What Makes An Author Stand Out?

Thanks to everyone who has entered our 100 followers contest so far! There's still time to enter, so don't miss out!

I’m not certain how many of you watch America’s Got Talent. I've been watching this season and enjoying it quite a bit. Tonight the final four contestants will attempt to win the prize of one-million dollars. Thousands of people competed for this prize of fame and fortune, much like a writer does when he is querying his/her manuscript or submitting pages into a slush pile. So what makes these 4 contestants, 3 of them singers, better than all the others that tried out as well?

Originality.

Let’s take the first act, the non-singing one, called Fighting Gravity. Throughout the whole season, the judges kept telling them how original they were. They do a black light act that is pretty fun. And though they are only college frat boys, they found a niche and ran with it.

The second contestant is a singer from Mississippi named Michael Grimm. I really believe that his personality is what makes him unique. He is a great singer, but the world has a ton of great singers. It is his image (or voice to a writer) that makes him unique.

The third contestant is an opera singer named Jackie Evancho. I’ve heard my fair share of opera singers in my classes at college. (I was a music education major back then.) She is great, but, once again, there are a ton of great singers out in the world. So what makes her special? She’s only ten. Her age makes her unique. It reminds me a little of the YA fantasy novel called Eragon written by Christopher Paolini. I was drawn to that book originally because it was written by a 16 year old kid.

The last contestant is my favorite. His name is John Quayle. He too is an opera singer, but his alter ego, Prince Poppycock, is quite the entertainer. He turns his performances into…well, quite a spectacle, in a good way. He is defiantly an original in every possible way.

Let’s face it. There are thousands and thousands of writers out there, and they are all trying to break into the business. There really is only so many publishers and so many book spots that can be filled. We can use these performers as a learning tool. Singing and stage are a form of art and entertainment, just like writing. How they became successful can tell us a lot on how we can succeed at writing.

A ton of people write, lots write well. To be successful, one can't just be a great writer, they need to do it in a way that shines out in the dark mass of writers fighting to be seen. If you are an excellent writer with a generic concept, your book will probably not sell. If you are a good writer with a new and fresh idea or an exciting voice, you have a better shot at catching someone's eye. Concept and Voice are THAT important, especially with so many talented writers amongst us.

Oh, one more thing. An awesome idea falls flat with bad writing. Along with that great concept or voice, always strive to improve your craft.

So what makes an author stand out to you?

An Awesome Thanks: 100 Followers Contest!!

Yes, you read the title right. Operation Awesome is throwing another contest.

No, I’m not lying to you. I only do that to boys I don’t like…

Anyway, because of your uh-may-zing support, we’ve reached 100 followers in less than a month!! I don’t know about you, but I think pretty people deserve rewards. And since writers are super smoking hot, we here at OA figured we’d give you the best thanks in the history of thanks.

Here’s what you can win:

A ten-page critique by Katrina

A custom blog banner or button designed by Kristal

A ten-page critique by Kelly

A ten-page critique by Lindsay

A twenty-page critique by Angela

A one-line pitch AND query critique by yours truly

Official rule for the 100 Followers Contest: you must be a follower to enter (doesn’t matter if you’re an oldie or have recently followed the blog). We’d love for you guys to spread the word through Twitter and your own blogs, too, but you won’t be disqualified if you don’t. See? We’re nice like that. :)

Want to win something? All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post saying you want to participate. That’s it. Then stay tuned for this Sunday at noon, when we’ll announce the super smoking hot six winners.

What are you waiting for?? Get those pages, queries and one-line pitches ready!

Update: We have our winners! See if it's you.

Writers' Thoughts: What Makes A Re-Read?

We all love books. There's something wonderful about opening the cover for the first time and escaping into another world. And, unless it's The Neverending Story, we all know a book ends. But what quality does a book need to make you read it over and over again?"

So grab your beverage of choice (don't forget the cookies), sit back and let's talk.


