Finding Something Friday : Springmingle 2010!

I can't be lolly-gagging away here at the Hall of Fame. I'm off to Springmingle (the Southern Breeze chapter of SCBWI regional conference in Atlanta)! I'm sure I'll find all kinds of fabulous writing stuff. And I'll take notes, too. Then I'll come back here and share with you!

Okay. I cannot tell a lie. I will intend to take notes. But most likely I will listen real carefully. Um, actually, I might not listen that carefully. I start watching people and then my mind wanders. Before you know it, the session's over and what have I got to show for it?

That's probably why they give out a few pages of notes at these conferences. I'll bet there are tons of writers who have lolly-gagging brains.

(Wait! Check out this contest going on over at The Happy Accident! You could win a free social media consultation-Greg Pincus usually provides these at conferences- if your name is chosen. BUT, even if you're not interested in the social scene, you'll pick up a ton of great blog reading in the comments! Don't lolly-gag. Contest ends the 28th!)

What Not To Do Wednesday on Backing Up (Files)

I had to add the (Files) part, 'cause honestly, there are some followers out there who might think I meant driving. And driving is not one of my um, strongpoints.

Backing up files was not one of my strongpoints, either. But after an epic crash, you could say I had a "crash" course in file-backing-up. I don't like to dwell on those dark days, grasshopper. Anyway, we're not talking about me today. We're talking about you and your need to back up files.

There are online storage sites you can use to back up your files. Or you can use a flash drive. Assuming you can remember where your flash drive is. Or you can just email yourself important files. That's what I do with my "pre-published" manuscripts.

I've probably explained all of this before, grasshopper, but it bears repeating. Because I just got a message from my new PC. Something to the effect of "Okay, Sister, you haven't backed up your files. Don't come crying to me when you lose every last word of your latest scathingly brilliant manuscript. All because you couldn't take a lousy 30 seconds to back up files."

Oh, PC. You really have a way with words.

Finding Something Friday: Wright (and Wrong) Word-wise

When I opened an email the other day, I laughed out loud. Under my friend's signature line, I saw this quote from the comic Steven Wright:

"If a word in the dictionary were misspelled, how would we know?"

Funny, right? I LOVE that comic. I love that his humor often involved word play. And I love his dead pan delivery.

And then I remembered the Fake AP Stylebook, kind of the Steven Wright of grammar and editing. If you're signed up with Twitter, you can get daily tweets from this wacky group of folks who poke fun at the AP Stylebook. They've been doing it for awhile, so I guess the Real AP Stylebook is okay with it. And it's a good thing, 'cause the fake guys have a book coming out.

Oh, and I should tell you that I found that pic on Stock.xchng. Which, okay, is not funny or word-related. But it is a great place to find free stock photos. Word up.

Writing Hangouts: The Good, the Bad, and the Expensive

I really meant to drop in here a few days ago. Day before yesterday, it was circled on my Things To Do list. Yesterday, I actually had my computer on and humming for a couple hours. But I didn't quite get around to the Hall of Fame. How can anyone write when those crazy skiers and snowboarders and skaters are zipping by so fast, if you blink, you miss 'em?

So, I'm late. But for a good cause. Which brings me to the topic today. What writing organizations do you belong to, and why? Or what conferences will you pay to attend? In other words, what writing cause is good enough to justify the expenses?

Over at Finders and Keepers, where I write about all things in my children's lit related world, I asked about SCBWI (my membership is coming due!). And the responses convinced me that I hadn't really been using my SCBWI membership to its fullest benefit.

Mostly, I joined SCBWI in order to meet like-minded writers. I attend my regional conferences, too. But perhaps there's more out there that I'm missing. Kind of like what I found with SCBWI. So, how about you? Share with us where you hang out, writing-wise, (organizations, conferences, associations, memberships) and why you spend the money to do so. Inquiring minds really want to know what you think is valuable out there, when it comes to writing.

And I promise I'll look into your recommendations. As soon as the Winter Olympics swoosh out of town!

Market of the Month: Bylines Desk Calendar

Time to change the market of the month, mateys! Okay, I got a little carried away with the whole alliteration thing. But that's because I'm so excited about this month's market: Bylines Desk Calendar!

