MISSING: One Garden Gnome is in the mail, trucking it's way across the country to Delacorte Press in New York to be judged in the Delacorte Yearling contest for Middle-Grade Readers.
A few interesting stats about the contest:
--This is the 18th year for this contest, and was formerly known as the Marguerite de Angeli contest
--Award: $1500 cash prize and $7500 advance, plus bragging rights.
--since 1992 only 7 winners have been declared in those 17 years. Many years the award has gone unawarded
--Since 2000, only two books have won the award: 2004 Prizefighter en Mi Casa by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo, and in, 2007 Born to Fly by M. J. Ferrari
--Odds of my winning are virtually none
A few interesting stats about me in relation to this contest:
--I can meet a looming deadline: Granted, there was some freakage going on, but I DID IT!
--I think I finally found 'my' genre to write in
--I can write tremendous amounts of wordage in a two week period (> 30,000 words), puking it onto the page without an outline and only a loose idea where I was going with it.
--It is better to know your POV going into the story than to dick around with it during the story
--I can envision the cover of this novel: white background with Travelocity gnome statue centered on the page with Rory Leafhopper leaning against it with his arms and legs crossed. Never happened before.
--Puking out the story gave me 38K words. Second draft: 46K Third/polished draft: 47K Though tweaking will continue, I think I'm virtually finished with this story
--Idea conceived in late February 2009, some writing but mainly thinking accomplished in March and April 2009, with the majority of writing in May 2009, editing in June 2009
--If you have major POV changes it is better to rewrite it instead of trying to fix it, even if it is only a paragraph at a time.
--I still have problems writing emotion into the intense scenes, as I tend to rattle off what happens without digging deep.
--any additional edits will most likely involve deepening the emotional impact.
#1 thing I learned:
--don't say you can't do something until you really put your heart in it and try!
Write on!
--and I will be as I hammer out a synopsis and a query letter!
Congratulations on your making your goal and on learning so much. Good luck on the contest!
ReplyDeleteI don't think puking out a draft would work for me. But so many other people do it, including Nora Roberts. Maybe some time I'll try it.
Congrats, Margaret!! *does snoopy dance with you*
ReplyDeleteThinks that is awesome that you met your goal and learned soo much! What an accomplishment! You goo girl!
I'm the 'puke out a draft' person, too. Creativity is like a living entity for me. It has a life of its own and I'm just the means by which the words travel from my head onto paper.
ReplyDeleteI loved the story Margaret, and regardless of the outcome of this contest I hope you continue to try to get it published.
I will make you a deal. If you get a publisher for this book, I will do the cover for you as a congratulatory gift. IF you want.
Thanks Edie and Kira! It's nice to know your in my corner. Writing is so solitary that you wonder if you are taking five steps back for each foot forward.
ReplyDeleteJody, what can I say? *beats fist to heart thrice* You are priceless and I'm glad you're my friend.
Once I have a mediocre synopsis ready, then I can query.