Word Wars

I'm a social writer. I love WriMos and other writing challenges. As a stay at home mom it's easy to feel that my life is completely void of grownups, let alone ones that get my passion for writing. That's why when my friend Katie Doyle from Writing, Reading, Life asked me to co-host Word Wars I said yes. It's going to be during JuNoWriMo and days before I go on vacation with my family for a week so this is the perfect way to get my word count up. I hope that you guys will join us. It's going to be a blast!!!

How it works

A word war is when two or more writers set a goal of a certain number of words that has to be written. The first writer to reach the goal is the winner.

Live-blogging is when someone updates a particular blog post throughout some event, whatever the event.

For the Word Wars Blogfest, we aren't going to limit ourselves to a particular number. The goal is to write as many words as you can throughout the three day event. Every once in a while, get on your blog and update your status. Kind of like this:

June 11, 8:05 AM - Just got up and ate breakfast. Let's get this party started!!

9:34 AM - Spilled my coffee all over my lap. Time to get dressed, or just change into different pajama pants? 1372 words.

11:56 AM - Mom called and had an emergency that wasn't an emergency. Spent the last two hours calming her down. Word count the same.

Update as much or as little as you like throughout the three days. It's totally up to you.

When it happens

The linky list will be up starting today (May 30th) until June 9th at 11:55 PM EST (US). The actual Word War will take place from June 11th to the 13th. This gives you plenty of time to sign up and a day to get everything you might need ready before the live-blogging begins.

What you need

Most of this is completely up to you, but a blog would most certainly help. Even if you don't have a blog, you can use Facebook Notes and just link to that. Don't have either? See if a blogger friend will let you take over for a couple of days. As for anything else: your favorite writing snack, some good music, a sign for your door so your family or friends know not to bother you, etc. Basically, whatever will make this fun for you!

Why you should sign up

The writing community is one of the best parts of being a writer. Even with a name like Word War, this is a great way to go out and support your fellow writers and allow your fellow writers to support you. You win by writing. You win by making new friends. You win by taking part in something fun and productive. You might also come up with some great insights into your own writing schedule (when you're most productive, when you're least productive, and when you are more often distracted).

Okay, I've signed up. What now?

There are a few things you could do:

1. Grab the badge at the top of this post. You'll want to display it somewhere prominent during the blogfest.
2. Let others know you're taking part. A signal boost on Facebook, Twitter, or a blog post will get more people involved and create better opportunity to meet even more writers.
3. Get rid of CAPTCHA. Because it's really annoying to anyone who wants to comment on your progress. Most blog platforms are really good at filtering spam or you could turn on comment moderation.

Even if you can't participate all three days, that's okay. This isn't about who writes the most words, it's about sitting down with a group of like-minded people to get some words on paper (or screen) in a fun and supportive way. Hope to see you there=) PS - A special thanks to Carrie Butler for creating the amazing badge for the Word Wars Blogfest! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Writing Boot Camp Update and What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading

  I'm reading Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger. It took me a few tries to get started but now that I'm past the first few chapters it's drawing me in. I listened to The Attachments by Rainbow Rowell over the weekend and I must have looked crazy because I had my headphones on and kept laughing hysterically. I'm now listening to All Our Yesterdays by Cristen Terrill.

What I'm Writing

 I'm still working towards my YA Buccaneer's Spring Writing Bootcamp goal of finishing my first round of revisions/rewrites. I'm on page 110 of 258. I'm not sure if I can make it by June but I'm working on it anyway. Either way, 110 is much better than 9 which is where I was when I started. When I first wrote my goal, my WIP was 244 pages... I've cut out a lot of week areas too so its amazing that it is still growing.

What Inspires Me Right Now

June! I'm gearing up for JuNoWriMo. I pushed my fairytale WIP to the back while I worked on revising Slumber and I've missed the characters and icy/enchanted woods setting. June is the month I'm planning to finish it.

   It is also the month that we are going on vacation. My kids are excited that they are going to see mountains and real dirt (it is flat and sandy here)! I can't wait to show them thick grass that isn't full of fire ants and burrs. When we get back we should be ready to hit the beach for the rest of the summer.

So to sum up June: Writing/Vacation/Beach  Woohoo!!!

What Else I'm Up To

  I think what I've been up to is interchangeable with what inspires me this week. It's my youngest son's birthday today. He is three! I love watching his excitement. He spent most of yesterday telling people "Happy Birthday". So cute! 

