A couple of weeks ago, I entered Not In the Plans in a contest for the first two chapters and the query.  I just got my scores back from the judges, and I’m really pleased.  I’ve never entered a contest like this before, so I was a little surprised by the amount of feedback each judge gave on their score sheet and on the manuscript itself.  It was well worth the $25 entry fee!

I ended up tied for 7th place out of 16 entries.  Two of my scores were very high, but I also had one low score. 

The judging categories were: Query, Opening Hook, Characterization & Motivation, Setting & Description, Plot & Conflict, Pacing, Dialogue, Writing Style, Mechanics, Overall Impression.

The first judge gave me 9 out of 10 on the following categories: Query,  Characters & Motivation, Plot & Conflict, Pacing, and Mechanics.  I got 8s on everything else except Setting & Description, which got a 6.  Apparently I need to spend a tad more time on describing things like the condo. 

The second judge gave me a 10 for Mechanics, which I can’t wait to tell my mother.  They also gave me 9s on Plot & Conflict and Dialogue.  I got 8s for Characterization, Writing Style and Overall Impression, a 7 for Opening Hook (this judge didn’t like that Chapter 2 is the night before Chapter 1), and a 6 for Pacing.

Judge #3 hated me.  I’m kidding.  Although I was upset to see the low score, so much lower than the other two scores, I have more clarity now that I’ve read her notes.  The real hit to my score came on Characterization, where I got a 4.  This judge found Savvy to have no redeeming qualities.  She also gave me a 4 for Pacing and a 5 for Opening Hook, because she didn’t like the chunk of back story on how Jackson and Savvy met.  She gave me a 6 for Plot & Conflict and Overall Impression, and 7s for Query, Setting & Description, and Writing Style.  The high scorers were Dialogue, which got an 8, and Mechanics, which got a 9. 

Here are some of the comments from all three judges that put a HUGE smile on my face:

“On whole, the dialogue is quite good.”

“Pretty good job of showing versus telling.”  (This has been something I’ve been really working on, so good to hear!)

“Author does excellent job with the mechanics.  Sentence styles vary; active verbs are used; grammar and punctuation are spot-on. No complaints here.  Well done!”  (Forwarded immediately to my mother.)

 ”…[the characters] differences and the unique voice for each is very present in the writing.”

“Clearly, this author has excellent writing skills…”  (Love that part!  Might frame it over my desk for bad days, lol.)  “…but this is not a book I would personally choose to read.”  (Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all!)

“This is really good.”  (This was in reference to my query, so thank you to all those on Query Tracker who have helped me improve those skills!)

“Not only is there conflict, but it’s something most readers can relate to.”

“I would continue reading – I’d like to know how these two work it out…or not.”  (Yay!  Someone wants to read it!)

Several (very valuable) things I learned from this experience:

• Everyone’s taste is incredibly different.  What one judge scored as high another judged low.  One judge thought I didn’t describe enough scenery, the other thought it was just enough.
• No one likes Savvy off the bat.  However, none of the judges said they’d stop reading because of their initial reaction of her.
• My mechanics are good, which will make my mother (who is a former proofreader) proud!
• I rely too much on flashbacks in (all) my writing.  I’ve solved that problem with implementing the “two nows” for Back To Me, but I’ll have to work it out differently here.

Really, my only two complaints with the contest are minor.  First, I got comments from two of the judges because my query said my manuscript was “expected to be completed at 80,000 words.”  This contest specifically allowed submissions for manuscripts that were not finished.  Lesson for next time?  Write query as if it is finished anyway. 

Second, I got a comment from one of the judges that I was walking a fine line with Savvy and Jackson in terms of expectations in romance.  I did not submit in the Romance category, I entered in Commercial Fiction.  Not a huge deal though.

For the writers out there, I strongly encourage competitions like this one where you receive feedback from judges who are published authors and editors.  I received invaluable line-by-line edits from Judges 1 and 3, and some great comments from all.  I will be writing thank you notes!

I have a short story I’m working on where the characters have some sexual tension building between them as they get to know one another.  What do you all think of this scene?

She was trying to make out the shape of an owl on a distant tree when she felt him come up to the railing beside her.  She turned to face Mark only to find the figure next to her was at least six inches shorter.  It was Cole.

“So, Mark Harrison, huh?”

Was he snickering?  “What about him?” she asked. 

“He doesn’t really seem like your type,” Cole said, tilting back his beer to take a long swallow.

Amy looked around for Mark and saw through the window that he’d been derailed by some of the basketball guys.

“How would you know what my type is?  You don’t know anything about me.”  They were standing almost hip to hip, facing out toward the woods.

“Really?” he asked, cocking a suspicious eyebrow at her.  Turning back to the trees, he took another swig.  “I know you get goose bumps on your arm when I touch your leg,” he said, reaching down to the small space between their legs and running a fingertip across an inch of her exposed thigh. 

Looking at her arm, she realized he was right about the goose bumps.  She hoped he hadn’t felt the shudder too.

