers Awardee 2013-2017. That's five years!
TODAY IS THE DEADLINE. Details here.
From Twitter: Emily Rodmell @EmilyRodmell : Manuscript requests don’t expire. If something prevented you from subbing a requested full & time has gone by, it’s ok to still submit later.
Write Women's Fiction? Check out the Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA)
Daily Routines of Writers: Using the Power of Habits and Triggers to Write Every Day (The Write Practice)
New Resource for Writers! Amazon Author Insights Beta.
Tips for When You're Stuck in the Beginning (WITS)
Advice from the Archives: Get in the Door: How to Submit to Harlequin (SYTYCW)
Intro to Instagram (The Write Practice)
Querying BookEnds (BookEnd Literary Agency)
About the Author: How to Write a Quality Author Bio (HubSpot)
What to Ask an Agent After You Get an Offer (Janet Reid, Literary Agent)
(Indie Author) Review Opportunities with BookLife (Writer Unboxed)
Hachette launches The Future Bookshelf for underrepresented writers (The Passive Voice)
How to Spot, and Avoid, “Pay to Play” Publishing Contracts (Writer Unboxed)
No Fooling!
Leave a comment today and you can win a
cowboy & chocolate. Your choice of a cowboy.
Pick one you haven't read and take him home!
Pick one you haven't read and take him home!
Winner announced in the next Weekend Edition.
So glad it's the weekend! I can't believe March is over. I did it in Speedbo! I met my goal of writing 1,000 words a day for 31 straight days. I'm getting enthused about my book again and really ready to keep working on it.
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone has a great weekend.
Please put me in the drawing for cowboys and chocolate. Hard to choose among the books. I haven't read any of them, so would be happy with any.
Sandy girl! Good For You! YAY SPEEDBO!!! I did NOT reach my goal. I wanted to finish a full length book, revise it and get it sent in. And write a novella. I got the book in and the novella to 12,000 words, with a goal of 20,000. HOWEVER I got revision notes back on another novella and it had to be back by April 1st. So that sidetracked me from the novella for a few days. Or I would be VERY VERY CLOSE!!!!!!
DeleteIt was a good writing month for me. So I'm claiming it for a victory!!!
Congrats, Sandy! Fantastic accomplishment!
DeleteCongratulations, Sandy!
DeleteAwesome! Great work!
DeleteCongratulations, Sandy! That's an amazing goal met!!
DeleteCongratulations, Sandy!
DeleteAmazing, Sandy! 1K a day is a real accomplishment! I'm envious! :-/
DeleteNicely done, Sandy!
DeleteSANDY, SUPER CONGRATS!! I set that same goal and did not make it, so I'm SO proud of you!!
DeleteMARY SAID: "I did NOT reach my goal. I wanted to finish a full length book, revise it and get it sent in. And write a novella. I got the book in and the novella to 12,000 words, with a goal of 20,000."
Okay, I saw Mary's first sentence and actually felt better about my own dismal failure because if Mary Connealy falls short on her goal in a month, then that's really something.
Uh, and then I read her goal. A full-length book AND a novella in a month??? Seriously?? I'm lucky if I can get a novella done in a month. Mary, PLEASE tell me you still only sleep four hours a night, because that would make me feel a little better. Not much, but somewhat.
Hugs,
Julie
Really? 1K a day? Sandy, you are such a superstar!
DeleteJumping up and down! Congratulations, Sandy. That's no small feat. And YOU DID IT!!! WOOT!
ReplyDeleteMay your April Fools Day be anything BUT. Have a wonderful weekend. Special congrats to all the Speedbo writers. Start, stop, begin again or finish. You did something which beats nothing...hands down.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to Villagers who support us. Thank you to Writer's Digest for recognizing our efforts.
You can depend on the chocolate but can you guarantee the cowboy is not CRANKY???
ReplyDeleteSpeaking from experience, Mary? ;)
DeleteLaughing, because the farmer in this house is possibly in the same boat... Rainy, Cold, Wet, Windy, Muddy, Rainy, Cold, Wet, Windy... :)
DeleteIt's rainy and muddy. There may possibly be a cranky cowboy in my vicinity
DeleteLol. No, you cannot. I am writing about a cranky cowboy even now, as we speak.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank heavens for TRUE LOVE!!!!!!
DeleteLol. Maybe cowboys need more coffee while cowgirls need more chocolate? ;)
DeleteExactly, Meg!
DeleteMy fictional cowboy is pretty cranky, too. It must be going around!
DeleteNow that I think about it, my cowgirl is a little cranky, too.
DeleteWow, that's a lot of cranky cow people. Gotta be the weather.