Katrina: A re-readable book facilitates escape (read that like Dory on Finding Nemo) Es-cop-ay! Its characters are relatable, but way more exciting than me, so I can imagine living in their world--and the very thought gets me geeking out. A good example of this is Twilight. Bella is an every-girl, and yet she's brave (like I would hope to be in her situation). Since I'd rather not actually face homicidal freaks of nature, I'm happy Bella's there to go through it in my place. Also like Twilight, a re-readable book must have suspense. I can pick Twilight books up mid-chapter 39 and get sucked into the scene because of the artful suspense. And finally, a re-readable book must have humor--like Emmet, or in HP's case, Fred & George Weasley--to keep me coming back for more.

p.s. you guys, I'm sorry my answers are so long. I'm really not good at short answers.

Amparo: I'm a sucker for voice. It doesn't matter the genre or premise, I just want to feel like I'm genuinely inside someone else's head the entire time. Bonus points if that head is filled with snarky thoughts

Kelly: The books that I re-read for pleasure have it all: great characters who I want to spend time with, a compelling story with suspense that drives me forward, a satisfying resolution that I want to experience again, and beautiful writing that allows me to get lost in the pages.

My standards for books I re-read for craft aren't as impossibly high. Those books just need to solve problems that I grapple with as a writer in a way that I both admire and think I can achieve.

Lindsay: What makes a book a re-read for me is a mixture of voice, great characters, and a story that interests me. I love reading books where I'm sad when my time with the characters come to an end. One of my favourite books is Pride and Prejudice. I can still re-read that and get so caught up in the story (and characters) I forget I already know what will happen.

That, for me, is what makes a book a re-read. :)

Kristal: Gosh. Hard Question. I have such a short term memory, so any book I re-read is practically like entering the world all over again!

Seriously though... One reason I re-read a book is when a writer hides their secrets well. I love a book that tells me what's going to happen through hints, but I never spot them until the end. So I'd re-read that book to try to catch them as they happen. I also re-read when a book has passion. And I don't mean the smutty romance type of passion. I mean real emotional passion that sucks me in. I love to have my emotions sore. And I love a happy ending.

So that's us. We open the blog floor to you. What makes a book a re-read?

The Geniuses of WriteOnCon: Casey McCormick

Hi!!! Yes, I'm excited! We've got another literary rockstar interview for you today!

Casey McCormick (photo from WriteOnCon web site)

of 

WriteOnCon 2010

Also known as Casey McCormick of the Agent Spotlight series on her blog, Literary Rambles. Let me just say that when I discovered Agent Spotlight, it made my querying life 100x EASIER! Thank you, Casey!

Katrina Lantz: WriteOnCon was seriously epic, historic, unprecedented! As one of its organizers, did you expect WriteOnCon to garner as much industry support as it did? To what do you owe this?

Casey McCormick: We didn’t know what to expect when we started contacting industry professionals about WriteOnCon, so we were astounded when nearly everyone wanted to be involved. They loved the idea! The response from attendees was equally overwhelming and heartwarming.


We owe everything to the kidlit community. People in the children's book industry are some of the most amazing, giving, and vibrant people out there. It's an honor to be part of such a generally selfless, empowering community.


Katrina: What were your thoughts on opening morning when thousands flocked to the site to participate in the first free online writer's conference?

Casey: It was amazing to see the conference come to life, the first responses of our attendees. I couldn’t have been happier. It was really happening! Everyone loved it! 

Then, nightmare of nightmares, the server crashed and my thoughts were much more dour, but everything worked out just fine in the end, great even.

Katrina: What was the hardest part about WriteOnCon's organization?

Casey: I think the hardest part, for me, was keeping up with all the changes and e-mails. We threw so many ideas around in the beginning and had so many new developments during our brief three months of planning, that it was hard to keep everything straight. That, and time the whole project took. I think my family is glad to have me firmly back in the “real world” (for now)!

Katrina: What was the most important thing you learned this year that will help with future online conferences?

Casey: Dreams are not out of reach. WriteOnCon started as a small, crazy idea that turned into a large, amazing reality. I've realized how much a person can accomplish with the right amount of dedication, daring, and support.

Katrina: What’s next for WriteOnCon? The discussion forums remain active.
What role do you see WriteOnCon playing between annual conferences?

Casey: The forums will remain open between conferences, and I hope a great community will grow and bond there.

We also have monthly live events planned that will benefit writers while they eagerly await the big, annual conference each year.

