Monday, December 30, 2013

Resolutions, 2014 Style...

Happy Holidays (belated, my apologies) to all of you around the world!  I hope that you had the chance to celebrate the season with loved ones and cheer.

As the new year looms, we often find ourselves making resolutions for it.  Lose some weight, travel more, keep better touch with friends, spend less, save more, climb a mountain, etc.  Personally, I make at least 5 and keep probably 1.  A year is a long time that goes by faster than we plan (life, in general, does this to us) and I find myself--as most of you do, I'm sure--making the same resolutions, promising I'll keep them this cycle.  In 2014, I plan to change my 80% failure rate by changing the way I make and keep resolutions.

Like with homework, people tend to put it off until time is running out.  If we have a WHOLE YEAR to succeed in something, many times, we'll find ourselves occupied in ways that keep our old habits alive and prevent us from following through with ridding them.  Or we'll start out hell bent on succeeding and actually keep our promises at first, only to burn and fizzle out a couple months in (this is especially true for smoking, money and weight loss/diet resolutions, I've seen).  So instead of giving ourselves this massive timeframe that will be done in a blink, let's tighten things up, really challenge our willpower.  

I have a higher success rate when I set goals without such a broad time line.  My resolutions for 2014 won't be just for the entire year.  No, I'll be doing it by quarter, by tier.  So to start, by March 31, I must complete the tiers of my resolutions to move on to the next phase.  The plan is to be reminded regularly, and rewarded quarterly, with progress and ultimately, success.  And with each quarterly success, the reward will not only be the self-congratulatory pat on the back; I'll treat myself to something, because what's effort without a little reward??  If I succeed in keeping my resolutions and make it to 2015 without needing to repeat the years prior, I'll give myself a big reward and follow the same game plan for that year.

Obviously there are resolutions that harder than others.  I give everyone who does what they've set out to do on New Year's Eve/Day a huge high five because it's not easy.  We shouldn't judge ourselves--or others, for that matter--too harshly when we don't follow through.  But I will tell you this: The only person capable of changing you and your ways, is you.  No amount of affirmations, positivity chants, meditation, etc., is going to make the changes needed if you're not willing to put the work in to succeed.  Invest in yourself, because you're worth it, and no one else will know just how valuable and amazing you are if you don't believe that.  I promise.  It's hard to believe in someone who doesn't believe in themselves.  Change is hard, I can't say that enough, but I believe failure to believe in ourselves and what we're capable of is harder to deal with, because with it comes regret and lost opportunities.  We live once, and if there is only one thing to remind of why you need to keep whatever your resolutions are, let that be it.  Today is a gift, so live in the present.  I love that saying.  :) 

And my little lecture is more for me and my self-deprecating alter-ego than it is for anyone else.  So without further adieu, here are my writing resolutions for quarter 1 of 2014 (I'll save you my personal ones because, well, they're personal, haha):

1.) Find a mentor
2.) Perfect the query that haunts me
3.) Submit said query to at least 5 agents
4.) Write every day for at least 60 minutes (this is something I used to do, but stopped once things turned sour).
5.) Blog more

And there you have it.  Number 1 is kind of a doozy, but I think it's a reasonable one to start the year with.  On March 31, I'll post my quarter 2 resolutions and my successes/failures from the first batch.  I'll also tell you what I reward myself with, because it'll be completely dependent on my rate of success.  

What are your resolutions?  Got any pointers for success?  Post them in the comments!!  



One more thing that I'll be changing in 2014...  Critique rounds.  As much as I love hosting them (I truly, truly do), I may start shying away from those for a bit.  I've spent a lot of time helping other writers get the feedback they've needed to grow and polish their work, and over a dozen of the participants have gone on to sign with agents and/or publishers.  I've personally critiqued countless writers, and I'm honored to have done so.  I've been a cheerleader, a councilor, a friend.  I'm proud to be a part of your journeys, proud of these rounds and all the writers who've joined in and shared.  I'm also humbled by it all.  But in turn, I haven't been helping myself when I'm busy focusing on helping others succeed.  It's just another one of the many ways I've lost sight of my own writing journey.  Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I need to focus on me and my characters more, at least until I get to a place where I can give more of myself to helping fellow writers without it causing my own writing to feel neglected.  It's partly why I want a mentor; after all I've been through and all I've given, I think I need someone to guide me back on course and help to keep me there, keep me accountable and level.  

It's in my nature to help others, it's something that gives me great joy, but I have a tendency to give more of myself than I can afford, and little-to-none to myself.  I can't help it, helping others is something I love to do.  I'm very motherly haha.  And like a true mother, I am riddled with guilt because no matter how much I give, I never feel like it's enough.  But I want to celebrate a writing success of my own soon, outside of NaNoWriMo.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a tad left behind by my writing pals who've "made it".  I'm so happy for them, but sad, too, because I'm not there yet (which is entirely my own fault for falling behind).  Time for me to catch up!

This decrease in rounds may also help those who enter, though.  The number of entrants have started to slide, so I'm hoping that by spreading out the rounds a little, it might increase the traffic when I do host them.  Because the more traffic, the more feedback for your work.  

I hope you guys understand--it feels like a punishment to lessen the opportunities to get valuable feedback on your work because I know how rare these chances can be, but to me because I'm the one stepping back, if that even makes sense.  Maternal guilt, I guess, haha.