DeleteI'm amazed that Speedbo is over already! I didn't meet my goal of 35K, but I was close. I completed and handed in a book and a proposal, and completed several hefty blog posts. Pretty happy with that. Thanks Seekers for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteWow, Dana, you may not have hit your work count goal, but you sure had a bunch of achievements in March. Congrats!
DeleteDana, sounds like you knocked it out of the park. Close to 35K is AWESOME, with all the rest you accomplished. Congrats!
DeleteWay to go, Dana! Sounds like you got quite a bit done!
DeleteI agree Dana - I am still amazed that I'm writing April 1st?! Where'd my March go? lol.
DeleteCongrats on getting your goals and then some accomplished! =D
Dana, I'm super impressed. With a full time work schedule and a family, that's A PERFECT GOAL. Oh my stars, that's like a 4/book/year goal, woman!!!!
DeleteWOW, DANA, way to go, girlfriend!! Onward and upward to next book ... :)
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Dana, you accomplished so much! 35K? It looks like you cleaned house during Speedbo so that sort makes up for being short a couple of words!!
DeleteCongrats Sandy! 1K a day for 31 days is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Seekerville! I received my copy of Writer's Digest the other day and was absolutely thrilled.
ReplyDeleteI met my Speedbo goal. I wrote 65k words, edited two books, wrote ten blog posts and...APRIL FOOLS! I'll meet my goal today, if you give me an extra day.
Loved your WW story, Tina!
Jill, my mouth was dropping open as I read your accomplishments!
DeleteLove your April Fools joke! :)
Way to go, Jill! You get an extra day and anything else you want lol. Happy Saturday!
DeleteWhat a great April Fools!
DeleteGood grief, Jill! You just about gave me a heart attack with that lengthy list of accomplishments. Whew! I was thinking "She works full-time, too--WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?" :)
DeleteJill, I am flabbergasted. Wow. You are aMAZing!
DeleteJill, you had me going there for a minute! Whew!!!
DeleteThis is the first time that I've ever gotten anyone, much less six, with an April Fools trick.
DeleteSorry for scaring you, Glynna! xo
You got me! I figured you were serious, but i was wondering when you ate and slept!
DeleteThank you, isn't that so exciting???? And laughing at the April Fool's!!! I'm working on a new proposal, all books are in and I am not under contract WITH ANYONE right now...
DeleteWe'll see if these sweet publishers jump on my proposals.... but in any case, it's so nice to be breathing... and know that everything got in on time!!!!!
JILL, you little brat!! You sounded like Mary with her amazing accomplishments!!
DeleteAnd, yes, you can have an extra day to meet your goal if I can have an extra month! ;)
Hugs,
Julie
Such a great WE! Love the comment from my wonderful editor, Emily Rodmell! Take note, everyone who's had a request and didn't submit. According to Emily, it's never too late!
ReplyDeleteLove all the beautiful covers!!! And fantastic reads!
I survived Speedbo! :) And accomplished my goals...even though I didn't get as many pages written as I would have liked. I'm still calling it a successful month!
Surviving is good! ;)
DeleteI agree--Emily's advice is priceless. It's never too late!
DeleteI thought her advice was interesting too! It's nice to hear you can have some grace with that!
DeleteHere's to surviving Speedbo and crossing that finish line!
WTG, Debby. Contentment is always a good thing!
DeleteSo thrilled about making the Writers Digest list...again. Thank you to our wonderful Villagers for your continued support!
ReplyDeleteYou rock! We love you!!!
Hugs!
My total for the month of Speedbo is 38,232. Praying I can keep the momentum up for the month of April. Doesn't seem possible we are into April.
ReplyDeleteCowboys and Chocolates what a great combo. All 3 look great, but since I have 2 of these already, I must go with Mary Conneally and Long time gone.
Congratulations Myra on the cover of your new book. I love it!
I must look for Ruthy cowboy books.I will finally have money again on Monday. Hopefully Tina's Women's World will still be available.
The sun is shining and my world is not spinning so this may turn out to be a great day. Although the Lord is good all the time!
Congrats on that amazing word count, Wilani!
DeleteCongrats, Wilani!! You're another one who pulled out all the stops. :)
DeleteThank you, Wilani! And congrats on the outstanding word count! Glad for no spinning world, too! ;)
DeleteFantastic job, Wilani!
DeleteCongratulations, Wilani!
DeleteWilani, you've created a habit.... and I'm so proud of you for doing so!
DeleteWILANI ... soooooo darn proud of you, my friend!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Wilani, that is awesome, my friend! Go, go, go!