Katrina: We think it's amazing the work you all did to put on such an amazing conference, and for FREE! Will next year's conference still be free?

Casey: Definitely! The free, accessible nature of the conference is WriteOnCon's very foundation. It's not going anywhere. 


Katrina: Do you know of any success stories (agents and authors who found each other during the conference)?

Casey: Several writers received requests from agents through the forums and contests, but I’m not sure if any matches resulted from that. I know many writers found critique partners and critique groups in the forums, and I count each of their stories as a success as well. It’s so important to have a source of support and feedback. 


Katrina: What do you think makes a writer AWESOME?


Casey: An awesome writer perseveres despite doubt and rejection, never stops learning and honing their craft, evokes emotion and reaction in their reader, and remains humble and gracious when success finally calls. 

Katrina: Beautiful answer!

Casey: Thank you so much for the interview and your support of WriteOnCon, Kristal, Kelly, Angela, Katrina, Amparo, and Lindsay. We're honored!

Umm, WE are honored! :-)

Other places you'll find Casey:
Follow Casey on Twitter
Literary Rambles
List of Interviews with Casey
Facebook
Flashy Fiction
Goodreads
Publisher's Marketplace 
SCBWI
Verla Kay Boards

Say hello to Casey in the comments!

Also, if you missed our interview with Elana Johnson, umm, why did you miss it?! 

In Which She Ponders the Use of Pen Names

This is only my second blog post, but already I’m thinking about a pen name. Because after my first post, I Googled myself to see if this blog came up. It didn’t.

Almost all the links were for the other Kelly Andrews.

Not the one who is the head of the Green Party in Northern Ireland. I wouldn’t mind being confused with her. And not one of the 257 other women (and probably men) who share my name in the United States alone.

Kelly Andrews, the pr0n model.

I thought to choose your pr0n star name, you were supposed to take the name of your childhood pet and combine it with the first street you lived on. Turned out my real name was perfectly adequate.

I wouldn’t mind getting some extra traffic on the site from the other Kelly Andrews’s fans. This blog is new. We can't be picky about how readers find it.

But the problem goes the other way. Should I some day have future fans, they are likely to be middle-graders. And t0pl3ss photos on the search page aren’t a good way for a kid-lit writer to endear herself to parents, teachers, and librarians.

My agent tells me I shouldn’t worry about a pen name just yet. I should worry about writing books, she’ll worry about selling them, and then if I someday get a contract, we’ll think about a pen name. After all, writers potentially have longer careers than pr0n stars, so eventually my actual links may crowd hers right off the first page. And at the rate I write and this business moves, we have plenty of time.

But now I’m contemplating a change, maybe adding my husband’s name in combination, or using a made-up name. I like the sound of Kelly Andred, which is almost my name, but uses the old English word for “woods.” I came across it in The Children’s Book, which is a book about a children’s writer by my favorite grown-up author, A.S. Byatt.

It would make a great story to tell interviewers someday. Ah, someday.

Which makes me realize that my agent is probably right, as always. Thinking up pen names without a book contract is rather like filling up my notebook with doodles that read Kelly Andrews, NYT Bestselling Writer, or Kelly Andrews, Nobel Laureate – right next to where it says Mrs. Robert Pattinson. (Just kidding, silly. I would be Mrs. Taylor Lautner. )

It’s all just daydreaming. Which can be a writer's best friend, except when it's really procrastination.

But still, if I’m going to switch, might as well do it now. If I change later, I could end up confusing my tens of readers (although most of friends and family would probably figure it out).

What are your thoughts on pen names? Anybody famous (or infamous) have your name? What’s a good reason to write under an assumed name?

And in the spirit of writerly helpfulness, here is an article from Rachelle Gardner, who actually knows what she’s talking about:

Should I Use a Nom de Plume?

Writing Is Like...

It’s no secret that I’m a girl who likes cake. I mean, what’s not to like about cake?

I also like writing. Big shock. So combining my two loves came as a bit of a no-brainer.

So here is my recipe for writing a novel.

When you bake you get the ingredients ready. I start with my flour, butter and sugar. In my plot's case it's the inciting incident, the bit where my MC accepts their fate, and the showdown.

