The awards ceremony was held in Nashville this evening, and I wasn’t able to attend, so waited patiently for the announcement to be posted online. The categories 7th Grade Revolution finaled in weren’t being announced at the ceremony, so I would have been awaiting the online announcement anyway. I felt a little like Alice in Through the Looking Glass when my publisher contacted me with the results. Lewis Carroll said it best:

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”

And the answer to the question about the pigs is YES, they do have wings and were flying around Nashville tonight because 7th Grade Revolution WON in the category of Best Use of Social Medial in Book Marketing. I don’t know about book marketing, but I do like the way Twitter, or as it is in the book QuackerMe, is used in the story. Without the use of social media, the book would have been significantly different. But I cannot claim all the credit for the award.

Without the use of social media in the Exploris Middle School classroom experience, first of all, I wouldn’t have had a book because I would never have heard about the exercise in the first place. But also, the teachers used Twitter in the guise of being reporters/the media to broadcast the events of the classroom to the world. I knew from the very beginning that had to be a part of the conclusion of the story … how social media is now the more immediate news source. So thank you, Karen Rectanus and Exploris Middle School for broadcasting the events via Twitter. It helped shape the book in many ways.

Here is just a part of what Digital Book World had to say about the awards this year:

“Digital Book World is honored to recognize best-in-class achievement across the wide world of publishing, and we’re thrilled to celebrate these distinguished award winners with the publishing and technology community,” said Digital Book World Executive Producer Bradley Metrock. “Congratulations to all of the award winners – we’re proud to showcase your work.”

Click the image below to go to the full article and winners list

The post Digital Book World Awards: Winner appeared first on Be the Cat.

The image in this post didn’t make it into the final version of the book. The illustration is of Maddie Harper standing in front of her classmates trying to gain control so they can get the discussions started. In her hands is the rain stick — when shaken it rattles to let everyone know it’s time to be quiet and listen.

The rain stick is one of the items brought into the book from the Tweets from the Exploris Middle School @7thGradeRevolt account. Reading through the stream allowed the characters to come to life in my head and I used as much material from the Tweets as I could to give the book a solid background of real life. The scene from 7th Grade Revolution:

     Maddie Harper jumped to her feet and strode to the front. “Should we make a circle so we can all see each other?”
     Leave it to Maddie to take control. She wasn’t bad, not like some others, but always had to be in charge. Rhonda hauled her chair to the forming group.
     As the circle assembled, Maddie grabbed the rain stick and clutched it to her chest. “Um, where should we start?” Her eyes darted to the back where the teachers sat.
     Pfft. They weren’t gonna help.
     Unsure, Maddie let her arms droop when no one paid attention or stopped their conversations, which was kinda funny to see.
     She laid the stick across the table and clapped her hands.
     So much for the rain stick.

Pre-Orders now available:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Powells
All available Ebook Retailers

The post 7th Grade Revolution: When Things Change appeared first on Be the Cat.

When writing, authors need to be cautious about using brand name items or corporations in their work. Especially anything which has a registered trademark. When a trademark has been registered, the party who holds the registration gets to say how it can be used. Trademarks can extend from logos to words and can specify things from color to spacing, etc. For example, the following is in the Brand Guidelines for Twitter:

The Twitter marks include, but are not limited to, the Twitter name, Twitter logo, the term “Tweet” and any word, phrase, image, or other designation that identifies the source or origin of any Twitter product. Always capitalize the T in “Twitter,” as well as all noun and verb versions of “Tweet” and “Retweet.”

While I am currently able to use Twitter in a book, as long as I don’t disparage Twitter or cause harm to its brand recognition, I chose to create a social media platform for the book itself. Why wouldn’t I use Twitter? Two primary reasons. The first reason is that Twitter can change their brand policy at any time and they could choose to not allow the use of the word Twitter or Tweet without express permission from the company. The second reason is found in their Brand Guidelines: You must display the following statement in materials that display the Twitter trademarks: “TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates.”