DeleteI forgot to add Congratulations Seekerville on the Writers Digest list. You deserve it.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!!! And huge thanks to all of youse who voted!!!
DeleteGreat weekend! I crashed and burned for Speedbo. However, my husband had gall bladder surgery the end of February and just started feeling better this past week. He is officially retired as of today! No joke lol. But I have learned so much! I finally figured out how to turn off the autocorrect on my phone! Episodic scenes (girl meets boy, see each other around town-post office and places, etc) is good for tv but not for novels. And I can't remember where I read that because at the time I didn't realize it was going to stick with me. I also learned instead of going into a contest for the feedback, I need to enter for the final judge I'm targeting. That changes my focus to winning not just entering to be entered. And the biggest thing I learned: there is such a great support system here at Seekerville. Have a question? Someone has an answer. Don't know something? Someone can help you. Or there is a post on it. Happy April Fool's day! Make today the start. You can start again tomorrow if today doesn't go right. To make your dreams come true, anytime is a good time to start!
ReplyDeleteSally, learning these lessons definitely counts as a success. Last year in Speedbo I reached my word count but the story was going nowhere so I jumped ship. Then I finally realized that the reason I kept abandoning stories was that I had no idea how to plot (yes, episodic!). If this is something you're still learning about, one book that really helped me was Weiland's "Structuring Your Novel," most of which can be found on her website. Glad hear your husband's feeling better and that you're not letting any perceived failure get you down. "Make today the start." I like that :-)
DeleteThank you so much for the encouragement, Lara! I started the post bummed because I didn't meet my goal, but then all these other things infiltrated on and I encouraged myself as well lol. Thanks for the tip about that book. If I've got it I'll dig into it. When i first started writing I was told I wrote episodically, but I've not been told lately that I do. I never really understood what that meant until I read this. I am a total panster and I think it's because I don't know how to plot. When I was in Literature classes and had to write papers, if I spent a lot of time on the outline I couldn't write the paper. I had to keep the outline short without a lot of details.
DeleteSally -- I'd definitely say that despite what you initially thought of as a Speedbo crash & burn, you "trained" this month and strengthened your writing muscles for the future!
DeleteGlad to encourage. I still struggle with episodic writing, even when I know I have a plot. I think the key for me is just to keep going back to those references that help me stay on track. Another site I go back to a lot is Randy Ingermanson's page on "Writing the perfect scene." It's basically a summary from Swain's "Techniques of the Selling Writer," which is another book that really opened my eyes. (If each scene drives the plot then the story, overall, will hopefully be driven.)
DeleteBetween last year's Speedbo and now I put one of my manuscripts through Scribes. Critiquing other people's stories has really helped me develop an eye for diagnosing a lot of the common writing issues (even if I still struggle with them in my own writing), so if you ever want to chat writing or get a second opinion on something you've written, feel free to look me up in the ACFW directory and send me an email. Over the last year, I think God has been showing me that I have some skill as an editor and I've been enjoying helping other people to strengthen their writing/stories (or at least trying).
Sally, I think Glynna hit the nail on the head. Speedbo is a great motivator to learn how we work best. I'm on a deadline and I must keep moving forward, but like you, I didn't meet my wc goal, but I put a huge dent in it. I was "determined" to write clear through to the end without editing.
DeleteAnd I paid for my stubbornness because some days I stared at an empty screen not knowing where I was going, but determined to keep going instead of backtracking and working out the kinks.
I move forward 20-30K, then edit, polish and hash out some scenes, then move forward again, and keep doing that until I get to the end. This is the way I've always written and I have 3 novels and about 10 novellas published. Every single one of them was written the Exact.Same.Way.
But there is a huge silver lining to my method the day after Speedbo ends. What's behind me is pretty solid because I did a lot of editing AND I added 30K to the ms. I'm in the home stretch now! :)
So sorry about your husband's gall bladder issues. And now he's retired??? Are YOU prepared???
DeleteI'm happy to hear your husband is doing better, Sally. You had a lot on your plate, so don't be too hard on yourself. Congrats on your husband's retirement...now you can make him do all of the housework!
DeleteThanks, Glynna, for that encouragement! I appreciate it! Pam, yes that's how i like to do it. Get this part done, fix it up, move on. I can't just write. But this story is coming out in scenes and that's harder for me. Once i get finished then i have to determine where those scenes go. Lara, thank you for all that. I will definitely contact you when i get a bit further along in this story and check out your resources. Thanks!
DeleteMyra, I thought I was ready. I love having him at home. But, retired? And the middle of the month check is half what it usually is and then his retirement check comes in around the first. He's retired from the state, I should stipulate, and we've worked it out to have money coming in to make up the difference until he can get social security to make up the difference. But this one check worries me. But it'll work out. With health issues and work issues I'm ready for him to stay home. He's used to getting up at 1am to go to work. Since he's been off from surgery i have not missed that alarm going off until i have to get up lol.