   The school year is drawing to a close. We have one last homeschool event and three days worth of history to finish up and then.... TA DA!!!! We are done for the summer and can move on to the summer unit I've been planning! I thought since we live at the beach and will likely move in the next couple of years, we should do a beach unit. It will be different from our normal studies, much more hands on and very little busy work. I've been putting together piles of related books to read aloud or have my children look at during quite time and brainstorming up the best way to record our adventures and finding. My children do best when their hands and minds are busy so I thought having a theme might help me keep them that way. It has made the ideas flow, for sure!

Happy end of May!!!

Can you tell that I prefer June?

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading

   I finished Cress by Marissa Meyer. It was exciting and fun just like I knew it would be. I also read Thorns of Decision by Breeana Puttroff and started River Marked by Patricia Briggs.

   I'm still using audio books to entertain me while I clean and exercise so I finished Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff, listened to the entire book, Roots of Insight ( also by Breeana Puttroff) and started The Debt Collector serial by Susan Kaye Quinn. Both books by Breeana Puttroff are part of her Dusk Gate Chronicles. They aren't the most unique YA fantasy stories but they are clean enough that I can listen to them while snuggling my toddler at nap time, which I love. You might have noticed that I have one of her books listed in the previous paragraph. Apparently they were gripping enough that I had to continue reading the series even after I finished ones available in audio format!

What I'm Writing

I'm still revising/rewritting Slumber. It's beginning to feel like drudgery. I need to get my joy back so this story stays alive and doesn't have a grumpy tone through the middle. I'm wondering if its just because I've been working on it so long or if its because there is something off about the middle of the book that I need correct. 

What's Inspiring Me Right Now

                                                  Playing at the beach with my kids!!!!!!!

What Else I've Been Up To

I've been applying sunscreen to wiggly children.  It's a full time job.

My Writing Process Blog Hop

Katie Doyle over at Writing, Reading, and Life invited me to be a part of the Writing Process Blog Hop (Thanks Katie!) so here is my post!

What am I working on?
I'm currently revising Slumber, the first book in a YA fantasy quartet. I wrote the second book last summer and have the third storyline dancing in my head. The first three books run parallel to each other and the fourth one will tie all the threads together. I'm also drafting an unrelated YA fantasy story that takes place on the edges of a well know fairy tale.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
  My imagination runs away with me. A lot. I think that gives my stories of twist of their own. 

Why do I write what I do?
  I love the feeling that anything can happen, that I can be anyone, that fairytales are real. I get that when I read and write YA. I also remember how much books influenced me during my teen years. I grew up along side Anne of Green Gables and learned to let my imagination free. I developed a hunger for adventure while following Frodo Baggins to Mordor. I discovered that I didn't have to leave fairytales behind me with my childhood while reading books by Robin McKinley and Cynthia Voigt. The young adult years are so important and incredibly challenging. I like to dream that my writing will encourage someone like my favorite authors encouraged me.

How does your writing process work?

   Usually an idea hijacks my brain and I'm useless until I write the main details down. After that I flesh out my characters and setting. Then I make coffee in my French press and I write the draft, often late into the night. I'm working on outlining my plot better but my characters are stubborn and have different ideas so I follow them through their story. I do plan the main plot points but not the journey in-between. 
  My revisions are a bit more structured. I let my story sit for a month or more before I read over it again, jotting down notes as I go. Then I fix major structural problems, weave in dialogue and flesh out scenes. That's the stage I'm on right now. When I'm done with that  I will go over it again to perfect punctuation and make sure the words have the flow I want them to.

I'm suppose to tag five people but I guess I'm not that social... 

I'm tagging three instead. I hope you check out their posts next Monday!

S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders . . . she is convinced they are out to get her!

Check out her blog or find her around the internet at:

Twitter - Facebook - Goodreads -  Pinterest - Google +

Brandon Ax  fell in love with fantasy as child after first devouring the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. Born in New Orleans his early life was spent moving from state to state all along the south. Developing a love for people and their stories he began to pursue a career as an author. After years of tuning his craft he finished his first novel ELEMENTAL. Living in South Carolina with his wife, three children and three dogs, he spends his days dreaming up new worlds and fascinating characters. Hard at work on finishing, The Light Bringer Saga, he enjoys the task of molding a story to its completion. 
Find him on :

Twitter https://twitter.com/BrandonAx

FB  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brandon-Ax-Author/144786922366235?ref=hl

Blog http://baxwriting.blogspot.com/

Jocelyn Charrette is a world traveling soccer player and writer of a YA sci-fi/fantasy series that she hopes to one day complete and share with others. She also enjoys reading, meeting new people, and eating Swedish candy. You can stalk her on instagram @jlych or twitter @jocelyncharette

She blogs at My Writing Adventure.

