Challenge - Insecure Writer's Support Group for January 2014 #IWSG

This is my tenth monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post. The IWSG is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the IWSG is: 

"to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 

This is my post for Insecure Writer's Support Group for January 2014. The topic I chose for this one 

is "challenge."

Yesterday, I posted a list of challenges I will be joining I want to make some of those achievements be personal ones. I will be taking submissions for a variety of anthologies throughout the year, but I want to do some major revisions on my 2012 NaNoWriMo novel and get it ready for publication. I am planning on completing the writing for my three non-fiction books, and I also intend to finish writing AND revising my most recent chapter book.

So this year is all about challenging myself to complete these tasks, as well as the more formal challenges I have joined, and alongside creating new anthologies.

Wish me luck!

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2014 - Looking forward #newyearsday #writingchallenges #anthologies

Yesterday, I posted about looking back at 2013 and what I had managed to achieve during the year. Well, today, being the first day of 2014, is a day for looking forward. What does 2014 have in store for me (and others)?

Well, first off, I have to mention some of the challenges I am running or have joined.

2014 Writing Challenges

I need to create a new badge for 2014.

1. First up is the Chapter Book Challenge, also known as ChaBooCha. ChaBooCha is a challenge that runs from March 1st through March 31st. The goal of the challenge is to write the first draft of an early reader, chapter book, Hi-Lo book, middle grade book or YA novel during that month.

It's a very relaxed challenge in that some people join up for its designed purpose of writing their first draft, and others decide to be ChaBooCha rebels by deciding instead to finish a book that they have already begun or to revise and edit a book that they have already finished the first draft on. And that's allowed. You're not an official winner unless you've written a completed first draft, from day one to day 31, but the prize is only a really neat winner's badge for your blog or website.

And there are prizes, lots of prizes, which have nothing to do with whether or not you are succeeding at writing your story and everything to do with you being a signed-up member of the challenge and commenting on the author guest posts.

During the challenge, there are guest posts by published authors and agents with useful tips and helpful information. There's a Facebook page, to keep you informed throughout the challenge, and even a Twitter account for the challenge. (Use #ChaBooCha for posts related to the challenge.) The best part of the challenge though, is the Facebook group. It remains active all year and the members are helpful and insightful.

The challenge first ran in March of 2012 with a total in sign-ups of 23 members. In 2013, that total was 89 members. this year, we are already at 116 members and those numbers are still growing. I have a goal of us reaching 200 members before March 1st, so please spread the word!

Another benefit to joining the challenge is that signed-up members of the challenge get to contribute up to three stories to the Teapot Tales anthology. Our first Teapot Tales anthology of fractured fairy tales was created in 2013. The 2014 Teapot Tales has the theme of "Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea." I am already taking submissions for it from ChaBooCha members. (Details about the 2014 Teapot Tales anthology submissions can be found here.)

Proceeds from the anthology go towards the Chapter Book Challenge, currently to help pay for prizes and shipping of prizes, but hopefully someday to pay for advertising, a revamped website and more. (I have so many ideas for the challenge in the future, including a ChaBooCha convention with kid-lit agents in attendance.)

As always, the Chapter Book Challenge remains free to join.

I haven't made a badge for this one yet, so this will stand in place of a badge until I make one.

2. Second up is another challenge I am running. This challenge is completely new and this will be its first year. The Blog Your Book in 30 Days is exactly what its name implies. Blog Your Book in 30 Days is a challenge to write the first draft of your book by posting one chapter a day for an entire month. During the month of the challenge, helpful blog posts will be shared on the website.

The challenge has been created to help you write the book you have always wanted to write but have never written. Whether you want to write a memoir, a fiction novel, a comic book, a children's chapter book or middle grade novel or a non-fiction book, this challenge is going to help you get it done. 

Every day, you are going to do any research that is needed for the day's writing and your are going to post a blog post of one chapter of your book. By the end of the month, you should have 30 chapters and a completed first draft.