Just know I love and adore you guys and will always be here to offer my support in anyway I can afford.  We're all in this writing adventure together.  It's time for me to really shine.  2014 has got to be my year.  I hope it is for you, as well.  

Happy New Year!  <3

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Under the Influence #4


TITLE: THE QUEEN OF GREEN AND HER DOG ARTICHOKE
GENRE: MG CONTEMPORARY 

LOGLINE:  When Ella, a spunky cook who loves all things green, is offered her dream of hosting a TV cooking show, she finds that being a celebrity isn’t easy peasy, and someone’s sabotaging her show. With help from her Pomeranian, Artichoke, Ella learns that, holy moley, she’s blaming the wrong person, and she must decide whether to risk her career by telling the truth or play into the network’s plans to exploit her for higher ratings.
  
FIRST 250:  

With her mom’s pageant crown nestled in her red curls, Ella Baxter poured blended broccoli into her homemade spaghetti sauce. It was her seventh try for the perfect recipe. She stirred the green into the red and let it bubble for a few minutes before scooping out a spoonful. Blowing across the wooden spoon, Ella closed her eyes, and tasted. Not the kind of taste where you chew twice and swallow. The sauce slid across her tongue, hitting every taste bud. 

Wrinkling her freckled nose, she sighed. “Holy moley, I did it. This is it.” Ella imagined what it would be like to stand in front of an audience as the host of her own TV cooking show. After tasting the spaghetti, her fans would jump out of their seats applauding. They’d love her green recipes. Her shoulders slumped. She was just a ten-year-old kid. How old would she have to be before she realized her dream?
Au-au, woof! Ella felt soft paws on her legs. She knelt down and ruffled the neck of the world’s most adorable golden Pomeranian. Holding out the spoon, Ella said, “Okey dokey, Artichokie. What do you think?” His enthusiastic tail told Ella that he thought it was perfect too.
Two great things happened on the day Ella found Artichoke. For her birthday, her dad had taken her to the shelter. She fell in love with the tiny three-pound dog when his sad brown eyes peered through the bars of the cage.

Under the Influence #3


Title: The Last Innocent
Genre: NA- Urban Fantasy

Logline: When a demon prince kidnaps her best friend, twenty-two-year-old Sarah Croshen must fulfill a destiny she never asked for, to be unveiled and become a Supreme, or risk her friend’s death.

First 250

After adjusting the showerhead to pulse, Sarah turned the knob to increase the temperature and drew a deep breath of the moist, dense air. Water pelted against her delicate flesh like hot needles. Her pale skin blotched from the extreme heat, but it felt so good. Sarah closed her eyes against the pain in her abdomen as she slipped under the jets. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders.
A thirty-year-old tune from 1993 streamed through the house speakers and bounced off the blue-and-white tiled walls of the small bathroom. The sensation of someone watching her crept into her consciousness. Despite the heat, a chill ran down her spine. Sarah opened one eye and looked around. It was a familiar feeling, but as always, no one was there.
“I’m not going crazy, damn it.” The sound of her voice did little to calm her anxiety. Besides, who would believe her if she told them? Sarah tipped her head to the ceiling and laughed at the idea of how she would sound to her friends and family, then gagged and sputtered from the spray of water.
The razor lifted from its cradle. Sarah’s eyes widened. She watched as it crashed to the shower floor, separating the blade from its handle then ricocheting off the glass door. She jumped, nearly losing her footing on the slippery enamel when she landed. Her instincts were correct. She wasn’t alone. 

Under the Influence #2

TITLE: Return To Spender
GENRE: MG Fantasy

LOGLINE: Return To Spender is a story about an eleven-year-old boy who
inherits a magical twenty-dollar bill that he can spend over and over,
then risks losing it forever when he fails to keep the bill a secret.

FIRST 250: 


William's eyes locked on the large silver mailbox as the
school bus pulled up in front of his house. Pushing past everyone, he
raced off the bus into the bright sunlight, reaching the box in three
giant steps. He tugged the door open and found it empty. Again. In the
last four of his eleven years, it had been his job to bring the mail
in, but not anymore. Not since Christmas when his mother changed
shifts at the bank. It hadn't been a big deal then, but it was now.

His backpack, one strap frayed and holding on by a few threads, hung
heavily on one shoulder covered by a jacket that was no longer needed.
The long sleeves of his Detroit Red Wings shirt threatened to make the
trek up the driveway into a workout on the warm mid-March afternoon in
Mason, the small Midwestern town where he lived. This only added to
his frustration.

He sent a small rock halfway up the driveway with a swift kick. Two
weeks ago when William found out about the secret family gift, he
couldn't wait to see what happened. But now he was anxious to see if
being born on the twenty-ninth of February held any real magic. When
he came to the same rock again, he slowed and aimed the front end of
his sneaker. This time it tumbled across the driveway and into the
brown grass. He looked for another but, unable to find one, kicked at
nothing.

Under the Influence #1

TITLE:  The Blame Collector
GENRE: YA Fantasy

LOGLINE: With her execution imminent, 16-year-old Selby, who everyone believes brought a curse upon the land by killing her cousin, decides to save herself and her people by using black magic to raise her cousin from the dead, with disastrous consequences. The Blame Collector journeys to remedy the horror that Selby has unleashed, while Selby herself works frantically to solve the mysteries of her past--before the ax falls.

