Attention Jewish children’s novel writers!
In honor of Jewish Book Month, The Whole Megillah announces a new writers’ event. During Jewish Book Month 2011, write your own megillah. That’s right. Write Your Own Megillah. From November 21 through December 21, 2011, you’ll have the opportunity to write the novel you’ve always wanted to write.
What: Complete 36,000 words of a YA novel. Or, if your interests and talents lean more toward middle grade, complete 18,000 words. All words must be new — they can’t come from a previously published work or something you crafted before November 21.
Why: The only way to write a novel is to get your tuchas in chair. Be accountable to write a certain amount of words per day. Don’t fret over commas or spelling. Just write. Compile. Create. Leave the editing for December or later.
How: If you are interested in participating, please sign up by commenting to this post and sending your email address to barbarakrasner at yahoo dot com. I will then send you a registration form.
During Jewish Book Month, post your word count each day in the 
comment section of the Write Your Own Megillah page. Include a paragraph or two if you want.
Throughout the event, count on supportive messages from me, and others connected with the Jewish children’s book world. We all want you to succeed.
Prizes: Yes, there are prizes! The first 18,000-word middle grade novel manuscript with Jewish content submitted to me (I will verify word count) will receive a three-chapter critique by Stephanie Lurie, editorial director at Disney Hyperion. The first 36,000-word young adult novel manuscript with Jewish content submitted to me (I will verify word count) will receive a three-chapter critique by Margery Cuyler, publisher at Marshall Cavendish.
Hope to hear from you!
Barbara, What a wonderful and helpful idea. I’m a little nervous about whether I’m up to the task, which means it’s exactly the kind of challenge I should commit to, so count me in. BTW, Julie Berry just gave a highly effective presentation at the last SCBWI Professional Series articulating the exact approach you recommend for finishing a novel.She must know. She managed to complete about seven novels in one year.
Andrea, I’ll be glad to count you in! I’ll send the registration form soon. I think you’ll be amazed at what you can create when you turn the internal editor off.
This is Jewish version of NaNoWriMo! What a great idea — I would love to participate — and I appreciate the dangling carrot of the critique. However, I’m wondering how you are going to make sure someone doesn’t start before November 21st? Also, since this is strictly first draft material with the typos, etc. that go with that I hope the editors will be forgiving — a great idea!
Thanks, Elisa! I’m going to have to trust that participants follow the rules. Shall I go ahead and send you a registration form?
Sounds great!! I’m in. Thanks
Wonderful, Rebecca! I’ll email you the registration form.
I’ve been telling Jewish children’s stories, now I am ready to write one.
Great, Debra! Would you like me to send you a registration form?
Please send me a registration form. Middle-grade is my favorite.
I’d like to participate in the middle grade category. Please send me a registration form.
thank you
Will do, Sarah, and thanks for the interest!
Can a non Jew join this? Have a story about a little Irish Catholic girl who wants to be Jewish because she believes a Jewish home has more order in it. She seeks out the little Jewish girl down the street. and they become fast friends.
Thanks,
Mary Jo Olsen
Hi, Mary Jo,
This blog is for anyone writing and illustrating on Jewish themes for children — and anyone else interested. Welcome!
Barbara
I would love to be included in the challenge as well. I need some thing like this to get me started. Thanks for proposing such a great initiative.
Great, Erica! I will send you a registration form.
Best,
Barbara
Hey, there. I’d like to give this a go. I too need something to tie me down to a chair. I’m always writing stuff and never finishing it.
Great to have you on board, Alba! I’ve just sent you a registration form.
I don’t have a copy of the registration form– how do I get that thanks!
This concept thrills me and terrifies me at the same time! But, like others, I need that push. Please send a registration form to me. Thanks!
Hi, Amy,
I will send you the registration form. Thanks for joining us!
Thanks Barbara. Have not received the form yet. Did you have a chance to send it out?
Thanks.
Amy, I think I did send it, but my email has all sorts of issues. I’ll re-send. Thanks for letting me know.
This is just what I need! I’ve been staring at “Write Your Novel in 30 Days” for more than that many days. I also several YA and younger stories swirling in my head. Let me get them down on paper. Er, Word doc. Thanks for this!
Rebecca Lillian
PS…Do I send a separate e mail to receive the registration form?
I will send you a registration form to your email.
It’s 8:58 am on Monday, Nov 21st. I am beginning my first middle-grade reader for Jewish children.
Go, Debra!