This way of writing your books works best if you are planning to self-publish your book, but there are some instances where blogs have garnered the attention of agents and publishers and resulted in book deals. Those instances are the exception though, not the rule.

For those of you worried about making your chapters public, you can enter without actually posting your chapters as long as you continue to write them as if you were going to post them. 

The Blog Your Book in 30 Days challenge has a Facebook page and a Facebook group. At this time, it does not have its own Twitter account, but you can use #BYBin30 for Twitter posts about it. You can find out more details about the challenge on the Blog Your Book in 30 Days blog.

Again, this is a completely new challenge, so I would really appreciate any help in spreading the word about it.
And now for the challenges that are not run by me, but which I am participating in:

3. Julie Hedlund's 12 x 12 - This is a challenge to write and revise 12 picture books in 2014, one picture book a month. Julie posts on many useful topics concerning picture book writing and illustrating. There are three levels to joining the challenge, with the top tier costing the most but giving the most value. I am a 12x12 "elf," which means I get to help out during the challenge. I have participated in this challenge for two years so far and this will be my third year.

As it says on the site: "In 12 x 12, you’ll get the motivation and accountability you need to get those drafts finished, all with the support of the friendliest writing community on earth."

4. PiBoIdMo - PiBoIdMo is Picture Book Idea Month and is run by Tara Lazar. PiBoIdMo runs in November and is a challenge for picture book writers. The challenge is to "create 30 picture book concepts in 30 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas."

5. Start the Year Off Write - start the Year Off Write is run by Shannon Abercrombie. The challenge is "21 days and 21 writing exercises to start the year off write." It's free to join and there are prizes!

6. WIP500 - WIP500 is run byCara Micheals at Defiantly Literate. The challenge is to write 500 words per day for all 365 days of 2014, totalling 182,500 words for the year. It is free to join!

7. NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month occurs in the month of November. The challenge is to write a 50,000-word novel (or 50,000 words of a novel), first draft, in the 30 days of November, from start to finish. I have participated for four or five years now and won every year. One year, I even hit over 100,000 words written. I am also the Municipal Liaison for my region. The challenge is free to join.

8. ReviMo - This is a challenge hosted by Meg Miller to revise your completed picture book drafts between January 12th and January 18th.

9. 52inaYear - The idea is to write 52 stories in a year. YOU set your rules. Working on a novel? Fine! Set a chapter or a scene as your goal. Rewriting an old trunk story? Also fine! The idea is to get work completed and (if it is your desire) out the door.

10. Doodle Day - This is a challenge hosted by Alison Kipnis Hertz. The challenge is to draw one doodle a day for a month, and you can draw whatever you want or you can follow the prompts. It runs year-round, and I haven't decided yet which month I will do this in yet.

I'm probably missing one or two of the challenges I participate in, but I'm sleepy today, so, if I remember it later, I will add it here.

2014 Anthology Projects

1. "Teapot Tales: Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea" - Submissions for this anthology are only open to signed-up Chapter Book Challenge members. Stories are flash fiction and are not to go over 800 words. The stories do not have to be written for children, but they should not have anything in them that would horrify a parent to find out their child had read. Aim for PG-13. This is the second book in the Teapot Tales series. The first book was "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales" and was released in August of 2013. Proceeds go towards the Chapter Book challenge.

2. "Halloween Echoes: Spooky Tales from Around the World" - Submissions are open to everyone. Your stories should have a word count between 300 and 1,200 words. These stories are aimed at children of all ages. Aim for G or PG. This is the second book in the holiday series. The first book is "Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World" and was released in November 2013.) Proceeds go towards the Chapter Book Challenge.

3. "SuperHERo Tales 2: A Second Collection of Female Superhero Stories" - This is the second in the SuperHERo Tales series. The first book, "SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female SuperHERo Tales," was such a hit that I have been asked to do a second one. The rules are the same as in the first one. As with the first one, proceeds will go towards Because I am a Girl, a foundation that helps girls in third world countries.

