What this blog is all about...

Now that it's calmed down a bit I thought I might post some of my thoughts on why I started this blog and my plans for it.

First, I want you to know that I don't want you to think of this as MY blog as much as OUR blog. I'm not here to talk about my life, my weekend, my pets, or even my writing. That's why I have my own author blog. The whole point of this is to bring writers and agents together in hopes of bringing offers and eventually publishing contracts. I really want all writers and agents to feel comfortable here!! I'm just here to do the grungy (not so fun) work and offer the rules (much more fun).

So, are there going to be a lot of ridiculously fun contests? Yes! Will it be strictly contests? No.

What else will there be?

Hmmm....

Hard to say for sure, but this is what I'm thinking:

1. Inspirational success stories (not just from this blog)
2. Posts and discussions on great new books and why they were agent-worthy
3. A place to swap great writer resources (websites, blogs, conferences...)
4. Author/Agent interviews
5. Q&As of all kinds

Basically, anything that helps writers improve their writing/knowledge in a very non-teachy sort of way.

Now, when it comes to CONTESTS...

Will they all be fun? I certainly hope so! Most of the time I want everyone to come here ready to play! What does that mean? During the contests the focus is NOT the critique. (Do I hear whining or cheering? I can't tell.) Does that mean we will NEVER focus on critique? No, sometimes we will. But most of these contests are supposed to be fun, competitive, and exciting. This doesn't mean you won't learn anything along the way. I must admit when I was entering contests, I learned WAY MORE from reading the other entries (especially those that were strong and successful) than I did from the critique. Why? At first, when I was less confident, I listened to every single nitpicky critique and obsessed over it to the point I lost MY VOICE. This doesn't mean critique doesn't help. It does. But you've got to learn to filter, because everyone can tell the same story in a different way. That doesn't mean each way can't be great.

Another reason I don't want to focus on the critique is because there are already SO MANY great resources where you can find this. Grab some critique partners, go check out places like Query Tracker, participate in another awesome blog contest that does focus on the critique, or there is the awesome WriteOnCon.

Bottom line, during most of my contests, I want that critiquing to have already happened. I want your already strong, worked-over a million times work. This way we can offer advice in the comments section, but also just relax, have fun, and offer support. Okay, maybe not relax, right?

So, what's coming up??????

Sometime around the end of March I'm starting a contest called...wait for it... "SURPRISE AGENT INVASION!" I do hope it will be as exciting as it sounds, but I won't lie, it's a bit of an experiment, so we'll see.

Also, there are plans for a multi-blog contest called "THE WRITERS VOICE" brewing for May. It's going to epic, so stay posted!