Thursday's Children Blog Hop. Inspired by. . .

Pitch Contests!

Yep. After another round of #PitMad this past week, and the Writer's Voice recently, I can assure you that these adrenaline inducing, live and public pitches, are inspiring.

And How…

*You get to put your stuff out there. Whether it’s in 140 characters, as in an elevator pitch, or your query and first page. Other writers and even agents comment and/or critique your work. This definitely charges my battery.

*You can read what’s out there in writer land, and in writer’s minds in its developing stage and possibly the books of tomorrow--more for the TBR list!

* You can see what other agents are looking for by what they pick or comment on. And often tell us in their search through pitches. You can see what other writers are digging and want to add to their TBR. –In this case if an agent hasn’t commented, you may get several writers who really really want to read your book. Once again, proving subjectivity reigns.

*And quite possibly the BEST thing about writers’ contests is meeting/connecting with other writers!  

(‘course Blog Hop are great for this too… I’ve met some very inspiring writers through this hop!)

*And the you-never-know element: 

The coaches for The Writer’s Voice didn’t pick my MG from the 150 submissions they got; however, since my first page and query were still up on my blog, an agent found ME! And asked for a partial!!  Very cool. And very exciting.

Have you participated I any online pitch contests, or query/first page contests?

What have you gained or learned from them?

And Once again, I'd like to thank Rhiann Whynn Nolet and Kristina Perez for organizing this weekly hop and keeping the energy and the LOVE going. They ARE inspiring! Hop on the blog, get inspired and meet some great people. And write, write, write. . . 

Thursday's Children Blog Hop. What inspires you?

THE TAROT

This is a weekly bog hop hosted by  Rhiann Wynn-Nolet and Kristina Perez, about what inspires you. Please join us. I will try the link, but if I can't get it to connect, please got to Rhinn or Kristina's blog and hop on.

The Tarot inspires me, questions me, and has been instrumental in helping me create my first novel length fiction. 

The Tarot figure semi-prominently within the pages of ABEGALE FORCE: When Abegale finds her grandmother's mysterious herbal medical book, The Tarot fall from its pages. Her grandmother's left a note explaining how to use the cards; how to bridge her unconscious and trust her intuition—and eventually figures out where her grandmother has been for the last three years.

In my early twenties, I became fascinated with The Tarot. I began collecting several decks. As many as I could afford. They were so beautiful, mysterious, and FILLED with symbolic situations—my focus at that time. Each deck had a history and story of its own. I was writing a lot of poetry then, and delved into esoteric studies of all kinds. I went deeper into my study of The Tarot, practicing on friends, who were only too willing, practicing on myself, taking intricate notes of what I was experiencing the moment the cards were laid out, and what the cards were showing; the patterns, the symbols, and how the passing of time resulted in the card’s fulfillment of a question, or situation the person had asked about.

I sometimes think of The Tarot as a way my ‘over self’ uses the symbols in the cards to make contact with my mind—or consciousness.

They say within The Tarot every life experience can be shown, each conflict, resolution, and tool to over come. Or the process of ‘individuation’ as Carl Jung said. “They [the cars] combine in certain ways, and the different combinations correspond to the playful development of events in the history of mankind.”  To read more about Jung’s perspective of The Tarot: Carl Jung

Sounds perfect for writing fiction—right? I didn’t use the cards as a tool for creating my fiction, ABEGALE FORCE, but I suppose it’s within my subconscious from the years of study. I expect it’s seeped into my blood and now pours from my pen. Ha!  I’d like to think so, anyway.

I once read The Tarot over the phone--as a job—for about a week. An interesting experiment; I found I was less judgmental not seeing the person, only hearing their voice. I could be true to the cards and springboard a story from my intuition. I drew on conclusions from the cards laid in front of me.  There was a past, a present, and a possible future. A choice. Where again, events turn into unlimited possibilities—because nothing is fixed in time. Nothing.

I may use The Tarot the next time I’m stuck on plot, or a character’s motivation. Why not try it? What about you?  Do you have a deck?

The Fool: 0, zero, the beginning, symbolic of the egg, with its unlimited potential. It marks the beginning of the Tarot journey, The Major Arcana, ending at 22, The World--completion.

The Fool jumps off where others fear to tread.

Mary K. Greer's Blog.

I found Ms. Greer's books a great help. I highly recommend them,

and her blog for beginning readers. Have fun!

Here's my attempt to attach the linkey: Sign on!

