Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Kiss a Frog or Win Books

You want to add a comment to this post because:

a) you have a chance to win any two books you want (how does a $30 Amazon giftie sound?)

b) because it's much easier than kissing that frog, even if the frog has signed in blood that it really WILL turn into a Prince/Princess

c) your encouraging comment will inspire me to keep up with my writing goal of finishing my current WIP by March 1st 2011

d) your muses will be so proud of you for that clever comment that they will bless you with 2000 new fantastic words on your novel during your 30 minute lunch break tomorrow

See, I suck at New Year's Resolutions. I really suck. I've never kept them longer than February before. Yet, I keep trying.

This year, I'm trying two new strategies:

1) instead of making a New Year Resolution (which implies a resolution to last ALL YEAR) I am only making a resolution until March 1st. Write approx 25,000 words in two months. Hey, I did 50k in November, so it's theoretically possible. Only problem is, I don't have other writers competing participating with me and all the great pep talks to keep me motivated.

2) Which is where you guys and your wonderful comments come in! If I have a few people keeping my toes to to the task, I think it will help me stay motivated!

To enter to win, just leave me a comment letting me know what you think of my writing goal of 25,000 words to finish my book by March 1st (I'm currently at 50k, need to reach 75k). The contest is open through January 31st. Then in February I'll have another identical contest to help me get to my March 1st goal.

Check out my Writertopia progress bar (right below the blog title) to see how I'm doing. If it's January 20th, and I'm still at 50k, then your comment might be something like "get in gear, girl, turn off your internet and get your fingers moving on the keyboard".

You can get an extra entry each for 1) becoming a follower (or if you are already a follower, just let me know), spreading the word via a 2) sidebar link 3) Facebook post or 4) Twitter.

You can get 3 extra entries if you come back sometime between January 16th and January 31st, check my progress and leave another comment to keep me accountable.

Please leave your email or website in your comment(s) so I can find you if you win.

I'll use a random number of total entries to select a winner.


So what kind of perky/inspiring/annoying/motivational/kick ass comment are you going to leave? Dare you! Dare you!

45 comments:

  1. Oh, Margo, you can do this! :D My goal is to finish my first draft (a new novel; I finished my NaNo one) by March 1, too! WE BOTH CAN DO THIS.

    go go go!

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  2. 25k is a great goal. Maybe I will copy you!

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  3. Woo-hoo!
    It's true!
    A March 1st goal to do!
    Kick it, fight it, beat it, write it,
    I believe in you!

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  4. Small steps. If you started on the first that gives you 59 days to march 1st. You need to write 432 words a day. Unplug for the day until your writing is done, then celebrate with your favorite blog. You can do this!

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  5. Good luck with your goal! And I hear you on those resolutions. Only make ones that will be manageable. I'm sure you'll get your WIP written by March!

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  6. Go GIRRRRRRL!!!!!!
    :-)
    Time for me to dust off my virtual pom poms and cheerleader's outfit all for you (and if that doesn't motivate you - I don't know what! LOL!).

    Take care
    x

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  7. Go Margo! *waves pom poms* You can definitley do 25k in 2 months! One word at a time :)

    My goal is to have my WIP ready to query by March 1st, so I totally feel your pain!

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  8. JUST DO IT, as the commercial says!
    : )

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  9. As your follower, I recommend/demand you stock up on words now while you're feeling motivated and accountable so if ever, heaven forfend, you should not make your daily wordgoal - you DO have a daily word goal, right? - it will not be the end of the world. 25k will seem even more doable when you're already sitting pretty on the first 5k. So, you know, maybe get off the internet already and start writing?
    - Sophia.

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  10. Oh my goodness! I am already feeling like I got a shot of writerly adrenaline.

    Ashelynn: yay glad I found another March 1st goaler! I'm definitley going to revisit you and see how you are doing too.
    go go go!

    Elizabeth - you should definitely copy me and Ashelyn. We could make it a group goal.

    Jess - I love your cheer! Kick it!

    Robin, yes 432 words definitely sounds doable. Unplugging though is always the hardest part!

    Mary Mary - thanks for visiting (for the first time? Yay, I have a new visitor!)

    Old Kitty - you are such an encouragement! Thanks for always stopping by and commenting. i LUV you and Charlie!

    Jamie - Yay another March 1st goal setter. you are my list now too to check back with.

    Susanne - better advice was never given in three words or less.

    Sophia - okay, okay, I'm getting off the internet now! Promise! You are so right, this will seem a lot more doable once I have 5 out of 25k complete!

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  11. You can SO make that! You've got three whole months!
    I'll compete with you if it would help ;) Goodness knows I need the competition as well.

    http://writingbookowl.blogspot.com/

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  12. Oooh she's DARED me. I can't resist a dare...

    YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU CAN DO IT!

    Picture me with pom pons. Okay. Don't do that. That would just be frightening. ;D I'll go tweet this. You know my contact info.

