Words for Wednesday

It's my week again, and again I have no new book tours scheduled. Sigh. (If you have a book you'd like to promote during the week of April 4th-8th, let me know.) So, this week we're going to explore some reading and writing weekly bloghops.

Looking for a bit more of a challenge? Then you need to join Words for Wednesday. At the moment, it looks like Elephant's Child is the keeper of the words:

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.  Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...  We can use some or all of the prompts. 

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

So, if you need a bit of a start, or are just looking for a challenge, check out the words, phrases, music, or image and join in.

#15tt Tuesdays

It's my week again, and again I have no new book tours scheduled. Sigh. (If you have a book you'd like to promote during the week of April 4th-8th, let me know.) So, this week we're going to explore some reading and writing weekly bloghops.

A couple years ago, I stumbled across Jocelyn Rish's Twitter feed and discovered #15tt.

Link to Jocelyn Rish's blog

#15tt is short for 15 minute tweet tales. Jocelyn explained:

I’ve mentioned before how much fun I have with the Tweet Me a Story contests run by NYC Midnight. The challenge of creating a complete story in such a small space gives me a writer’s high (which thankfully involves much less sweat than a runner’s high)... Each [week] a new...word will be the prompt for a tale told in less than 140 characters. But since I tend to obsess over and tweak my stories to death, I’m giving myself a time limit for each one. Once I...reveal the new word, I'll only have fifteen minutes to craft my masterpiece, and then I’ll tweet the story, no matter how much it makes me cringe. 

I've been playing along for a couple years. This year, Jocelyn took this from a daily challenge to a weekly one. But it's still fun. Early in the morning (usually) she tweets the new word and its definition, and your challenge is to create a story with that word. In a tweet. 140 characters.

Yes, it can be done.

Some of my attempts are pitiful. And some go in directions I do not expect. But I still do every word. (Well, when it was daily, I would miss the odd day here and there...)

Today's word:

This week's #15tt word is gigil - an extreme urge to squeeze someone/something, usually because it's cute (or maybe irritating). (Filipino)

— Jocelyn Rish (@JocelynRish) February 9, 2016

And my attempt: Bea resisted the gigil impetus, but Ann did not. Bea resisted the urge to laugh hysterically when the baby threw up all over Ann. #15tt

Come on, try it! You can post it here in the comments. I'd love to read them.

Quote-Tastic Mondays

It's my week again, and again I have no new book tours scheduled. Sigh. (If you have a book you'd like to promote during the week of April 4th-8th, let me know.) So, this week we're going to explore some reading and writing weekly bloghops.

On Mondays, Anna from herding cats & burning soup hosts Quote-Tastic...

From the site:

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post other days of the week too. Totally flexible.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

You know you want to share that wonderful book you've been reading. This is the perfect opportunity to do so.

What have you been reading?

The Times, They are a-Changin’

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen.
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again.
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin.
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win.
For the times they are a-changin’. - Bob Dylan

Unicorn Bell, the product of writers, is a-changin’...er, making a few adjustments.

A regular schedule. Our team at UB has individual talents.

• L. Blankenship is gifted at critiquing 1500 word submissions. She takes subs anytime of the month.
• Marcy is expert at First Pages and interviews.
• I, the Huntress of Fantasy, like taming the Query Monster and all its minions including loglines and blurbs.

To give our followers time to submit their chapters, loglines, and first pages, a weekly schedule is in order. Submit with the appropriate request title in the subject line.

Blogfests and book tours. So you want to create a presence online. How to do it?

My publisher, Musa Publishing, suggests bloghops/fests. Enter as many as you can manage. Comment and participate. This gets you out there, puts your name in front of people.

So why shouldn’t Unicorn Bell conduct a regular bloghop too? Good question and now a two word answer: 

• Charity Bradford. She intends to hold a bloghop during some of her weeks.

Book tours. Excitement is building. You have a book coming out! Now you want everyone to get the message.

• Elizabeth Arundel takes command of book tours. 

During her week, she will post all the info you send about your book. Send all pertinent info to unicornbellsubmissions@gmail.com. In the Subject line, write Book Tour.

Lastly, do you have any special gifts that need an outlet? Would you like to join our team and build a writing platform to impress agents and publishers?

We are taking applicants for Unicorn Bell moderators. Send requests to our email with ‘Moderator Request’ in the subject line.