Whirly winner (and report in below!)

Whirl forgot to let us know that he won Best Use of Prompt at Written's contest! See winners' announcement. Congrats to Whirl, and if you don't read anything else today, at least read his entry. It will cure you of any misery.

Meanwhile, report in, or you will need to read Whirl's entry many, many, many times...

Start totting up your August points...

You still have a few days to save yourselves! Then come here and let me know if in August you have...

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)?

Written your query? (one point)

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.

Off you go and vote!

While I ended up missing Written's contest, some of my more diligent (or concerned) victims have earned their point. Pay the contest a little visit here to read or vote!

Bonus point competition now open!

Drift by Writtenwyrdd's place to see the prompt. Deadline is 22 August, so get thinking!

Even teddy bears will hate you

That title will mean something to some of you! Just taking a moment to say a fond farewell to the quiz that I've been doing almost every day for the past two? three? years.

A thank you to Paca, who organised the quiz and kept on organising the quiz, despite only winning, um, was it once? in all that time. A thank you to Blogless and Sarah for being so smart and winning so often. And an even bigger thank you to all those who let me win sometimes!

Memories... The literature section, with every ten questions including at least one about Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, which none of us had ever read. The questions that all of us disagreed with (ever heard of a 'shot' of coffee, anyone, because I have!). The dodgy Scottish ones. The dodgy Aussie ones.

Ah, good times.

Bonus points from August!

Sarah's pointed me in the direction of a competition that I should have already known about, serves me right for being such a blogging slacker. Anyway, our worthy Written has just the thing lined up for us - a flash contest, entries due by 28 August.

Flash fiction is a great writing exercise. The intensity of holding together a complete story in just a few words, with theme, character, plot and progress, plus adding in description and hopefully some imagery, not to mention character development, is a novel in miniature.

Take a look at this introductory post - and I'll post an update when full entry details are available -

http://writtenwyrdd.typepad.com/writtenwyrdd/2010/08/a-moment-of-greed-and-a-contest-prep-plea.html#comment-6a00e54ef251c588330133f2f17e1d970b

As per Clarity of Night, one point for submitting - no points for writing and not submitting!

Results up - and a new bonus?

Chris, mdames60, any word from you two? Chris, can't remember what you've been up to this month, go on and remind me. Mdame, I've already sent the Goblin your way, want another visit?!

OK, I like the bonus point system, particularly as it saved my furry butt last week. No, really, I like it because it pushes us to write and submit something we may not otherwise have written. And it saved my furry butt. Which may need saving again. No, really, it's all about the writing.

Anyway, I haven't stumbled across anything for this month yet. Does anyone have any suggestions?