4. "Paw Prints: Cat Stories to Warm the Heart" - (This is a working title and might be changed between now and publication.) This is an anthology of cat stories. Each story must have a GOOD photo of the cat written about to go with it, and the author must have permission to use the photo. This anthology is a great way to remember those cats who have left paw prints on your heart. Stories must be either moving, funny or cute. the word count should be between 300 words and 1,000 words. This is a new anthology series. Proceeds from this anthology will be going to the Cat's Protection League in the UK.

5. "The Superhero Chronicles" - (working title) The original anthology, "The Talisman Chronicles: A Collection of Stories Written and Illustrated by Children," is an anthology of stories written and illustrated by children. It has been requested by my kids that we create another anthology and the topic requested is superheroes. This is a direct result of the adoration they have for "SuperHERo Tales: A Collection of Female Superhero Stories" and for the incredible cover artwork for it done by Julia Lela Stilchen. Whatever the reason, this is the new topic for children to write about for a new anthology in 2014. I think the world needs to read more stories written by children. Don 't you?

6. (possibly 6 through 9) "World of the Fae" - (working title) This is the anthology that I am super excited about. This one will either be one large anthology or four smaller ones. The four themes are Autumn Court, Winter Court, Spring Court and Summer Court and may include both dark and light Fae (Seelie and Unseelie). The word count should be between 300 and 3,000 words. Not all submissions will be accepted. These are adult stories, but gratuitous sex, gratuitous foul language and gratuitous violence will earn a rejection. Depending on the quality of the stories sent in, there will either be a one volume, 50-story anthology or four volumes with 25 to 35 stories in each (depending on average length of stories). At this moment, I cannot afford to pay for stories that are accepted, but there will be a $10 Amazon gift certificate awarded to the best story in each category ("court") and a $25 gift certificate for the best story overall. At the moment, the closing date remains open. Submissions will remain open until the correct number of acceptable stories is reached. Once all stories have been chosen for the anthology, winners will be chosen. winners will get winner badges for their blogs or websites. I am hoping to be able to begin work on the anthology during 2014.

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All anthologies will be published through Melusine Muse Press and will be made available on Amazon in print and for kindle.

Go look at guidelines for formatting your submissions here before submitting your stories.

Please be professional with submissions. Include no more than one space at the end of a sentence, not two. Make sure typos are corrected and that there are no punctuation or grammar mistakes to distract from the story.

Details for each of the upcoming anthologies, along with submission guidelines, will be posted on Melusine Muse Press's anthology submission page tomorrow.

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My own challenge for the year ahead is going to be keeping up with all of the challenges I am joining or running while also putting together, and editing, the anthologies, while still managing to finish writing, editing and revising my own novels and stories.

Wish me luck?

And I wish you all a successful, magical and fabulous 2014!

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Looking back at 2013 #NewYearsEve

I had so many goals that I wanted to achieve in 2013. I managed some of them. Some of them changed. And some of them are still waiting for me to complete them.

Here are the things that I DID achieve in 2013 (in no particular order).

1. I submitted two picture book manuscripts to agents. They were both rejected, but at least I am finally starting to submit to agents. (I need to work on writing better queries.) (Cover created by Kelly McDonald.)

2. I edited and put together the Teapot Tales anthology. (I contributed three stories to it.) (Proceeds go to the Chapter Book Challenge.)

3. I edited and put together the Jingle Bells anthology. (I contributed three stories to it and created the cover.) (Proceeds go to the Chapter Book Challenge.)

4. I edited and put together the SuperHERo Tales anthology. (I contributed two stories to it.) (Proceeds go to the Because I am a Girl charity.) (Cover created by Julia Lela Stilchen.)

5. I edited and put together The Talisman Chronicles anthology (for the kids). (My four youngest children wrote, in total, eleven of the stories in it.) (I created the cover for it with the help and artistic talents of my husband.)

6. I contributed three stories to the Tales by the Tree anthology. (Proceeds benefit a children's school.)

7. I contributed a story to the Dark Fairy Queen's Writerly Bridal Shower anthology. (Free on Smashwords.)

8. I contributed a story to the Charms anthologies, and it is included in the second volume of the three volume set. (If you would like to buy a copy, you can order it through me.)

