Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Writing Contest and such....

Blogging editor and author, Lillie Ammann recently posted about Epic’s New Voices contest for middle school and high school students If you have or know of a writer in those age groups, who might enjoy submitting their fiction for consideration, go check out her blog! My kids are still a bit too young, but it looks awesome and it sounds like every entry gets constructive feedback from the professional writers and editors that make up the judging panel.

In other news:

I’m busy.

Sorry for the lapse in bloggy stuff, or visiting. I’ll wait until after the holiday to update you all on anything writing related, as in, will I make my December 31st deadline?

I’m hoping to get in a few holiday posts between here and there, but we’ll see. It’s been crazy lately.

Hope you’re all doing well and having a fabulous December.

9 comments:

Travis Erwin said...

Crank out that novel. You can do it.

Mary Witzl said...

I do know a young writer (16) and I will try to get my daughter to pass on the information about New Voices to her (she's back in Scotland).

Have a great Christmas if I don't 'see' you before then!

Spy Scribbler said...

Good luck, and happy writing! And happy holidays!

Lillie Ammann said...

Merry,
Thanks for passing on the word about New Voices. It is a great opportunity for young writers—the winners earn some pretty significant prizes (e-book readers, cash up to $100, gift certificates) plus they are published in an anthology.

But, as you mentioned, probably the best part is that every entrant receives feedback from all three judges in the first round. Judges are instructed to encourage the students as well as give constructive criticism.

Imagine how a junior high school or high school student feels to get scores from three judges (published authors, editors, librarians, and teachers) as well as comments helping them improve their writing and encouraging them.

Merry Monteleone said...

Hi Travis,

Thanks!!! I think I can, I think I can....

Hi Mary,

I'm hoping to post at least one Christmas piece before next week... but yes, if we don't touch base before then, have a wonderful Christmas!

Hi Spy,

Thank you!!!! Happy Holidays to you! Are you celebrating Winter Solstice?

Hi Lillie,

I think it sounds fabulous. My daughter used to participate every year in the local 'write a book' and poetry contests. She won prizes two years in a row and was so pleased. It is a great thing to reinforce their efforts. Maybe next year she'll be up for this one. She's only in fifth grade right now.

Josephine Damian said...

It was being a winner in a nation- wide middle school writing contest that set me on the prpverbial path.

Goodluck on that deadline!

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Busy is good! Keep on being busy!

Natchy said...

By searching sites and opinions about the Mists of Avalon, I found this blog and it really caught my attention. I've never heard about book club bloggers and i'm really happy i'd joined this one. Real love, fated love, soul mates and love at first sight are romantic constructions that i can't say whether i believe them or not.

These constructs are so rooted in our minds by books, movies, even real histories, that it is difficult to say whether they are part of us or we created them in order to have some relief by the end of the day. I've been recently separated from my first husband by my own choice. I was feeling unhappy and not loved, nor even respected. Then another person showed up and I fell in love madly with him. Infatuation? Maybe. Soul mate, fade, who knows?

I used to say to my husband that there are not only one, but lots of soul mates spread all over the world.

Anyways, I also would like to congratulate the author of this blog and ask her to exchange e-mails. I am taking English at my major in a Brazilian College (i'm from Brazil) and I was assigned to study more about the Mists of Avalon in order to do my final paper. But I still do not have an approach and by looking for opinions about the book and the female facets and points of vies I discovered you.

Thank you all for the wise words. I also love this story because it is so rich of love, conflicts, duties, sadness and a kind of pursue of redemption and happiness everything that make a book great.

Please, contact me at natacha.marins@gmail.com

I hope to hear from you soon

Merry Monteleone said...

Hey Josie,

Thanks! Still working...

Hey Ello,

I'm always busy... just hoping it amounts to something at some point.... (by the way, I am sending you cyber hugs and still crossing my fingers for you in submissions... sorry it's been a while since I touched base - I will as soon as I'm a little less out of my mind)

Hi Natchy,

First, thank you! I'm thrilled you'd even pick out my little blog when you're doing serious research for your English degree. Book Club blogs is just what I called book discussions... we've done a few here and I've participated in a few elsewhere.

I'm really not an expert on Mists of Avalon. I loved it and read it twice, and the discussion here was interesting - here are the links:

First Discussion on Mists of Avalon

Second Discussion on Mists of Avalon

final discussion on Mists of Avalonwhich you already read.

Also, the awesome Moonrat did a discussion on Arthurian Novels, and Mists made the top pick

The participants in the discussions here all had some really great feedback, but essentially I think the best way to approach a paper on a literary work is to pick the themes that most resonate with you as a reader... I think your comment demonstrates that remarkably and maybe the idea of soulmates and true loves could be the premise you would do well with.

Thank you again for the visit and the wonderful comment. I would email to discuss more, but to be honest, the last time I read the novel was right before that discussion a year and a half ago. But really, I'm sure you'll do wonderfully with the subject matter.

Good luck, and stop back to let me know how it went!