So my agent, Italia Gandolfo, and I put our heads together to come up with a suitable replacement. After trying several other options, and getting discouraged because everything I thought of was already a social media platform, we came up with QuackerMe and it blossomed. The posts would be Quacks, reposting would be Honks, ducks would be given for praise, eggs would splat for dislike, and Italia is still lobbying to be able to tar and feather posts. By the time we were done talking about how the site would function, we both wanted someone to develop it. *sigh* Maybe one day I’ll be able to egg a post.

Pre-Orders now available:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Powells
All available Ebook Retailers

The post 7th Grade Revolution: QuackerMe appeared first on Be the Cat.

Wallpaperswide.com

Every writer I know has a to-do list. And it seems like the harder I work on mine, the more it grows. Of course, my manager, Italia Gandolfo has something to do with that. As soon as I knock something off the to-do list, she adds three or four things and gives me an evil laugh. I think she’s trying to keep me occupied so I stay out of trouble and have less time to make jokes. *whispers* It doesn’t work… I postpone doing the to-do list and do something that makes me laugh anyway. I just tell her the world needs more laughter.

Why do most writers have a to-do list? To help us keep track of what we’re supposed to be working on and give us some semblance of order. And certain things need to be done whether we like them or not … kinda like life itself. My informal list is always comprised of the following major categories and the specific items underneath those categories tend to fluctuate: Stuff I should be doing, Stuff I need to do, Stuff I want to do, and the final category (and my personal favorite) Stuff I am doing. I’m going to share a portion of my current to-do list and explain why some of the items are where they are. (And normally I don’t write out the list… but if it gets too much longer, I’m going to have to in order to know what I should be working on.

1. Stuff I Should Be Doing:
• Writing Character Sketches

  • This item could be writing character sketches (which I do have to do for the chapter book series), or outlining a writing project, or doing research for a story — anything relating to writing preparation. Something of this nature is always on my to-do list because I have several projects in the works in various stages at any given time. In this particular case, I need to start creating a series “bible” for the chapter book series Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin. Because this project is a collaboration, my writing partners, Luke, Olivia, and I need all the details in one place.

• Revising a scene

  • Revisions and edits are an essential part of the writing process. No matter what else I’m working on, I usually have something that requires revisions or edits — whether my own work or someone else’s that I’m editing. While writing the story itself is largely a solitary process, a necessary part of the cycle is getting someone else to take a look and provide feedback on the work. I have someone I trade work with, so she provides editorial notes on my work once it is ready and I do the same for her. In addition to this, I also edit manuscripts for some of my agency mates. So revisions and edits always on my list because I do several rounds of edits on my own work before giving it to anyone else.

• Blogging

  • This is the item that is ALWAYS on my list and the one I always push off to get other things done. I admire those writers who are able to plan out and get articles posted on a regular basis. My poor neglected blog sometimes cries its heart out in the middle of the night because it is not high on my priority list. And I do enjoy blogging. It’s just when looking at the mountain I have to climb with the things I have to do and look at the clock and realize I can’t stop time from ticking away, I get overwhelmed and know how much time it takes me to put together a post. So it usually gets kicked to the side. I consider putting together a blog post a noteworthy event. And I ask for a cookie when I’m done.

• Create Timeline for the WIP (Work in Progress)

  • This is similar to the Character Sketches in that it can be one (or more) of several activities. But while the Character Sketches item pertains to projects other than the current work in progress, this pertains to the current work. Right now, I need to establish a plot timeline for the book I’m working on so I can nail down the flow of the book. This could be any additional administrative type activity which is not part of the actual drafting/editing process of the WIP.

• Answer Emails

  • While this may seem like an insignificant thing to put on a to-do list, the number of emails keeps increasing and the time to answer them keeps shrinking. So time must be allotted to tame the inbox.