DeleteSally, I didn't meet my goal either... We had that 7 days of storms and people staying here and family comes first. Always. I got my books in, but I'd blocked out time for a proposal and I'm here, working on that, but that's the blessing of this business... the work's still waiting for you when the crazy ends! And you're looking at a new normal, and it's different, for sure!
DeleteAnd I'm so glad hubby is doing better now. We start April ANEW!!!!
Sally, sorry about your hubby's health issues, but how fun that he is now retired!! Uh, fun for him, that is! Remains to be seen if it's fun for you. ;)
DeleteActually, Keith and I are together 24/7 and love it, so it can be done and happily so.
"Crashed and burned for Speedbo," maybe, but the things you learned and the motivation you gained will add to your success for April, God willing!
Hugs,
Julie
Ruthy, so glad April is a new month! Julie, it wasn't until about 10 years ago that i learned not everyone plans days off and vacations with their spouses. What?? I love spending time with mine and it's even more enjoyable because he's not fighting sleep or having to go to bed with the chickens (if we had any) since he had to get up at 1am. I'm loving it so far!
DeleteCongratulations to all the winners and all the participants of Speedbo. Seekerville is one of my go-to sites for information, so thanks to everyone who works so hard to make it a success! My final word count was around 56,000, a little over my goal of 1500 words a day. The writing is sloppy and I've got a ways to go in my story, but it's progress and I'll take it ;-)
ReplyDeleteFABULOUS goal met, Lara!! Congrats!
DeleteThanks. My only day job is caring for my 1-year-old daughter, and we had a lot of family visiting to help out for the month. I can't imagine trying to write that much if I had a real regular job!
DeleteCongrats, Lara! Wonderful!
DeleteAmazing, Lara! Congratulations! The writing may be sloppy (or it may be even better than you imagine!), but either way, you have something to work with instead of blank pages.
DeleteAwesome, Lara! That's better than NaNoWriMo's word count. Good job!
DeleteOh my gosh, that's solid! Go you, Lara!!!! And the sloppy stuff gets cleaned up in the edits, but if it never gets written, there's no chance to scrub it!
DeleteWOW, LARA, way to make me feel like a sludge, girlfriend! I'll take a sloppy 56,000 over a meticulous 20,000 any day of the week, so you go, girl!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
LARA, congratulations!! You definitely wrote a book in a month!
DeleteCongratulations to all of the winners and Speedbo participants-whether you finished the month/project or not. The fact that you participated and tried is a great learning experience and step in the right direction of your writing career! I didn't officially sign up for Speedbo, but I did get my project completed and sent to my agent yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, Rose. We can't always meet our goals but giving it a shot is half the battle.
DeleteExactly! Congrats on the completed project, Rose!
DeleteRose, go you!!!! And lunch with The Connealy. :)
DeleteBRAT. But I'm thrilled for the completed project!!!
Rose, it's all about the finished product, no matter how you got there. You go, girlfriend!!
DeleteGreat WE Tina and congratulations to all the winners. Woo hooo. Lots of winners. Love the photo of Keli Gwyn holding a seeker book. Thanks for getting those out there in view. Yay.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend. Happy writing.
We're on the move today. Will check in later.
Good morning, Sandra! Happy travels! Hope to see you soon. :)
DeleteI saw that Flagstaff was 30 degrees the other night.... and we were about the same... I'm ready for sun-drenched days and warmer nights, Glynna and Sandra!
DeleteI definitely lost steam this final week, but I still crawled over my 21,000 word goal! Which puts me at 81,500. Still lots of gaps in there, but the end is in sight!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Rachael!!
DeleteThumbs up, Rachael!
Delete21K is great, Rachael! Congratulations!
DeleteRachael, well done!
DeleteCrawling, spitting, creeping, grasping, gasping... it don't matter how youse got it done, woman. It's the doin' that counts. GO YOU!!!!!
DeleteGreat WE, Tina.
ReplyDeleteI missed my Speedbo goal by ONE CHAPTER, so I'm okay with that, I still have a book. I need to get back to my revise-and-resubmit, that will be my focus for April, then coming back and seeing what I can do with the contemporary Christmas romance I did for Speedbo.
Seekerville has been a lifeline for me and I'm not surprised Writers Digest recognized you again.
I won a first-scene critique in Speedbo and a first-five-pages critique in the regular Seekerville, so I've got to get those out.
It has been a good month.