You can visit the website for all the information you need to submit. Or you can check out Donna's Book Pub here; the editor, Sylvia Forbes, visited and shared some fine tips. What you can't do is sit around on your thumbs. 'Cause the deadline for next year's submissions is March 1st!

So, c'mon. You know you've got 300 scathingly brilliant writing words in you. (Gee, I hope I didn't use my month's allotment up when I submitted!) Shove off with you, now, and good luck, mateys!

Finding Something Friday: Me and Dear Lucky Agent Contest

I slogged out to my mailbox today, through snowflakes a-flyin', to find my new business cards! (And because I'm a ham, my new sticky notes to go along with!)

Just between you and me, I seem to have the same thing going on with business cards that I have with bathing suits. (Hmmmm...they both begin with B's. Coincidence? I think not.) Namely, I'm on a mission to find perfection. And yet, since both business cards and bathing suits involve Cathy C. Hall, in either the flesh or a likeness thereof, perfection is a tad difficult to come by. Hence, the whole thing taking on that "Mission: Impossible" status.

Oh, well. I kinda like these cards better than the last. And the sticky notes are swell (probably because they're fuzzy-ish). So I'm feeling pretty lucky today. Lucky enough to enter The Dear Lucky Agent Contest going on over at Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents Editor's Blog.

Wow. That's a mouthful. But the contest is pretty simple. Send 150 to 200 words of your middle grade or young adult unpublished manuscript to wherever Chuck said. And don't forget to follow a few of the other rules listed if you want your entry to be valid. Go right here and read it again, just to be on the safe side. Then zip that entry out before February 21st.

I wish I could put one of my new sticky notes on that entry:

"Dear Lucky Agent,
If you think this sticky note rocks, wait til you read my WHOLE manuscript!
Yours in anything but a bathing suit,
Cathy C. Hall"

Thursday's Three: Url Shorteners

Ten years ago, I didn't know what an URL was. And just about the time I figured them out, I mean really grasped the whole URL concept, the techies came along and decided to shorten them.

Techie types are always up to something, aren't they? Fortunately, I don't have to understand the concept of shorteners (because really, how can you explain why "Thursday's Three: Url Shorteners" becomes jgyhtx?) All I need to understand is that short is better when it comes to tweeting, and all I need to grasp is one of these three shorteners:

1. bit.ly ...."Shorten, share, and track your links"

2. Tiny.cc..."Make a ridiculously long url, tiny"

3. budurl..."Shrink it. Spread it. Watch it Grow."

Take your pick. Slap one on your blog. Kick up your heels and do a jig with it. And thank a techie today.

Double Tootin' Tuesday: The Ultimate Bird Lover and CNN (Radio, That Is)

For all of my fine-feathered friends out there (and really, I'm just talking to the family of wrens who nest in a hanging plant on my screened porch every year), I'd like to say thank you very much!

Because without you, I wouldn't have had a fine story for The Ultimate Bird Lover. Remember way, way back (and for once, I'm not exaggerating) when I wrote that story about Sally the crazy dog gobbling up the baby wren? Yes, I know that doesn't sound like what you'd call a happy story. But it had a heart-warming point.

Still, you can imagine my surprise when a fellow from CNN Radio invited me to do an interview about birds and such. On the radio. At CNN.

Well, I don't need to tell you that I high-tailed it to CNN! See, I started in radio way, way, waaaay back in the day, so I was thrilled to see CNN Radio up close and personal. And also, because I'm a ham.

Anyway, we had quite the conversation about birds and such. More about "and such" than Sally and the baby wrens. But I managed to wing it(C'mon, you had to see that coming) and I believe The Ultimate Bird Lover was even (briefly) mentioned. Maybe, if you live where a CNN affiliate broadcasts, you heard me blah-blahing away. But if not, you can still read my story. Because truly, it's a sweet story.

So, all's well that ends well. (Well, except for the baby wren.)