2. Stuff I Need To Do:
• Laundry
• Grocery Shopping

  • I’m going to be brief with this category and lump these items together. Essentially, these are the tasks that must be done to keep life moving forward. Evil, but necessary things. Grocery shopping always reaches the critical point when the toilet paper runs low. That’s one item I cannot ignore and the thought of running out forces me to brave the stores. While you’re still in school, someone else may take care of the life essentials for you, but homework could go in this spot.

3. Stuff I Want To Do:
• Write more of current WIP

  • I am currently working on an upper YA in the drafting phase and it is not the number one priority task for completion, so of course, it is the task calling my name the loudest. It never ceases to amaze me how many writers get shiny new ideas while working on their WIP… which makes them want to drop the current WIP to explore the shiny new idea. This usually happens when half to three quarters of the manuscript has been completed. The shiny on the current WIP has worn off and you’re in the midst of the realization that writing is hard work. Then along comes the temptress of the shiny new idea, luring you away from the task at hand.

• Get a massage

  • This could be a massage, going to the movies with friends, hanging out at the mall, ANYTHING other than a writing related task that brings you pleasure and something where you cannot possibly write while doing. I’ve heard there is life outside of writing and occasionally I want to do things that have nothing to do with writing. These items usually stay on the list for a while because like the blogging, they usually get kicked to the curb so I can get something else completed.

• Stuff I AM Doing:
• Playing with Photoshop
• Posting on Facebook
• Tweeting with friends
• Posting pics on Tumblr
• Ditto on Instagram

  • Basically, this is what writers do when they’re trying to pretend the to-do list isn’t currently leaning over and getting ready to crush them. Goofing off. Letting off a little steam now and then is actually good for the work. The trick (and it is a real juggling act) is to balance the goofing off to give yourself a break with making forward progress on the list of things to get done. For me it is mentally essential to take these breaks. If I cut myself off from social interaction for too long a period, I go stir crazy and the work suffers. But I also don’t let the 10 or 15 minutes of playing extend to a half-hour, hour, or two hours (very often ) If you find you are not able to manage the time limits on the play time, set up an alarm or use the online programs which limit internet. I don’t use those because I frequently need to research a point during the middle of working on whatever it is that I’m working on… and it would be a pain to have to turn off that restriction just to do what is necessary for the job. But I have heard others say those services work effectively for them.

There you have it… my basic working list at any given time. What does your to-do list look like?

The post YWS: The Writer’s To-Do List appeared first on Be the Cat.

When I branched out from #amwritingparty to #amwriting, I found a wonderful writing community and I’m so glad I did. My tweetdeck is never without the #amwriting column so I can see what people are posting, and catch articles of interest, etc. #Amwriting has given me some of my best friends and those bonds will not be broken easily. Help is always only a tweet away.

This is a progressive birthday celebration, so thanks for stopping by and the next stop is at Khyiah Angel’s blog. Go check it out. And for a list of all participants in the party go here.    And…..

The post Happy 2nd Birthday #Amwriting – It’s a Party appeared first on Be the Cat.

1. She had a garage sale and not everything sold so she’s trying to foist her junk off on the unsuspecting?
2. The holidays are around the corner, and the spirit of giving tackled her like a Bear’s linebacker?
3. She’s almost reached 1,500 followers on Twitter and wants to commemorate it?

Ding… ding… ding!! Time’s up. If you guessed answer number 3, you’d be right on the money. Her follower count is climbing higher with each moment and she’s giving away chances to win some great swag.

How do I know? Because (drumroll please) Prize #1 is a signed copy of Misfit McCabe and Prize # 2 is a signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home. But there’s tons of other cool stuff too, so hurry right on over to EisleyJacobs.com and check out the prizes and find out how YOU CAN WIN!!

The post Holey Moley – Prizes Galore appeared first on Be the Cat.