Best,
KB
Kathy - I bet with your momentum rolling that you'll whip out that last chapter in no time flat!
DeleteAnd definitely pounce on that revise-and-resubmit opportunity. :)
A revise and resubmit??? Go KB!! :)
DeleteYAY for KB!!!
DeleteOh, Kathy, HOW I wish I could say I missed my Speedbo goal by one chapter!! That is AWESOME, my friend, so onward and upward!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Congratulations, Seekerville! You guys deserve that and so much more. I've said it before, but Seekerville has been my writer's college and I wouldn't be where I am without ya'll.
ReplyDelete♡♡♡♡
Also a huge congrats to all the Speedbo participants!
I did hit my goal! Praise the Lord!
It took me till midnight, but I did it. It was a small goal, compared to most of yours, but I set it conservative because I knew I'd have guests for a week. I didn't count on spraining my elbow, but life happens. I'm a slow writer, so my goal was 15,000. I typed over 3500 words yesterday to hit 15,155. :)
Thank you, wonderful people at Seekerville! You cheered me on to cross the finish line.
Congratulations on meeting your goal, Amber. Staying up 'til midnight to reach it is determination for sure!
DeleteAmber, that's dedication. I can hear the theme song from Rocky playing now! :)
DeleteWow, 3500 in a day? I am SO impressed! Congratulations on meeting your goal, even with a sprained elbow!
DeleteWow Amber - that is totally a Praise the Lord moment. Here's a cyber high-5 girlfriend! It can be hard to get back on track after having guests not counting other issues coming up. Your story is inspiring. Take a minute or two to do a happy dance! =)
DeleteUnder promise and over deliver. Way to go Amber!!
DeleteAmber, I'm so glad you're feeling better! I was worried about you (and we all know I'm not a worrier... like ever)... so glad that everything is healing and you're on a roll!
Delete"Over 3500 words" in a day??? WOW, WOW, WOW!! Are you related to Connealy, by chance??
DeleteAnd I want to know HOW you do those little hearts!!!
Hugs,
Julie
Thank you for all your kind words. I ended up spending a LOT of time in front of the computer to get those words. I usually average about 500-700 wph, but sometimes it was even slower than that because I had a difficult time deciding how to write the scene.
DeleteJulie, I have a heart symbol on my android keypad. I hit the symbol button, and then it's on the second page. ♡
Ruthy, you are such a blessing. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I know they helped me get there.
Haha, Rocky theme song. That's pretty much how I felt. :D
Good morning all, another great WE! Thank you so much for Rachelle Rae Cobb's book! I'm so excited!
ReplyDeleteI didn't make my SpeedBo goal so I'm bummed about that. My goal was 31,000 and I finished at 29,731. SOOOOOO CLOSE!!!
I did finish the book I was working on and now I'm editing. Progress is still forward motion right?
Amazing word count, Sharee! WOW!
DeleteI don't know about not meeting your goal, Sharee. I'd call that a win, myself. :)
DeleteClose counts in horseshoes AND Speedbo! You did great, Sharee!
DeleteI was thinking that was a huge win myself! Bask in your victory.
DeleteSharee, that's still amazing progress. Congratulations!
DeleteCan't we round up????
DeleteI think we can.
Even without Common Core.
SHAREE SAID: I didn't make my SpeedBo goal so I'm bummed about that. My goal was 31,000 and I finished at 29,731. SOOOOOO CLOSE!!!
DeleteUh, yeah!! Are you kidding?? I would kill for that close. I'm with Pammy on I call that a definite "win."
Hugs,
Julie
Congratulations, Seekerville!!!!!! They added awesomesauce to the dictionary so we had a word to describe Seekerville. Awesomesauce!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo, didn't meet my Speedbo goal. I've been hand writing my story because I can only stand sitting or standing at the computer for a very brief time so I wanted to have it all typed out by the end of the month. I only got as far as 37,253...which is over half way through and 37,253 more words typed up than I had on March 1. So grateful to Seekerville for kicking my butt with Speedbo...I was in a funk and was ready to just give up. But now I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and I'll continue to creep forward. Thanks, Seekerville!
Kav, that's amazing to have hand written that many words AND then typed them up. Wow!
DeleteJust the thought of hand writing a 90K novel scares me silly!
You did great, Kav! 37K is a LOT of words and great progress!
DeleteAwesomesauce Kav!!
DeleteBTW, that is one of my favorite words. I'm so glad it can now be on the good side of an editor. Lol.
I will make fun of you if you give up because I love your tenacity. SHOES AND A BOOK!!!!
DeleteOh, happy day!
(Oh, happy day!)
Ohhhh happy day!!!!
