Finding Something Friday Rushing Around

I've got to get my little old self to the Springmingle Conference in Atlanta this evening, but I wanted to leave you something before I go. Something Southern, sort of like Southern Breeze, which is the SCBWI chapter sponsoring Springmingle. (Am I the only one that thinks Springmingle is a little, I don't know, rushing the season, for a conference in February???)

So, here's a call for submissions from "Sweet Tea and Afternoon Tales," which is sponsored by the Gulf Coast Writers Association. And according to their info sheet, they're "eager to include voices from many southern states."

And that could mean little old me, from Georgia. Or you, if you're from Mississippi, Alabama, Caroline-anywhere below the Mason Dixon Line (okay, I just flashed back to eighth grade cheerleading and one of my favorite cheers. Now, I'm flashing back to how I didn't make the squad. A perfectly good flashback ruined.)

Anyway, the GCWA will accept most genres, except the usual genres relegated to the Island Of Misfit Fiction (erotica, graphic violence, etc.). BUT, stories must be set in the South and capture a Southern tone (how convenient for little old me!) AND, they'll consider previously published stories. There's no entry fee, but you've got to work fast! Deadline is March 15, 2009!

You can get all the little old details here. And now, I'm gone like the wind. (Um, I couldn't help that one. It's better than another cheer, though, right?)

What Not To Do Wednesday on Meeting Writers

I do not, as a rule, use other people as examples of "What Not To Do." But this particular example was so blatant, I couldn't pass it up. Besides, it happened to the beneficent Mr. Hall, and he really doesn't count as "other people."

On this week's business trip to Florida (and may I just say here that I find it odd that Mr. Hall's business trips are invariably in Florida when the weather in Georgia is chillsville. As I also find it odd that Mr. Hall's business trips are in Chicago when the Cubs are playing...), the beneficent Mr. Hall was boarding the plane when oops! He dropped a novel (The Book of the Dead, if you must know).

The gentleman behind Mr. Hall exclaimed, "Oh, I know that writer! It's a great book!" I can't report what Mr. Hall replied, but I'm guessing something along the lines of "Mmmph." Next, the kindly gentleman said, "I'm a writer." At which point, Mr. Hall did not say, "Oh, my wife's a writer, too." Or, "Really? What's your name? What have you written?" In point of fact, Mr. Hall was apparently so taken with the fact that another person in the universe was a writer, that he said nothing. Or, maybe it was "Mmmph."

Now, grasshopper, if you should ever have the opportunity to meet a writer, particularly a writer who points out that he knows the writer of a fine book, do not say, "Mmmph." Introduce yourself, have a little chat, schmooze a bit. Possibly mention your wife who is a writer.

Particularly if the writer gentleman walks all the way up to First Class and leaves the "other people" (like the beneficent Mr. Hall) way back in the plane with their paperback novels and bags of peanuts.

A Dog Contest for the Chic Writer

Oh, this contest is too good to wait till Friday! Can you read that first line? It says "Wanted: Top Dog."

Right there in the middle of my Chico's catalog, I found this little insert. And if it hadn't been for the dog bone, I may have skipped it entirely. But I'm a sucker for anything dog-related, so I read the fine print, as it were.

Here's the deal: Chico's wants to know why you love your dog. Yeah, it's that easy. You write about how smitten you are with Spot, how taken you are with Tippy, how enamored you are with um, Enid. Then, take a picture of yourself with your furry friend and email the whole entry to topdog at chicos dot com. But don't fiddle around too long, 'cause you only have till March 16th, 2009. Oh, and you can get all the fine and furry details here.

And if I were you, I'd think about wearing something chic from Chico's in the entry picture. In fact, I think I'll get Sally the crazy dog to wear something from Chico's, too. Sally looks fab in scarves (when she's not ripping them to shreds).

Finding Something Friday Finds a Winner!

Congratulations to Irishoma! She won the autographed copy of Writer Mama by Christina Katz in my Sharing the Love Giveaway. So shoot me an email and send your address and I'll send your fantabulous book right away.

Thanks to all the writers who shared their thoughts and maybe you'll win the next time I give away a book. I've developed an incredibly high-tech method I employ when picking winners. I call it the "Beneficent Mr. Hall Picks a Winner Out of the Colander" method. It's not copyrighted or anything, so feel free to use it if you ever have a giveaway contest. Here's a picture, just so you can get the complete nuances of the whole system.

