Contest | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Okay, here’s your chance. You have this fantabulous book and think it really has the possibilty to shoot to the top of the best-seller lists. But there’s an eensy-weensy problem. It’s not published. Why, you don’t even have a contract. Or an agent, for that matter.

Are you nuts? Nah. Every writer thinks like that. You gotta believe in yourself, right? So enter the Book in a Nutshell Contest . Write 150 words about your fantabulous book and if the folks over at Knight Agency like what they see, you could get representation. Maybe even a publisher! The best seller list is right around the corner, baby! But you’ve got to write up that 150 word summary fast, because the deadline’s April 20th. That’s it, in a, er, nutshell.

And since April is Poetry month, I thought I’d fill you in on an opportunity to write poetry and win some money for your fantabulous verse. Lulu, the same folks in the book business, have just launched Lulu.Poetry, where like-minded poetic souls can gather to share their poems, get feedback, references, and even win some cash in the daily, weekly or monthly contests!

You’d be nuts not to check out this opportunity. Even the squirrel thinks so.

Most of the time, I’m fairly fond of myself. Not overly crazy about me, but I wouldn’t kick me out of the house, either. Except when it comes to end-of-the-month deadlines. Then I probably should kick myself. I’ll let you decide where.

All through March, grasshopper, I meant to work on a story for an anthology call out I’d seen, oh, weeks and weeks ago. I had plenty of time to take that story (and it was a good story, too) and make it shiny and bright (or dark and gory, as the anthology called for horror). But did I?

Well, I suppose there wouldn’t be much point in telling you what not to do if I’d done what I was supposed to do. So, for the past two days, I worked like a madwoman on that story. And I finished it, and submitted it, right under the deadline. Oh, I know what you’re thinking. What a clever girl she is! (Thank you). And what’s the big deal, then?

The big deal is that anthologies often fill up before the deadline. So, even if you have the most wonderful, horrific story ever, there might not be any room left for it. All because you waited around till the last minute. (That’s what I’m going to tell myself if my story doesn’t get picked. And it could actually be true, grasshopper.)

And speaking of waiting around…for those of you eagerly waiting to see who won The Cabbages and Kings Blogging Comment Contest and my autographed copy of Query Letters that Rock!, you should know that the beneficent Mr. Hall is nowhere to be found. So, I couldn’t use the patented Draw from the Colander technique. I thought I might use the Hound Picks technique, like in The Penderwick’s books. But Sally the Dog is apparently not as gifted as Hound and refused to pick a name. I eventually managed to think up a random and unbiased picking method, but it wasn’t easy. It kinda taxed my brain so much, I don’t know if I’ll get to any writing today. I can always get my writing done tomorrow.