FIRST 250:

           The black robes were like the shiny black surface of a tar pit, ghostly hands protruding with sharp nails.  Poison green eyes gleaming from beneath a heavy hood.

           A demon come to take her away.

           Tap, tap, tap.  Each step forward a warning.

           Air swirled around the black robes, billowing them out.  The candle on the table flickered.

           The curtain ripped from its rod and fluttered to the Blame Collector’s feet.  “You cannot hide from me, child.”

           Selby pulled her little legs tighter into her body, her chin tucked behind her knees as she tried to push further into the corner.  She was only six years old, but she had already done the worst thing in the world.

           “For what you have done, I curse you,” the Blame Collector growled.  “There will be suffering in this land because of you.  Still, I will give you ten years to repent, to rid yourself of your evil.  If you fail, you will be subject to whatever punishment the lady of Yarrow sees fit.”

           The ghostly hands clapped together.  The candle blew out.  The air in the room grew still, sticky, warm, like heart’s blood turned to vapor.

           Then the robes swished against the flagstones as the dark figure disappeared into the night-black hallway, leaving the little girl alone with her curse.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Last Day for "Blind" Critique Round Submissions!

Hey all!  Just a quick reminder that today is the LAST DAY of submissions.  I'm accepting all entries, finished or unfinished manuscripts.  Loglines are optional.  

If I don't receive at least 3 more submissions, then I may bump this round out a week, to maximize the pool of entries (silly me, I didn't consider the holiday!).  

If you have any questions, hit me up in the comments or send me an email or tweet.  

Let's get this party roaring!! :)

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

"Under the Influence" Blind Critique Round Submission Window Open!!

*SUBMISSION WINDOW HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL DECEMBER 4 at 8 AM EST.  ENTRIES GO LIVE DECEMBER 4 AT 10 AM AND THE CRITIQUE TIME FRAME ENDS AT 8 PM EST DECEMBER 9.*


First I must apologize for this being late; Not ten minutes after posting my birthday blog entry, I got news that my beloved Nana has been diagnosed with end stage cancer.  As I've said countless times, 2013 has been horrible, and receiving this news on top of everything else I've been through is crushing, to say the least.  She is one of the most important people in my life, and this news is sudden and devastating.  But, because she would want me to continue doing what I do, I'm keeping positive and appreciating the time I have left with her.  Which will, understandably, cause me some more distractions and time away from the site, so please continue to be patient with me.  

My nana has taught me so much, especially in the strength and courage department, so as much as this is trying to destroy me, I won't let it.  She wouldn't want it to, especially after all the progress I've made to get back on track.  So for her, I will continue move forward, to honor her and her wishes for my success and happiness.

This month's critique round will be called "Under the Influence".  This particular round is especially for those of you who entered Baker's Dozen 2013, but didn’t receive the response you’d hoped for or maybe don’t understand why yours wasn’t chosen.  The anticipation is over, and now it's time to get back to work.  Here is your opportunity to see what might have gone wrong and to help others with the same.  I'll accept up to 50 full entries (logline and first page).  Hopefully, the feedback you'll receive here will give you what's needed to get your work chosen for the next contest or auction (Secret Agent is right around the corner!).

The catch?  This round's critiques will be BLIND.  A quote from my last blog post: "I've often wondered how much influence the first critique has on the ones that follow.  Not saying everyone is following suit, but just like movie reviews, sometimes our opinions can be swayed, even if only a little, by what the first person who saw/read it said.  So, when I post the entries, there will be a critique window.  All critiques must be submitted during this time frame.  But the catch is, no one but me will see the critiques until the time frame closes.  When it does, I'll release the critiques from the queue for all to read.  I think it will be really interesting to watch unfold!!"

So there you have it!  Once the entries go live on Sunday, you will have until Wednesday December 4 at 10 PM EST to leave your comments.  At that time, I will open the flood gates, releasing them for all to see.

This round I will accept all genres and it is one entry per person, per genre (So you can submit 1 adult, 1 NA and/or 1 YA/MG).

Starting now, please send submissions to ktcritiques [AT] gmail.com by 10 PM EST Saturday night, November 30.  I will post them Sunday, December 1 at KTCROWLEY.COM for critiquing.

In the subject, please state “DEC BLIND ENTRY”.

Please list the TITLE, GENRE and your SCREEN NAME (I will not include screen names in the critique posts, these are for my purposes only. Your screen name is the name you'll use to critique others in the comments.) above your logline and 250 words (format it the way you normally would). Please do not stop in the middle of a sentence. If it goes over the 250 limit by a couple of words, that's fine. If you stop at say, 235 words, that's fine, too.  As for the logline word limit, I'll make the cut 75 words, but please note, most loglines should only be a max 50-55 words, so keep in mind that less is more.

So your submission should look like this:


SCREEN NAME: Your Screen Name Here
TITLE: Your Title Here
GENRE: Your Genre Here

LOGLINE: (Logline here)

FIRST 250: (First 250 here).

A confirmation email will be sent, but it may not be right away. Only resend if you don't get one by the last hour of the submission window. Should I receive 50 entries, an email will be sent to notify you if you didn't make the cut and I will update this post to reflect an early closure, so get yours in quickly!

Please check your submission(s) carefully for typos, grammatical errors, etc. before submitting. Once the submission is confirmed by email, it is set to automatically post. Double checking it first will ensure your writing is critiqued appropriately. Also, please leave out "chapter one," chapter "titles", etc. Otherwise, I may count them toward your 250 and you could lose some of your first page entry.

