Challenge Twenty-Three: Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month and The Guild of the Fantastic Quill will be celebrating with a challenge. Your challenge is to include a female historical/famous figure in either a poem or a story. You can even include your chosen famous woman in your fanfiction if you'd prefer. While she doesn't have to be an actual character, she and some explanation as to her significance to the world at large must be mentioned and relevant to the piece. Have fun, learn something new, and don't forget to comment and tell us about your chosen famous woman and your story/poem. You have the entire month of March to complete this challenge.

On another subject, I'd like to remind everyone that we're still doing birthday wishes. (I, for one, am already behind on Kimmi's wish, but she will receive it...someday, hee.)

Kimmi's Birthday Wish!

Okay, so I've been MIA in the blogosphere for a while. But thats because my poor little brain can only focus on one thing at a time and the one thing I've been focusing on is my student teaching. I'll get to writing and posting again once I'm certain I know what I'm doing, lol.

Okey! My birthday is next week! And from you, my talented writer friends I have two ideas!

1. House/Glee xover: New Directions go on the road! But as you may (or may not know) Quinn is pregnant. More or less, Quinn goes into labor and who's the lucky doctor that's at the clinic? Why our lovely Dr. House! Does he have a musical bone in his body? Or will he smack each and every one of the gleeks in the shins with his walking stick until they stop singing "Don't Stop Believing" ? Lol well that's up to you, isn't it?

2. There's trouble a-brewing in the Supernatural universe. A musically inclined demon sees how the techno-eastern beats of Bollywood seem to torture the Winchester boys and through some feat of magical do the boys are trapped in an upbeat Om Shanti Om style Bollywood musical! Ghosts, beautiful girls, romance, and awesome dance numbers, what more could a fan ask for?

Okay. So if that doesn't stretch your writing muscles... well I don't know what will. Lol. Give it a shot my friends!

Challenge Twenty-Two: Valentine's 2010

Well, since poetry seems to be what everyone associates with Valentine's, this challenge is a poetry one!

• Write a 50-100 word poem on the theme of love or Valentine's Day.
• You must use at least 3 of the following prompt words: courtly love, cards, red, pink, paper, St. Valentine, fertility, champagne, flowers, chocolates, hearts, bird, lace, leather, white
• Deadline: Feburary 14, 2010

As usual, post the link to your complete poem in the comments under this post. Have fun, everyone!!

Announcing: Birthday Challenges!!

A new, fun feature to the Guild! Each member can now post "Birthday Challenges." Allow me to explain:

On your birthday, post a challenge entitled, for example, "Kim's Birthday Challenge." You can add a one, the year, or your age if you want as I'm sure we're all hoping this'll become a regular thing. Then, set a challenge that YOU would like to see especially geared towards you...using a favorite character, a favorite theme, whatever you want. Kind of like asking for a birthday gift from the Guild members ;).

You can post post a one-shot fanfic challenge, a one-shot original fiction challenge, a fanart challege, or a poetry challenge. So long as you give the Guild at least two options. Then, set a deadline. Easy as pie.

The known GFQ birtdays that are upcoming are:

Kimmi's: Feb. 4
Patricia's: March 8
Hillary's: March 18
Slinky's: April 3
Savannah's: May 15

If anyone else would like to post a Birthday challenge whose birthdate is not listed here, please comment with your birtdate on this post. Happy Challenging, and Birthday!

Challenge Twenty-One: Finish the Damned Fanfic

Forgive the language, but isn't it about time you finished that fan fiction story you've been working on for (dare I say) years?

If you haven't already guessed, this challenge is aimed towards writers of fanfiction. January is here, 2010 has arrived, and yet there are fanfiction stories strewn over the pages of the net, awaiting conclusion. I, for one, have many the unfinished gems (*cough*) awaiting their intended epilogues. So, let's say goodbye to at least one fanfiction chapter story this month.

Challenge: Complete one chapter story this month. It doesn't matter whether you started it last week or three years ago, any ff chapter story qualifies.

Deadline: Feb. 1st

Bonus Points: Bonus points go to anyone who finishes a fanfiction story that requires at least five more chapters.

Comment with a link to the story you finish (even if you haven't posted the finished chapters yet).

Good luck and viva la quill!

Challenge Twenty: Blueprint Your '10 Novel

So, 2010 is finally here. . . Feels quite a bit like 2009, doesn't it? Oh, well. Perhaps when we're all Timelords, we'll be able to see New Years in a different light. For those of you who aren't completely bogged down with over-ambitious New Years Resolutions, I'd like to present you with Writing Challenge #20, The Blueprint Challenge.

This challenge is intended for original fiction, specifically novels, novellas, and serials. Deep down, ever aspiring writer has several "novel" (punpun) ideas floating about. These ideas are sometimes confined to the mind and sometimes jotted down on a scrap of paper. But the point is, they're simply ideas. So, let's take one of those ideas and mold it into a full story.

This challenge will not have a specific deadline, though I'd like to see a response at the beginning of the year (some time in the month of Jan.). The challenge intended to get your creative little minds focused on the "busy work" of writing. Essentially, though, this is the fun part: coming up with several little plotlines, characters, motifs, etc. and forming a novel around them.