I've got them ready in the bowl, but I still need to throw in a few more ingredients.

The eggs/supporting characters to bind it. The yummy flavour of a love interest...and don't forget the odd bit of dried fruit/antagonist as a road block to the gooey goodness.

Then I whip the mix together with the electric whisk of a voice/pacing and tension.

Pour into the cake tin of the word document/laptop.

Then it's into the oven to bake.

Once my cake/novel is ready (and cooled. Never rush into eating hot cake/editing a hot manuscript draft. You burn your tongue/have no objectivity.) I can add the decoration.

The jam layer of world building and the frosting topping of subplots. Don't forget to add the cherry/chocolate sprinkles of red herrings.

All that is left is to deliver to betas/CP for devouring.

With both writing and baking there's room for improvement. New ingredients to adapt, add, and remake each cake/book. The only way to do this?

Start all over again in revisions.

See, just like making a cake. :)

*No cakes/Manuscripts were harmed in the writing of this post.

Identifying Garbage: The First Step Towards Awesome.

Hey there! Kristal here. I’m very excited to be speaking to you all. It took me a while to figure out what I exactly wanted to say in my intro post. So, after much consideration and deliberation, I decided to go with garbage.

Now, I’m not talking about the stinky-kitchen-leftover type of garbage. Nope. I’m talking about the stinky load of tripe that one spews to Microsoft Word. Yes, I am talking about writing like garbage.

Now, just to make myself clear, I'm not telling you to write like garbage. What I’m getting at is to admit that you write like garbage, probably quite often. (Cause we all have our own versions and moments of suck.) If you don’t see the trash in your words, then you can never see the vision to improve.

Let me start with a face painting analogy, cause… Well, I just really wanted to stick face painting in my post somehow. In case you haven’t read my bio, I’m a professional face painter. I LOVE my job. And I could spend a whole post telling you why I love what I do. Instead, I’m going to use face painting to illustrate how identifying garbage is the first step to achieving awesome. Here is the first butterfly I ever painted.


At the time, I thought it was awesome. I was proud. Thought my butterfly kicked some major butt. But then I researched and opened my eyes to what professional face painters could do. Well…. I realized that I sucked. Now instead of wallowing in my suck, I grasped the knowledge of others, learned what they did, found out what paints and brushes they used. I practiced…A LOT, and my butterflies got better.



But I didn’t stop there. I kept practicing and studying those that were better than me, because I knew I was still far from being awesome. But even so, I improved. And the more I practiced, the better painter I became.


And now I do what I love for a business, and I am still improving. Here is my most recent butterfly.




And here is a progression of then until now.




I can still see flaws in my lines and techniques. Identifying my garbage helps take me one step closer to awesome. And, just so you know, it took me years to get to where I am now. My progress wasn't overnight.

Now let me bring this all back to writing.

When I first sat down and wrote, I poured out 12 pages of complete and utter muck. At the time, I thought I was the most gifted writer E-VAR! God had blessed me with this natural gift and I was going to blow everyone away with my shear awesomeness. But then I took a step back and read different books on writing.

I read Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass.
I read Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
I read How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey
I read Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
I read several other books that I can no longer remember.
I read forums.
I read blogs
I took notes.

And only after I’d finished them all, did I turn back to my book. My eyes were opened to the utter and complete garbage that I wrote. And at that moment, my first baby step towards awesome took place.

Now, you might think that your book is perfect, that your writing is top par, that there is no possible way you could improve. I've done that before, and I’m afraid to tell you, my friend, it isn't true. If you really think this way, your book probably sucks. I've noticed, over the years, that the worst writers are usually the ones that think they have no flaws.

What you need is to read, to research, to open your eyes and accept criticism. To really look at your work apart from yourself and try to figure out what you can do better. Sure, you can feel good about what you’ve achieved, but don’t let pride get in the way to your journey towards awesome. No one, not even the bestselling author, is perfect. Everyone has room to improve.

So how can we take this first step? Finding a good critique group helps tons. If not a group, a really honest critique partner, one that isn't your mom or your sister, one that isn't going to just tell you how wonderful you are.There are a few groups online that you can start with as well.