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  13. Hey, you'd better get it done; otherwise, I'm coming over to kick your ass in gear cuz I'm planning to read it and you KNOW how impatient I can get. ;) *tries to catch breath*

    And if you don't . . . well, Lisa Gail Green and I will show up in our teensy weensy cheerleading costumes and embarrass you in front of your neighbors. :D

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  14. You can do it!! "History will be kind to me, for intend to write it." - Winston Churchill

    That quote always inspires me to want to accomplish my goals. :)

    +1 I am already a follower

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  15. Hard to resist encouraging you.
    Maybe I should do something similar and show up now and then to be your cheerleader. Oh and I joined your follower list too.
    http://fantasypen.blogspot.com
    http://kaipee-2.livejournal.com/

    see you soon

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  16. I've never actually written a novel or anything longer than a college paper, so just the fact that you're doing this gives you a lot of brownie points as far as I'm concerned. :) I like that you're only making a resolution until March 1st - long-term resolutions are a lot more difficult to keep up with. My tip is this: set up some sort of a reward for yourself for staying on task. E.g., a slice of cheesecake for every 2,000 words or something along those lines. :^D

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  17. Entry #2: followed you on Google Friend Connect

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  18. Entry #3: made a post on Facebook

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  19. Entry #4: Shared the post on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/grig4/status/23118894805811200

    (I'm not cool enough to have my own sidebar haha)

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  20. Wonderful idea, Margo! You are Superwoman to crank out so many words. You can do it!!! I suggest blocking out time, sticking to it, and then wedging in a little writing here and there where you can. I surprised myself and finished a book that way.

    Good luck, my friend! :o)

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  22. Go, write, win! I love your write-o-meter! I almost wish I had a wordcount goal, just so I could put up one of the meters! (My goals are in the forms of drafts completed these days). I'll be checking back, just to encourage that little meter to reach higher! ;)

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  23. What a great goal!! Kinda makes me want to set my own word count resolution...

    I think your writing goal of 25k is very doable. More importantly, YOU CAN DO IT!! If you did 50k in one month, you can definitely hit the 25k mark in 2 months. Wooo!! Yay!! *sounds of cheering crowds*

    +1 I'm a follower
    +1 Sidebar: http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com/
    +1 http://twitter.com/#!/bookishinabox/status/23948274108993536

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

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  24. My goal is to flesh out the bare bones MS I finished during NaNo by March 1st. If you want to motivate each other, come find me on Twitter @nicholegiles. I'm usually on at night.

    Otherwise, it's a totally doable goal, and if you see it through, all your wildest dreams will come true. Or, well. Someday. Might take a while. But they will. #Luck!

    PS +I'm a follower

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  25. Hey, if you wrote 50,000 words in one month for NaNo, you can surely do 25,000 in almost two months! And don't forget, if you make it you'll be inspiring the rest of us to stick to our own goals (and let me tell you, some of us need it!).

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  26. You can do this for sure--easy! You can write that many words in two weeks!!
    I have to tell you, I laughed so much when I read your comment on my post. Thank you! You GOT what I was trying to say better than anyone!!!

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  27. If this were a drinking contest, I'd shout "CHUG!" I guess "WRITE!" is more appropo? :D What an awesome way to push yourself and others. Thanks for doing this. I'm doing a general contest announce this Wednesday and I'll include yours!

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  28. You can totally do it!! We are right behind you! I know it's not the same as NaNoWriMo but we are all still here to pump you up :)

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  29. Good luck! That's a totally achievable goal and you sound really motivated!

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  30. What a great goal! And Wow, you exceeded the count in week one. :D Keep it up! I can't wait to see how it goes! (You may inspire me to a similar goal.) ;)

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  31. Just checking in to say: Go, go, go! Write, write, write! :)

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  32. You can do it! How's the word count going? I don't see a change in your graph, but I'm hoping that's because you've been so busy writing you haven't had time to update it. lol

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  33. Good for you! I love the graph idea - that's one of my favourite parts of NaNo! Keep writing!

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  34. Checking back to tell you...keep going! I'll bet next week you can beat the 'expected wordcount.'

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  35. checked in to look how things are coming....wow! girl keep up the great work! You can do it!
    I tweeted for you
    http://twitter.com/#!/scarletredwill/status/27486040327454721
    Facebooked for you
    http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000261917248
    am a follower as veltara

    See it! Say it! write it! Be it!
    veltara(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  36. Oh yes, girl, turn of your internet! Tell you what...you turn of yours and I'll turn off mine and maybe we'll both make our goals.

    You can do it!

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  37. Turn off your internet and do what you need to do. You can do this and if you feel like you're stumbling you can come back here, let your worries out and we'll wipe them away!

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  38. I'm checking back and I have to say that if you have the time and words to talk about books on goodreads and blog here you can show the novel some love! And to give you an extra kick in the pants I'm going to put you in my sidebar and hopefully send some more encouragement your way! And how about some virtual cookies when you're back on track?
    - Sophia.

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  39. Jemi, Aurora, Jenna, thanks for stopping by for an encouraging word. That graph that I see everytime I check my blog is definitely making me think more about my writing time and setting aside time.

    Susan, Victoria, Elisabeth, Melissa, Sophia - THANK YOU so much for checking back in! This is most encouraging of all. I am turning off my internet NOW and pulling up my novel. I need to log 4000 words this weekend to catch up. It's doable! Focus!

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  40. Alright - you're 7% closer to your goal! Just write 4 times as much as you wrote over the past 2 weeks, and you'll be done! :^D

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  41. Looking good! keep up the great work...you can do it!

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  42. So glad you found your groove with weekend writing! :)

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  43. Wanted to say CONGRATS on your word count, so far. You are doing great! Keep it up!

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  44. checking back in.....looking good! :)

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  45. You made it past 60k! Congratulations!
    I found the post late, but I'm a follower, now! :)
    +2?

    I need the encouraging pep talks as well. I'm so new.

    Maybe with the snow you can get even more done!

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