I Won a Contest! - A little inspiration about entering contests by Kelly McDonald #ChaBooCha

My post is really quick as I am drowning a little… and Becky may have to edit a lot (otherwise, I hope you read fluent typo).

I just got a publishing contract.

Yes!

Hooray. Through a company called Whitelight Publishing House.

Thought it would be a good one to write about. I have been telling stories, performing them, writing them for years and years and years.

I have quite a handful of finished but not edited novels and middle grade books.

I have heaps more picture story books.

I am in a handful of anthologies.

I’ve won places in quite a few awards such as a 1^st for a middle grade story in the CYA conference, and was named emerging writer of the year in 2013 (same year as win if I remember.) that story was a chaboocha story!

Sounds pretty good hey, except I haven’t had the courage to send to publishers.

Because… they aren’t finished. More to the point I still don’t feel quite good enough.

I love my Chapter Book Challenge. It makes me take time for me to write, but this year something different happened.

I entered a contest. It was with a company (Whitelight) who I have had my eye on. They are a vanity publishing house, and you can self-publish through them. I am not really interested in self-publishing my stories, but I am interested in creating a fairy oracle set I have been working on. It has a story too. And I think I want to control it because I want it to be exactly how I see it. I also have the perfect platform to sell it through my business. I’d also like to incorporate some kind of kickback to kids with cancer with it.

So I entered an old story about a ghost. I love the story, but my writing back then was um…. Sucky I think best describes it. Terribly sucky.

It was the last day to enter when I found it. But I knew the judging was still a few weeks off, so I entered, then asked if I could give the updated version before the judging. They said ‘yes,’ so I had a week to edit the first few chapters and send it in, hoping that they could read between the lines for the unedited bits.

Well, I made the finals. Four of us.

From here, it was given out to the public to see which one the public wanted to see in print. I won with 44 percent of the votes. To say I am thrilled is an understatement.

My ghost story has become my ChaBooCha as I scramble to edit the rest of it. – Now  with a deadline!

It is not how I thought I would first become published. But it is an open door and I have my foot firmly wedged in it.

I’m so excited.

It is so worth taking the opportunities that arise. Enter competitions. You never know. And besides from winning, you get to learn about the submission process, following guidelines and rules.

Get your work out there everyone!

And good luck!

Now, I am off to make a book cover. I’ve made about nine now I think (some for our Teacup Tales too). So to make the hype a little more active around my book, I am going to run a little model contest! Contact me if you want to know more about the contest.

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Kelly McDonald has been entertaining with stories and magic for more than 24 years as the Magical Faerie Crystall. She is married with two beautiful children and spends as much time on her writing and art as possible. She has been involved in many challenges and groups, including 12x12, Chapter Book Challenge and WOWnonfiction. Kelly has been awarded a first and third in the Australian CYA conference, and has numerous Commended and Highly Commended awards for her writing. Her fantasy art can be found  at http://www.facebook.com/gardenbabies or http://www.gardenbabyfaeries.webs.com and her author page is www.facebook.com/kelly.mcd.author.illustrator.

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Give-away

Give-away

If you are a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, comment on this post and you will be entered to win your choice of an inspirational magnet from this section of my shop. (The magnet pictured above is just one example.) Winner will be drawn by a random number generator at noon on March 31st and announced within 24 hours of the drawing. 

Inspiration from a ‘when I can' writer - guest post by Kelly McDonald #ChaBooChaLite

So you want to be a writer hey? Me too…

Oh, I mean… I AM a writer. But does that mean you have to write everyday. Well, my mentor says I should. All the how-to books say, of course, and every second reader out there will say DEFINITELY!

But me, I say no! I am a writer. I write very well thank you! I love writing. It’s something I need to do, it is something I love to do, I even have a few things published… but you know what? Sometimes life gets in my way.

I have work, school kids, babies, a new business, an old business, a husband, a house to clean, a life… but you know that  in any case, every chance I get free, you will find me…asleep!

Yep. Snoring! Sometimes at 8 pm, as soon as the big kids asleep. (Hopefully, the little kid is already in dream land.)

But sometimes, maybe every few days, or every other week, I get to write.

I, me, Kelly, steps aside, and my characters come out to play. My fingers whirl across the keyboard. My heart races, as my belly clenches in fear at what dangers lurk ahead for my hero and heroines.

And I do it. I write. And all is well in my world for a day or two, or three, or a week, until I can ride away once more on an adventure in my written work.