• Query Tracker Forum has a section where you can post pages. (I met Katrina on there.)
• Absolute Write also has a place you can get feedback.
• And so does Critique Circle. (I met Angie on there). On critique circle you are required to submit critiques to get them. Giving feedback to other writers can be just as beneficial as getting comments.
• Get plugged into a critique group by interacting and meeting others online or locally.
  

Operation Awesome is a time commitment, yes. I also have to sacrifice some of my writing time to critique their work. But it is worth it. But like I said, giving critiques helps me learn just as much as getting them, especially when one is fortunate to get a group as good as OA.

Why The 'I' In 'Writer' Sucks

*waves hello* Amparo reporting for duty today! 

(yes, I have a weird name. Parents in YA are not the only ones with issues...)


Okay. For my first post e-vah, I'm going to start with a statement you all should remember: writers rock. 

Why?

Here’s my take: the word ‘awesome’ gets thrown around quite often. If you want to make someone pay attention to something you love, tell them it’s awesome. Not that you think it’s awesome, or what makes it awesome to you, but that it’s just plain awesome in general. Then see how that person reacts.

Reaction #1: “Really? Oh, well… Guess I’ll go check it out…”

Reaction #2: “Really???? OMG, that sounds SO AWESOME!! Why didn’t I know about it??” *slaps forehead twenty times*

If reaction #2 occurs, proceed with caution to the nearest exit. You are in the presence of a Norman Bates clone.

Either way, you’ve just pushed that person into whatever it is you want them to discover. The thing gets noticed, and you gain an ally in the gushing department. Double win.

I know, I know. What the heck does this have to do with writers, Amparo? Simple: writers are awesome because they do this exact thing. Spread the word. Reach out to those who don’t know. Push those who want to get better, or are thisclose to quitting.

Even simpler? Writers support. They are a team. A network. An entire world.

So the next time someone tells you something is awesome, put them in their place and say: “Really? Well, guess what? You suck at life! Writers are the only ones who deserve to be called awesome!!!”

Okay, okay. You can take out the ‘you suck at life’ part. Don’t want any bar brawls or anything…

There you go. Writers are awesome because they support each other. They don’t live in a vacuum. That ‘I’ in writer? Don’t ever believe it’s all it takes. Sure, you may be awesome all by yourself, but it’s easier to climb a hill when others are pushing you up.

‘Nuff said.

Now tell me, blogging buddies: what makes a writer awesome to you???

Mystery Agent Revealed: Mandy Hubbard!!

Mandy Hubbard (pic and bio from her website)

Mandy Hubbard is the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and five other to-be-published novels for teens. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. She is currently living happily ever after with her husband and young daughter in Enumclaw, Washington. 

To help out queriers, Mandy has answered a couple brief questions:

What are you dying to see in queries right now?

I would love something that is hysterically funny-- YA or MG, I don't care. Make me laugh and I'm yours. Other wants: Something literary a la John Green or Sarah Dessen. A scandalous historical a la THE LUXE.

What's your favorite candy in the world?

Skittles! Nom Nom.

And now onto the results of the September Mystery Agent Pitch Contest... 

(Mandy's remarks are in burgundy)

Winner:

9. Michele Shaw for Scatter-YA romantic suspense

Living under a false identity to stay hidden from her murderous father is lonely, terrifying, and normal for seventeen-year-old CJ, but when a boy offers her the life she's always wanted, she must choose between shedding her lies to love him and breaking his heart to protect him.

Why I picked it: I love romance, for one, and this clearly has it. But I also love that I get a feel for the character and her internal conflict and I get the hook. Many people focus too much on the hook/concept and don’t inject anything about their characters into their pitch. Michele balanced both beautifully.

(Michele, don't forget to email your full MS to Mandy at Mandy@D4EO.com and mention you won this contest, though I'm sure she won't forget you.)

Other pitches that intrigued me:

(I’d love to see a full query with five page sample!)

.

 24. Jenn for Genre: YA Historical Romance

WISTFUL, after her extravagant Ton wedding, 15 year old Julie Haynesworth runs away from her ancient husband to live with a poor commoner family only to fall in love with the eldest son; too bad he thinks she’s a boy.

Told you I love romance!

