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...
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39 comments:
I'm so glad I'm just a spectator!
I'm working on my second point...trying for another 2k before Sunday's done.
I'm not sure how to count these but I'll claim a minimum of two points. I submitted two picture book manuscripts, each with recipes which took testing time which is writing time in a sense. I also critiqued two picutre book manuscripts - one in rhyme and one with recipes which I needed to rewrite. Hmmm. Maybe this site is more for you novel writers.
[What I did] = [Anticipated Koala Response]
1. Overhauled existing website to include CSS and make it XML compliant = 0 points; nice try, JJ
2. Was the suck-up who drew badges for The Koala = 0 points; nice try, JJ
3. Schemed and outlined about 12,000 words for new novel = 0 points; not a category, JJ
4. Submitted 1 short story = 1 point; saved yourself a butt-shredding there, JJ
5. Line-edited 97,000 words (i.e. the whole book) =
4000 + 18*(5000) = 19 points; don't get cocky, JJ. You can't do that every month.
_______
= 20 points in total for January
So... Can I share the extras with anyone in danger of being mauled? You know, sorta like carbon credits?
So far I have:
3 points for 3 contest submissions
+ 1 point for 4000 written/edited
-------------
= 4 points total
But don't buy that plane ticket yet - a lot can happen over the weekend!
I'll pop my points on here this weekend...I have a few more things to do, and it's hard to do them during a work week!
Hm. Still planning on squeezing more writing in this weekend.
I don't feel like totting up points, so I'll just be submitting my book every month.
January
Edited 49K words – manuscript and synopsis
Wrote 1K new words
Entered Clarity of Night Contest – Entry 11
Entered Secret Agent Contest – Entry 10 (Notable Mention)
Entered Mary Kole’s Novel Beginnings contest
Submitted query plus first 3 chapters to Secret Agent as Notable Mention prize
(And that would be a “No, thanks”)
Re-Submitted query (for heavily revised ms) to way-cool agent who blogs
Submitted requested first 30 pages to way-cool agent who blogs
(And that would be a “No, thanks”)
2 submissions and 2 rejections. January is booking right along.
mdames60 - a novel submission gets you straight up to Koala Approves! I'll award half points for picture books - you submitted two, so straight up you go.
JJ, I'd have given you a point for being an artistic suck-up, if you'd needed it, but apparently you don't. No rollovers or lenders, though. But I think I'll add outlining/plotting to the categories, so thanks for mentioning that.
I like the submission strategy, Sarah. That's what it's all about. Get it out there! I've just taken that route to Koala Approves myself...
Ok, here's my tally...
CoN - 1
Editing - 3
Which makes 4.
Big line edit pending so I may do better in Feb.
Ooh, throw that birdseed in front of the bird and tempt her with a point for starting a blog!
I've been incredibly focused on the new WIP for the past three months inbetween, well, life and all. And with bad weather this weekend and being a bit behind my personal writing/editing deadline, I plan on a big w/e push before the end of the month. So I'll tot up points on my Sunday night as I have nothing but writing and editing points this month.
Perhaps query + synopsis should garner 1 point? They are short but should be more incredibly time-consuming than the traditional 4000 words.
I will start submitting completed WIP in February (she says, not arrogantly, but publicly so others may throw tomatoes and eggs at her if she does not). Once it's safely out the door, I will start thinking about the blog and website.
I'm probably going to regret this next month, but here's my tally for January:
Submissions: 5
Wrote 4,000+: 1
Edited 4,000+: 1
So that's seven points. How many points do we get for a rejection? I'm expecting a fistfull of those in February...
You guys make me tired. I'm lucky to have 1 point.
Okay,
So far I have:
2 points for submissions
1 point for editing
1 point for new writing
I'm hoping to get in more work on the wip this weekend, which should bring me up at least a point.
Okay, I have two questions, because I'm annoying that way:
What if you're beta reading/ critting an early chapter book? Do those count at all?
I'm wondering if short stories count as new writing points or do they only count once you submit them?
Phoenix, good point - I'm encouraging submissions, so the mechanics of submission should be in there. I'll add that.
Motheree - see, you were made to do this challenge!
Merry, for short stories you can count the words for your word total AND one point for each time you submit.
I'm going to stick with novel-length critting, though. Sorry!
Not a great month for me, I'm afraid.
CoN submission: 1 point
three poems to one anthology: is that 1 or 3 points?
Either way, I'm fewer than five but at least I won't end up bloody. I can handle being glared at, even hot breath on the back of my neck. It's the bleeding and antibiotics I want to avoid.
OK, here's my report:
Submitted a short story to two lit mags: 2 points.
Edited 2 short stories and 6 chapters throughout the month, total of 37,316 words: 1 point for first 4,000 and 1 point for each additional 5,000 = 7 points, and uncounted 'change' in my pocket (no carryover).
Read one novel for a wrting friend and provided feedback: 1 point.
Total: 10 points.
Robin, I'm impressed!
FYI I'm still writing, and I have tomorrow, too. *eyebrow waggle*
So far, I've added nearly another 1500 words, though.
Thanks, FH! A three-day weekend helped a lot this month.
I'm planning to announce my shame (okay my pretend shame; I'm actually shameless, my mother says so)on my blog tomorrow. Is this the appropriate activity? I'm gonna do it anyhow, but just thought I'd ask.
PJD, good effort. I think, given how much work goes into them, a poem is equivalent to a short story, so I'll give you the submission points, one for each poem.
Keep going, WW. Oh, yes, announcing your status and displaying your badge proudly (or with shame) is a crucial part of this challenge...
