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12 x 12 February 2018 Check-In!

Helloooo, everyone! Welcome to the end of February, your second check-in post of 2018. I’ll go first. 😉

I did some great revising on one of my manuscripts and started a lot of review and deep thinking about another. I did not write a new draft this month, but that’s okay (for me). I needed to focus my limited writing time on revision this month, and that’s what I did. I did have an intriguing idea for a new ms though, so I’ve got my eye on March to write that one!

A quick reminder about these check-in posts. You do NOT need to post or share your manuscript anywhere in order to get points. You can enter the Rafflecopter (below) for a chance to win this month’s prize from Jeanette Bradley and you can request badges in the Forum. But I repeat, you do NOT need to email me or Kelli or anyone. This is your challenge and it’s on the honor system. We trust you, and we promise there are no 12 x 12 police. 🙂

Now it’s your turn!

Tell us your progress. Did you complete a draft and/or revision in February? Let us know in the Rafflecopter and in the comments. Our prize comes from this month’s Featured Author Jeanette Bradley. Jeanette is giving away your choice of a manuscript or query critique.

Here is what you need to do to check in for a chance to win:

  1. See the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post that says “Manuscript or Query Critique at the top.
  2. Click on the “Comment on Jeanette’s post” button. Commenting on Jeanette’s post is mandatory for this giveaway and you can enter the Rafflecopter even if you didn’t write a draft this month. You can comment on the post here.  Click ENTER.
  3. Click on the “Wrote a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you completed a PB draft in February. If you did, click ENTER, if not, move on to the next step.
  4. Click on the last “Revised a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you revised a PB in February. If you did, click ENTER. If not, move on to the next step.
  5. That’s it! Rafflecopter will track your points.

You have until midnight Eastern on March 2nd to enter your results. Rafflecopter will draw a winner and it will be announced on the blog on February 3rd.

You do not need to post your manuscript and/or revisions on the forum for them to count. If you wrote or revised a manuscript in February, even if it’s just on your computer where no one can see it, then enter the Rafflecopter below.

(Remember, monthly draft and revision badges are awarded separately from your Rafflecopter entry. Watch this handy tutorial to find out how to get your badges. CLICK HERE.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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61 Responses

  1. Happy February End, everyone! Here’s to a fantastic March filled with much inspiration, confidence, hard work and chocolate 😉

  2. For being a shorter month, February was still packed with goodness! I wrote a new draft, revised three more times on another draft, and started a ninth revision on my verse novel. I’m also in an online mfa class through Hollins University and I’m writing papers on picture books from the critical side of things! Lots of reading, lots of writing!

  3. Thanks, Jeanette! This is my first year as a PB writer, and I am in much need of critique groups and feedback. You have inspired me to continue to refine my writing and to seek critique. In my ‘other life’ I am a chemist and have always collaborated on research. I look forward to collaborating in my ‘new life’ as a PB writer.

  4. Surprisingly, I had a good month. I wrote a new draft only because of Susanna Hill’s Valentiny Contest ( Thank you Susanna!) and even though I didn’t win I had a new character and an outline for a new story. So it turned out ok. Also sent out a few queries this month. It’s all good.

  5. What a busy month and writing took more of my attention! It was a great time to write with Winter discouraging outside adventures.

  6. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a year since I joined 12×12- I have been absolutely transformed in my craft and my pursuit of publication! I’m so thankful to be a part of this community. <3

  7. Hooray! We made it to the end of February! It’s been so inspiring to check-in at the end of the month and think about what I’ve pushed myself to write, whether it’s big or small, revision or full draft. 12 x 12 is exactly what I needed to push my writing and creativity for 2018!

  8. I have only 10 minutes on average to write in the early morning, but by keeping my notebook and pen handy and the 12×12 challenge a priority, I managed to get a first draft stitched together for February.

  9. February was a good and productive month for me! i wrote two manuscripts, listed several viable ideas and revised two manuscripts.

  10. I am living the picture book life! This month I read stacks of picture books. It was biography for my book club so I chose a biography of Margaret Wise Brown. I wrote some (awful) poetry, one picture book story and revised it a lot and then entered it in a contest. I know I won’t be as productive every month as I have been this month, but I’m going to enjoy my success while I can.

  11. Everything was short for me this time around! A short month, the shortest draft I’ve ever done and the shortest amount of words cut from a revision. But a little is better than nothing and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for next month (and the stack of PBs I picked up from the library for research).