(Oh, happy day!)
When Jesus walked!!!
(When Jesus walked!)
Ohhhhh when he walllllllllllked)
(Yes when he walked!)
He drove my fears away!
I think of this song every time I think of you and your goals and your walking and a dog and shoes and Jesus.
A Perfect Storm, my friend!!!
WOW, KAV, are you kidding??? 37,253 is certainly a win to me, especially hand writing and then typing after??? YIKES!! You are AMAZING!!
DeleteHUGS,
Julie
Okay, Speedbo may officially be over, but I haven't closed the book on the book. I'm out of here to write. And isn't that the purpose of Speedbo? To motivate us to keep going even at the end of March? Later!
ReplyDeleteSure thing Pam! Congrats and gallop into April! ;)
DeleteI agree, Pam!
Delete2K so far today. I'll take it and raise myself another 1K before day's end. ;)
DeleteYes, it is, Pam, and that encourages me too! And 3K in a day??? You're definitely gonna do it, girlfriend!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
My Speedbo word count is 53,150. It's waaaaay more than I thought I would be able to do this month so I am pleased. However I am bringing my Speedbo goals over to the month of April bound and determined to get the rest of my book written (approximately 65,000 words to go) before summer. Congrats to all the Speedboers, we made it!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Nicki! You're rockin' that word count!
DeleteAMAZING!!! Congrats!
DeleteYou can do it, Nicki. And 53K? Wow. I'm majorly impressed!
DeleteHIGH FIVE, NICKI -- that is AWESOME!! And next month you will have a finished novel that you can begin to edit and polish. WAY COOL!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Congratulations everyone!
ReplyDeleteI met my Speedbo goal! Excited about that.
Please enter me in the cowboy and chocolate drawing :)
May God bless you!
Yay Phillis! :)
DeleteCongratulations, Phyllis! I'm excited for you, too. Doesn't it feel good to set a goal and meet it?? YAYAYAY!!
DeleteHappy weekend everyone! I'm so excited to see those who made their Speedbo goals!
ReplyDeleteWow! You guys rocked it! Congratulations to all the writers that made their Speedbo goals. And congratulations to the weekend winners, as well. I won a copy of Write Well, so I'm champing at the bit to read it. Thank you so much for the book.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, everyone.
~ Renee
Happy April, Seekerville Friends! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome WE as always, Miss T!!
CONGRATS to all the winners and to all the SpeedBo participants!!
I am THRILLED to say this year I met my SpeedBo goal! I wanted to write a 55,000 word story featuring a (fictional!) royal family (totally different from anything I've written) and I made it!! As of 6 p.m. yesterday (March 31) I wrote THE END and my word count was 55,218! Of course it's a ROUGH draft and needs lots of polishing, but I've got the story and it's a wonderful feeling - - thanks to the Seekers hosting SPEEDBO! I really don't think I would've pushed myself this hard if not for SpeedBo, so THANK YOU, SEEKERS!!
Hugs (and a Georgia pecan pie), Patti Jo
WOW!!! Congrats, Patti Jo! I'm so happy for you!!! That is phenomenal. Time to celebrate!!!
DeleteYowza! Nice job, Patti Jo!
DeletePatti Jo! WOWZA. You can do a whole lot with a rough draft. You cannot do much with a blank piece of paper. Congratulations.
DeleteWow. You guys that churned out 55K+ amaze me. Good job!
DeleteOH. MY. GOODNESS!!! PATTI JO, that is BEYOND awesome, my friend -- WOW!!!
DeleteFew people can write that much in a month (I know I can't or haven't for many a moon), so you go, girl!!
Hugs,
Julie
Dancing in the streets with you, Patti Jo! You wrote an entire book in a month. WooHoo!!!
DeleteThis morning when a family member pointed out that it was April 1st today, I had a comment in my head like - I wrote 100,000 words unencumbered by my internal editor...April Fools! =)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with my goal progress. Although I was surprised when my non-fiction goal started winning out over my fiction goal!
I liked what Glynna said in the comments that Speedbo can also be a great training month. For me it was a combination of things, training being one as much as giving my internal editor a vacation.
I’ve learned that I can easily write 1000+ words per day and have a lot of fun, whether I’m writing fiction or non-fiction. I’ve figured out that I enjoy outlining non-fiction projects more than outlining fiction projects…right now for instance, the fiction ideas come as I’m inside the story or as I'm talking it out. And since I’ve learned that I don’t like doing full outlines for my story ideas, I do need to better understand some of the fundamentals of story building. April Goals: keep working at my updated goals and attempt to dial back my internal editor that causes so much static when I’m writing blog posts.