Finding Something Friday : Harper Collins' Authonomy

If you're like me, then you've been writing along, doing your own thing, with no idea that Authonomy existed. (If you're not like me, you already know all about Authonomy and can skip to the end and gloat.) So, here's what I found out about this Harper Collins site:

1. Authonomy is a site where you can upload your book (unpublished or self-published) and hope that at some point, the readers will like it so much, that you'll get a look-see from the HC editors. (People read, they review, your book earns points.)

2. That could take a while. Unless you have a TON of friends, willing to read your book and sort of give you a push in the right direction. (Which sorta happened last spring. Harper Collins said it wasn't cheating. But a whole lot of a other folks begged to differ.)

3. People have actually gotten contracts from Harper Collins (three). And according to HC, other folks have been contacted by agents and garnered attention (Quantity unknown).

4. They've recently added Christian to the genres (Authonomy.com/Christian). They take all genres, but no pictures, diagrams or such. However, you can upload a pretty picture as a cover for your "book." From my quick look-see, it appeared as if fiction fared better in the rankings.

5. It's free.

6. HC wants to "flush out the brightest, freshest writing talent around." I suppose if you've got something you really believe in, and all that work has so far gone down the drain, you've got nothing to lose, trying Authonomy. Maybe your book will be the one that rises to the top.

Okay, I'm going to stop now. 'Cause this metaphor is making me a little uncomfortable.

What Not to Do Wednesday on Finding the Write Market

About 47 minutes into my work day here, I thought of something I used to do when it came to finding the right market. Notice, grasshopper, that I said used to do. As in the past, way back when, long, long ago.

Okay, maybe it was just last year. That's not the point. The point is, I have learned my lesson when it comes to finding the right market for my work. And now, I'm passing along that lesson to you: Research, Research, research.

Here's what Used To Do Cathy C. Hall did when it came to finding a market:

Step 1. Thumb through market listings in Writer's Market, or Duotrope's Digest, or any market newsletters I might have on hand. (So far, so good.)

Step 2. Find a market that accepts what I'm looking to place. (Sounds reasonable, right?)

Step 3. Go online and check out market for guidelines and such. (Of course, I'd do that. I'm a pro, you know.)

Step 4. Submit. (Wheeeee!)

Well, that plan looks jim-dandy, doesn't it? Except for one teensy, little thing. It wasn't working so well. Eventually, I woke up and smelled the step I was missing: Step 2a. Read the market.

See, I thought I'd take a shortcut. You know, scan the masthead, give the market a real good skim, even peruse a page or two.

Don't do that, grasshopper. Unless you like rejection. Take the time to read the entire magazine or webzine, or at least as much as is available online. Or check out an anthology from the library and read the whole thing.

Yep, the whole thing. That way, you'll get a good idea of the voice and style of the market. You can get a feel of what an editor likes. And that will tell you whether your work has a chance with that editor...or not.

And yes, grasshopper, it takes awhile. Which is why, here at the end of the day, I've only sent out one story. But midway through my market madness, I had to update my website. Which I should have done last month. But that's an entirely different What Not To Do (Sheesh).

Market of the Month: Enchanted Conversation

It occurred to me that, at first sight, folks might not notice where I've added the Market of the Month over there (I'm pointing to my right. Would that be your left? Um, on the side where all the stuff is, okay?). So, I'm (sorta) pointing it out, as well as pointing out the whys and whatnots of adding a Market of the Month.

These will be markets I like, markets that pay, and markets that I'll be challenging you to submit to. Whenever you drop in, you'll see the market and think, "I should give this a go." If for no other reason so that you can say,"Ha-ha, Cathy C. Hall! I'm published there and you're not!"

Except for this month. 'Cause I'm published in Enchanted Conversation. So I'm kinda one up on you. Unless you start writing right now and submit! Later this month, we'll try a new market, and if you get published, I'll toot my horn for you! And if I get published, I'll say, "Ha-ha-ha!"

Oh, and just in case you happen to notice my face over there among the followers? All I can say is that, in my attempt to follow one of my followers' blogs, I inadvertently followed myself. And now I don't know how to un-follow myself. So, yeah, I feel pretty ridiculous. And I know exactly what you're thinking.

Ha-ha-ha-ha.