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12 x 12 June 2019 Check-In!

HOW is it possible we are halfway through the 12 x 12 challenge in 2019? I’ll tell you, the check-ins are killing me this year. I might be having my worst year of productivity (with respect to writing) yet. However, I’ve been around this rodeo enough times times that I know this one too will come to an end. Sometimes we need to honor life over writing, and that’s okay. That’s where I am at the moment, and I know the writing will be there as soon as I am ready again.

What about you?

Tell us your progress. Did you complete a draft and/or revision in June? Let us know in the Rafflecopter and in the comments. June Featured Author Lauren Kerstein is offering a copy of her book ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE MAKE WAVES and a picture book manuscript critique to one lucky winner this month!

Thank you, Lauren, for your generosity!

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 “Book and Critique from Lauren Kerstein” at the top.
  2. Click on the “Comment on Lauren’s post” button. Commenting on Lauren’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 June. If you did, click ENTER, if not, click cancel and 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 June. If you did, click ENTER. If not, click cancel and move on to the next step.
  5. That’s it! Rafflecopter will track your points.

You have until midnight Eastern on July 5th to enter your results. Rafflecopter will draw a winner and it will be announced on the blog on July 8th.

(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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19 Responses

  1. Hurray…I wrote a new story this month…and already submitted it…fingers crossed for the editor to love it! And I revised another manuscript for an R&R…but that editor has some additional suggestions…so it is another R&R for that manuscript.

  2. I’m glad to hear that you are focusing on family and life, even though your writing productivity is down. You never get that time back, so it’s important to make the most of it! I love your attitude that your writing/life balance will swing back to writing again at some point.

  3. I don’t know if this counts or not, but I’ve researched, plotted and done a very rough first draft of a PB biography of a little-known civil rights figure. I’ve never attempted nonfiction before, so I’m still feeling my way. I probably won’t foist my story onto the kind folks at 12×12 for another draft yet, but I’m really excited about this new project & cant wait to show it to people! 😁

    I also redrafted an old story— DON’T TELL MAEVE TO SMILE— for #PBPitch & got hearted by an agent. She has requested an R&R, so that’s a success of sorts, right?

    Anyways, I’m feeling super excited and energized about my PBs!

  4. Julie, the monthly check-ins are killing me too!! The first 1/3 of the year, I was writing new like crazy! Then boom, that brick wall appeared. I chiseled my way through to a new genre (chapt books, which I LOVE). Only recently have I knocked down the picture book wall. This year, I’m focusing far more on the quality, than the quantity. It’s good to be in the trenches with all these hard-working, creative kidlit writers!

  5. Thank you for your words, Julie! “Honoring life over writing” (which is where I’ve been for the past few months) sounds so much more noble than “dropping the ball on your dreams”! 🙂 I hope to be ready for the writing very soon.

  6. I did okay this month–one new draft and a start at a revision, even though I didn’t complete that revision. Accountability helps, but it doesn’t do the work for you! Blah. Lol

  7. This has been a challenging month in my daily life. Writing sometimes is my only sanity. I did write a draft and have been working on revisions for that day of submission.

  8. Julie, I’m glad to hear you’re keeping a healthy balance between life and writing. It’s all cyclical, and you will get back to your writing when the time is right. Until then, thank you for all you do for this wonderful writing community!

    My 12×12 January draft is getting some attention from agents and editors. It’s out there circulating and I’m hoping it finds a home. For now, I’m on to the next draft. I love how 12×12 keeps me focused!!

  9. I’m happy to have revised a very rough draft to something almost legible (still needs quite a bit of work after critique group review — not unexpected though), and I’ve got a brand new shiny draft of something that has been niggling at the back of my brain for a year or so now.

  10. I’ve been working on revising 2 PB manuscripts in the hopes of getting them ready to submit. My goal for July is to write a new PB draft.

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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).