Winner for Week 2!

Week 2's winner of 1k-a-day is Denise Jaden!!!!! Please send congrats Denise's way. I think she plans to win my whole book collection this month. :)

Tomorrow we're going to have a special contest! All you have to do is post a comment to the question with tomorrow's blog entry. Come up with the best answer to the secret question and win! Check back tomorrow to see what we're up to and win a free book!

Here's the books to choose from Denise:

How To Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Valiant by Holly Black
Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Platinum by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Stick around for Week 3 and give your fingers exercise by writing! We'll have more books to give away!

Thanks to everyone who has been participating in 1k-a-day! We're having a ton of fun and have met great people, too!

1k-a-day Day 15

What a lovely snowy Saturday morning in my part of the world! We're on to Week 3 of 1k-a-day - we're almost there. Okay - fill up your coffee mugs and get writing.

Tracy's Day 14 WC: 1409
Tracy's overall WC: 16, 008

Mindset: I'm a leanish, meanish, writing machine!

Tracy's Day 15 WC: 760

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I'm back! Woohoo. I want to thank Tracy for doing the blog duties for the last few days. You ROCK Trace!

To update everyone on my life...AMC played some good movies yesterday! Pillow Talk with Rock Hudson and Doris Day...Baby Boom with Diane Keaton...Big with Tom Hanks. Can you guess what I've been doing while sick?

Tami's Day 14 WC: 0
Tami's November WC: 8,380
Tami's overall WC: 33,072

Mindset: So I'm way behind and it's driving me nuts. I have faith I can catch up. A few good writing days and I'll be fine. Last year at this time, I was just getting my butt in gear for NaNoWrimo and ended up with over 50k. My cold is still here, but I'm alive. I hope to get a few 1,000 today, but I'm not going to push it. This is the first time I've sat down at the computer in a few days...how weird it is to be away from technology!

Tami's Day 15 WC: 553

1k-a-day Day 14

Hold fast, my friends, Day 14 is upon us. I had to share a few lines from one of my favourite writing books, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.

"You need to trust yourself, especially on a first draft...Don't look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance."

So let's boogie people!

Tracy's Day 13 WC: 1090

Tracy's over all WC: 14, 599

Mindset: This morning, when I took the dogs out to do their thing, the wind and the snow reminded me why I love hiding out in the house with my laptop. I think this evening will be warm and fuzzy and productive.

Tracy's Day 14 WC: 1409

Tami-licious how's that cold? You managing to write, kiddo?

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Free books available in week 2!

Okay everyone...just in time for the close of week 2! Below is the list of available books for this week. Good luck everyone, and don't forget to post those week ending word counts!

Week 2 word counts should be the words written between Saturday, Nov. 8th and Friday, Nov.14th.

How To Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Valiant by Holly Black
Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Platinum by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

1k-a-day Day 13

Hope you got your word count in for yesterday! Sorry for the lag on posting the available books in this week's contest. I'll have it up and ready to go today. Don't forget to write big today! Only one more day that counts for week 2!

Tami's Day 12 WC:
Tami's overall WC for 1k-a-day: 8,380
Tami's overall ms WC: 33,072
Music: Nothing...my ears were too clogged
Mindset: Well, darn it...I have a cold. I felt great Tuesday and woke up Wednesday to a full blown cold. I felt like crap on a cracker so not much writing done for me. :( My head is fuzzy and my sinuses burn. Not fun at all. Hopefully it doesn't last.
Tami's Day 13 WC: Will post soon!

How'd your day go after your 4 day weekend, Trace?

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Ah...that 4 day weekend was so damn nice. But alas, school went well, I wrote at lunch and had a good day of writing. A few girls at school convinced me to join a Tuesday fitness class...yikes, I'm already scared. We'll see how it goes next week. Hopefully my writing and my butt will be in shape by December. :)

Start sucking back the OJ, Tami! I hope your cold dies a swift death.

Tracy's Day 12 WC: 1195
Tracy's overall WC: 13, 509

Mindset: I think I can....I think I can...I think...therefore I am...I like green eggs and ham....sigh...is it only Thursday??

Tracy's Day 13 WC: 1090

Tami - I'm wishing you anti-cold-ness! Get better soon.

1k-a-day Day 12

Okay everyone, hump day once again. The week is flying by and I need to play some catch up. I hope everything is going well in week 2 for you!

Tami's Day 11 WC: 1,015
Tami's overall WC for 1k-a-day: 8,380
Tami's overall ms WC: 33,072
Music: Eels once again. I got an album I didn't have this past weekend. Woohoo!
Mindset: Not bad. I started and finished my word count for yesterday at work. I was VERY happy with that, even though I barely got over the 1k wall. I'm figuring out my characters once again as they change throughout the story. They're growing and maturing...I just need to grow and mature with them.
Tami's Day 12 WC: Will post soon!

How'd your day go, Trace?

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Feels so weird to be hump day - we had Monday and Tuesday off school. So really, this is my Monday. No wonder it's been easier to get my 1k in. Anywho....managed to do okay yesterday on the writing front. Watched Hellboy 2, however, and was disapointed. Why all the LorR characters? Why all the special effects and a generic plot? Sigh. The first one was a blast though.

Tracy's Day 11 WC: 1332
Tracy's Overall WC: 12, 314

Mindset: Bring on the students. Bring on the books to shelve. Bringing laptop so I can write at lunch - I think one of our other 1k-a-day participants does this as well - I can get so much done if I hide out in an empty office. :)

Tracy's Day 12 WC: 1195

1k-a-day Day 11

I hope your Monday went well and you're dreaming of all the free books you can win this week on YAedge! This week we'll be giving away free books for your amazing word count, BUT I think this week is also calling for a small contest question. Hey, don't blame me. I need to get rid of these books so I have an excuse to buy more and we all love free books. Check back this week for the contest question and to see how you can win!