  12. Whew! The 12 X 12 Challenge is certainly keeping me on my toes. I submitted a full manuscript a couple of days ago, but alas, no one has commented yet. It might be that I asked for specifics. I read that I should bump my post, but am not sure how to do that. I am looking forward to getting into a critique group. March onward!

    1. I will look for your story Joyce. When I make a comment it will bump it back to the top. Hopefully today but if not very soon.

  13. I wrote a couple of drafts and did tons of revision. And with the help of some great critiques on one manuscript, I think it’s pretty close to being ready to send out. Ready to march into March.

  14. I had a good month! I revised several drafts, and realized I need to do more revisions! I participated in #PBPitch and #FaithPitch, and realized…I need to hone my pitches! And I have started researching several non-fiction PBs.

  15. I just joined 12 x12 so I didn’t get a new draft written for February. This month I did do a revision on a PB that I had written last year. I am very happy with this latest revision and feel it made my story so much better.

  16. Is it already March??? Wow! Anyway, I did LOTS of things in February. I revised a pb and sent it to two of my critique groups. I revisited a rough draft of another pb I’m working on and went to the library for mentor texts to inspire me along the way. I also entered a mg, a poem, and a children’s book in an upcoming genre competition sponsored by the Tennessee Mountain Writers. Hope March is as productive as February was! 🙂

  17. Super excited about a new draft as well as revisions on a couple of manuscripts! Productive month–but I’m always wanting more time to write!

  18. A short month but I did get to write a new draft and did more research to help me as I continue improving it.
    The ideas aren’t flowing as well as I thought when I began. Might need to take this story in another direction. We’ll see.

  19. Revised a manuscript, wrote a 50 word story for a contest, queried 3 agents and followed up with one that was interested in one of my stories. It was a productive month! Yay!

  20. February was a pivotal month for me. I revised my January draft, wrote two Feb drafts and then promptly revised one of them. I was also fortunate enough to be visited by a ninja! Almost immediately, I began revising yet again, but quickly realized that my story was getting away from me. Despite having received strong feedback, I didn’t take the time to let it marinate. Instead, I just began slashing and burning until it became clear that what I was writing sounded less like my voice and more like the end result of a series of concessions. So, I decided to pull back on the reigns and let things breathe – both my story and my brain! I plan to circle back soon, but have my eye on three other ideas that have been brewing for a good while. Meanwhile, I am going to give ReFoReMo a shot and see if I can meditate on craft after having put the academic/technical stuff on the back-burner throughout Feb so I could simply concentrate on writing. Onward!

  21. It’s March and I’m off with ReFoReMo and loving some good mentor texts. I’m working on a March draft. Looking forward to 12×12 2018!

  22. I can’t believe February is already over! I had a very productive month. I think I wrote two drafts and I am working on revisions for 2 stories. And I got an idea for my March draft this week! Hope everyone else had a productive month.

  23. One new draft, revised and just about polished and ready to send (omg!). One new idea that is on its way already for March. I hope I can keep up this pace! 🙂

  24. This month was quite productive for me as well! I finally finished my manuscript biography -Yay! AND I revised one of my completed manuscripts to prepare it for another round of submissions. After a long dry spell I feel rejuvenated and ‘back in business’! I am so grateful to be part of the the 12×12 community!

  25. This has been another crazy month for me… my writing and revising has been stuck in no man’s land while trying to get my Medicaid reinstated… believe me, trying to keep all the bells and whistles spinning is maddening and will drive you to drink!!

    I worked on a new nonfiction manuscript that came directly out of Tara Lazar’s StoryStorm. I have never had so many nonfiction ideas… and am excited by this new direction my writing is taking. I also revised one of my old PB manuscripts and sent it off to the February Agent

  26. If I thought January and February were busy months…I think I’d better hold on to my hat for March. Finished the 8th story for the MOVE book and sent stories 5-8 to the HMH editor. And received back the first four with her revision requests/suggestions…which I addressed immediatey and am just about ready to send back to her. And ReFoReMo started today…YAY! And my #50PreciousWords Writing Challenge starts tomorrow…double YAY!!! So many wonderful opportunities in our kidlit community to grow in our writing life. 😉

  27. This was a full month, filled with horrifying news, in our country and the kidlit world, but it was also a good month. I was finishing a revision on a middle grade novel but did manage a PB revision and must have read 50 picture books. Fabulous reading month. Hello, March!

