NV: The Top Four!

The Top Four has been announced!

My favourite didn't make it but i'm going to have a read and vote for the best - i find it very interesting that none in the Contemporary category made it through!

New Voices round one results!

The results are in!
With not 20, but 21 finalists.
Good luck to the winners, i hope you get heaps of experience out of the consultation with mentors.

For those who didn't get through - don't give up! If you wake up every morning needing to write, have to stop the car to write down that flash of inspiration and go to bed with a notebook and pen beside the bed, well. You are a writer and if you keep writing, you will get where you want to go!

Fab Comment

Over at the New Voices competition, i've just read an awesome comment about Emma and Matt's first chapter:

Congratulations on posting such an amazing first chapter! This is definitely in my top ten and I'll be shocked if you don't make it to the top 20.

I'm a serial POV changer and yours didn't distract me in the slightest. I like the hints at conflict you are giving and love the way you started. I don't think I've ever read a book where the first line is a proposal of marriage, great hook!

There really isn't anything I can say I disliked about the chapter. My only gripe is that chapter 2 isn't available to read yet :)

I agree with a lot of the comments that have been made on my chapter, but isn't it nice to have someone like your writing, just the way it is!

Thanks Aimee Duffy :)

My Entry is up!

Just in case you've missed it - i have a link to the left which will take you straight to my chapter 1! Have a read and please let me know what you think - comments and feedback will make us all better writers ;)

I've entered, have you?

I've just hit submit on my entry to this year's New Voices competition! I just have to wait for them to load it, then i'll put a link to my chapter 1 in the side bar.

This year my entry is a best friends to lovers theme, starring Emma McCarthy and Matthew Jackson Dean.

Emma is inspired by Blake Lively and Matt by Jeff Dean Morgan.

Emma is sick of the status quo - denying her deep passion and love for her best friend, so she proposes! Matt, on the other hand, doesn't want to lose the only solid thing in his life. The only thing that keeps him from going over the edge and succumbing to his tortured past. By demanding he acknowledge the passion between them, brought on by one fatal kiss, will Emma lose her best friend?

Writing Competition is open!

Those of you who entered New Voices last year will be hyped up and already know about the competition that started on the 13th.

For those of you who don't: Mills & Boon have a competition to find new voices. There are mentors, judges and readers even have the chance to comment and vote for their favourites! With 3 rounds to find the winner, and some fantastic prizes, it's a great way to get feedback on your writing and maybe, just maybe get published!

I entered last year with my story about Billie and Cooper.
This year? I'm trying to polish the first chapter of Matt and Emma's story. But this will have to wait until next week. I have an assignment due on Monday and my daughter is having her 4th birthday party this Saturday!

Go here for more info and to enter!

New Voices Top Four are in!

And Leah Ashton has made the cut!! Well done Leah.
Leah is one of my followers and has done an awesome job on her submissions! Go and have a read at The New Voices website
Of course if you like it keep an eye out for the next installment of the Pivotal Moment and get your votes in!!

Standing out from the crowd

Well the list is up on the NV site and sadly i didn't stand out from the crowd as one they wanted to see more of.
What do you think makes someone's writing stand out from the crowd, what does it for you?
But that is not going to stop me from submitting. I think persistance is the key and also, the next two chapters show some really good character development and plot so they may change their minds once they have it and the Synopsis.

Argh. The Synopsis.
Off to write that one, but i am dreading it as i have changed my writing style and have become a Pantser. I'd found once i'd plotted everything out i was then bored and didn't want to write the story anymore!
Maybe if i make the synopsis a little vague...i do know how it will end and i have written 65% of the story, so surely that will be enough without ruining it for me!

Second Chance

The editors at New Voices are giving all the submissions a chance to get a critique! Just check out their latest post:

Want to know what the editors thought of YOUR submission?!

by Bethan Hilliard on Thursday 30 September, 2010, 2:59 PM

We've been listening...

...And we know that you guys would love to know more about what Romance HQ thought of your submission. And why wouldn't you?! You've all worked hard, been very brave and pressed the submit button! We're very proud of all of you...

In an ideal world, we'd give each and every one of you a critique, but that's a task beyond even our fabulous editors. So, what we'd like to do is give 10 of you the chance to find out what Romance HQ thought of your entry.

Like the sound of that?

We hope so! If you'd like to be in with a chance of getting a critique - and we'll be honest! - please leave a comment below this post. You have until 7pm GMT on Monday 4th October to do that. Then we'll put the names of everyone who has expressed an interest into a hat and pull out 10. We'll announce who they are on Tuesday 5th October and start posting on Thursday 7th October.