36. Nancy Ashcraft Herman for Letters to Mary: A Donner Party Story

When 13-year-old Virginia Reed's powerful and arrogant father makes poor decisions that leave the Donner Party trapped in winter snows, she must find the courage to defy him in order to save the rest of her family. 

I’m always curious about books that use real historical figures, and what kinds of insight it might give us. This could be interesting!

46. Andrea Mack for The Ethan project, MG, contemporary

When Molly learns her 6-year-old cousin doesn't talk, she convinces her best friend to join in a project to help, but soon finds that fixing his problems won't fix her own. 

I’m intrigued here—why doesn't the 6 year old talk? And what problems of her own does Molly have?

If I didn’t choose your pitch, but you’d like to query me, please do! It’s really  hard to hook a person with a single sentence, so if I didn’t choose your entry it doesn’t mean I’m not interested in seeing a longer pitch. I ask for a query letter and a five page sample. Queries can be sent to Mandy@D4EO.com

Thanks! 

Thanks to Mandy for being our first ever Mystery Agent! 

Check out her books on goodreads:

Prada & Prejudice

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

You Wish

What if all your wishes really came true? 

Ripple (not out yet, eat your heart out)

Eighteen year old Lexi Wentworth is cursed. For as long as she can remember, she’s spent every night swimming. If she doesn’t, she’ll regret it—simply walking will be agony, as if she’s stepping on shattered glass. Her body craves the water, demands the water, until she can’t say no.

Her submission guidelines

And other (longer) interviews:

CYNSATIONS

Day by Day Writer

Once Upon a Review

unedited

Ranting is the World's Best Cure

Bloggers Heart Books

Margie Writes

Mother.Write.(Repeat.)

The Sweet Bookshelf

Mandy also writes at one of my favorite group blogs, LET THE WORDS FLOW

Congratulations to the winners! Now get to querying!

Writers' Thoughts: What is Awesome?

Awesome is a word we use a lot. Heck, we've even got it in our blog's name. But what is awesome?

Here's what the dictionary says about the word awesome:

Awesome
adj

1. impressive and frightening: so impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear.
2. excellent: used as a general term of enthusiastic approval (slang)

So, being talkative people, we decided to have a little group chat about what makes a writer awesome.

Amparo: Support. Making others feel like they belong somewhere--awesome doesn't get any better than that to me.

Kristal: An awesome writer is someone who writes, even in the midst of rejections and disappointments. It is someone who steps back from their failures, and instead of wallowing in them, uses them to improve their craft. It is someone who never gives up on their goals and dreams. And even when they achieve them, they still strive forward. An awesome writer never lets success stop them from wanting to learn more.

Kelly: Being awesome as a writer means aiming beyond your skill level, and then working to raise yourself up. It means that when you get discouraged or rejected, you lick your wounds and eventually find a way to get better. It means finding new stories to tell and new ways to the tell them, while remaining true to your own voice and vision.

Lindsay: What makes a writer awesome is not only the way they have honed their craft, but the way they never give up. Through the journey they write on regardless of publishing glory, money, or fame. They write because it's scorched across their soul. It feels as natural as breathing, but no less harder than living. An awesome writer writes for the story. Because the story is what makes the writer awesome.

Angie: Listen, learn and be still. Listen to the reasons your work is being rejected. Learn from seasoned authors. Let peace into your heart, stay positive. Take all that you've learned and use that knowledge to improve your work.

Katrina: To answer this, I thought of a few of my favorite authors: C.S. Lewis, LM Montgomery, Stephenie Meyer, Kiersten White (she's new, totally check her out). Totally different writing styles, all. The thing that makes them all awesome is their uniqueness. They're true to themselves. They have a distinct voice that sets them apart, and they're not trying to be like everybody else. That's what makes a writer awesome: being true.

So that's what we OA gals think. What about you?

What do you think makes a writer awesome?

P.S. Don't forget to pop back tomorrow for our spectacular Mystery Agent revelation. Oh yeah, and the winner will be announced as well. :)

The Geniuses of WriteOnCon: Elana Johnson

*deep breath* We have literary rockstars in our midst. 

Hello, Awesome friends! Today, and every Friday for the next month, Operation Awesome brings you…

THE WRITEONCON ORGANIZERS!!! 