If you enter, please critique five other entries, so that it's fair for everyone (if you enter multiple times, please critique 5 others for each one of your entries).  And spread the word; the more critiques, the merrier! Let's help everyone involved get as much feedback as possible.

 Good luck, everyone! I'm looking forward to seeing all the great writing and supportive critiques.  Got questions?  Post them in the comments or shoot me an email.

P.S. If you're not a follower of my blog, I'd love it if you'd follow my journey and join the fun! There are several ways via the right-hand side of the screen. I try to offer open critique rounds monthly to help writers like you perfect your work. Our already amazing writing community only gets better when we help each other. :)

Friday, November 22, 2013

Oh No, Not I...I Will Survive!

At first, my plan was to go back to the beginning and rehash the hell I've been through--at least a recap.  There is no need to relive that pain, the suffering, or the loss.  I don't want to drag you (or myself) back down that dark hole I'd started thinking of as home.  Instead, I'll tell you where I am now.

I thought I was lost, without a map or a compass, or even an idea of how to get back.  I was wrong.  I wasn't lost, I just couldn't follow the direction I needed to go.  I didn't want to.  Change is hard.  It's terrifying.  Letting go, accepting what is, moving forward when all you want to do is dig your heels in and refuse to move with time because you're not ready, is HARD.  But time, life, moves forward whether you want it to or not.  Amazingly, against all the odds I thought were against me, I've realized that.  I've accepted that.  

So today, I'm celebrating my birthday.  Technically, I'm *gasp* 32 years young, but I'm considering this a first birthday of sorts.  The K.T. Crowley that started this journey, she's gone, and she's not coming back.  I guess that, even though I knew this and said it out loud countless times, I never actually believed it until recently.  But she left for a reason.  She left so I could arrive, grow, learn, remember how to breathe and recover.  And now, now I'm stronger.  I see shades and colors I wasn't able to before, both beautiful and ugly.  I have cut ties with most--if not all--the toxic people in my life, and I am trying to live in a drama-free, positivity only zone.  I need to.  I deserve to.  Because life is WAY too short to deal with even an 1/8 of the crap I'd been dealing with, and if I've learned anything from my brother-in-law's death at the start of this year, it's to LIVE.  APPRECIATE.  FORGIVE AND MOVE FORWARD.

My wish list for myself is pretty simple now.  One thing is to reignite my passion for writing, and I have.  I partially have NaNoWriMo to thank for that, and my new editor, whom I'll introduce later in full fanfare.  Another wish is to keep my eyes open, my head clear and my judgement impartial.  Let rejection (especially of the subjective kind) slide, because everyone has to deal with it.  In addition to letting rejection slide, I have to continue to learn from it, but not beat myself up when it happens.  Those two things should never go hand-in-hand; they breed negativity like rabbits.  Face challenges with feet firmly planted, refuse to get discouraged.  And most of all, throw my hat in the ring completely.  Not just at my feet, on the edge of said ring, nudging it timidly toward the center at a sluggish rate of progression.  I have to be and remain 100% committed, like I was in the beginning.  The old K.T. may be gone for good, but that factor carried over to my new self.  It just took some time to discover it.

Now for some updates.  My NaNo novel is ah-mazing, I'm so happy with it.  It's an adult suspense/crime story in 3rd POV, all of which are brand-spanking new for me to write, so it's been challenging but fun.  Just the change of pace I needed to feel fresh again.  

My very first novel has a shiny glow, but still needs to be buffed by my fabulous editor one more time before it meets my standards.  

My husband is back to full health after our 6 month ordeal!  Yay!!  We're planning a big move, with hopes of building our dream home in a wonderful place.  More on that to come.

My boys are growing so fast; my oldest is in preschool now and my youngest is close to walking.  They are the light of my life and I don't know how I would've survived 2013 without their precious hearts.  I'm seriously the luckiest mom ever.  I just wish I could slow down time because it feels like I blink and they're a year older.  Another reason I try and appreciate every single moment with them.

The site will continue as it has, critique rounds and my random posts about things.  Though I am really going to try to write posts much more often than I have been.  Hopefully I'll have some interesting things for you.  

That's it for now...  Oh wait, no, it's not.

Blind critique round will be opening up for submissions on Monday!!  What do I mean by "blind"?  

Well, let me explain.  

I've often wondered how much influence the first critique has on the ones that follow.  Not saying everyone is following suit, but just like movie reviews, sometimes our opinions can be swayed, even if only a little, by what the first person who saw/read it said.  So, when I post the entries, there will be a critique window.  All critiques must be submitted during this time frame.  But the catch is, no one but me will see the critiques until the time frame closes.  When it does, I'll release the critiques from the queue for all to read.  I think it will be really interesting to watch unfold!!  

If you've never participated before, now is the time to join the fun, seriously.  This is also an excellent opportunity to get feedback on your Baker's Dozen 2013 entry, because, yanno, even though we may not have made it in, we have to keep moving forward, and the best way to start is to identify what may have been the issue.