9. I completed 50,000 words of this year's NaNoWriMo story.

10. I began a new chapter book that still has me very excited and full of ideas. ("The Day My Shadow Tried to Kill Me")

11. I created Melusine Muse Press. It's still in the development stages, but I have some exciting plans for it in 2014.

12. I have finished putting the details, which will be posted in January, on three new anthology projects that will be coming in 2014 and will be accepting submission very soon. (Think: "pirates, mermaids and monsters of the sea," "cats" and "fairies.")

13. I managed to have several prizes a week during the Chapter Book Challenge in 2013, and I enticed guest posts from published chapter book, middle grade and YA authors as well as agents during the challenge which covered two to three posts a week. We went from 23 signed-up members in 2012 to 89 signed up members in 2013, and we already have more than 115 members signed-up for the 2014 ChaBooCha. I'm hoping we can reach 200 members by March.

14. I have created the Blog Your Book in 30 Days challenge, which will go live in April of 2014. Wish me luck!

15. I have outlined and written the first three chapters of THREE non-fiction books.

16. I have honed my craft and worked on becoming a better editor, proofreader and writer.

17. I completed 12 picture books for the 12 x 12 challenge and revised them too!

18. I created my doodle books, "Doodle Your Heart Out" and the smaller version "Little Book of Doodles."

19. I joined doodle Day May (which is now just called Doodle Day) and created 30 doodled pieces of art in the month of May (which is what inspired me to create my doodle books).

20. I contributed three stories to the Keepsakes anthology which will be out sometime in 2014.

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Breathe - Insecure Writers Support Group for November 2013 #IWSG

This is my eighth monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post. The IWSG is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the IWSG is: 

"to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 

This is my post for Insecure Writer's Support Group for November 2013. The topic I chose for this one 

is "breathe."

With the work I am doing writing my novel for NaNoWriMo, idea-generating for PiBoIdMo, writing for Write 

Write Non-Fiction in November and putting both the Jingle Bells anthology (almost done) and the SuperHERo 

Tales anthology together (not as done as Jingle Bells but also close), I feel like I haven't had time to just 

breathe, to relax and take a moment not to worry about how many projects I have completed today.

Now that the Jingle Bells anthology is almost finished and the SuperHERo Tales anthology is also close to being

done, I feel as though I am so close to being able to sit and take a breath. Yes, I still have a lot to do. And I still 

have NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo and Write Non-Fiction in November to complete, but the anthologies have a 

more urgent deadline if I want the authors to be able to buy print copies in time for Christmas, and once 

November is over, I will have The Talisman Chronicles to put together for all of those creative kids who wrote 

stories for it.

So right now, although I am still a little bit stressing about completing the anthologies, because the end is in 

sight, I can take a moment to rest. I can sit and breathe in the fresh air, blanking my mind of worries - just 

for a moment.

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Divine Light - Creating a Female Superhero Challenge #CAFSC

This is my husband's submission to the anthology. It is not eligible for the prizes due to his being part of my family, but he wanted to take part anyway. His entry for the Creating a Female Superhero Challenge is called "Divine Light." This is part of a longer story he has been writing for a while now. Find out more about the challenge here. Last chance to enter is at midnight tonight (PST).

Author name: Robert Fyfe
Word count: 928 words
Anthology: YES
Charity: Because I Am a Girl

Name of female superhero: Divine Light

Name of human alter ego, if different: Angelica (surname to be added later)

Superhero Appearance (hair, eyes, body type, etc.): petite, straight dark hair, wears white, has wings

Human alter ego appearance (if she has an alter ego): normal human young woman attire

Costume: white outfit and sword, sword is hand-jewelry that transforms into a blade

Personality: sarcastic, witty, strong in character and purpose, fearless, self-reliant

Brief description of how the superheroine gets her powers (i.e. born with them, radioactive accident, mad scientist experiments on her, etc.): She was an angel born into a human world, but she was mostly unaware of her powers until, as a teenager, the angel Gabriel fully unleashed her powers.