  28. I’ve just been in for a couple of day and I’ve learned a LOT! Thank you all for this great community! I have two drafts on hand I’m working on, one is getting close to submission and the other still needs tons of work before it’s ready. Hopefully I can get these two ready for submission in March. Hope everyone has a productive month!

  29. February was both negative and positive for me. I finished a February draft (yay!) and came up with two more book ideas! But there is so much more I want to write, and don’t get it done. While I endeavor to write as much as I can each day, as long as I get a minimum of a poem scratched out, it’s still successful.

  30. Lots of revisions in prep for submissions, and am getting signs that I’m moving beyond the crickets stage. Could it be an early spring?

  31. WooHoo! Another month past and a new draft and many many revisions. Good luck everyone of you 1,000 people.

  32. What a busy month! 12×12 has morphed into a daily habit and I love that–it is definitely keeping me focused. I completed a manuscript, revised, revised, and revised, came up with several ideas for future pieces, edited/revised another manuscript, and connected with many others in this amazing group! Also, there was the slightly spooky incident of my closed laptop printing Feb’s manuscript without me requesting it…you can make up your own mind about what that means…!

  33. I didn’t join until late in the month, but I had been working on my PBs all month long anyway. I had a very productive month. I completely rewrote one manuscript and revised the original draft significantly as well. Not sure which version I’m going to ultimately go with. I also revised two other manuscripts that had been sitting around dormant. I actually think I solved a few major problems in them that made them come to life. YEAH.

    I came up with several fun ideas for new stories that I’m super excited about and did a lot of work on a concept but I’m still missing something on that one to make it fly. Overall, the group has been great and I’m pumped and excited. With a little luck… I’ll strike GOLD in March!

  34. Feb was full of lots of little revisions, eeking out a very rough draft of a new story, and lots of reading, but all good progress in the journey!

  35. It was painful, but I did manage to do a first draft this month of a new story inspired by an idea that came out of Storystorm in January. Also been revising two different manuscripts – one of which I have now submitted to an agent!

  36. I managed a really bad first draft but spent a lot of time on revisions for several other manuscripts. Getting ready to submit two of them soon.

  37. February was a good month. Been working hard or revision, revision, revision… I don’t see any ‘widget’ and i’m not sure what to look for. I found the link to Jeanette Bradley’s post and am going over to read & comment now.

  38. February I got one draft done, a revision done and several drafts started and in various states of done. Here’s to March being productive and less crazy thank February.

  39. This has been a very productive month. I wrote a first draft of four books, revised three, and began two more.
    But I cheated – most of these are stories I’ve told my art students over the years. Each story accompanied a lesson, and with seven or eight rotations of each grade, I had plenty of time to refine the plot. The greatest challenge has been going from a limitless word count to only using around 500 words. After many unsuccessful attempts of keeping the count to under 1000 words last year, I finally got the hang of it! As it out turns out 500 words is much easier.
    Now the challenge is mostly getting the nuts and bolts of writing down.

  40. 12X12 has added *so* much value! I wanted to write this year, really write, and 12×12 is keeping me motivated, engaged, connected. Grateful for the group and glad to have joined this journey with others! Excited for March – and SPRING! 🙂

  41. I’m up to revision #6 on my latest manuscript after sharing it with my new critique group. I’m so happy to have found them 🙂

    Looking forward to SPRING!

  42. I started 2 new ms drafts, but couldn’t close either one out by the end of the month (aarrgh)– I blame the shorter # of days (I tell myself)…
    No revisions. No drawings, even. But March is a new month!

  43. I stRted submissions this month. A huge step for me. I did get ideas and rough draft but most of my energy went toward revising and submitting.

  44. I managed to write two new drafts, but then caught the flu so I did not get to participate as much in 12×12 or revise the draft from last month as I intended. This is the month it will happen! Hopefully… Maybe?

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Interested in Joining the 12x12 Challenge?

Financial Need Scholarship Guidelines

All applications will be accepted via email only between November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023 at kelli@juliehedlund.com.

Subject line of the email:

  1. 12 x 12 Financial Need Scholarship
 

Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in 250 words or fewer.
  2. A short statement describing the nature of the financial need/circumstances in 250 words or fewer.
  3. A sample query letter for the manuscript you are submitting with your application.
  4. Pitches for two additional completed picture books.
 

 Attached to the email:

  1.  The full text of one picture book manuscript, attached as a Word document named as FIN_YourFirstName_YourLastName_Title_of_Manuscript.doc (or docx).