Challenge:
Create a blueprint of your novel. Focus on chapters, subplots, character development. Pretend you're building a house. Start with the base and work your way up. Create the frame. The writing part (the filler) will come later. Come up with your own process.

If you accept this challenge, post a comment below. You don't have to tell us about your novel idea, but I'd like to know if you'll be outlining/blueprinting a story to write in 2010. Also, after you've finished your blueprint, return to this post and comment on your process.

Bonus Points:

Bonus Points, those invisible little gold coins for the competitor inside, go to the participants who not only comment but also post a blog entry explaining how they formulated their blueprint. This entry should be intended to help those who are still struggling with outlining. You don't necessarily have to give away the plot of your story, just explain how you were able to mold your ideas into a workable blueprint for a novel.

GOOD LUCK!

Fear of the New Year

Just had to share this little comic. If any of you are in need of inspiration or a way to procrastinate on the web, visit Inkygirl 's blog. It's great :D or the WillWriteForChocolate.com comics. If you were part of NaNoWriMo, you might recognize her work.

I identified really well with the comic because sometimes, the world just seems too big. Especially when you're making plans. And what better time to make plans than New Years Eve. So, as you see 2010 unfolding in your imagination, just keep this in mind: if you don't like coffee, there's always hot cocoa via Trish.

Challenge Nineteen: The Gift

Okay, and welcome back from our detour into Nano-Land! I hope everyone did well. Congrats to our own Slinky for winning. And, to any of our new members, welcome and if you partcipated and won, congrats. Your reward: a fanfic challenge, should you choose to accept.

The rules to this lovely, Xmas themed challenge is as follows:

• Pick one of the fandoms listed below. The characters listed are to be the main focus of the fic you are going to write:

--Harry Potter= Harry Potter and Severus Snape

--Supernatural= Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester

--House, M.D.=House and Thirteen

--Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series= Angel and Illyria

--Vampire Hunter D= D and Meier Link

--Castlevania= Alucard and Isaac

--Batman (The Animated Series, the movie franchise, etc.)= Catwoman and Joker

--Stargate: SG-1/Stargate: Atlantis= Sam Carter and Ronon Dex

--Witchblade the TV Series= Sara Pezzini and Ian Nottingham

--Veronica Mars= Logan and Mac

• Now, after you have made your choice from the list above, you must write a one-shot (a single chaptered work of 500 words or more) in which one of the two assigned characters gives a gift to the other assigned character for Christmas. You must choose one of the following gifts:

--Nutcracker, rose, a cat, handheld blender/mixer, dagger, photograph, stuffed dog, shoes, self help audio book, or a nail file.

• Deadline for this challenge is December 26, 2009...just to give a little extra time.

Remember, after you have written and posted your story, comment on this post and link us to your story so that we can read it. Have fun!

Challenge Eighteen: Thanksgiving Challenge

Okay, I know that we are all in the midst of NaNo or just finishing up some schoolwork, so this challenge will be simple.

• Write a poem of any length about Thanksgiving
• Include at least two of the following prompt words: pilgrims, indians, maize, turkey, Mayflower, sweet potato, hunting, football
• Due date is Friday, November 27, 2009...to give you a little more time since I'm posting this so late.

Well, happy writing! We'll be posting more challenges soon enough!

Things to Think About when Writing

Well, I'm taking a few minutes break from NaNoWriMo to talk about a couple of things that have been in my mind while I've beening doing my own mad writing dash through the first five days.

First off, I hope everyone is doing well. And even if you are behind right now, fear not! You can always catch up, regardless of what's going on elsewhere this month. On that note, I've heard one or two out in the NaNo world complain of being stuck in their novel. To them, I offer these suggestions. If you can't think of what's coming next, skip to a part you know. Just leave a little marker or note (notes count as words) to come back after NaNo is done or at the last few days of NaNo when you are still short a couple of thousand words. Also, don't worry about the "whats" of the novel right now. Word count is your primary goal. As it says on the NaNo calendar currently present on my laptop, "Don't have any ninjas? Add some!" Do ANYTHING to get yourself moving again.

I bring this up because I noticed that my output, so far today, has been lower than it has been the last few days. I began to worry that I was stuck...which I thought was impossible, due to my outlines. But, I realized, I was not stuck...I just needed a breather. This could also be the case for those of you who are "stuck." Take a break and come back a little later. Watch some TV, eat something that doesn't have caffeine in it, take a bath/shower, do anything but write. Then, in a couple of hours (or whenever your next section of free time comes that day), try again. That's my plan.

Which brings up another thought I had, even though NaNo is a huge part of our lives in Nov, one must remember to make time to do things that are more relaxing than worrying about word count. Breathers and sleep are important, as well as entertainment activities. And you want to know the upside to this? They'll probably act as inspiration for you novel. In fact, just today in class, I had an idea for something totally minor to mention in my novel, towards the end...but that toally minor mention will still take up word count. Remember, quanity is for Novemeber, quality is for December.