Powers: She is the vengeance of God, wields the Sword of God, super strength, ability to smite, fly, agility, power of an angel, glows, invisibility to humans and more

Anything else important: She has a rough life before finding out her purpose, but came through it without letting her spirit be darkened. She doesn't choose her targets. She is sent after only the ones who are past redemption.

art found on Pinterest here

Divine Light
by Robert Fyfe

He watched as she pulled back her arm and then plunged her hand into his chest. He could feel it slice open his ribcage and reach his heart. He felt her pull the heart free, and he stood looking into the eyes of the petite woman in front of him as she presented his still pumping heart to him as if awarding him a trophy. He wouldn't be killing any more innocent women now.

His grip now gone, his hands fell away as he collapsed to his knees and slumped onto his back. His head hit the ground with a clunk. She followed him down resting on her left knee, her arms spread as if to conduct an orchestra.

She watched the life drain from his eyes, then closed hers. From her lips, she spoke the language of the ancients, quoting the words that opened the gates of Hades and ushered the keeper to account.

The air around them cooled and the sun set, the sky darkened and tinged with red - not just as if the sun bounced off the clouds, but colored a hue that changed the very pallets that daylight would paint the world. Sounds muffled as if snow fell but a rumble from the furnaces of hell grew till the dirt around danced to its sound.

Divine looked into the light as the gates opened; her stare never wavered, her resolve complete. From a light that would ignite a human and turn them to dust, a shape appeared. A tiny dot that grew slowly as the creature approached, running as if on four paws, each head appearing to want to lead the charge to the human realm.

“Come on Cerberus, I don’t have all day!” Divine shouted into the abyss at the approaching creature.

The three headed dog almost appeared to have ignored her but the eyes of each narrowed as if annoyed by the contempt in her voice.

Cerberus burst into the world and landed adeptly by her side; one head growled at her while the other two sniffed the air about, either seeking confirmation that they were alone or looking for an opportunity to cause mischief before returning to his home.

The hound then changed shape and metamorphosed into the shape of a man. Taller by a clear two feet than Divine who, at the moment, was crouched over the body. He turned to Divine and with a voice that matched that of his beast self he sneered at her while he spoke.

“How are you, assassin? You been keeping busy, I see?” he growled.

A slight smile crossed the lips of Divine, but still her gaze showed no emotion and she stood up to her full height, flicking her hands out so that all the blood slipped from her fingers and clothes as if they were water repellent.

“I still have enough time to muzzle you, if you like?” she replied, which wiped the sneer from his lips and replaced it with a snarl.

“One day girl, you will be mine. One day, you will slip up and anger your lord, and you will face me as a sinner.” It was almost barked at her, the spit flying from his mouth.

“It would almost be worth it, just to show you how far you can shove your head up your arse, but then with three heads you probably already know that,” she stated.

He stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching and she knew he was weighing up the odds to which he already knew the truth. They were never to battle. They were never to touch; to do so would see the beginning of the end of everything. Yet she loved to goad him. He apparently loved her goading, or he was just really bad at witty conversation.

She pointed at the body at his feet as if to remind him why he was there and after a moment he refocused his attention to the task at hand.

Cerberus closed his eyes and then transformed back into the hell hound he was. All three heads turned to the body and lunged at it, grabbing not the flesh but the soul from within. It tugged and pulled, ripping it from the body that had held it for too few years, ignoring the screams and pleading that emanated from it. Then without looking back, it leapt back into its own realm that closed leaving the alley dark and quiet now the Sun had set.

Divine moved to the body and waved her hand over it as if dismissing it from her mind. Instantly the mortal wound closed, the skin showing no marks to witness the method of execution that had befallen this creature. All signs of her involvement vanished; the blood she had wiped from her arms dissolved into the surface it had soaked into, and the heart folded back into the cage it had belonged.

Divine moved to the unconscious woman who she had rescued by enacting God’s divine justice on the man who had been attacking her.  She placed the tip of her index finger from her left hand onto the woman’s forehead. She lowered her head in prayer and then stepped back and waited. Divine then left to watch the alley from a distance.