And with all of that said, I'm done for now.  Love to you all, and have a wonderful weekend!  <3

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Prep Work Bonus Round #9


TITLE: The Legacy of the Eye
GENRE: Adult Science Fiction Romance

Logline: On a planet where merit should trump birthright, David uncovers a secret hereditary government. When he realizes the woman he loves will inherit the rule, his haste to put distance between them binds him to a planet at the other end of the galaxy for as long as it will take him to forget her. But those determined to bring him back will use love as bait.

First 250:

A single day can alter the course of someone’s life, and today was meant to reroute mine. After months of hard work, and intense arguing, the Council of Demia had allowed Cat and me to present our proposal. We were a pod ride away from our future, and the freedom of leaving the Academy. I just hoped the instructor chaperoning us did not decide to take undue credit.

I ducked as I followed Cat into the underground traveling pod. Inside, I covered the keypad with an outstretched hand and faced our instructor before he could move from the doorway.

"Max," I said. "We're leaving the school anyway, why not let me punch the code?" It might be a symbolic gesture, but I needed some control over our destination.

Arms crossed over his loose-fitting black tunic, Max obscured the pod's exit despite his short stature. "If I had any say, you wouldn’t be leaving at all. The council should have made you wait until after graduation like everyone else."

Cat and I had been confined in the school since we were two. What difference would two weeks make after sixteen years?

"We've earned the distinction," I said. Why did he insist on arguing with me?

His scowl intensified. "Next you'll ask to stop for a black uniform on the way out."

We had probably earned that too, but I knew how to pick my battles.

Cat's hand pressed my shoulder. "David, we'll be late."

"Tell him that," I said.

Prep Work Bonus Round #8

TITLE: The Last Innocent
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy

Logline: 
22 year old Sarah Croshen hates feeling out of place, always different from her friends. A botched burglary and meeting the handsome detective David Galpren sends her on a wild ride that reveals nothing is as it seems. Nothing. Winged angels? Demons from Hell? Supreme beings with supernatural powers? Preposterous! But when a demon prince kidnaps her best friend, Sarah is forced to accept her fate. Now she must fulfill her destiny or risk Andrea’s death.

First 250:


He sat with his wings tucked neatly behind him on the roof of the old house located in the heart of the college district in Eugene, Oregon. Muffled music escaped through the warped rafters. The Warrior smiled. She was playing her favorite tunes again. The ones she played when life became too stressful. He envisioned her now, walking through the cramped rooms below, singing with abandon at the top of her lungs. How fast she had grown up.
The Warrior shook his head and tried remembering the others. Human time was a blur for him. Surely he could recall at least one of his other assignments, but only bits and fragments surfaced. Mortals’ lives were over in the blink of an eye, and such a shame, too. These creatures possessed so much passion and beauty, and, sadly, equal ugliness. All of it rolled into one fragile package. No, the only details that came to his mind were the battles and carnage. No wonder he suppressed the memories.
Assignments, he chuckled aloud at his own thoughts. He could hear Michael’s scolding now, the beautiful Archangel lecturing him endlessly that protecting wards—mortals—was an assignment of the highest honor. He could even picture Michael’s finely sculpted eyebrows arch in that way he had when masterfully weaving his words. How an angel could be so dangerous, so powerful, and yet so beautiful mystified him. He shook his head again. God, in all His omnipotence, was the only one who could answer that question; however, that particular question hadn’t made it on the Warrior’s list for when his time came to stand before the Almighty.

Prep Work Bonus Round #7


Title: Cltr+Alt+Delte
Genre: MG Light SciFi


Logline: Ten children in Johnson Bays have gone missing, only to turn up inside the online social media site FacePlace. Something went wrong, and the child responsible for using the top-secret government machine, the Polerizeroid, is inside with them. What they don’t know is they have less than 24 hours to escape. Before they disintegrate into the stratosphere.


First 250:

 
The heat of summer rolled into the small community of Johnson Bays. The time of year when the children roamed barefoot, playing tag until well after sunset, and the evenings filled with the hum of crickets and gentle breezes.
Kalliope’s shadow loomed over her nine-year-old brother. “You aren’t pulling the wings off that dragonfly? Are you?”
Theo dropped the open jar, along with the tweezers, splattering iridescent bugs over the ground, creating a carpet of blinking lights before they lifted off and flew away. “They’re fireflies! And you ruined it!”
You dropped them.”
Kali’s voice had its way of startling Theodore, making him nervous, making him think he did something wrong. Did she always have to be so bossy? Theo wouldn’t actually be hurting the insects, but sometimes his experiments didn’t appear cruelty-free.
 “I’m telling Mom! And Dad. And Grandpa—can’t tell Grandma--but she already saw you,  ‘cause she can see ALL now.” Kali imitated an evil eye.
Theo scrambled to collect the items from the street before darkness fell completely, so he didn’t leave anything behind: saucers, cups, and water bottles with mosquito larva, assorted-size jars, and Lego links. Everything on display went into the plastic milk crate on the curb. Kali continued her inspection up close, and zeroed in.
“Um, what’s in there?” She pointed.
Theo looked around, and pretended not to know what she was talking about. He thought if he ignored her she might just go away.  No chance.
“You gotta set those free, too. You can’t keep ‘em.”

Prep Work Bonus Round #6


TITLE: Fairy Cakes
GENRE: MG Magical Realism

LOGLINE: 

For eleven-year-olds Bobbie and Charlie, the first day of summer is the last day their lives won’t be sticky with frosting, stinky with the smell of brine, and enchanted by the magical world of fairies as they bake their town out from under a pickle spell.  