So while writers are getting geared up, flexing their fingers, making a mad dash through their outlines, notes, and whatever method of preparation they use to help get them through the month, agents and editors are furiously working on getting through their current submissions so they can put up their “Closed to Submissions” sign in January to help stave off the onslaught of submissions which are the result of NaNoWriMo. Let’s face it, while there will be a few commercial products born out of this frenzy of writing, the vast majority will require significant work (much more time than the month of December can provide) to turn into a publishable product. So January submissions are something to be feared. Because the actual purpose of NaNoWriMo is NOT to write great words with much consideration and thought, it is simply to help writers write through blocks and to put works on the page. And it is the time of year when this button could end up being true as writers reach to fill the pages.

Last year I experienced NaNoWriMo through Twitter and there was a wonderful sense of camaraderie as authors communicated about their progress, had online writing sessions, and helped one another through the blocks to keep the words flowing. While I didn’t participate directly in NaNoWriMo, I gained quite a few of my very best online friends during that time. I was hard at work as well in the process of editing two novels I wanted to have revisions complete by the end of November, so we all worked well into the night together. One of my favorite hashes on Twitter was born at that time: #amwritingparty which is where I met so many of my now good friends.

Best of luck to all of the participants this year. I will once again be rooting for everyone from the sidelines as I am once again working on two books, one in the creation phase and the other in the editing phase…so I guess that makes me a NaNo Rebel, and something which will always be the case. For one thing, I am internally driven and put enough pressure on myself to get things done, and I tend to stall with word count pressure. If I simply approach my work and write, without being concerned with how many words I’ve written or revised, I am much happier. BUT for those who like the challenge of the word count pressure, and find themselves stalling on their work in progress, you might want to give Write Or Die a try.

Whether you outline, cluster, or are simply a panster, I wish you the best luck for the month of November, lots of words and hope no one OD’s on too much coffee, twizzlers, or whatever else fuels the writing fires.

Happy Writing!

The post NaNoWriMo Eve appeared first on Be the Cat.

Then, after having such a wonderful day brightener, it got even better. Denise’s 12-year-old daughter (pictured to the left – isn’t she a doll?), who also read Misfit McCabe posted a comment on the family blog, which she gave me permission to post below:

The best part of this for me was not that she loved the book, which is still fabulous, but how she expressed the connection she made to the words and the surprise that a book could cause that level of emotion. I think Jewelz and I must be much alike when I was her age, in that I could not cry in front of others about anything that had to do with me. My tears were private and emotion was buried as far as I could get it. Except when reading or watching a movie, which then allowed me to vicariously let go of the emotions I had been harboring inside. One of the comments I hear frequently about Misfit McCabe is you made me cry hurled like an accusation. I am delighted to hear it because it means I have effectively done my job and struck a chord within the reader. (Sorry guys, not going to say sorry for making anyone cry.)

I was recently challenged by another Twitter friend, Monica Pearce (@MonicaEPierce) and had to tell her why I feel my books are important because she called me out when I called them simple stories. Jewelz encapsulated it perfectly in the surprise that a book could cause that level of emotion. I write stories so readers like Jewelz can connect with my characters and know that they are not the only ones who feel that way and make mistakes and it’s okay to feel the emotions. In this complicated world, the task of growing up is filled with pitfalls and uncertainty and by reading about characters who experience similar issues to their own, it helps the path to feel a little firmer under foot. Or, at least, it did for me and this is what I hope to pass on to my readers and why I write.

Thanks to Jewelz for her comments – she has truly made my day & probably my week.

The post Review and Comments to Warm the Heart – Misfit McCabe appeared first on Be the Cat.