Within moments, the woman appeared from the alley, waving frantically at two men who were walking on the other side of the road. They ran to her assistance, and then both ran into the alley behind her, one taking his phone from his pocket.

Divine smiled and went home.

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Creating a Female Superhero Challenge #CAFSC

image found on Pinterest

I was trying to keep this contest a secret until I officially announced it on June 1st. Why June 1st? Well, I have some other projects going on right now (like the creation of the anthology of fractured fairy tales for the Chapter Book Challenge), and I thought June 1st would be easier for me. 

The problem with keeping this contest a secret until June is that, while I am good at keeping other people's secrets, I am terrible at keeping my own. And this is a project that has me too excited to keep to myself! Because of this, I was leaving hints all over the place, especially when I started telling people about my disgust with the lack of really riveting female superheroes in current media and about the female superhero I am creating and writing a story for at this time. (Okay, I admit that there are quite a few really cool female superheroes out there, but they don't get the media attention that the male superheroes do. How many female superhero toys can you find out there? How many female superhero t-shirts and other gift merchandise are easily available? And even the movies put a lot of focus on the men. Also, don't even get me started on the way a lot of comic book female superheroes DRESS!)

I have daughters, five of them. And I want them to feel like they can achieve anything in life that they put their minds to. I want them to know that they are STRONG. I want them to respect themselves and believe in themselves.I also have sons, two of them. And while I want them to grow up knowing that they are strong and capable and able of achieving their own dreams, I want them to also know that women are as capable of achieving great things as men are and that both women and men have equal value in our world. I want them to respect women.

This is where my dilemma with the lack of female superheroes comes into the picture. Last year, I ran a small flash fiction contest asking the contributors to write princess stories but stories about strong princesses, to buck the stereotype and write something about strong girls and women. The winning story, a story about little girls arguing about how their doll princesses should dress, called "My Princess Wears a Superhero Cape" by Melissa Gijsbers, was a wonderful example about the limitations of gender stereotypes. (Melissa has changed the story a great deal since the contest and is currently trying to get a publisher for it as a children's picture book. I hope she succeeds as I would love to buy her book for my own children.)

Ever since then, the idea for this challenge has been brewing inside of me. About six weeks ago, I decided exactly what this challenge was going to entail. I originally had no plans on it going past being anything but a fun challenge with a prize for the winner. But then some of my friends, guessing what I was going to do, suggested I do more with this contest. They suggested an anthology be created with the entries, to be sold to raise money for a charity for girls.

Before I tell you about the details of the challenge, let me tell you about the charity idea. I have no idea what charity to contribute to. So if we are going to do this, I need your help deciding which charity we should donate to. Here is a list of charities that benefit girls.


Spark Summit

From the site:

"SPARK is a girl-fueled activist movement to demand an end to the sexualization of women and girls in media. We're collaborating with hundreds of girls 13-22 and more than 60 national organizations to reject the commodified, sexualized images of girls in media and support the development of girls' healthy sexuality and self-esteem."

Because I Am a Girl

From the website: "

"Because I am a Girl is a global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls – and everyone around them – out of poverty.

Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be denied access to education, more likely to be denied medical care, and more likely to be malnourished, simply because they’re girls. And yet, studies show that if you give a girl enough to eat, an education and a safe environment, she’ll work to raise the standard of living for herself, her family and her community.

 We operate a wide range of programs worldwide to improve the status of girls and give them equal access to health care, education, protection, independence, and an opportunity to participate in society.

Our State of the Worlds Girls report series is an ongoing investigation to shine the light on specific barriers to young girls’ development and their access to basic human rights."

Girl, Inc.

From the website:

"Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and boldSM through life-changing programs and experiences that help girls navigate gender, economic, and social barriers. Research-based curricula, delivered by trained, mentoring professionals in a positive all-girl environment equip girls to achieve academically; lead healthy and physically active lives; manage money; navigate media messages; and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. The network of local Girls Inc. nonprofit organizations serves 125,000 girls ages 6 - 18 annually across the United States and Canada."

