Welcome, everyone, to 12 x 12 in 2024! We’ve made it to our first monthly check-in. So exciting! I always report in first, so here goes:
I wrote a new draft this month!! Yay!
I loved it! I was sure it could become a series.
That same night, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw that the exact book I had just written (premise, plot, characters, everything) was being released this spring. 🙁
So, the high was short-lived, but I’ve already figured out how I can revise it to give it new life.
What about you?
- Did you complete a draft of a new picture book story in January?
- Did you complete a revision of a previous picture book manuscript in January?
- Did you post a review of a 12 x 12 member book on Amazon, GoodReads, or Barnes and Noble?
- Did you request that your local library purchase a 12 x 12 member’s book that they don’t currently have in circulation?
Let us know in the Rafflecopter and the comments.
January Featured Author Tziporah Cohen is offering one lucky 12 x 12 member a PB critique (no rhyme).
Thank you so much, Tziporah!
Here’s how to check in for a chance to win:
- See the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post.
- Click on the “Comment on Tziporah’s post” button. Commenting on Tziporah’s post is mandatory for this giveaway and you can enter the Rafflecopter even if you didn’t write a draft this month. Click ENTER.
- If you haven’t commented on Tziporah’s post yet, go to the post here to comment.
- After you’ve commented on Tziporah’s post, come back to this post to enter the Rafflecopter. (Commenting won’t enter you in the drawing automatically, you must enter the Rafflecopter by following step 2.)
- Click on the “Wrote a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you completed a PB draft in January. If you did, click ENTER, if not, click cancel and move on to the next step.
- Click on the “Revised a PB Draft” button. This will ask if you revised a PB in January. If you did, click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
- Click on the last “Reviewed a 12 x 12 member’s book” button. This will ask if you reviewed a 12 x 12 member’s PB on Amazon, GoodReads, or Barnes and Noble in January. If you did, enter a link to your review and click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
- Click on the last “Requested your local library purchase a copy of a 12 x 12 member’s book” button. This will ask if you requested your local library to purchase a 12 x 12 member’s picture book. If you did, enter a link to your review and click ENTER. If not, click cancel.
- That’s it! There is no overall submit button or email confirmation. Rafflecopter will track your points. (The top of the Rafflecopter will say X/5 with X being the number of entries you currently have in the drawing.)
Here’s a video tutorial on the forum to walk you through these steps as well. Click here for the monthly check-in tutorial.
The deadline to enter the Rafflecopter is midnight Eastern on February 7th. Rafflecopter will draw a winner and it will be announced on the blog on January 8th.
Remember, badges are not awarded automatically and must be requested in the forum. Click this link to request your January badges.
12 x 12 may earn a commission from books purchased through the links in the post. Proceeds go to fund 12 x 12 diversity programming and scholarships.
33 Responses
Thanks for sharing! I, too, had a super idea (and the high that comes with it) be dashed shortly after its inception. I’m glad you have ideas for revisions.
Busy month, lots of 12 x12 critique groups and new groups to form. Rewriting numerous manuscripts and have 30 new story ideas thanks to .
storystorm. Will be writing and have new draft and several revisions already.
So excited to be here! I’m overwhelmed (in a good way) with everything 12×12 has to offer. Thank you for awarding me a diversity scholarship. I’m grateful.
This month I wrote a funny picture book about beans. And I revised a picture book about a boy whose dad goes to prison. Already planning on revising the bean story and starting a new book in Feb. Cheers everyone!
This month I wrote a new draft and edited another draft.
I have spent time revising a draft during the month of January.
This month I wrote a new draft and revised one of my critiqued stories. Also organized a new critique group that looks just wonderful! We will be posting to each other next week. Lots accomplished! Yay 12 x 12!!!
I started what could be called a shitty first draft in January.
that made me laugh
I can’t believe January is over already! Not that I am upset about it.
I did complete a new picture book draft this month about an ice skater named Sammy.
I also posted a review of The Crab Ballet on Goodreads.
Do I also need to post this check-in via the Rafflecopter, or do people normally just post a comment on the blog post for their monthly check-in?
Sending writing inspiration and hugs to everyone:)
This month I wrote a new story (PRINCESS BEATRICE AND THE BUG) and edited BABY BEAVER’S MOON multiple times. I also entered the Kid’s Choice Contest. Great fun with 12×12 all around.
Being my first month in 12 x 12, I was really inspired to get writing. I struggled a bit with my new draft but got a story I’d been thinking about for some time out of my head and onto paper. It’s not perfect at all (far from it), but I’m excited to continue figuring it out and I feel so much closer than I was a month ago. I also edited two other manuscripts I wasn’t quite satisfied with and feel happy with my progress
This month I revised a draft and posted it here. I have been revising based on feedback and will post an update again shortly. I purchased two copies of Jyoti Rajan Gopal’s “Desert Queen” for the NYC public high school where I teach. I gave one to the school library and have one in my classroom. It’s a creative school with a large LGBTQ+ population and I know the kids will enjoy and be inspired by it. I am very excited that some lovely people replied to my post about forming a critique group and we are going to have a Zoom meeting in a couple of weeks! It’s been an exciting month!