Robin...waaaaaaaaay to smug. Good, but smug. I'm going to outsmug you, though...
CoN: one point
Wrote/edited over 4000 words: one point
Edited even more: one point
New web site: one point
Beta read: one point
Query: one point
Six points...but, oh, wait just one minute...submitted novel to first agent...oh, hang on a minute, straight up to... Phew, I get to approve of myself.
You have no idea how much of an incentive the idea of being beaten at my own challenge in its very first month was to polishing up that query and sending it out. The challenge is already working...
LOL, yes, I would imagine you wouldn't want to have to rip out your own heart on your very own blog. Thanks for the leeway with the poems. They were in fact some of my better efforts, if that's any further justification...
I will now grab my "koala coming to have a word with you" bug and put it on my site...
Hey, McK,
JJ kicked my butt, girl! I was gonna try to keep up with her, but I simply wore out. (And this weekend, I'm having to work my way around a Puritan Welshman (he only turns Puritan when he's being self-righteous, one of my LEAST fave traits of all fucking time) of a husband who's putting finishing touches on our house - the addition and other work - scraping and painting and doing drywall work between the addition and the old part of the house, blah blah blah, so every time he sees me at my laptop, he gives me one of those "oh,that's right, you call what you're doing work, do ya?" kinds of smiles....
Damn. I'd really wanted to close in on 20, but there ya go. I can send my story out next weekend when he's out of the country on business travel, and have Feb. points.
Clarity of Night Entry - 1 Point
Writing 4000+ words for the novel - 1 Point
Being a big fan of the mighty Koala and all the furry ones for that matter - Any Points?
Looks like its just 2 points for the month of Jan for me. Talk about having a shaky start.
Mercy Koala, Mercy! I'll make you proud in February!
I proof read a short story for a friend and gave feed back. Does that give me a point? I need all I can get this month... :(
Psst... If JJ decides to spare a few I'm in line.
I've written 6050 words, so I'll take 2 points for January, thanks. Might get some more in later, too.
Look at everybody pushing hard this month! Can't wait to tally everyone's wins at the end of the year. 2010 is gonna be awesome!
I kinda edit as I go and my beta readers read, so my first draft is like a second or third draft by the time I call the first draft done. But to be fair, I won't claim editing points. So I'll claim 7 points for 30,000+ new words this month (told ya, I've been hauling butt). Which gives me a ... what?! The Koala has her eye on me? Whaddaya want -- blood? Aaack, surely there's an agent who hasn't seen the MG ms I relegated to the closet last year.
Hmm. I still have 3 hours to either crank out another 2000 words (not likely) or find an agent to submit that MG to (Nope, I think every agent out there has passed on it).
Damn. 7 points. *hanging head in shame as I feel the steely eyes of The Koala on my lovely feathered butt...*
Oh shoot, there's only 28 days in February.
Okay. Here it is:
CoN entry: 1 pt
Critting a novel: .5 (not done yet)
Writing 18K of crap that might be good one day: 4 pts.
Editing: I have no idea. I've edited and edited until my eyeballs are bleeding. lots of editing. ??? pts.
I do think you and Chris should get double points for awards on CoN entries. Just sayin'.
My updated and final January total:
+ 3 points for 3 contest submissions
+ 1 point for 4000 written/edited
+ 2 point for outlining/plotting 8,000+ words
-------------
= 6 points total
Whew!
I'm barely escaping claws for January, but then I pretty much expected that. (I'm in the middle of moving -- went from our condo, to a hotel in Long Beach for ten days, to a hotel in Seattle where we still are; hopefully we'll move into our townhouse some time this month. [crossed fingers])
So, one anthology submission and 5K and change of writing for two points. [hides under keyboard] I was hoping for a second submission, but I didn't finish the story I was working on for an antho which closed today. Yesterday. Six minutes ago, whatever. :)
Nowhere to go but up, right?
Angie
i wrote over 4000k words. i will go stand in the corner with my one point.
LOL thanks for the nudge, I almost got mauled for not reporting in!
In January I:
...submitted one short story: 1 point
...wrote 12,781 words on Kiss Me Goodbye: 5 points
So an almost respectable 6 points.
Might struggle a bit in Feb though.
Am I the only one gonna call the Koala on the "create an author website" ahem!!!
Okay.
Not as good as I thought.
**CoN entry - 1 point.
**2 story submissions (Highlights) - 2 points
**edited/written new stuff, but not 4,000 words. I want some kind of pointage for this.
**talked agent who rejected me into giving me another chance. this is the third time I've done that. there's gotta be bonus for that.
:-)
Oooh, Chris are you daring to sass The Koala? See Sylvia's post above for an example of how to report nicely.
But let's tot up your points...
3 submission points, fairly earned.
Under 4000 words? Pah! Your plea earns you .0184 of a point. I'm more impressed with the talking the agent around into reading again - I'll give you another submission point for that.
LOL@ Sylvia *is* too nice!!!
:-)
The "Doesn't look good" referred to my numbers, not the website part!
And thanks for the .1894 point. I'll take it.
:-)
I submitted a novel and got it accepted, which is almost sorta cheating because I signed up for koala points late and after the sub went out. I will take my chances for February.
Woah, PD, that's an awesome start!
Hi Pam. Nice to meet you! Congrats on the contract! I just checked out your website. Ooh, slash fiction. I have an historical fantasy slash ms that's been sitting in my WIP pile just crying to be finished, so I'm definitely a fan. I'll check out your "Mountain" books soon!
Pam -- hey, great to see you here! [wave/hugz] I'm finally reading Fire on the Mountain, BTW, and so far it's great. :D
Angie
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