FIRST 250: 

Her stomach rumbling, eleven-year-old Bobbie crashed through the mudroom door, kicked off her sneakers, and tossed her backpack on the floor. Just a step behind her twin sister, Charlie entered the house, slipped off her ballet flats, and brought her lunch bag and homework into the kitchen looking for the note her mom left telling them when she’d be home.
Charlie and Bobbie squealed with surprised delight when they spotted a plate of perfectly frosted mini-cupcakes waiting for them in the center of the kitchen table. Bobbie broke into a run, elbowing Charlie to be the one to get there first.
Charlie savored a bite as Bobbie went in for seconds, but before she could snag another cupcake, their mom and dad, Anna and Jolly Hart, burst into the kitchen looking excited. 
 “We have big news,” Anna announced, her ponytail bobbing up and down.
“Maybe a bit more vanilla, just a smidge,” Jolly said.
“That doesn’t sound like big news,” Bobbie said eager for another cupcake.
“It actually does have to do with what we want to share with you,” Anna answered.
“What is it?” Bobbie asked licking some chocolate off her finger.
“We bought a bakery,” Anna declared, her voice squeaking. Jolly’s bearded grin reached up to his twinkling eyes.
“That’s cool,” Bobbie said as she thought of all the yummy treats she’d get to eat.
 “There’s more,” Jolly said.
 “It’s in Maine,” they said together. The old wooden clock on the kitchen wall counted ten seconds in the silence that followed.

Prep Work Bonus Round #5

Title: ATTIE AND THE MONSTER BOOK
Genre: MG Magical Realism

LOGLINE: After twelve-year-old Attie Cohen receives a book about monsters from a mysterious family counselor, her siblings suddenly start morphing into deadly, supernatural beasts.  The trouble is they morph when their emotions flare, and with their parents' divorce approaching, emotions are constantly on high alert. Attie must do her best to stay alive, keep her siblings human, and get back to that family counselor for some answers before she gets into BIG trouble.


FIRST 250:


My sister’s a monster.  No, really.  The first time I saw her morph was back in December.  My parents had been arguing all day.  I’d tried every nook and cranny in the house, but it was no use; I couldn’t escape the sound of their annoying bickering.  So I finally left—just walked out the front door and made my way to the ravine. I hoped I might find some peace and quiet there.
Instead, I found my sister.
I was halfway down the steep slope when something hissed, “Get out of here, Attttttiiieee.”
Attie?  My name?  I looked around, and then I saw—it—her—Gracie.  She wasn’t so far away from me, but she was a good ten feet up in the air somehow magically attached to a tree.  Her skin was the color of a submarine, and bright blue veins covered her body.  They popped out along her arms and legs, making her look like some thirteen-year old girl version of the Hulk.  Her hair was sticking straight up over her head, and wrapped around the tree like it had sprouted a mind of its own and decided that today was the day it would finally merge with nature.  In other words: OMG.   My sister’s into fashion and being pretty and taking a bazillion hours in the bathroom each morning. This was the least pretty I’d ever seen her. And that’s counting the day she threw up five times.

Prep Work Bonus Round #4


TITLE: Pox
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Logline: Isa and her dying brother flee the capitol after Isa kills a guard in self-defense and accidentally steals one of the King’s prized possessions. Armed with only the knowledge that one of the gods is still alive, Isa must find her and return her to power. If not for Isa’s neglected country, then for her ailing brother.

FIRST 250:
A traitor dangled from the meeting hall rafters. Blowflies and beetles hummed around him. They clung to the tattered frays of his King’s guard uniform and crawled over his bare feet. I tucked my nose into my shirt and wiggled my toes. My thin leather boots cracked.
Pity someone had already stolen his shoes.
I kicked a beetle across the floor. I’d never seen this room so empty. The view through the sewer grate was always crowded by boots with new recruit stamps on the heels. I used to sit under the grate and listen to the march of boots at the evening’s shift change. I’d catch a glance of the pair stomping off to storeroom duty. Then, I’d beat them there and snatch some food before inventory. This was the first time I’d ventured through the old grate.
The room I’d imagined was bigger, grander. This was the room recruits stepped into after swearing away their lives and kneeling before their noble patrons. I expected pomp. The only decoration was the hanged man.
That was one way to stop defection.
“Ill met,” I said with a mock salute.
He didn’t respond. All the better. I was too hungry to be in a talking mood. The soldiers he’d left behind were still doing their jobs—breaking up groups, closing the markets, and guarding the tribute wagons. The soldiers who’d gone to guard the barrack’s storehouse tonight were new and eager to please. They’d catch me in a wick.

Prep Work Bonus Round #3


TITLE: SHATTERED
GENRE: NA Fantasy

LOGLINE:
Eighteen-year-old Dawn’s no thief, yet she’ll have to be if she wants to save her sisters from becoming demon chow. She’s tasked with stealing a powerful charm capable of releasing an imprisoned succubus—but first she’ll have to slip past its steamy guardian, Kalan. Dawn discovers Kalan has his own agenda, though, and seducing her is the first step in his plan.

FIRST 250:
Don’t look, Dawn. You know what happens when you look.
 
I looked up. It was inevitable. When you tell yourself not to do something, you usually do the exact opposite.
 
Crap.
 
The park vendors swarmed me like a pack of rabid dogs. Their voices tore into me, snarling off sales pitches.
 