Notice the intricate slots of the plastic colander. I suppose you could use a steel colander, but I really prefer plastic for its lightness. Notice, too, that the slips of paper (torn, not cut) have been folded and placed carefully in the bowl of the colander. As far as the beneficent Mr. Hall goes, I guess you could substitute with a person of your own as long as he/she was truly beneficent. However, Mr. Hall has a certain je ne sais quoi that's hard to duplicate with your ordinary beneficent person. I mean, when he picks a winner, that person really feels like she (or he) has won something!

And you know, I feel like I've won something myself during the Giveaway. I took the opportunity to read some new writers' blogs and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I've shared Donna's Book Pub with you; she always has some contests or markets. But you can also read what Krysten's been up to over at Brunch at Tiffany's. And Jules tells some awfully funny stories over at Weekly Jules. GaWebSpinner is building a blog filled with her haiku, free verse, and other poetry forms I've never tried (and honestly, I'm not sure how to pronounce them. But I'm intrigued, as Tim Gunn would say).

So, I found a few laughs, some inspiring writing tips, and a method for picking prize winners. Makes me want to give away another book right now. (But maybe I should finish reading it first!)

Last Call at (Donna's) Book Pub

Oh, it's so late. But I guess that's what last call is, huh?

Quick! Jump over to Donna's Book Pub and check out Ruth Hartman's blog post about her book, My Life In Mental Chains. Ruth's been on a blog tour all month and I think Donna's post might be the last call on the tour. Her book recounts her struggle with OCD, and she's generously shared her story about this debilitating disease. But, she's also talked a little about the writing journey, and today, she discusses Piper Ash, her publisher, and how she came to publish her book in the first place. Ruth's story is worth the read, whether you'd like to know more about OCD or publishing a chapbook.

Wait! Last call, too, on getting your entry in for my Writer Mama Share the Writing Love Giveaway. So, tell me what you love about writing, NOW, and you're entered in the contest. Maybe you'll win! Wheee!

But you'll have to come back Friday to find out. So, don't waste your last call, last chance. ( Do you hear that? I think it's the last chocolate from my Valentine's candy calling me. Gotta run before the beneficent Mr. Hall hears it, too!)

Finding Something Friday on February 13th

Friday, February 13th is one of those "it could go either way" kind of days.

If you're thinking of hearts, chocolate, roses and rubies, you're the kind who might appreciate my Valentine post to Premium Green over at the Muffin (WOW's blog). It's not terribly mushy, but I'm not gonna lie. I got a little choked up when I read my "I (heart) PG" list.

On the other hand, if you're thinking that just reading a blog post about Friday the thirteenth is risky business, then you might be cowering under your computer till tomorrow. But if you crawl out from under the computer, you can check out Dog Oil Press. This is a great find for a day like today. They're looking for submissions of 961 words (or 981 words?...I'm not sure why the odd number. Maybe it just makes them laugh) that are darkly humorous. DOP is a relatively new market (thanks to PG for bringing it to my attention!) so they're still looking for submissions. And they're a paying market. Not vast amounts of money, but enough to buy a big, old box of chocolates. And I'm not gonna lie about that, either. I could eat a whole box of chocolates...all by myself. And probably write a darkly humorous 981 story about the episode.

So, maybe Friday the thirteenth will turn out lucky for me. One way or the other.

P.S. Want to win a copy of Writer Mama? Leave a comment (yes, you can leave it here today) about why you love writing. And if I draw your name, a brand-spanking new book will be on its way to you before you can say "Isn't that the book by Christina Katz?"

What Not To Do Wednesday on Web-keeping

You know what annoys me, grasshopper? I mean, besides opening an ice cream carton and finding a mound of ice crystals growing over one lousy tablespoon of mint chocolate chip.

Checking out somebody's blog and finding a post from six months back kinda annoys me. Especially if I've gotten pulled into somebody's interesting blog life. Because then, grasshopper, I'm wondering if that somebody is alive or dead or tossing back Margaritas in Acapulco.

And what about those author websites that haven't been updated in five years? Surely, Ima Author has done something in the last five years that's website-worthy. How about cracking open the website and adding a new link? Or changing out an old link that's no longer relevant?

Here's the thing, grasshopper. If you're going to go to the trouble to build a blog or website and use those tools for promotion and marketing and such, don't you think it might work better to keep the sites current, to practice a little website house-keeping?

When you don't update regularly, you can lose your audience. So, you've wasted all your efforts. And wasting efforts really annoys me. Even more than scraping off ice crystals from the last bite of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

P.S. Don't forget about your chance to win Writer Mama by Christina Katz! Just tell me what you love about writing and you're entered in the Share the Writer Mama Love Giveaway.