The Writer's Voice Submission: ABEGALE FORCE

The Writer’s Voice is a multi-blog contest hosted byBrenda Drake, Cupid's, Monica B.W., and Krista Van Dolzer. For all the details about this contest, click here. I’m happy to say I was one of the lucky people to have my lottery drawn to get into the first round! Below you’ll find my query for ABEGALE FORCE and the first 250 words of the manuscript. 

Good luck to everyone else who made it into the contest!

Dear Tireless and Supportive Coaches, 

Abegale's turning thirteen, and life has become as foreboding as the number itself, with a may-not-be-human landlady, a missing grandmother who could be right under her nose, and a horrifying discovery at her grandmother’s abandoned cottage.

Abegale has to take care of everything around the house since her dad died, especially with her mom busy working, singing in the choir, or hanging out with a new boyfriend. Meanwhile, Abegale’s brother's asthma has gotten worse. When the breathing becomes too difficult to control, Jeremy has only Abegale to count on. Jeremy's illness scares Abegale, and she wishes her grandmother had been more successful finding a cure in the Andes before she disappeared.

After Abegale finds the mysterious herbal medicine book her grandmother left behind, she is determined to pick up where her grandmother left off and save her brother. Guided by dreams she can't explain, and with the help of her best friend and the cute boy next door, Abegale is led to her grandmother's forgotten cottage in the woods where she discovers an environmental horror that just might devastate the small town of Three Points. Abegale must decide, save her town from an environmental nightmare, or focus on the mysteries of her grandmother's medicine book before it’s too late to save her brother--and bring her grandmother home.

ABEGALE FORCE is an upper middle grade mystery adventure with magical elements, complete at 67, 000 words. It is the story of one girl’s journey to heal injustice, and the environmental impact her town faces while rediscovering who she is.

In writing this manuscript, I drew on my studies in herbalism, nutrition, and The Tarot. ABEGALE FORCE is a stand alone with series potential. I have attended writing classes at The New School and organized monthly poetry readings at Zinc Bar in New York City. I’m a member of SCBWI, an illustrator, and founder of a MG writing group with 24 members.

I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Karen Lee Hallam

First 250 Words:

The Maiden Villas sit on the highest peak of Pine Crest and hide under a shadow of trees. I sure don’t want to meet Mrs. Egremony, the creepy landlady, with the way she stares at me, but she told me to come.

Alone.

She says she knew my grandmother.

I have to stand on my pedals to reach the top of Ridge Road. A black crow comes out of nowhere. I swerve and nearly crash. Thinking the crow might return to finish the job, I race out of there and up the hill.

At the top of Ridge Road you can look out over most of the valley of Pine Crest, and over the tops of the pine trees below. What were once the old Cabins became the Maiden Villas when Mrs. Egremony took over.

I leave my bike on the side of Mrs. Egremony’s cabin. Compared to the others her “villa” is large. It’s unusual she’s not in the garden. I ring the doorbell, looking around for suspicious crows. There’s no answer.

I know she’s just an old woman, but something’s not right. For starters, Mrs. Egremony dresses like she’s stepped out of the pages of Little House on the Prairie with those longs skirts dragging on the ground. And why does she call herself Mrs. when she’s not married? Stephanie says she sees her working in her garden late at night. That’s just WE-I.R.D if you ask me.

“Abegale!”  I jump.   Mrs. Egremony is behind me.

My Very Inspiring Blog Award. My First!

I was thrown off my heels hearing that I received this Very Inspiring Blog Award Nomination from fellow writer and blogger, you may have seen her name at the top of many recent posts--Rhainn Whynn-Nolet's  Blog  Go and read all about her. Her writing is amazing!

Isn't it pretty! -->

Now, I must come up with seven things that are interesting about me. Hm?  Let me think...dun, dun, dun. I have a semi frizzled brain this Sunday morning. But here goes.

1. I was born in Topeka, Kansas, and grew up believing I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. But the only thing I know about Kansas is what I learned in a report I had to write in 5th grade.

2. I lived in the Northern most point of I-95:  Caribou, Maine at the age of 5 and Southern most point--Key West, Florida, at the age of 15.

You asked for interesting...
Um. This is hard.

3. I moved to NYC when I turned twenty-one with $400 dollars in my pocket--and many dreams. Drove up from Miami with two friends, who were sisters.

4. Kicked out of first NYC apt. unable to pay the rent. But the city was good to me, and created solutions. No street sleeping for us! But we were sitting on the curb with brown boxes.