Congrats to all the participants and winners! And CONGRATS to all of the founding members of Seekerville who once lived on Unpubbed Island - You didn’t just make the list - your site was #18!!!! Wow. That my friends is the Lord blessing the work of your hands!!
Happy Saturday! And put me in for some chocolate and either Mary's book Long Time Gone or Ruth's book Back in the Saddle. I have Tina's awesome new book Rocky Mountain Cowboy (psst - a review is coming soon now that Speedbo is over! ;)
Congrats Megs! In addition to wracking up the wc, Speedbo teaches us lots about ourselves, doesn't it?
DeleteWOW, MEG, I'm just majorly impressed that you tackled goals for both fiction and nonfiction at the same time -- YOWZA!! I think you win the prize for the most industrious, girlfriend!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Megs, I love hearing how 1K words a day is an accomplish-able goal. Speedbo help mold the habit; you knock it to the moon!
DeleteSure do love the cover, MYRA! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd RUTHY--I'm excited to see the book is now out in mass-market paperback!!
Thanks, Glynna!
DeleteFirst of all . . . Congrats to everyone who met and exceeded their goals!!! Be proud of yourself!
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to say I did not meet my goal of 10,000 words, mostly because I was editing most of the month. I was also still doing some brainstorming. But I shall SLAY words in the next few months! So, my final tally was . . . 2,215 words. But I did do two rounds of edits an entire book this month, so I'm giving myself grace. :-)
Thanks, Seekerville, for being so motivational and inspiring so many writers! Seekers ROCK!!!!!!
That should say, two full rounds of edits, or, I edited a whole book, this month. LOL
DeleteMelanie, I know EXACTLY what you're saying. Last fall I had two (or was it three?) edits that came landed in my inbox so that took precedence over the new project.
DeleteMy next goal in life is to master that daily #1k1hr of new words regardless if I'm editing, babysitting, or just being plain out lazy.
Oh, Melanie, YES, YES, YES!! GRACE, INDEED, so take as much as you need because I certainly am!!
DeleteHugs,
Julie
Edits are huge. Without them, there'd be no paychecks. And cheesier books!!!
DeleteMel, you have been cranking out the books, so edits count as words!! And you still got NEW words out. I'm proud of you, kiddo!
DeleteAnd I am just amazed at some of these word counts! I think the most I've EVER written in one month was around 45,000 words. I'm kind of a slow writer, since I'm more SOTP than a plotter, but for those who think I write a ton of books (Tina) I just make sure I write EVERY DAY, or almost every day, unless I'm editing. Slow and steady wins the race. :-) Keeping going, everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the great posts in March and I'm sure that April will be filled with even more. Thanks also for the chance to win chocolates and a cowboy!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Hey Connie! Great to see you here. Chocolates and a cowboy--what's not to like? :)
DeleteHUGE congratulations to all Speedbo winners! (...Oops. Almost typed "Speedo." That little "b" makes ALL the difference! *wink*)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, too, to all blog drawing winners ~ SO excited to win a Rita finalist's e-book! Thank you!
Today I'm putting the finishing touches on my April newsletter and then I'm diving into my WIP. Coffee's on and I have sea salt and caramel Dove chocolates on my desk. Squeeeeeee!!!
Thank you, SEEKERVILLE, for another fantastic week. Oh--TINA, I picked up a copy of Woman's World, but it wasn't the issue with your story. Drat. (A great story, but not yours. Let us know when you're up again!)
Coffee AND chocolate? Mmmm, I need some! Pass it over! :)
DeleteLOL, CYNTHIA ... "speedo." Yep, definitely makes a difference. Uh, so what's on your mind, girlfriend! ;)
DeleteHugs,
Julie
LOL JULIE!!! My cousin once shared the story of her neighbor who mowed his lawn in...wait for it...a Speedo AND combat boots!!! (Can you imagine? Yeah. Me, neither.) ;)
DeletePAM, I had five--that would be FIVE--of those little Dove chocolates. And don't even ask about the chocolate-flavored coffeeeeeeee. *grin*
DeleteOH! CONGRATS, SEEKERVILLE, on your WD nod! What a fabulous community!
ReplyDeleteGreat weekend edition! Congratulations to all the Speedbo-ers! It's fun knowing there are so many books in the works ;)
ReplyDeletePlease enter me in the giveaway!
Congrats, Seekerville and Villagers! We made the Writers's Digest Best Websites for writers! Always the best news!
ReplyDeleteI am blown away by all the words written during SpeedBo. Someone should total them. :-) I'm pleased with the month and wishing everyone success with revising or still writing.