Jerking away from him to put a few inches between them, she said, “Don’t be so sure of yourself.  Did you ever think maybe I’m a little chilly out here?”

He looked away from darkness beyond the porch and directly in her eyes.  “I don’t think you’re cold.”  He put his left hand on the right side of her face and she was sure he was going to kiss her.  Instead, he leaned in and kissed the left side of her face near her hairline.  She could feel his hot breath on her ear as he whispered, “In fact, I think I make you a little warm.”

She flinched, backing away from him before he could feel the heat radiating from her skin or hear the pounding of her heart. 

“Get over yourself,” she said with all the force she could muster.  She felt as vulnerable as if she were naked out there. 

“As soon as you learn how to get over me,” he said, winking before turning to walk away.

Amy stared after him, too shocked to speak. 

Before she could regain her composure, Mark was crossing the porch in her direction.

I’m riding a high this week, as I seem to have found a new structure for Back To Me.  I spent last weekend converting the manuscript from first person present tense to third person past tense.  Then I decided to try the “two nows” structure since the back story on Kate and Jake was so important to what Kate was going through years later. 

I am so happy with how my manuscript has transformed.  Now that I’m using the “two nows,” I can’t imagine telling the story any other way.  A glimpse through the books on my shelf revealed far more novels that used this method than I had remembered reading.  I started to reread one last night to get a feel for how that author used the “two nows,” and now I’m convinced more than ever that I want to present my manuscript to agents like this.

Accordingly, I have taken down the chapters that used to reside under Back To Me under the Manuscripts menu above.  You can find the new Chapter 1 and 2 there now, which starts in an entirely different place than its predecessor. 

You may also recognize it from Entry #4 in this week’s contest.  I changed the title (to a working title I used previously) and the character’s names, because I wanted some honest feedback.  I didn’t trust you all to give it to me if you knew it was my entry! 

So, I’d love to know what everyone thinks of the new starting point, tense, use of the “two nows,” etc!

What inspires you?  Whether it’s writing or simply getting out of bed every morning, I think we all have things that inspire us.

I’ve always loved to write, but I never considered being an author.  When I decided to write my non-fiction book two years ago, I still didn’t consider writing full time.  Not even when I signed the conract for the publishing deal did I think I would ever write another book.

Then things changed one day.  I was reading a diary I started after a traumatic event in my life, and I decided to start a fiction manuscript (very) loosely based on that time in my life. 

So, that’s my first inspiration.  Life.  So many of my characters have a piece of me or one of my friends.  In one manuscript, I have several characters very heavily based on friends of mine (who will sign permissions, thank goodness).  From things they say to clothes they wear, they inspire my characters every day.

My other two inspirations are far more embarassing.  The first is the tv show One Tree Hill.  In Season Five, Lucas’ novel has been published and we follow his journey to write a second novel.  My favorite episodes of this season are the first couple as we see how his novel (based on his own life) has affected the lives of those around him, paticularly his ex-girlfriend Peyton. 

Seeing the success of Lucas’ first novel makes me eager to have a first novel of my own published.  When I can’t write, I watch episodes from that season, and somehow they inspire me to go back to my laptop and write something…anything. 

In the bigger sense, One Tree Hill (which I own six season of) reminds me of typical situations teenagers and twenty-somethings face on a daily basis.  Something about watching the show sparks creative juices and inspires new scenes in my works-in-progress.  

Don’t read this the wrong way – I have never copied any of the characters or scenes from this show.  There’s just something about the show that inspires me to make my characters flawed and have them face tough situations.  Maybe because that’s what I love about the show; every character is flawed in some way, but in a way I can identify with and in way that makes me want to see what they’ll do next.  They face everything from unplanned pregnancy to death of loved ones to marriages and births and career success.  I never get tired of watching it. 

I also have One Tree Hill to thank for introducing me to Kate Voegele and Sophia Bush.  Kate is an incredibly talented artist, whose first two albums are permanent fixtures in my car’s CD player.  Sophia, who plays my favorite character on the show, is an incredible woman in “real life,” who is incredibly environmentally conscious, and has inspired me to be through her tireless efforts via Twitter to bring awareness to us all.

Last but not least, Miranda Lambert’s songs inspire me.  Again, like One Tree Hill, I do not copy the situations she sings about, but they put me in the right mood to write certain characters.  The emotions in her songs are raw and you believe she really means every word she says, as if all those situations and feelings are really straight from her heart.  They range from beautiful ballads to spunky kick-ass tales of women who take control.  I’ve always heard you shouldn’t listen to music with lyrics when you write, but I’m a rule breaker.  I often  listen to Miranda Lambert.  

So, what inspires you?  I’m particularly curious what inspires others to write?  Where do your character ideas come from?  Are any of them based on you?  A friend?

All of the entries for the First 250 Words contest are up, each as a separate post.  The winner and prize will be announced Thursday!

Until then, if you participated, please leave constructive comments for the other entries.  If you did not participate, we still welcome your thoughts!  Please be sure any comments you leave are meant to help, and not insult, the author. 

Great job everyone, and best of luck!