5. Learned to longbord, and waterski after the age of forty. Yep. You're never to old to learn you can fall and not kill yourself. Of course, I really believe being a klutz all my life has helped me fall like a pro.

6. Used to work in fashion design. That was why I moved to NYC, or so I thought. I quit working in fashion, because I wanted to write poetry. All day long. So, I became a bartender. The bartender who's allergic to drinking. I made great cocktails. Used to have publishing friends come to me for the best martini's downtown. I wouldn't remember how to make a one now. But my Sea Dragon, wasabi martini is famous, it's in a book somewhere.

7. Before I gave birth to my first son, fifteen years ago, I read Tarot cards over the phone. (after years of self-study) I found it was really more of a counseling session. I had to keep all of the grief center hot lines up on the wall. I stopped when I found out I was pregnant.

Award Rules:

1. Display the logo in your blog to show you’ve been nominated.
2. Link back to your nominator.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.
5. Notify your nominees

If I nominate you and you don’t want to play, no worries. If you do decide to play, please let me know so I can learn 7 interesting things about you!

In no particular order, here are my nominees:

1. Cassie Mae   because she was my first blog follower. EVER. She made this blog feel real for the first time.

2. Ella Schwartz  I just wouldn't know who else to turn to for my writing insecurities. Plus she's a Super cyber-cop, who wears a cape.

3. Becky Appleby-Sparrow: @Bec_AS  She reminds me when it's time for the kidlit chat or YA lit chat or MGlitchat. If I could stop falling asleep while reading and join her.

4. Melanie Conklin  Since she keeps her whip handy for slacking writers, and pushes us further.

5. Jen Malone If it wasn't for her in the beginning,  MG beta readers may have never taken flight. And she's a high flyer!

6. Jeff Chen for helping me get the MG beta readers started. A very funny guy, full of fourth grade fart jokes, AND he writes NYTimes cross word puzzles. 

6. Paula L. Harvey  because her last post in the Thursday's Children blog hop was spot on, inspiring and hit right to my heart. Go read it: Inspired By The Tenacity & Persistence of Actors

7. A.E. Welch  'cause she's got a story full of monsters. And they do good things. 

8   John Krissilas  just because--you know... 'So she seems'.  And because he's inspired by T-rex! And he supports writers, like nobody's business. Or like it should be everybody's business. 

9.  Ashley Keene  because that girl can edit! Yah, Thanks Ash! 

10. Ronni Arno Blaisdell  because she can stand on the sidewalk in crowded NYC holding Starbucks Frappucino and change from running shoes into heels. True super powers. 

11. Akossiwa Ketoglo she has a beautiful and informative blog and writes short stories for kids too! 

12. Jessika Fleck  because if it weren't for her following my blog, I'd of never found the Thursday's Children. What a great lot they are. Hop on board the #ThursdaysChildren blog hop. You can follow Rhainn at the above link for more info. 

13. Gail Nall  she's a singer and a writer, like someone else I know.

14.  Sydney Maag  she's an amazingly talented interior designer. And she's fun and awesome and our sons are buddies.

15. Ricki Schultz  who helped me create my first middle-grade query ever. That was nearly two years ago. And I'm still working on that project.

Thursday's Children ~ Inspiration April 25th.

Where do I find inspiration? The weekly theme of Thursday's Children Hosted by: Rhiann Wynn-Nolet http://rhiannwynnnolet.com/ Join us!

From my beta readers/CP's!!
-because we're flexible like that.

Guess it was two years ago in July that I found Jeff and Jennifer on Krista Van Dolzer's blog, Mother Write Repeat. Krista wrote about beta readers and how many writers were having difficulty finding writer buddies in their own genres.

Being in this boat myself, with my writing friends not writing my genre--they were great and very encouraging--but not MG readers, not even YA. I even had trouble finding beta readers with the list SCBWI sent me. And I live in NYC! I finally realized, and it took awhile, sometimes you’ve just got to create what isn't there.

I snagged a couple forlorn writers within Krista’s comment stream, and we created the #MGbetareaders (look for us on twitter) Found a few more on twitter, and then a friend of a friend, and it snowballed. Now 24 members strong, they inspire me everyday.

Some have recently found agents. Some have sworn off writing, only to be on the road to an agent/publisher by the next email. Others get down, or overburdened and remind me we all feel this--not just me. I let the feeling sorry for myself bug vanish when I hear their stories. Or any writer’s story for that matter—We need stories! Damn they’re helpful.

Being 'sensitive' types, guided and sometimes driven by our emotions. It's great when they check in with their fears, hopes-- and contests to share!