“A beautiful necklace for a beautiful—”
 
“No.”
 
“Would you like a subscription to The Vigrith—?”
 
“No."
 
“Mini glow-in-the-dark helicopters for sale! Buy ‘em by the dozen."
 
“What? No. Why the hell would I want twelve glowing helicopters?”
 
I didn’t wait for a reply. I walked as fast as I could without drawing attention. Luckily, the tiny carts were only set up at one entrance to the park. Turning into a large clearing, I glanced around for Cassie before settling at an empty picnic table.
 
Unfortunately, I didn’t find one in the shade. The heat was bearable, but the sun had me worried. Ultraviolet rays plus pale girl equaled a sunburn no amount of aloe vera could soothe. Hey, at least I had a gorgeous view...
 
Who was I kidding?
 
One half of the park had a dried-up garden with a statue of the plump Lady Fredericton; the other side had a few trees, twice as many picnic tables and a pathetically empty sand pit—
 
Power washed over me, rushing into my lungs like water. I gasped, my vision blurring. Stupid. I’d been stupid. Letting my mental barriers down was the epitome of stupid. The intruder left almost as soon as they came, but I still sensed them.

Prep Work Bonus Round #2


TITLE: TWIST OF FATE
GENRE: NA Time Travel Romance/Historical Fantasy (?)

LOGLINE:  Modern goddess Pandia is sentenced by Zeus to community service in Pompeii, where a mishap with an official lands her in the local amphitheater’s center ring, a sword in her hand, and a swarthy gladiator by her side.  To escape Pompeii, Pandia will have to prove she’s learned her lesson, but helping mortals is harder than she thought, especially when they expect her to kill one, and Mt. Vesuvius is rumbling.
 
FIRST 250:
 
If I hadn’t gone to a party with Aphrodite, I wouldn’t have flirted with Julius Caesar, and pissed off Cleopatra.  Cleo wouldn’t have complained to Hera, my step-mother, and I wouldn’t be in deep shit with my father, Zeus.
 
 “Pandia. Do you know why I’ve called you before me today?” Daddy’s voice echoed in the Great Hall.  The conversation around us ceased, and the abrupt silence gave the place a shivery feel, reminiscent of a morgue. 
 
“Umm, no.” I traced the pattern on a marble tile with my peep-toed Manolo and avoided his eyes.  When in doubt, pretend you don’t know what in Hades he’s talking about.
 
“You’ve done it again.” He sighed like a planet crushed his shoulders, and ran his hand through his curly white hair. “When will you learn you can’t indulge yourself with whomever you please?”
 
I peeked at him through my lashes.  No sparkle in his dark eyes or grin to indicate teasing.
 
“I was bored.” My words rushed out. “There’s nothing to do here except watch sprites bathe in the fountains and trolls challenge each other to duels.  Aphrodite and I wanted to have fun.”
 
“You’re twenty.  A goddess.  You should do what the other young goddesses do: perfect your vocation.”
 
“My vocation is asinine.” I scowled at him.  “Goddess of Light. What in Hades does it mean?  Apollo has the sun and lightening wrapped up.  The stars belong to Astraeus.  What’s left for me? Nothing. I’m not even Goddess of the Light Bulb.”

Prep Work Bonus Round #1


TITLE: TRUTH DARE DISAPPEAR
GENRE: Lower YA Adventure

LOGLINE: Geneva 2025 - No sooner have thirteen-year-old Thomas and his mother masterminded an escape to America than he’s snatched from home. A rebel priest dumps Thomas in a hidden monastery in the Italian Alps where he discovers he’s a pawn in a Vatican plan to bring down the State. Worse, there’s a secret in his past he’ll never outrun and it’s about to catch him up with devastating consequences.

FIRST 250: 

Thomas huddled behind a garden bush and squinted through the night towards his house. A grungy man was inside talking fast with his mother. If his eyes weren’t playing tricks, he’d bet, hand on heart, it was a rebel priest - one of those diggers with their long hair, ragged clothes and bulging muscles fresh from the work camps.
Weird. They didn’t break surface often but when they did they were dangerous. And bad to associate with. That’s what his mother had told him and now look at her. Look at the priest  - in their living room – pacing like a spooked cat.
Sal whined sensing the tension.
“Shush up,” he whispered, hand on her collar. “Priest alert.” Her terrier fur hackled with an attack of goose bumps. If dogs got goose bumps.
Thomas squeezed his baseball good and tight. One shot, right through the window he was thinking. A kid fooling around - a mistake - it could work. Knock the priest unconscious, grab his mom and run.
He stood, felt the slight give of the grass at his feet. They were so close to escaping to America nothing could stand in their way. Especially not a crazed priest.
Best not to over-think. He picked up the bat, threw the ball and with a sniper’s eye swung in the direction of the haloed windows. It felt like batting the moon to heaven or hell. Knowing Thomas's luck it'd be hell. 
 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Prep Work" Logline/First Page Critique BONUS Round 4 Submission WindowNow Open!!

ROUND 4 IS NOW CLOSED--thanks as always to everyone who entered!  Come back at 3 PM EDT today to see the entries and offer your feedback!