Tami's Day 10 WC: 1,189
Tami's overall WC for 1k-a-day: 7,365
Tami's overall ms WC: 32,057
Music: Blue October. I'd been wanting their album Foiled for quite some time and finally found it used! YAY, love it!
Mindset: Suddenly I'm busy at work which is great for me in one aspect (I hate sitting bored at work. It drives me nuts) but it is not good for my word count. I'm in an odd part of chapter 12 that just feels...blah. It's ALMOST there, ALMOST interesting...but not. I know I must not worry about this. I need to move on, but it's killing me. When I started this MS, I edited as I went, which I found invigorating. I wasn't embarrassed to have anyone read the first part of the first draft. You know what I mean? Now...no way in hell am I showing this to anyone without going over it...Not even you Tracy and Tess. :p I just need to remember what it felt like in past Novembers, writing my heart out and not caring. Unfortunately, I care too much about this book, or is that a good thing?

Tami's Day 11 WC: 1,015

How did your Monday go Trace? How's the MS coming? I miss critting. :(

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Day 11 - is it really? Wow, we're moving right along on this thing. Go us!

Yesterday started off great, but I was distracted when someone gave me season 3 of Supernatural and it went all bad from there. I had to push to get my 1k in. Damn Sam and Dean and their soul swapping...lol....

Tracy's Day 10 WC: 1001
Tracy's overall WC: 10,982

Mindset: I'm hoping today will be more focused and I'll deal with that pesky corner I wrote a character into. Maybe an alien invasion would be helpful. ;)

Tracy's Day 11 WC: 1332

I'm so impressed with everyone's stellar word counts - write on!

Two minutes for a lifetime

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and, although this is a writing blog, I wanted to pay tribute. After all, I have the freedom to write thanks to the sacrifice of others.

I’m an army brat. My dad was in the Canadian Air Force and we moved across Canada from base to base. I understand military life – not having a parent around because they are overseas, on courses, or peacekeeping missions – and you’re not sure if they will make it back.

We had to rely on letters or postcards, and if we were lucky, the occasional phone call -no such thing as video chats, emails and IM to keep in contact. Even though military families today are more “connected”, I can guarantee that scared, hollow feeling with each deployment is still the same. I wish no one had to experience it.

If you have a moment, here’s a great song/video we watch on Remembrance Day. The musician, Terry Kelly, was in a drug store one November 11th and was upset as a father with a young child ignored an announcement over the store’s PA system to observe two minutes of silence. He later recorded this song, A Pittance of Time:

1k-a-day Day 10

Here we are, into double digits. How did that happen? I feel like we just launched 1k-a-day and now we're already 1/3 into it! Congrats to week 1's winners! Now it's time to buckle up and focus on week 2. The deadline for week 2 word counts will be this Friday.

Tami's Day 9 WC: 0...but you can't blame me, I wasn't even near a computer.
Tami's overall WC for 1k-a-day: 30,868
Tami's overall ms WC: 30,868
Mindset: Okay, back from my jaunt to sunny LA! I need to get my crap together and write, write, write! I feel like I've been slacking, but life is getting in the way. Not a great excuse, but true. The rest of this week, I mean business!

Tami's Day 10 WC: 1,189

How did your Sunday go, Tracy? Did you wipe away the hang over? ;)

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Hey Tami - good to hear you had a fun trip and are refreshed for writing. I suffered on Saturday, yes I did. ;) But Sunday was a banner day for my writing. I was glued to the computer and in the zone. Loved it.

Tracy's Day 9 WC: 2294

Tracy's overall WC: 9981

Mindset: I'm keen to organize my notes today and plot my way through a sticky spot which, of course, came out of my writing spree yesterday. Sigh. We can only move forward this month, but I so want to edit, edit, edit.

Tracy's Day 10 WC: 1001 (and I had to work that extra word in)

Good luck today folks!

And the winners are...

Well, I'm back from my short out of town trip (which went WAY too fast) and am ready to announce the winners of week 1!

The top word count for week 1 goes to:

Denise Jaden with an INCREDIBLE 29,728!!!!

AND, because you all were awesome, the second free book of the week goes to:

Chick Lit gurrl with an awesome 19,072!!!

As a reminder, here are the awesome books to choose from this week.

How To Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Tithe by Holly Black
Valiant by Holly Black
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
Platinum by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
When Lightning Strikes by Meg Cabot

If both of you could Email Us with your name, address and your book choices I will send out your prizes this week.

Congrats! Remember, keep track of your word counts for week 2 to win free books! There will be books added to the list for the new week, so check back soon!

1k-a-day Day 9

So here we are at Day 9. Whew! We're starting to see our word counts grow and the pages add up. But there's no time to celebrate. Forge ahead, brave 1k-a-dayers!

And Tami, I sure hope you are having a blast on your trip...even if the weather is not very "fall" like. Did I mention we had our first snowfall? Should I try to mail you some? :)

Tracy's day 8 WC: 1602
Tracy's overall WC: 7687

Mindset: Other than a little planned jam session later this afternoon - the day is free for writing. So, I'm keen and will try not to look at the laundry piling up, and the dust bunnies in the corners. No cleaning until tomorrow! I have a book to birth.

Tracy's day 9 WC: 2294! Whoohooo most written in a day ever!

I hope we all use and abuse our laptops today....get writing!