Love each and every one of you: Akoss, Ella, Becky, Melanie, Jean, Jennifer, Annie, April, Ashley, Chris, Jeff, Devon, Dana, Jay, Heidi, Ki-wing, Paul, Gail, Rebecca, Rebekah, Rebecca, and Ronnie--an Awesome, Amazing, and Generous team. Go Team! Some are rocking the CampNaNo.

So, get down—in your seats--and keep writing! 

You sure inspire me to NEVER stop!  XO  

Inspired By JaZZzz ...Thursday's Children March 28, 2013

Improvisation. Spur of the moment. Music and rhythm.

That's where I find inspiration. And the topic for this week's Thursday's Children Blog hop hosted by Rhiann Wynn-Nolet / http://rhiannwynnnolet.com/ and Kristina Perez http://www.kristinaperez.com/

Hop on. Take the tour and be inspired! Then get to work and write.

I host a weekly Open Vocal and Jam Session at Zinc Bar in NYC for the last two years. It started as a crawl and eventually grew into a very busy Thursday evening. I didn't know what I was getting into at the start, but to all of our delight it has grown into a invaluable source for Jazz vocalists to use for performance practice and get their voices out there. Or prepare for an upcoming gig, whether a seasoned singer or just stretching their wings.

And I created it. *pats back*

As a vocalist you must always find your own musicians and be prepared to pay them, either for rehearsals, or for gigs. Gigs are easier, since there's usually money to dole out. But not always, I know several singers and instrumentalists who still play for dinner and tips. Or dinner--or tips. Not an easy road for a musician after years and years of study.

I was happy to have a place to screw up my lyrics, a place to nurture others, and allow my own improvisational skills shine ...and this,  is a lot like writing.

Writers take prompts or cues, and inspiration and weave the threads into a narrative. A vocalist does this with music, on the spur of the moment with LOTS of people watching.

I feel this is very good preparation for my writing. Certainly for a rough draft--slinging it out there. Finding the rhythm--even in the revision process.

Rhythm is very important to me in books. Sometime I read a story out loud to my boys, and if the rhythm in the writing isn't there it glottises my throat. It almost closes up and I feel like I'm choking. Some books I read aloud flow, like cream over a dream, lulling me into a tapestry of sound and images. These are my favorites. This is why it's so important to read your work out loud. You'll know.
Humans are so clued into rhythm, it's older than history (unless you're on of those people who are always late).  o.^

Music and Rhythm...rhythm and life.  You might even check out an earlier post of mine HOWL, Ginsberg and Poetry. Mr. Ginsberg knew Jazz and writing went together. http://www.karenleehallam.com/2013/01/howl-ginsberg-poetry-and-me.html

If you'd like to hear me sing a tune:  The Man I Love.   Happy Thursday's Children to you all.

Spin around and visit the others in the Hop...and be inspired.
http://www.linkytools.com/wordpress_list.aspx?id=190621&type=basic

Thursday's Children March 14, 2013

A weekly blog hop where writers come together to talk about whatever inspires them. Join us!

This blog hop is about how we find inspiration as writers. A special thanks, to Rhiann Wynn-Nolet http://rhiannwynnnolet.com/ and  Jessica Fleck http://jessikafleck.blogspot.com/ for Thursday’s Children Blog Hop. See the linkey below and hop on. Or take a tour of the other inspiring stories with Thursday’s Children bloggers.

Well, and this may sound a little perverse, but after coming down with a nasty bronchitis last week, I realized a VERY important inspiration --and that is BEING HEALTHY!  It’s always more apparent after being sick, unable to do ANYTHING except stare at the walls, to remind you of how much you value your health. 

Maybe it was a good thing that my usually over active mind was numbed down, because I had energy for nothing--barely able to visualize. It could have been extremely frustrating. So I used this time as a deep meditation. I did read one book at the onset, that I Loved: CODE NAME: VERITY (thought I’d read more). This incredible story gave me a lot to dream about before the malaise overwhelmed me. When I became the staring Zombie. 

Being Healthy after infirmary is inspiring, and for me, creates a frenzy of ambition. All the things neglected come to the forefront, and I want to accomplish them all in a hurry.  

I must pace myself though, or risk collapsing/stressing/suppressing my immune system again—did I not learn my lesson. 

As a dear old friend’s mother, who survived Auschwitz said to me, “if you have your health, you have everything.”

Words to live by.

To your health! 

I sure needed a brain. 

**Be sure to visit the blog hop participants Thursday's Children