This month's critique rounds will be called "Prep Work".  For those who weren't here foe the first round, I'll explain again.  This particular round is for those of you who plan to enter Baker's Dozen 2013, or for those of you who need to work on both your logline and first page.  Hopefully, the feedback you'll receive here will give you what's needed to get your work chosen for the next contest or auction (Secret Agent is right around the corner!).  EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN ROUNDS 1, 2 and 3 get automatic submission into this bonus 4th round!!


This round I will accept all genres and it is one entry per person, per genre (So you can submit 1 adult, 1 NA and/or 1 YA/MG).

Starting now, please send submissions to ktcritiques [AT] gmail.com by 10 PM EDT Saturday night, October 19.  I will post them Sunday, October 20 at KTCROWLEY.COM for critiquing.

In the subject, please state “PREP WORK BONUS ENTRY”.

Please list the TITLE, GENRE and your SCREEN NAME (I will not include screen names in the critique posts, these are for my purposes only. Your screen name is the name you'll use to critique others in the comments.) above your logline and 250 words (format it the way you normally would). Please do not stop in the middle of a sentence. If it goes over the 250 limit by a couple of words, that's fine. If you stop at say, 235 words, that's fine, too.  As for the logline word limit, I'll make the cut 75 words, but please note, most loglines should only be a max 50-55 words, so keep in mind that less is more.

So your submission should look like this:


SCREEN NAME: Your Screen Name Here
TITLE: Your Title Here
GENRE: Your Genre Here

LOGLINE: (Logline here)

FIRST 250: (First 250 here).

A confirmation email will be sent, but it may not be right away. Only resend if you don't get one by the last hour of the submission window. Should I receive 20 entries, an email will be sent to notify you if you didn't make the cut and I will update this post to reflect an early closure, so get yours in quickly!

Please check your submission(s) carefully for typos, grammatical errors, etc. before submitting. Once the submission is confirmed by email, it is set to automatically post. Double checking it first will ensure your writing is critiqued appropriately. Also, please leave out "chapter one," chapter "titles", etc. Otherwise, I may count them toward your 250 and you could lose some of your first page entry.

If you enter, please critique five other entries, so that it's fair for everyone (if you enter multiple times, please critique 5 others for each one of your entries).  And spread the word; the more critiques, the merrier! Let's help everyone involved get as much feedback as possible.

 Good luck, everyone! I'm looking forward to seeing all the great writing and supportive critiques.  Got questions?  Post them in the comments or shoot me an email.

P.S. If you're not a follower of my blog, I'd love it if you'd follow my journey and join the fun! There are several ways via the right-hand side of the screen. I try to offer open critique rounds monthly to help writers like you perfect your work. Our already amazing writing community only gets better when we help each other. :)

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Prep Work Round 3 #11

TITLE: The Tree of Us
GENRE: YA Coming of Age

LOGLINE: Connected through the South American orphanage where they first meet, three 13 year-old girls form a bond through a shared journal that travels across the Americas and brings the girls closer to each other and to the truth about the circumstances of each of their births.

FIRST 250:

July 1979
Bogotá, Colombia


     The dawn light shone fiercely on the sidewalks still wet from the previous night’s rain. A lone elderly woman wearing a black knit shawl covering her head scurried down the road holding a wooden fruit crate at her hip. Weaving through the streets of Bogotá's outskirts she had one thing on her mind. Deliver this safely.

     The woman moved from paved roads to cobblestones to dirt. She heard the sounds of roosters, smelled rice and beans cooking over open flames, and saw the workers watering the flower farms dotting the landscape. She didn't stop to eat, she didn't stop to say hello, she didn't think about how much her bare feet ached. She kept her legs moving and pressed on.

     The woman was unsure if she had arrived. She saw a gate and in the distance a two-story house and beyond that a cluster of modest brick buildings. Sitting atop a grassy hill and surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, these were the only structures she could see for at least a kilometer in any direction. She approached the gate slowly and then she noticed it.

     There was a bronze plaque to the right of the front latch. She couldn't understand the words but underneath the writing she saw a symbol that represented what she was meant to deliver. She gently placed the crate on the ground, bent down to arrange its contents, and then with the same urgency as before she turned and retraced her steps.

Prep Work Round 3 #10


TITLE: A Child of Serenity
GENRE: YA Contemporary

LOGLINE: When the leader of the Serenity’s Children cult forces 16-year-old Miriam into marriage with a stranger, she will have to choose between fighting for the only boy she’s ever loved and following the rules of the only life she’s ever known.

FIRST 250:
The girls don’t get a choice. It has been this way for as long as I’ve been alive, and longer. My father chose my mother, a fact he has never let her forget.
I don’t know how the other girls feel about the Selection. It is not something we talk about. As female Children of Serenity, there is not much that we are allowed to talk about. This bothers me more than it should, considering it has been my experience that no one ever says what they really mean.
And there is no way to know how the boys feel about it either. Since adolescence we have been kept separate, except for Sundays at chapel. And of course there is no speaking at chapel. That is a rule that even I have never broken.
The Selection is our biggest celebration all year. It goes on for days, out in the open desert, beyond the concrete walls of our city.  There is singing, and dancing, and feasting. The stars decorate the sky like thousands of candles, and the smoke from our fires climbs into the vast darkness like an offering to God. 
I can feel Boaz’s gaze on me. He is standing on the other side of the fire—the boy’s side. His eyes are bright in the firelight, his skin a dark bronze against the white of his shirt.  And I dare to hope that maybe, just maybe, tonight he will call my name.