And then, there are those nights, when just before you go to sleep, a new character pops up and wakes you up! You just have to write something out before you forget what your new character was telling you.

In the morning, on the back page of the book you were reading, or your hubby’s head, or your pillow case, is scrawled a couple of barely legible lines of what some may call writing.

In a day, or two, or three, maybe a week… you sit before an empty page and try to recreate what that character, now a distant memory, was trying to tell you.

Don’t give up, life had its moments, and yours, (and mine) will come. You are a writer. Write when you can. It will come together in the end. I have faith in you!

Let’s do it together!

Sometimes life gets in the way, but YOU ARE a writer. DO it when you can. Think of it when you cant, join challenges, like ChaBooCha to keep you going and give you deadlines and challenges to meet. But don’t fret. You are a writer. And we are here for you!

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Kelly McDonald has been entertaining with stories and magic for more than 15 years as the Magical Faerie Crystall. She is married with two beautiful children and spends as much time on her writing and art as possible. She has been involved in many challenges and groups, including 12x12, Chapter Book Challenge and WOWnonfiction. Kelly has been awarded a first and third in the Australian CYA conference, and has numerous Commended and Highly Commended awards for her writing. Her fantasy art can be found at www.facebook.com/gardenbabies or http://www.gardenbabyfaeries.webs.com and her author page is www.facebook.com/kelly.mcd.author.illustrator.

***** 

Give-away

If you are signed up for ChaBooCha Lite, comment on this post and you will be entered to win your choice of an inspirational magnet from this section of my shop. (The magnet pictured above is just one example.) Winner will be drawn by a random number generator  and announced on September 30th.

How ChaBooCha Helped Me Grow As a Writer by Kelly McDonald

How ChaBooCha Helped Me Grow As a Writer

by Kelly McDonald

I had told stories all my life…it’s my job as an entertainer! But it was always picture books. Then, while living in Europe, I had an idea for a story. I started to write. Then I saw a competition for the text prize. It gave me a deadline, and I worked hard towards it…and finished my first YA novel! I smiled for days, walked on clouds, I couldn’t believe I had started and finished a story!

The following year, I had a dream. It was a nightmare actually. I woke up in a sweat, but knew that the dream I just had would make a fantastic story. So I wrote that too! Again, I was given the blissful feeling of accomplishment and smiled to myself for days.

Then I joined the 12x12 in 2012 picture book challenge, and through that met Becky. I saw her chapter book challenge. Why not I thought... 10,000 words… I shall give it a try, and see which age group I like to write for best! Cause you don’t know unless you tried, right?

So I madly began to think of themes/plots/storylines, and when March arrived I had an idea. About three chapters in, my characters took over my story and the plot changed. I wrote the HOLLOW, which I am so proud of. I am sure it is the best work I have ever done. I finished the challenge, and then wrote part 2. Then part 3. And have almost finished part 4.

I sent a few chapters in to a competition and received a commendation award for it. Then the organizer approached me (someone I highly respected and whose judgment I completely trusted) and asked if I would like a mentorship. Gasp, cry, fall over and get back up to the computer...yes yes yes yes please!

So my journey continued, and the amount I have learnt is unbelievable. The Hollow went from a 10,000 word story to a 35,000, possibly more, MG novel. I still get lost in the story as I revise and rewrite. The first chapter was rewritten about 5 times before the voice of the main character was right.

I have had so many opportunities come my way, each one making me a better writer, and stepping a little closer to success. It will happen, I just know it. And everyday, I ask the powers that be to please get Mr. Peter Jackson, to turn my story into the next blockbuster movie. I’m aiming for the stars people, and challenges like this, they help us get there, one step at a time, each step making us better at our craft.

Kelly has generously offered a prize for Chapter Book Challenge members. Kelly is an artist and photo-manipulator. She creates beautiful digital backdrops, photos manipulated into beautiful fairy art, book covers and personalized stories. The photos above are some examples of her book cover work. for more examples of Kelly's art, go to her Garden Babies Facebook page and have a look around.

Kelly is offering you all the chance to win a mock/concept cover for your story using photo manipulation or digital artwork. It won't be for commercial use, just for personal use only, but it might help you get an idea of what your cover would/could look like. She's also happy for the winner to supply images to use in this cover. All you have to do to enter in the drawing for it, if you are already a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, is to comment on this post by noon GMT on March 26th.

I think this sounds like something really fun!