One of the most dynamic and best utilizations of the Twitter network I have seen is the use of hashtags within the message. By clicking on a hashtag you see in a message it does a search for anything marked with the hash. Instantaneously, you are in the midst of a dynamic, live, ongoing chat with anyone who would like to participate. Some of the hashes are more formalized and there are specific days and times for people to get together and most times there is a moderator and a topic for the discussion. It can still get a little wild. Anyone who knows me well knows that the informal application would appeal to me more than the formalized. Although, on occasion I will participate in #kidlitchat or #yalitchat. But the most fun I have is with a group of writers who are dedicated, enthusiastic, and supportive and the chat, which is ongoing pretty much 24/7, and resembles a combination kegger and writer support group under the hash of #amwritingparty

Struggling with your manuscript and need some help or an understanding ear? No problem, just hop on the net and bring up the #amwritingparty and tweet about your issue. Someone is bound to respond with a suggestion, some words of wisdom, or a cyber hug, depending on what the issue is. They are there for your triumphs, ready to let virtual streamers sail and sparkly confetti fall. When you’re stuck for words, they dispense some magic sparkly wordy dust and the beverage of your choice. *virtual jello shot anyone?* There are also the times when you need a little upbraiding, and someone is there to read the riot act, and console you once its done. And, for whatever reasons, these measures do seem to work. Focus becomes possible, words start to flow and knotty plot problems get resolved. The #amwritingparty hash was started by a sparkly new writer, Sara McClung and she describes how the creation of the hash came about in a blog post on her site: The Babbling Flow of a Fledgling Scribbler.

When I started writing, I went to a writing class which had the format of critiquing everyone’s work each week. I can remember the excitement with which I anticipated each class and how I hated when the class ended for the evening, because that meant I started the waiting cyccle all over again. I thrived so much on being in the presence of other writers, hearing their work, listening to their critiques, learning and soaking up as much as I could during the brief time we spent together each week. That is what makes the online writing communities so wonderful. It is possible to replicate the fueling energy that comes from being around other writers, and it isn’t necessary to wait.

The post Thoughts from the Morning Commute – A Little Birdie Told Me – Part I appeared first on Be the Cat.

On my way home, I had reached that point where I was sure Nowhere Feels Like Home was an unsalvageable mess and I might as well scrap it. Fortunately, I’ve been writing long enough to know this mood and realize that’s all it is, a phase that I will get through. I usually hit it when I have finished the novel, have done the first blush editing and now face the nitty gritty work of going through word by word – knowing there is a lot that has to be redone. The evil little goblin on my left tells me to just give up, while the angel on my right tells me to hang in there, I can do better. After a few days of heavy procrastinating, I’ll force myself to buckle down and will become immersed in the book once more and you won’t be able to get me away from it.

Arriving home, I was a little down. And once I brought email up again, I remembered the whole, strange Twitter follow thing that was going on, and it still was. More and more follower notifications kept popping into my inbox. There were so many, I was beginning to wonder whether I should be getting paranoid. Instead, I headed on over to Twitter to find out what was going on. Still clueless, it wasn’t until I saw a tweet by @CarolHousel telling me I made a Mashable and then suddenly the world made sense once again. Cameron Chapman created a list of the 100+ Best Authors on Twitter, and I made the list under Children’s and Young Adult. I am definitely honored to have made the list. And it does explain the upsurge in followers. Now, all of a sudden, I’m back up in the clouds, and everything seems possible. Even finishing the editing on Nowhere Feels Like Home, (but not this weekend).  ***I know the butterfly doesn’t have anything to do with this post – I just thought it was pretty.***

____________________________________________________________________________
LK Griffie
To buy Misfit McCabe, visit my store at Lulu.com or purchase at Amazon.com
To track Misfit McCabe across the country, visit: Where in the World is Misfit McCabe?
Own a Kindle? Download Misfit McCabe in an instant.
For other e-book formats, visit Smashwords.com
To read book reviews by LK Griffie, visit: The Lulu Book Review

The post Strange Phenomenon appeared first on Be the Cat.

