Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Report in!

I know, I know, it's not quite the end of the month yet, but this will give you a little time to contemplate. Your navel, if necessary, but I'd rather you were totting up your points. Also this allows time for any questions and clarifications.

So, in the comments, please let me know what you've been up to. You may tot up your own points (please do, maths is not The Koala's strong point), but I will be checking up randomly, so no porkies!

So, in January, have you...

Submitted a short story, poem or other short fiction submission to a competition or magazine (one point for each submission)?

Submitted an article (one point per article, no matter how many mags the article is submitted to)?

Written and/or edited at least 4000 words (one point)?

Written more than the basic 4000 words (one additional point for each 2000 words of original writing (not editing)?

Edited more than the basic 4000 words (one additional point for each 5000 words of editing) ?

Outlined/plotted 4000 words or more (one point for each 4000)?

Beta-read read a fellow writer's novel and provided feedback (one point)?

Completed and published a new author website (one point)?

New! Written your query? (one point)

New! Written your synopsis? (one point)

Submitted a novel to an agent or editor? (Straight up to Koala Approves)

(Anyone who's on Koala Approves while waiting for an agent response, remember that you must keep writing/editing/submitting short stories in the next month. Anyone sitting on their laurels drops down a stage. However, if an agent asks you to make changes to a novel, you get to stay on Koala Approves for the duration of your editing and negotiations, provided you get those changes to him/her in time and remember your manners. Ask for an extension or moan about your potential agent and you drop down a stage.)

A reminder... Points cannot be held over for a following month. The Koala wants consistent effort. The Koala is always right.

Special Furry Rules: Paca - adapt to suit Furry Dissertation and article submissions. Over-adapt and I will claw you. And take away points.

Special Bird Rules: If Phoenix ever feels sufficiently inspired to actually start a blog and even manages a few posts, there might be a point in that...

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Revving up...

I've added all the participants' names with links to their blogs (apart from the blogless two) - drop by and offer support/teasing/threats, as appropriate.

The Koala is busy with submission prep for her manuscript and Bak to Skool dramas for the little koalas. She greatly fears she may not actually be sending anything out this week. Which means...yes..the shocking may come to pass...The Koala will be unable to approve of herself. And in the very first month too. *rushes back to draft query and starts editing* Nope, still not there. *mumble*.

In fact, I wonder how many points I've got... 4000 words, check. Edited more, check. Entry to Jason's, check. New website, check. Beta read, check. What else can I drum up by the end of the week, I wonder... Might be time to flick out a few short stories back out into the Big Bad World.

Well, nobody promised it was going to be easy...

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

That girl, she did alright...

The Koala fur fluffeth up with joy - under her alterative id she won Readers' Choice over at Clarity of Night. She may treat herself to an extra leaf or two from the eucalypt tonight.

Aniket and Chris also won awards - check their stories out too! We have previous winners in our midst as well, in PJD and Janey V, plus a bunch of members of Jason's 40s club. Congratulations to everyone who entered, as well as everyone who won an award, because I have to say the standard was just so high and, while it was hard work, it was a pleasure to read so many varied stories. (My poor eyeballs, though!)

The end of the month is just over a week away... I hope everyone's working hard... I've made a couple more changes to the points system - mostly to reflect the work and preparation in getting ready to submit. (See this post from the wondrous Janet Reid for the perfect preparation checklist).

It's all part of the package...but...keep writing!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

You bloodthirsty lot...

I'm amazed (and pleased) by the great sign up for the Koala Challenge this year. (For more details see the post below - sign up at any time until the end of this month - either in the comment trail below, or in this one, I'll check both).

For mutual support, and any necessary teasing, I'll link to you all in the side bar. Support is encouraged. Teasing is even more encouraged. If you have more than one blog, please let me know which one you would like me to link to (Iasa, for example...you have heaps of blogs!).

It's too late to enter Clarity of Night, but the entries are all up for reading - check it out here. You'll see some familiar names. I'm 180, under my secret identity. The one without claws. Burn this post after reading...

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Announcing...The 2010 Koala Challenge!


Welcome to 2010 - The Year of the Submission!


This time we all start on zero and gain points by achieving certain submission and writing targets. Each point will raise you up a notch in The Koala's estimation and take you up a challenge level. The Koala will award you a badge, created by JJ de Benedictis *mwah*, to display on your blog.
Link
One point for every short story, poem or other short fiction submission to a competition or magazine. This is one point per publication, so check out the ones that allow multiples, and race up the Koala Love charts. Your blog does not count as a submission, nor does a friend's. However, blog competitions such as Jason Evans' Clarity of Night do count as a submission. (I can see you smiling from here, PJD).

One point for submitting an article (no matter how many mags the article is submitted to).

One point for achieving The Koala's perfectly reasonable writing/editing target of 4000 words a month.

One point for each 2000 words of original writing (not editing) over and above the basic 4000.

One point for each 5000 words of editing over and above the basic 4000.

One point for beta reading a fellow writer's novel and providing feedback. (Nothing shorter than a novel is eligible for this category).

One point for completing and publishing a new author website (not amendments - this is a one-off point for the first time you put it up).

New! One point for writing a query (one-off point for each novel)

New! One point for writing your synopsis (again, a one-off point for each novel)

Big points: whatever level you are on, a novel submission takes you straight up to Koala Approves. (In Paca's case, a dissertation submission will have the same effect, see special furry rules below). While waiting for a response you must keep writing/editing/submitting short stories. Anyone sitting on their laurels drops down a stage.

However, if an agent asks you to make changes to a novel, you get to stay on Koala Approves for the duration of your editing and negotiations, provided you get those changes to him/her in time and remember your manners. Ask for an extension or moan about your potential agent and you drop down a stage.

Report in at the end of every month. The Koala tots up the points. Points cannot be held over for a following month. The Koala wants consistent effort. The Koala is always right.

Each person is allowed one month off in the year - you decide if you want a summer holiday or a Christmas break or to have a baby or get your appendix out.

January counts, and there are almost three weeks left, so get going! The Koala will put up a post at the end of the month for reporting results and will subsequently award the first badges.

Meet your current fellow contestants...

Robin
Whirl
Sarah
PJD
JJdebenedictis
Sylvia
Phoenix
Paca (special furry rules: his target is to work on and submit his dissertation, slightly different rules may apply)
Writtenwyrdd
Mother (Re)produces
Chris Eldin
Aniket
Laurel
Iasa
Angie
Janey V
mdames60
Merry
Diane. J
Catvibe

Remember to support one another in your attempts to avoid a Koala Shredding.

More sign ups expected shortly! Spread the word, all welcome!

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Bad dreams

I had a dream last night that Janet Reid rejected my manuscript within an hour of receiving it. The email read: 'Form rejection'.

I may be too big a fan of Query Shark...

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Challenge hint

How many of you are near submission with novels? Or at least semi-regularly submitting stories to publications/blogs/etc.?

I'm thinking 2010 - Year of the Submission. Writing too, of course - but the year to get some of it out there.