First of all, if you missed WriteOnCon, the world’s first and only completely free and completely epic online writers conference, then run—do not walk—over to WriteOnCon’s conference schedule. It’s linky, so you can view anything you missed, totally free. 

And now, I present to you Elana Johnson, the most mysterious* of the WriteOnCon peeps (*this may or may not be true).

of

Katrina: WriteOnCon was seriously epic, historic, unprecedented! As one of its organizers, did you expect WriteOnCon to garner as much industry support as it did? To what do you owe this?

Elana: Totally not. I mean, WE thought it was cool, you know? But that’s not always a guarantee that someone else will.

We owe this to Casey McCormick for having the vision we all lacked.

And of course, to all the industry professionals, from authors to agents to editors, for their time and expertise. No one wants to listen to us, right? Right.

Katrina: What were your thoughts on opening morning when thousands flocked to the site to participate in the first free online writer's conference?

Elana: Well, I knew I wasn’t getting up at 4 AM, so I was hoping someone would. And they did. By the time I dragged myself out of bed at 7:45, 403 had infected the site for about 30 minutes.

The first thing I thought was, “Oh, crap.”

The second? “This is awesome! So many people came, we crashed!”

Third: “OH CRAP!!!”

Then I called LiLa, and they talked me off the ledge, and we rerouted the content to our personal sites.

Katrina: What was the hardest part about WriteOnCon's organization?

Elana: Holy time investment, Batman. That’s all I’m gonna say about that. Okay, one more thing: We’re talking hundreds of hours, people. And that’s time away from the other things in our lives.

Katrina: What was the most important thing you learned this year that will help with future online conferences?

Elana: Um, have a reliable host? Never to use the numbers 403? Get up at 4 AM and then go take a nap later?

But seriously, the most important thing I learned is that the children’s writing community is frawesome.

Katrina: What's next for WriteOnCon? The discussion forums remain active. What role do you see WriteOnCon playing between annual conferences?

Elana: The forums will remain open, and hopefully, active. If I told you what else we were cookin’ up, I’d have to kill you. Just watch the site for deets. *wink*

Katrina: We think it's amazing the work you all did to put on such an amazing conference, and for FREE! Will next year's conference still be free?

Elana: Yes. We got some feedback during our feedback chat about offering merchandise and putting up a donate button, and we’re investigating those options further, but the conference will remain money—and guilt—free. If you can’t donate, no problem. Come anyway!

Katrina: Do you know of any success stories (agents and authors who found each other during the conference)?

Elana: Yes! Becca's story

Katrina: I think I speak for the online writing community when I say THANK YOU! And we want to show our appreciation by spreading the word about WriteOnCon, as well as its organizers. You have a book coming out next Summer. We love shiny new books! Could you tell us a bit about it? 

Elana: Aw, *blush* thanks. Yeah, I do have a book coming out. POSSESSION is about a teenage girl who’s tired of being brainwashed, tired of following all the (lame) rules, tired of belonging to someone else. So she does something about it. Of course, chaos ensues. In the end, she’ll have to decide if what she was tired of all along is really so bad…

Oh, yeah, and there’s boys! Kissing! Danger! Mind control! Leaping off of tall buildings! Evil…wait. No, not gonna spill that.

POSSESSION comes out next summer from Simon & Schuster in both hardcover and e-book formats. 

Katrina: And last of all, what makes a writer Awesome?

Elana: Awesome writers are those who recognize awesome when they see/feel/hear/smell/taste it. And then they do their best to replicate it, whether in their writing or in their attitude or in their lives. 

Other places you'll find Elana: 

Elana's Blog

Elana's Website

Query Tracker blog

League of Extraordinary Writers

What Writers Read

Facebook: http://facebook.com/elanajohnson

Twitter: http://twitter.com/elanaj

She is represented by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary.

Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download.


Say hello to Elana in the comments!


Contest Update: The Mystery Agent Pitch Contest winner will be announced Sunday. Don't worry if you didn't post in time, we'll have another contest like this one, and many more chances for you to show off your Awesome! 

The Birth of a Blogger (exactly what this world needs...)