Janet
Janet, wouldn't that be cool. Looks like many people are reporting around 30K with a few overachievers :) reporting 50K+.
DeleteEven if 100 of the 122 (I think) Speedbo participants wrote and got in 30K, that's THREE MILLION WORDS.
Janet, I'm with you. I'm in awe of all the words written in March. Keep up the great work, folks!!
DeleteIt's like an ocean wave... it looks small on the horizon but when you put it all together... it's massive. I love seeing people stretch for that dream!!!
DeleteTina, the WW magazine I got didn't have your story. The date turned out to be April 10. Bummed!
ReplyDeleteJanet
Anyone had a prank pulled on them this April Fool's Day?
ReplyDeleteJanet
No, but I started to tell y'all that I wrote 100K! lol
DeletePranks? Yes. My heart only dropped once though.
ReplyDeleteTina, thanks for the great links!
Hey, congrats to all winners.... You are so special to us, and I'm so glad to see you happy!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you to Tina for all of her hard work and organizational skills that make this blog shine.... and to follow that a huge THANK YOU to readers who voted for Seekerville for the 101 Best Websites for Writers: YOU DID IT!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
Congratulations on being a Writer's Digest best!!! Such a well deserved award for you guys! And I won a book from Glynna, which makes me super happy. :) While I didn't meet my 500 words a day goal, I did establish a much better writing routine, plotted my next story and got almost 12k words for the month. Not nearly as much as a lot of Seekers, but it's a good start for me. :)
ReplyDeleteYOU DID FABULOUS. With your schedule that's nothing short of amazing.
DeleteLeAnne, 12K is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats!
DeleteLeAnne, establishing the routine AND plotting AND writing 12K words, I'd say that's awesome all the way around.
DeleteWinner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!
I'm running back to my proposal for Love Inspired because I've got 90 minutes of QUIET here. And youse know how rare that is. Maybe another 1K done on it????
ReplyDeleteSOOOOO proud of all our Speedboers AND Seekerville for the Writers Digest nod. WHAT A MONTH!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I may not have made my goal this month, but dead set on doing it this one despite MORE TRAVEL. Sigh. I just want to stay home for a while ...
Hugs,
Julie
Julie, words tend to just gush out of you :) April is a fine month to reach any goal you set...and enjoy the travel :)
DeleteWonderful WE! Congrats to the Speedboers!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY WEEKEND SEEKERVILLE!
Please enter me in the giveaway.
Applause, applause for all you awesome-achieving-authors!
ReplyDelete(see, even readers can use alliteration, lol)
Congrats to Seekerville for making the 101 Best Writers website, I knew it all along!
Not only the best for writers, but for readers too! Ya'll are the best any way you look at it!
Aw, thank you!!! And I love seeing you pop in on facebook, too, my friend! Speedbo is done, I'm mailing books this week.... It's time to get my office chores caught up!!!
DeleteOh...and wanted to mention I'm reading Ruthy's Back in the Saddle now and LOVING it. *happy sigh* :)
ReplyDeleteCynthia!!! Oh, what a lovely thing to say. Thank you so much!!!!
DeleteCongratulations Seekerville! Well deserved honor. Forget 101. Seekerville is the best ONE.
ReplyDeleteLove you. Love you. Love you.
DeleteI will take the cowboys and chocolate. :) You authors participating in SPEEDBO are to be admired. That is a lot of perseverance, persistence, and penmanship! Good for you.
ReplyDeleteSylvia! Wonderful to see you here. You are in the draw!
DeleteCongrats to everyone who participated in Speedbo, whether you signed up or not. Just seeing the amounts of all the words written makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cover, Myra! And great news about the book re-issues, Ruthy! AND, happy dancing over the WD award. What an amazing ride we've all been on.
Onward and upward!!
Audra, thank you!!! I love seeing people send me pics of Back in the Saddle from all over the country!!! That is crazy exciting! Sometimes tucked next to our beloved Love Inspired books... and yesterday tucked next to TOM CLANCY !!!! :) Me and Tom: BESTIES!!!
DeleteMade my turtle goal of 500 a day. Yay. Meeting with a possible critique partner this week. Feeling good about my writing. Thank you seekers. Have a blessed day.
ReplyDeleteBettie! Good for you. Turtles finish things. That is a very much respectable goal. I am proud of you!
DeleteI would never, ever, ever see 500/day as a turtle... 500 X 312 (taking Sundays off) is 150,060 words in a YEAR.
DeleteThat's nearly three Love Inspireds or two trade paperback novels.
Not a turtle.... Just good old fashioned steady work ethic!!!
Yeah, congrats seekerville!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm always up for some more reading and chocolate!