Warning - we'll be posting the critiques here on the New Voices site, so everyone else will be able to see what we thought as well. We hope it will help everyone to get an insight into how the editors tick!

And there's more!

As we've said so often, we were stunned with the quality of the entries and many of you have asked what that means... Well, there are a number of submissions that we'd really like to follow up. At the moment, Romance HQ is compiling a list of authors we intend to contact after the end of the New Voices competition. We will be posting that list in the middle of next week...

We would like to thank you all again for being part of New Voices. You've all beenutterly fabulous and this is our (small!) way of thanking you all for your hard work, enthusiasm, generosity and for all of the fun you've given Romance HQ over the last month!

Romance HQ. x

Of course i've left a comment, i want that feedback to improve, to learn! Make sure you leave a comment if you entered and want a chance to have your feedback too - (but of course it will be public so the others can learn too)
And you never know, there is that hope that i may be in that other list too :)

Top Ten are in!!!!

Go and check out the Top Ten!
Sadly i didn't make it, but that won't stop me from polishing my first three chapters and writing the dreading synopsis and sending that in the normal route.
I'm also going to read those top ten chapters and see if i can spot the 'magic' that editors were looking for!
Congrats top ten!!!

The Fabulous Lacey's Chapter!

Lacey Devlin has been so awesome as to create the awesome badge on my sidebar for the New Voice's competition. Many of the entrants for the comp have snagged themselves one and Lacey has created a 'Wall of Fame' on her blog, letting every one know the name of their entry a brief rundown of the chapter and of course the author's name.
But what about her own?
She silently slipped it in without telling anyone!
Misbehaving with the Retail Magnate features an internationally renowned blogger heroine and hot hero named Cooper (how could i not love him, he shares the same name as my own!). This chapter is so good! You have to check it out!!
Well done Lacey, and Good Luck :)

Hidden Comments at New Voices

Well, i was getting a bit discouraged that my story was worthy any comments over at the New Voices Competition!
Nicole had left a fantastic comment, and a had some great roses, but no more comments. I want to know what people think of my writing - doesn't everyone?!
But then i searched through all the 600 odd pages of the comments in the discussion section and found about 8 comments.
Billie has come across with a lot of spunk and sass, i have a good voice. I'm very excited!

But i'm also feeling rather daunted - There are hundreds of awesome chapters up there!! How is mine going to make it to the top ten?
Oh well, if it doesn't i'll just finish the rest of the story and send it through the normal line!
Good luck to the rest of you :)

A New Voice

I've done it!
I've submitted my 1st chapter in the New Voices competition. The Price of Passion. Billie and Cooper's story renamed and reworked.
Click on the button in the sidebar and have a read - be sure to rate it or leave a comment so i know what you think! That is the reason why i've submitted it after all.
In the words of my husband "You may as well find out if you're any good or barking up the wrong tree"!!

Backstory, POV, Problems, Oh my!

Yep, i'm having reworking and editing problems for my chapter for New Voices submission!
But probably so are a lot of people wanting to enter.
But i'm slowly working through them with the help of my fab writing buddy. In between the busyness of motherhood. I just hope it will be ready for my deadline of tomorrow :s

Too soon?

Arrrhh!
This is what is running through my head as i am editing and reshaping my first chapter for submitting for the competition.
I knew as i was writing my WIP i would have to edit and rework it but i was hoping to not have to until i'd finished and now i am doing it before i'm finished.
Am i doing it too soon, or will it make it stronger now?
Anyway, i'm cutting out quite a lot from the beginning as it has way too much of that dreaded backstory! Inevitable when you are working with characters who have a past, and a newbie writer :)
Now i'm trying to filter it in so it is more 'present' and makes sense while keeping the tension, and hopefully readable.
What do you think the word count should be for the first chapter? The conditions for the comp said no more than 10,000 but i think this is too many words for a first chapter personally, so do i do half this or do the whole lot???
Arrrhh!!!

Gearing up to Submit

Yep that's right! I wasn't going to but i have decided to enter the New Voices competition with Mills and Boon.
It is open to the public, they will read the chapter and rate it, the judges take note and choose the finalists for the round 1, then round 2, then readers pick the winner!
When i asked my husband if i should enter he said "You may as well see if you are any good or barking up the wrong tree"!!
He loves me, supports me, doesn't want me to waste my time if it isn't going to get me anywhere (but i still will if i love it - don't tell him ;) ).
So i am revisiting chapter 1 of my WIP and editing and reshaping to whip it into shape for the public eye. Check out the link for the submissions so far! They are fab!