This morning, I did think about how being an author is such a solitary endeavor. It’s not a new thought I know, but I think that’s why so many authors I know enjoy Twitter so much. Think about it, you’re working away, typing, scribbling, deleting, maybe, like me, talking to yourself as you go. You just pour your heart and soul on to the page, or write and extreme action packed scene. You have been through the emotions with your characters. You take your hands off the keyboard, or for some of the more old-fashioned authors, put the pen down, and you know you’ve nailed it. You’ve just done some of your best work. Your heart is racing and you want to share your enthusiasm and elation with someone. . .anyone. Here’s where Twitter comes in. You pop onto the Internet, bring Twitter up and instantly have a sense of community. Someone out there is listening and you can Tweet or Twitter about your success and the feelings that you have. Someone is bound to tweet back, and even if unrelated to what you have written, you feel comforted. There is another soul out there who understands.

Anyone who follows this blog knows that I am an avid college baseball fan. I enjoy the team spirit, the competitiveness of the games, and how even the crowd is considered a part of the success or failure of the game. I follow our team’s games very closely, either from my seat in the stands, or when they are away via Gametracker and radio broadcasts. I am a devoted fan. Of course, then my mind segued into fans of books, like the following that JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer have. Their fans are just as devoted to their writing as I am to my baseball games. The difference is that JK and Stephenie, and all the rest of the writers in the world, are competing (against the blank page) for the most part alone. When they write the passage that’s a home run, there’s no one to go crazy in the stands. Can you imagine it? A stadium full of screaming tweens and teens as Rowling or Meyer work at a table (the playing author playing field). Oh, the delete button is in heavy use, a groan arises from the crowd. A sudden a burst of typing occurs. A hush falls over the crowd. A smile lights up the corner of their mouth. A chant erupts as the fans cheer their author on to the finish line. And then it happens, the passage that has been such a struggle. All of the attempts, the strikeouts, the fresh starts, and all of a sudden, it’s out of here. A home run. The crowd goes wild.

And since it will never happen, we have twitter. Somewhere to share that burst of feeling we simply can’t contain. I know we have friends and family, but unless they also write, do they truly understand what it’s like to walk on air after having climbed a mountain and stand looking from the peak at the path you have conquered? You’ve run the race, conquered your opponent, it’s a feeling like no other. So we twitter.

The post Thoughts from the Morning Commute – Authors Twitter appeared first on Be the Cat.

Of course, since on the way to work myself not long after that thought, I mused over the different possiblities that invoking the Twitter mentality in the workplace could foster. Just think of it. . .managers would check those that they are following on twitter every morning to see whether anyone would not be arriving at the work place as expected. What if the employee blocked the manager so that they couldn’t see their updates?

Every company has them. The people who go on and on and on and on in email and never quite get to the point. Just think how implementing the Twitter mentality in email would be. Everyone would be limited to a certain number of characters, so they couldn’t waste all that time typing up their latest dissertation to confuse the masses with and would have to get to the  point. Straight to the point every email. No room for fluff. And for those who tend to pontificate and never say anything of value – that’s the beauty of the block function. Most companies would save paper because those employees who insist on printing out their emails so that they can be maintained in paper files, would now be reduced to printing a single page which could contain several communications.

(Now, this one’s my favorite) Meetings. . .I’m in meetings all the time, and if not meetings then conference calls. Wouldn’t it be great to implement the 140 second rule? Once the time had passed, your turn is over and the floor turns over to someone else. We’d get them over with in record time, and you eliminate having to listen to someone drone on and on for an hour on a topic that actually has nothing to do with your job.

Let the Twitter revolution begin.
———————————————————————————————–

LK Griffie
Visit me at Griffie World
To buy Misfit McCabe, visit my store at Lulu.com or purchase at Amazon.com
To track Misfit McCabe across the country, visit:
Where in the World is Misfit McCabe?
Own a Kindle? Download Misfit McCabe in an instant.
To read book reviews by LK Griffie, visit: The Lulu Book Review

The post Thoughts From the Morning Commute – Twitterizing the Workplace appeared first on Be the Cat.