NOTICE: Operation Awesome's One-Line Pitch contest is FULL. Thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word! Keep coming back to learn the winners, the agent's identity, and more surprises. And if you missed entering, keep visiting OA for your chance to enter another contest. Thanks again for making our launch, well, awesome!

I was born on this date in 1969, the very same day that the Internet was launched by hooking up a single computer to the first packet switcher. Today those two parallel story lines converge in the incandescent, climactic moment known as my first blog post. As a fiction writer, I don’t believe in coincidence – only plot, arranged, revealed, and imbued with meaning. Thus, in pursuit of a coherent theme on the anniversary of two births, I have little choice but to write about beginnings.

I've hesitated to write for a blog, and without the support of Operation Awesome, I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t expect this introductory post to be received with the same enthusiasm as yesterday’s Mystery Agent pitch contest. It's hard to put myself out to the world as a writer, to suggest to others in the literary community that I have something worth saying. As an unpublished writer, the hardest part is to expose my dreams to family, friends, and not-so-friends before those dreams have been fulfilled.

As hard as this is, it's not nearly as hard as beginning a novel. I always meant to write one, and I began a few times, writing what I knew based on my limited experience of the world. But they weren’t the stories I wanted to read. No wonder they fizzled out.

I don't know where the idea for my first completed novel came from. I never lived in a 1960s traveling sideshow, and I never had the tiniest bit of magical powers. So while I don't know where my ideas came from, I do know how I freed them. I decided to write for children. And if I wrote for kids, I could write about anything.

I researched for a year, maybe two. I outlined. I hesitated. And when I finally I began, the story pulled me through.

Now I’ll confess that when UCLA connected its host computer to the Internet on September 2, 1969, there was no one on the other end. It took almost two months before another computer was able to receive messages. Already this blog has a slightly wider audience, but if it didn’t, that would be OK. Putting myself out there as a writer is a milestone, just like finishing that first novel was a milestone. Both are only beginnings.

My first novel is resting quietly in a drawer for now, and I'm writing another book. It wasn't any easier this time. The only thing to do was begin, try not to stop, and hope the story pulls me through. And when I do stop, begin again until I get to the middle, and eventually to the end.

Of course, the end is where revision starts -- another beginning and another blog post.

An Awesome Launch: Mystery Agent Contest

UPDATE: My voice is sore from all the excited squeeing done today. How will I be able to manage a cookie now :) A huge thank you to everyone who entered, tweeted, blogged, commented and made Operation Awesomes launch, well, awesome. The contest is full for this month, but stick with us because we've got more to come...this won't be your last pitch chance. Again, from all of us here at OA, hugs!


UPDATE: Winners announced here: Mystery Agent Revealed!

Have you ever wanted to squee so loud you thought your head may explode? Okay, it’s just me. Anyway, welcome to the launch of Operation Awesome and our little corner of the blogosphere. We want you to feel at home, so relax, pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea and help yourself to a cookie. It’s okay, I made them. :)

To celebrate in style we have a fantastic September contest -- a one-sentence pitch contest, judged by an amazing mystery agent (M.A).

This agent IS fantastic. We're all jealous we can’t enter. Seriously!

Here are the details:

Genre is limited to MG and YA. Please include Title/Genre in the comments.
The first 50 one-line pitches posted will be considered.
Mystery Agent will choose one winner.
The winner will have Mystery Agent's full attention when they send their full MS. Yep, you heard the British one of the group right, YOUR FULL MS! So don’t forget, please have your manuscript ready to send before you pitch.

The rules: We won’t have any fancy ‘you must follow us’ rules. Sure, we’d love you all to follow us, but Operation Awesome is about giving back. But, in the spirit of sharing, please spread the word. Tweet, blog, shout it from the rooftop. You can even grab one of our buttons. :)

Want some help with your pitch? Here are some handy links:

Query Tracker - the one sentence pitch
QueryTracker Blog - the elevator pitch
Elana Johnson - one-sentence pitching.

The contest will close at the end of September, or when the fifty entries are filled, whichever comes first. So keep checking back to be sure you don't miss the chance.
Want to know who mystery agent is? Come back when the winners are announced when we’ll have an interview with the agent extraordinaire.

So ready, steady, go!