Get Organized, Get Successful, Get the ICL E-News

I wrote about my recent article that appeared in the ICL E-News over at Finders and Keepers, where I blog about all things kid-lit related. But then I thought, gee, Cath, why not share the link, and thus my swell organizational ideas here?

So, if you're wondering how to get organized and watch your writing success take off in the process, check out Organize Your Writing Life here. And if you're interested in children's writing, check out the Institute for Children's Lit website here and sign up for the free newsletter. You'll get plenty of writing tips you can use in whatever you're writing.

Oh, and if you're thinking about giving freelance writing a chance, then take a chance in my "Share the Writer Mama" giveaway. Leave a comment today on why you love writing and you're entered to win Christina Katz' book. You can check out Finding Something Friday on February 6 for more details.

Or, you can just leave a comment with your favorite writer's tip for getting organized. I need all the help I can get!

Finding Something Friday Shares Some Writer Mama Love

I've never met Christina Katz, the author of Writer Mama. But I think I love her. I know I love her books. And when you win her book, you'll love her, too.

I recently won a copy of Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal. These are must-reads if you're starting out in the business of writing. Or even if you've been in the business awhile but missed a few lessons. Because believe me, Christina doesn't miss a thing.

So when I won another copy of Writer Mama (I know; it's crazy. I've got some secret winning Writer Mama mojo.) I knew exactly what I wanted to do: share the love. And in honor of Valentine's Day, I'm giving away this autographed copy of Writer Mama. And no, it's not autographed to me. Christina very kindly left my name off this time.

Want to win? Just tell me what you love about writing. What makes you warm and fuzzy all over, or gives you a tingle when you mingle all those juicy words together? Er, we should probably move on or take a cold shower...

Got a favorite blog? Website? Book? Post a comment between now and Finding Something Friday on February 20th. Tell me about your writing love, and if I draw your name, I'll send you a lovely, new copy of Writer Mama. As long as you live in the States. Heck, I'll even send Writer Mama to New York City.

Now, that's love!

Why Premium Green is a Good Idea

A few weeks ago, I renewed my membership to Premium Green, the freelance markets guide that's available from Wow! Women on Writing. I rely on PG for inside scoops on markets, and I've snagged more than enough writing gigs to pay for my membership many times over.

That's not the top reason I renewed membership. What I really rely on is the support and expertise shared by the members on a daily basis. Writing's a business that requires a tough skin, and I'm glad I've got a bunch of writer friends at PG who pick me up when those tough moments come along.

But what I really, really rely on is the expertise of so many talented writing professionals. Because if Annette Fix (she's the author of The Break-up Diet and senior editor at WOW!) hadn't noticed that I'd written screen saver instead of screen shot on that last post, I'd have looked like an idiot for...well, probably forever. In fact, Annette's the PG'er who passed along the idea of making screen shots of your clips.

So, thanks to Annette for catching that. Too bad she can't fix all those other idiot things I do.

Look, Ma! I Can Create a Screen Shot!

I know what you're thinking. Creating a screen shot is not that big of a deal. But if you were to have a link to one of your precious clips go dead, than what would you do?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? (Did you just hear Karl Malden saying that line?)

Luckily, you've created a screen shot of the clip, or printed a copy and scanned the clip, making a pdf file. So you're covered.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I've got some scanning/ screen shooting to do.

Look, Ma! I Can Scan!

One of the good by-products of the Computer Fiasco of '09 (Yes, I'm still harping about that) is my new printer/copier/scanner.

Now, I know that printer/copier/scanner combos have been available for some time. Or so the beneficent Mr. Hall claimed earlier today when I said, "This scanner is freakin' awesome!"

The beneficent Mr. Hall has a printer, etc... But I didn't really know too much about it. In fact, I never even knew he had an awesome scanner over there, four or five feet away, waiting in all its freakin' awesomeness. Because it was his business printer, etc... Business stuff is hands off for the likes of Cathy C. Hall.

But now I have my very own printer/scanner/copier. And I've been scanning all kinds of things: my columns in Modern Senior Living Magazine, essays from Sasee Magazine, and in a minute, I'm going to scan a children's story. Then I'm going to plop all that scanned stuff onto my website.

At least, I think I can do that...but don't rush me. I just joined the 20th century today (or so said Mr. Smartypants when I learned how to scan). And now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if I can plop scanned stuff onto my blog? Anybody? 'Cause there's no way I'm asking Mr. Smartypants.

(Thanks to blacklord from flickr.com for photo)