Congrats Debra. Day 1 and a very early start today for me because of jet lag (done by 7am EST). 802 words towards a Middle-Grade/ YA story.
Erica, what a great start! How does it feel?
This morning was exhilarating – about 650 words.
I love that word – exhilarating! Keep it going! You’re an inspiration!
“The yad was silver.” This opening line (and a vague idea) has been running through my head for years. It felt so good tonight to type that line, and then another, and then another. 952 words so far. I must admit I’m very nervous about trying to stick with this over a holiday weekend. Just have to sneak in the time somewhere.
Think of it as a habit like brushing your teeth. Or,as you say above – start with one sentence and then another. A third option is to give yourself five minutes – and likely those five minutes will stretch into ten, then fifteen, because you’ll be in the zone! Keep it going – you’re doing great!
Just a couple of words last night…hope tonight will be better!
Yael, don’t despair. Even a couple of words is more than zero and more than what you had. You can do this!
Finding it challenging to write while traveling- little time to myself. 1400 total. Back home and back to a routine on Sunday. May have to write about jet lag then though.
Erica, you can still write by forming phrases in your head and writing bits and pieces on scraps of paper until you return to your routine. And yes, maybe jet lag will cause your character to do something unexpected! Happy Thanksgiving!
Snuck in some writing time before the craziness of the day begins. I’m over 2450 words. I’m finding this a very interesting process. Imagining scenes in my head – how people are positioned in a room, how they would speak to each other. Going back to earlier paragraphs because I realize I’ve left out something that would have happened in the natural flow of the scene. Hope I can keep up this momentum. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Hooray for you! Keep it up and Happy Thanksgiving…
Today’s inspiration from Write-a-Thon coach Rochelle Melander:
TIME – The wannabe writer says, “If only I had more time to write” or “Maybe someday I’ll retire and have enough time to write my memoir.” We have the time and energy to do what we choose to do. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Carol Shields wrote her last novel while sick with stage-four breast cancer. She wrote an hour a day. In fact, when her children were young, she wrote only two pages a day. She would drop off her five kids at school, come home and clean up the house, write for the the hour before lunch, and then edit the two pages in the hour before they came home from school or just before bed. Shields wrote her first novel in longhand while sitting in bed each night. She’d write two pages fast and then shut off the light. At the end of the year, she had a novel. (p.11)
I had a slow start after the long weekend – 72 words today – but it felt good to get going again.
Good for you! Seventy-two more words is more than you had yesterday.
Having almost as much fun researching things for accuracy as I am writing the story. Learning a number of new things! I’m up to almost 6000 words. My only fear is that I’m going to finish the story far short of the 18,000 word goal. I guess I’ll finish the story and then go back and flesh it out more in places if I need (or if the story needs it).
Amy, that’s great – I love your idea of going back and fleshing it out.
Definitely going to have to quite a bit of that “fleshing out”. Halfway to the target number of words, but already about 80% through telling the story.
One of the things I like best about a month-long effort to write a novel is the freedom to go back at any time and fill in any gaps. It’s great to stay so close to the work for the 30 days – no need to reorient yourself. Congrats on achieving halfway to the targeted number of words!
I’ve been blogging on a different blog than this one. Which one should I use?
Thanks so much.
I’m not sure what you mean by a different blog – do you mean other than The Whole Megillah or do you mean you’ve been commented on a different post within The Whole Megillah?
I could sleep last night so I flicked open my laptop and wrote over 257 words. I’m tired today, but I woke up to a 257 word start.
That’s 257 more words than you had!
Barbara, Do we have to finish our word count on Dec.21, or should we keep going?
The “contest” ends on December 21. Word counts should be reached by then and then the documents sent to me for word count verification.
Hello out there – I’m up to 7800. How are you doing?
That’s great Debra! I’m at 12,800, but have almost completed the storyline. So, I guess I’ll be starting my second pass on the story soon.
How are other folks doing? Are you enjoying the process?
Barbara – do we still submit our middle school stories to you even though someone has already been the first to do it?
I am not clear on how to submit my work when it is finished. Should I use email?
You can send to me at barbarakrasneratattdotnet.
Today marks the end of Write Your Own Megillah. Have most of you fallen off the track? I’m waiting for the first YA entry at 36,000 words. What were the challenges? The satisfactions?
I’m so close! Over 16,000 words, but not optimistic that I will get to 18,000 today. Still considering this a major victory though. I’m so happy to have a first draft of this story down on paper. I will continue to work on it and hopefully someday it will make it to print.