Didn’t quite manage to finish a new draft, but revised an existing one and excited to keep at it
I only joined 12 x 12 a few days ago but already being part of this group has prompted me to begin a draft for a new picture book. Still a long way to go, but I’ve started it!
This week I joined 12×12! I’m excited to learn, connect, and give back to this community. In January, I did an author visit and loved it, took on the ARA leadership role in our SCBWI NT chapter, learned how to write a query letter, and received a critique of my picture book manuscript. Now I’m in the process of editing it. I’d love to post it once I’ve done more edits to get feedback…still need to learn how to do that in 12×12.
Love hearing updates from you all! Inspiring. Happy to join in the journey.
I’m working on a bigger project, (not a PB, but don’t know yet what genre it fits into). It’s a nonfiction about a recent experience that EVERYONE says should be a movie. I don’t make movies, so I’m writing a book. I’ve been really struggling with it because the story captivates people’s interest when they hear it but didn’t appear very captivating on the page. I knew I had to write it but didn’t know why and was not enjoying it. While avoiding this project, I managed to write a new PB draft, revise an old one, critique a lot of “full manuscript makeovers”, read Facebook posts and comments, (adding a few of my own), take part in the webinar, and watch a few tutorials. I learned a little bit from each of these activities and it all added up to a lot. I learned what was missing from my nonfiction story and discovered the reason I need to tell it, (not at all what I originally thought). Now, I’m now excited to be tackling it.
This 12 x 12 challenge motivated me to revised “Mrs. Brown’s Garden”. I am still learning how to navigate this technology, but the tutorials are very helpful.
This 12 x 12 challenge motivated me to revised “Mrs. Brown’s Garden”. I am still learning how to navigate this technology, but the tutorials are very helpful.
Hello everyone! Hope your journey is going well. This month, I revised a picture book I have been working on for a few months. My end goal was to have it printed to give as a gift to my grandchildren. With the narrative polished and the illustrations worked and reworked, inked, and entered into the program I was using, I finished the project in record time. In addition to my revisions for “Hazel the Hen Likes to Talk,” I also continued with researching and revisions on my YA novel, “Crest of a Harvest Moon”. My goal is to have it ready for submission by April 1, 2024, so have a lot a work ahead of me. To meet the 12X12 Challenge, on January 31st I wrote a new picture book, “Riley the Duck Loves to Fly.” I am really excited to try the wordless picture book as my February 12X12 Challenge piece. Continued success to you all!!!
This month I wrote a new draft, SLEEPY LIKE ME, which I envision as a bedtime toddler board book. I also illustrated the pages, just for fun. I began revising a picture book that I’d workshopped last summer, but life interrupted and I’ve yet to finish those revisions. I am new to 12×12 so I’ve just started to familiarize myself with all that this membership offers. Didn’t do as much as I’d hoped, but I did manage to attend the webinars live and am inspired to have an even more productive February.
Wrote a draft and began another!
RE: Saw your exact book idea while scrolling through Instagram in a book being released this spring. This is actually WONDERFUL news! This means it was/is the perfect idea, because a publisher bought it. Just put that different spin on it, submit to a different publisher, and use this book as a Comp when submitting. You can also look at this published book and see what Comps they chose.
You may have heard this before, “There are no new stories.” There is truth to that. If you are passionate about your story, the passion will shine through and it will get published. (Maybe you can even pick one of your potential series ideas to start with instead).
You wrote that draft — that is what is most important!
I had a pretty productive January (for me). I wrote two new pb drafts. I revised several older pb manuscripts. And I participated in StoryStorm and generated 36 new pb ideas. I’m hoping to keep up the pace in February.
Story Storm was a big motivation to write new drafts and revise some existing drafts. I did both!
I started a new story in January!
I reworked an existing picture book biography draft, posted it and got some very helpful comments and a ninja critique.
I started two new stories in January!
I accidentally checked revised a draft in January 🙁
This month I revised a few drafts and finally wrote a new first draft after taking some time off in the fall.
I needed time to recover from the busiest holiday season I have had in years, so all I did was revise. Well, that’s not true, I thought about stuff A LOT! And planned a way to move ahead, AND determined a focus–which is to submit submit, submit! This year looks like tons of revision with maybe a few new stories IF the inspiration hits.
Hi everyone! Thank you for Tziporah for your generosity!
1. I did complete a new draft last month! It is titled, LEILA VISITS MEXICO.
2. I have not yet revised my previous draft, RABBI THE RABBIT, but it’s been on my mind for a while. The word count is in between a PB and a chapter book.
Hi,
I am so excited, but confused. Technology isn’t my forte so navigating 12 x 12 is hit and miss. I am not from the techy generation. I did write a new draft last month entitled, WINSTON’S VALENTINE. I have revised my previous draft on my manuscript, FIRST COMES A BUTTERFLY. It is being edited at the publisher at this time. So I am really pumped and want to have all the knowledge possible to see writing and even publishing.
I’m with you posting to this blog was confusing for me. I see my comment now so I’m happy.