And don't forget to read. It is my personal belief that all authors must be readers...now, I don't care what it is that they read, just do it! Books, magazines, news articles, scientific journals, anything! And again, this could act as inspiration.

So, how is everyone feeling about NaNo? Well, one last reminder from me on this subject...just have fun with it! No one is judging you!

Now, on more Guild related matters, I'll be posting up a couple of new challenges...and maybe some informal ones that serve more as recommendations...later this month. Most will have Dec. due dates, with one--a short one!--being due in Nov.! Be on the look out for those!

And, finally, I'd like to thank dear Slinky for keeping us inspired with her daily updates in the upper left corner of our Guild.

Happy NaNoing!

--Patricia
Head of the Department of Backstory
15,917 words

Keyword Density Info for Freelance Writers

Since I'm just now getting involved in the world of freelance writers, and I know a few of my fellow Guild members are interested in online writing as well, I thought I'd post this helpful article on Keyword Density and SEO. How Search Engines actually work is somewhat confusing to the novice. This article breaks down some of the bigger issues facing writers learning about SEO and keywords. I hope a few of you find this helpful.


Keyword Density Not Enough for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
All the social bookmarking in the world will not help you if the search engines can't find your article in the first place. And search engines can't find you unless you speak their language.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/215422/keyword_density_not_enough_for_search.html

NaNoWriMo: Soon, My Precious, Soon

Smell that, Guild folk? That's the scent of National Novel Writing Month, right around the corner. Sure, it smells a little like jerky, pocky sticks, and spilled soft drinks--but isn't it great? Everyone here should know what NaNoWriMo is. If you don't know, refer to previous posts or go to www.NaNoWriMo.org. In fact, one of our active challenges involves NaNoWriMo. And, oh how I plan on tackling that challenge this coming week. I'm hoping this blog serves as a NaNo reminder to Guild members who might like to participate. I know Patricia, Kimmi, and I have already started preparing for our novel writing experience.

I've been trying to get myself inspired. I've written an Associated Content article on the challenge (well, not specifically, but on preparing for NaNo through background stories), and it should be up within a few days.

In the mean time, I thought I might suggest a few activities to keep you motivated while you write your outline for your NaNo novel:

• You could begin to gather your music playlist for November (thanks, Patrica, for reminding me).
  
• Aside from this, the more artistic guild members might want to think about drawing character sketches or gathering celebrity pictures to use as character references.
• Also, NaNoWriMo has a place to upload your "cover page" under Novel Info, if you'd like to create one for fun.
  
• Maps can be your friend. For fantasy writers, draw a map of the areas, blue print the buildings, decide where to place the mudmen in your bog, etc.
  
• Make a banner for your novel and put it on your social networking sites or use it in your NaNo signature to advertise your story. Mine is above, obviously :D Here's where you can go to make your own:
  

http://www.bannersketch.com/index.php?pid=home

• Make a YouTube trailer. Yeah, I've never made a video before, but this morning at about 2am, I woke up and decided that it would be a good idea. This was the result of that experiment (leave a comment, haha):
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clsQpHabBD4

or the video below might also work. (Disclaimer: I do not own the music or the photos. Better disclaimer located on YouTube, haha.)







EDIT: Another thing to help prepare and motivate is a calendar. Check out these calendars made by folks in the NaNoWriMo forums:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3264274?page=1

Fiction Writing: Three Ways to Use the Colors of the Seasons to Describe Setting
How to use color to describe setting and set mood in fiction.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2252127/fiction_writing_three_ways_to_use_the.html

Challenge Seventeen: Trick or Treat!

Okay, it's that time of year again, boys and ghouls! Halloween is upon us. So, in honor of a most fun holiday, here's a challenge!

• Choose three of the following prompt words: witch, black, howl, ghost, candy, chocolate, zombie, vampire, midnight, blood, gore, fright, screech, scream, tomb, dead, or goblin
• Write a poem of at least 100 words!
• The word "Halloween" must appear at least once inside the poem!
• And finally, the end of the poem must be a "trick" (read: twist or surpise) or "treat" (read: nice; the way everyone would hope for).

Due Date for this challenge is by midnight, Oct. 31...the witching hour! Happy haunting...I mean, writing!!

Challenge Sixteen: The Jeopardy! Challenge

Okay, so this actually has nothing to do with Jeopardy, but it runs something like it's Answer and Question format. This is the Answer Challenge! In the past, we've had several Question challenges, were we would give you selected questions and, through a fandom character, you had to answer that question FOR that character. This time, we're going to flip you on your head.

Because we're all kind of busy this semester, we'll free you up some for this one.

• Choose any fandom you'd like to write for (for fandom, read: fanfiction)
• After you've chosen your fandom, choose your main character. This is to whom the answer must apply
• Then, choose one of the answers below.
• Using this "answer," in the space of a one-shot (500 word minimum), find the question that applies to this answer for this character.

Answers:

Because I love him/her.

Because this is my sacrifice.

Because I am evil/good.

Because I live the lie, everyday.

Bonus Points: If you write for a fandom you've never written for before!!

Due: Oct. 28, 2009