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading

  My kids made me a "nest" on the couch for mother's day and my husband let me read as much as I wanted so... This week I read Bone Crossed and Silver Borne, both by Patricia Briggs and Where She Went by Gail Forman. Patricia Briggs is fun to read as a break from my usual YA fair and Gail Forman has a way with words and sentence structure that I want to adsorb.  I'm currently reading Cress by Marissa Meyers (which is so good I'm having trouble focusing on this blog post) and the kids and I are reading In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson. Since I hate cleaning and bribe myself with audio books I'm also listening to Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff. It is light and imaginative entertainment and my house is starting to look better!

What I'm Writing

I'm still revising/rewriting Slumber. Keep on swimming, keep on swimming...

What Inspires Me Right Now

  Warm days, long afternoons playing with my kids outside, the end of the school year. I totally survived it! Soon I will have to plan out the curriculum and lessons for next year but for now I'm taking life slowly.

What Else I've Been Up To

I haven't done anything very interesting this week. Just housework, homeschooling, writing sort of things.

What's Up Wednesday

It's time for What's Up Wednesday!

What I'm Reading  

   It stopped raining! I braved the giant puddles and picked Cress up from the library and am now waiting for the weekend so I can dive in with out as many interruptions. I read Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs. It's been awhile since I've read a series that wasn't a trilogy or something short and watching her build a world broad enough and with a big enough cast of characters to support so many books has gotten my imagination going.

What I'm Writing  

  I am still revising Slumber. I'm mulling over some ideas for JuNoWriMo but only a little. I'm trying to stay as immersed in Slumber's world as I can until I get this round of revisions done.

What Inspires Me Right Now 

This video and my homemade vanilla bean coffee syrup. I'm enjoying both right now!

         

What Else I've Been Up To  

  I've been taking my kids to the library, over and over and over... my bookworm problem has passed down to my children, especially my seven year old. It is hard to keep him supplied with fresh reading material!  I love it!
 Other than that I've been brainstorming ways to make my house feel more like "mine" inside. I'm grateful for military housing but I'm tired of feeling like my house looks like, well military housing. I want it to jump out ME when people walk in. So far this brainstorming has resulted in the purchase of several blank canvases and some spray paint...

Outsider Cover Reveal

I am so excited to be able to take a part in Becca J. Campbell's cover reveal for Outsider! I've been waiting for this book ever since I finished reading Empath.


Welcome to the cover reveal for Flawed: Outsider (book number two in the Flawed series) by Becca J. Campbell! This gorgeous cover art was designed by the talented Steven Novak.

Is He Only Normal?

After a psychopath tried to kill his friends, Josh Schuyler figured 'normal' was far off. The real problem: Josh's friends have all acquired supernatural abilities, while he's still the same average guy. Josh has always believed he was destined for greatness, but he's been out of college for two years without  a clue of his purpose. After watching his friends and siblings develop superhuman traits, he wonders if he might be meant for something grand, too. Can Josh even hope for an extraordinary event in his own future? And how long must he wait for this transformation - if there is one? When Alex met the Schuylers, she was grateful for new friends to whisk her away from her lonely life in California and give her an escape from her divorced, bickering parents and aimless future. But Josh won't drop his defenses, and Alex isn't sure she wants to trade her old life for this new, uncertain one. Nicodemus has an amazing ability he's been milking for years to get whatever or whomever he wants. Things are going great until a young woman - Alex - inadvertently busts his latest swindle. Nic is furious when he discovers his power has been disabled, and he vows to find her in order to wreak his vengeance. She will be punished. All he needs is a little help from his friend, Ethan Black. Josh has been waiting for his big break, or for the chance to be a hero, or just the opportunity to stand out in his own, extraordinary way. Will Josh discover his purpose in time to stop Nic?

Outsider (Flawed, #2) Release

Add Outsider to your Goodreads to-read list here. Outsider is expected out this August, so stay tuned! Want to know exactly when it's released? Sign up for Becca's Author Newsletter and you won't miss a thing. Oh, and if you haven't read book one yet, now's the perfect time because IT'S ON SALE!

A Celebratory Book Sale

To celebrate the cover reveal, Becca is running a discount on EMPATH (Flawed, #1) May 1st through 7th.

Grab the book for only $0.99 (normally $2.99) - this week only.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

More on Empath (Flawed, #1)

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her. Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings. When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal. Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.    

More About Becca J. Campbell

Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult Romantic Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, New Adult Romantic Paranormal Thriller Empath (The Flawed Series #1), and  Sub-Normal, a series of Science Fiction short stories. An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.