Hey! Where did all the boy hats go?!
Today we celebrate!
Well technically, we should do this every day to keep our skin glowing and grow younger instead of older... like Benjamin Button (though that was kind of creepy). But in case you only celebrate if there’s an occasion (which is ludicrous, shame on you), here’s a good reason for you to put on a party hat and stuff your face with cake. Remember, if you’re on a diet, this is your day off it. If you’re at work, take your lunch break and live a little. And if you’re depressed… well, don’t be.
So today’s the Life List Club’s Milestone Party, which marks (almost) 3-months from the start. You can read more about it on the LLC page (where Henry, the zombie clown likes to sleep).
I’ve always been a fan of making lists, especially if they’re filled with life goals, big or small. Truth is, I don’t always complete every item on those lists, but I’m learning how to make better lists in the future. But most of all, being a part of something bigger somehow puts things in perspective.
By sharing my goals with others, it makes them ostensible.
By seeing everyone handles their goals, I’m inspired to work harder on my own.
So everybody wins! Now, enough mumbo-schmumbo, time to CELEBRATE!!!
…with some suspicious-looking punch.
The point of today is not to guest post, but hop around and see what every Life List member has achieved in this short window of time. But before I share my progress (or lack thereof), I’d like to start with the exciting part –drumroll please–
A BIG PILE OF PRESENTS!
My prize is ever so modest and self-indulging. I’ll give one lucky commenter/subscriber a two-chapter in-depth critique, or critique of any piece of fiction you’d give me to rip apart (mwuhaha). Alternatively, I might haggle with the winner if they’d rather grow a slug for a nose than let me criticize their babies. (Nobody likes that really… you’re supposed to like their bows and funny ears.) I'll announce the winner next Friday, Sept. 30.
And here is the list of fantastic giveaways by my fellow Life Lister’s!
LIST OF MILESTONE GIVEAWAYS:
Jess Witkins is giving a signed copy of Shifting by Bethany Wiggins.
Pam Hawley will give a bunch of prizes to one lucky winner:
-Winner's choice of excerpt from my novel-in-progress or a copy of my short story "Elevated."
- I will interview the winner on their goals and ambitions for a future post in Hawleyville.
- Option to publish a piece of their own fiction/essay (up to 2,000 words) or do a guest post at my blog.
David Walker is giving up 2 prizes:
-to a commenter, a copy of a short story, Bubba’s First Cruise
-to a subscriber, a guest post swap.
Marcia Richards is also pulling all the stops for one winner:
-a copy of flash fiction - Night Moves
-invitation to guest post or be interviewed on my blog
-winner's name used for a character in my trilogy, The Dance and The Dancer
Jennie Bennett will give 2 prizes to 2 minions:
-3 books: Oliver Twist, Secret Garden and A Little Princess
-10-page in depth critique
Sonia G. Medeiros is giving Larry Brooks’ Story Engineering Ebook.
Jenny Hansen is giving 1 subscriber and 1 commenter a choice between a guest post from Jenny on their blog OR an interview of the winner on Jenny’s blog.
Diana Ligaya’s giveaways are:
-a copy of Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces
-an in-depth critique for fiction up to 15,000 words.
-an in-depth critique for fiction up to 15,000 words.
Last but definitely not least, Emily Moir’s giving a fantastic 5 piece (4X6) photo series by Kate Moir to one lucky winner.
*Check individual writers' blogs for their details on how many winners will be chosen and when their contest ends.
MY PROGRESS (OR LACK THEREOF) SHEET:
1. Find a job. – I’m working on that still. Patience is a virtue… or so they say.
2. Move to a bigger town. – Oh, that won’t happen before Christmas.
3. Update Rya’s story frequently. – Oops. I swear I’m working on it and will have an update by the end of this week. I’ll also make sure that I have enough material to update FREQUENTLY.
4. Finish the outlines for the BS and start editing. – YAY! I did that. I’m the man!!!
5. Have the MS ready for querying. – Umm, the editing part will be done eventually… I hope.
… and so on. Basically, I spread out some big-ass goals throughout the span of 12 months, which is kind of squishing my self-esteem a little. But since I’m a half-full kinda gal, I’ve decided to commemorate this day (and my tiny progress) by expanding my Life List! Whee. Check it out:
MY LIFE LIST UPDATE:
8. Win NaNoWriMo 2011.
9. Finish my ‘We Are God’ project entry.
10. Learn to juggle. It’s one of the best skills to have!
11. Party more often. Girls just wanna have fun style.
12. Read a book every week. Get cracking on that TBR list. (LINK)
13. Eat healthy-ish. You know, try scrambled eggs instead of jaffa cakes.
14. Be more active on twitter. Expand network and meet new people.
15. Volunteer occasionally. It’s good for the heart.
16. Turn every negative thought into a positive one. (Now that’s a challenge.)
So there you have it. We’ve got girly party hats (still looking for the boy ones), we’ve got suspicious punch (mystical-looking though), and we’re giving presents like there’s no tomorrow. I think someone had cake also… And the rest is up to you! Feel free to make your own Life List and put it on your blog, but let us know so we can cheer you on!
Also, if anyone is interested in joining our little clique, you can email the First Lady of the LLC: Marcia Richards at marichards320 [at] yahoo [dot] com. We currently accept one new member per month.
Now give us some party love and spread it like crazy!
