ANNOUNCING the 25th Anniversary Hook Winners!
We had 317 hooks submitted to our writers’ contest, and these 25 are our winners:
Suzanne Anderson, Debbie Ashley, Hilary Bernstein, Peggy Bodde, Susan Brehmer, Kurt Bubna, Karen Bucci, Jolyn Canty, Jessica Ferguson, Katharine Ivey, Erin Kahn, Laura Kestner, Wendy L. Macdonald, Paul McCullough, Erin Mifflin, Vina Bermudez Mogg, Marilyn Nutter, Krysta Peterson, Kathy Phillips, Eva Priest, Cynthia Roemer, Evelyn Sherwood, Jill R Stanton, Carol Van Der Woude, Stacey Weeks
Congratulations to each of you. You’ll be receiving an email with details about sending in your proposal.
Memorial Day is the one day we pause to remember those who gave their lives pursuing freedom for all us. And we do remember with deep thankfulness. However, Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summertime for many of us. Kids home from school. Vacations planned and taken. A break in the normal routine of the other nine months and, unfortunately, no lack of deadlines for the writer.
I thought it would be great if you could share some of the tips, tricks and hacks you use to keep writing despite travel and bored children. Use the comments to share with the writing community how you stay on track.
Here are a few of things I used to do when I had kids home and writing deadlines:
• Accountability— I have been part of a critique group for more than twenty-five years. Back in the day, we kept each other accountable in spite of those lazy, hazy, crazy days.
• Quiet time— I avoided the frantic schedule some parents kept with kids. Ours had to chose between activities– they couldn’t do it all. Plus we insisted on them spending time doing quiet hobbies for a small part of the day. My eldest daughter now credits this time for her love of music. We bought all the Disney animated music books for her and she loved playing these favorite songs on her flute and later her oboe (the instrument that accounted for her eventual scholarship to Biola). Our youngest daughter wrote and painted. Our son? Well. . . video games, but they loved this time and it allowed me time to write.
• Save your site research for summertime. The family will love to participate in researching sailing ships, marine life, historic settings, museums, and new places. Have them jot down details for you to use. They’ll notice entirely different things than you will.
• Enjoy these days in the midst of writing. They go so fast. I wish I could groan about kids home for three months all over again.
So, how do you work with the changed schedule of summertime when you have books to write? Help us out.
Types of Literary Agents
I speak for those who cannot stand
in the shade of a blue gum,
and quietly, they take my hand
and lead my heart among
their mates who did not want to die,
but had to give it all.
No salt tear mars steady eye,
and in death they stand tall,
only asking that I write
about their loves and cares,
lit not by bathos’ false stage-light,
and coloured not by airs
that are, today, victory’s proof,
but never were, in life, their truth.
Thank you, Andrew. Just lovely!
Thank YOU, Kristen.
Summer is especially crazy for us as we live at a Bible camp! That used to mean me chasing three young boys around the forest while my husband ran summer camps. This year, all three sons will be part of the ministry. Our youngest is washing dishes, our middle son signed up to assist the camp cook, and our oldest is a camp counselor! How do I still write? Well, staff meeting starts at 7:00 and so I get up early so that I can get a few words in before the craziness of each day begins.
Congratulations to all the Semi-finalists for the Writing Contest!!
You have no idea how wonderful the hooks were. It was tough picking semi-finalists!
Congratulations and blessings to all the semi-finalists!
Congratulations to the Hook Me With Your Hook winners! Great job!
I’m excited! Thanks so much.
Dear Wendy, I like your advice about having children choose between activities. It saved my sanity way back when.
Three years ago I needed to help my son care for his newborn son, I went to bed early and got up around 4:30 am so I could keep up with my weekly deadline for podcasts. The early to bed and early to rise has stayed with me. Deja lets me know if I’ve slept in. 🙂 She likes her early dollop of wet cat food as much as I like my morning coffee.
Re: Contest. I’m so excited and thankful to have an opportunity to submit a proposal. Although I saw the list earlier, I was too excited to comment. I hung out my laundry, cooked dinner, scheduled my social media posts, and did a happy dance (not in that order–of course). Now the real labor of love begins.
Congratulations to everyone.
Blessings ~ Wendy Mac
We are looking forward to seeing these proposals!
I have an early rising kitty, as well, for the same reason. We started the wet food for Azzie because he was getting older and losing weight, but Miney cat cries for it at dawn.
Congratulations, Wendy Mac!
Thank you, dear Shelli.
I’m smiling about your Miney because my daughter’s cat lines up for her daybreak dollop too. Normally she waited for my daughter to get up. I’m a cat grammy now. <3
Congratulations, everyone!
Congrats to all the semi-finalists!
Most of my kids are on the younger side, so quiet time is an absolute must for everyone’s sanity. 😀 This is also when I write, although sometimes if the baby goes down to bed easily I can sneak a few more sentences in the evenings.
Every now and again I try to get up an hour or so before everyone else to write, but without fail the 3 year old joins me so I’ve given up on that for a few years, lol.
I love the idea of including kids in research. I have a couple who are old enough now that I may just enlist them!
Congratulations to each of the Hook Winners! I’d love to see some of these winning hooks for my own edification, if that’s possible.
As to writing, accountability (my critique partners) and deadlines seem to work best in keeping me focused appropriately.
Thanks for the good tips, Wendy. They’re all helpful.
Thank you, Books & Such, for hosting this contest and for the opportunity to have our work critiqued! What a gift. Congrats on 25 years and congrats to all the finalists!