Girls Leadership Institute

From the website:

"The Girls Leadership Institute inspires girls to be true to themselves. We teach the practices of emotional intelligence, assertive self-expression and healthy relationships, giving girls the skills and confidence to live as leaders.

For ten years, the Girls Leadership Institute (GLI) has awakened thousands of girls to a life of authentic leadership.  Co-founded by bestselling author and girl-expert Rachel Simmons, we are a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing transformational programs to girls, their parents, and their educational communities.

At GLI, we offer camps and workshops designed to teach girls, educators and parents the core practices of emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, and assertive self-expression. Taught by professional, salaried instructors, all GLI programs use interactive lessons and theatre-based techniques to help girls connect with their emotions and practice the tools of building healthy, authentic relationships. The courses are age-appropriate and progressive, following girls’ developmental needs from grade school through high school."

These are the suggested charities to make the contributions go toward, but if you know of others, please let me know in the comments (or in your entry).

Now, let me explain the contest to you.

Creating a Female Superhero Challenge

First off, you need to create a character. She is female and superhero, but what she looks like, what her powers are, what she wears and what kind of personality she has is all up to you. Start by outlining these specific things:

Name of female superhero:

Name of human alter ego, if different:

Superhero Appearance (hair, eyes, body type, etc.):

Human alter ego appearance (if she has an alter ego):

Costume:

Personality:

Brief description of how the superheroine gets her powers (i.e. born with them, radioactive accident, mad scientist experiments on her, etc.):

Powers:

Anything else important:

Once you have filled these details in, write a flash fiction or short story, no less than 300 words long and no longer than 1,000 words, that is a complete scene. This scene can be one that shows how your character develops her powers, how she becomes a superhero. It can be a fight scene, showing how she uses her powers. It can be a romance scene (PG, please) showing how she interacts with her love interest (if she has one). It can be anything you want it to be that shows some aspect of your character, something important to her life. It doesn't have to be a complete story, but it must be a complete scene. Think of it as if you have your own TV series dedicated to your superhero, and this short story is one episode of the series. (That suggests it should at least have an end to the scene, even though everyone watching/reading knows that the story continues.)

At the beginning of the page, before starting the list, type your name and the word count. Then type the word "anthology:" and add "yes" or "no" to let me know whether or not you want your submission included in the anthology. If we create the anthology, the proceeds will go to one of the charities. So if you say "yes" to the anthology, then please type underneath it the name of the charity that you would vote for, either one of the ones listed above or a different charity for girls. (The charity with the most votes will be the one chosen.)

Now, there is one more thing that, if this does become an anthology (print and ebook), would be great. Pictures of the superheroes. So, once the contest ends, if there are enough entries for an anthology, I am going to ask if anyone would like to donate drawings of the superheroes using the stories as drawing guides. The drawing need to be comic-book style. And it doesn't need to be just one person creating the artwork. (Yes, you can donate a drawing done by you of your character.)

The contest is meant to be fun. The anthology is going to be a major undertaking though. I'm still very excited about it, and I hope you are too!

The challenge begins on June 1st and runs through June 30th. The winner will be announced on August 7th.

Prizes:1st Prize:

- A trophy, proclaiming you the winner of the "Creating a Female Superhero Challenge"
- A print copy of  "The Everything Guide to Writing Graphic Novels: From superheroes to manga - all you need to start creating your own graphic works" by Mark Ellis and Melissa Martin-Ellis

2nd prize:

 - A Superhero Writer t-shirt


3rd prize:

 - A Superhero Writer mug

I want you to take your time creating your superhero. That's why I am giving you a whole month to submit and two weeks before submissions begin to prepare. Make your submission as creative and powerful as you possibly can make it. How to submit: Post your submission to your blog and link it in the linky that will be added to this post on June 1st. If you do not have a blog of your own, let me know by e-mailing me or messaging me through Facebook, and I will post your submission in my own blog under your name. Submissions will close on midnight, June 30th.

Good luck!



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