Tuesday, September 14

Posted by Laurel Garver on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 25 comments
The happy day has arrived! In celebration of reaching 202 followers, I'm hosting a "Too, oh too cool" prize drawing that you, dear readers, helped design.

I'll be giving away three separate prizes--unisex cool stuff (so please enter, gentlemen!). This is open to international entrants, though only US residents are eligible for the gift card.

Drawing prizes

1) Gift card: $15 Staples card for stocking up on printer paper, note cards and other necessities.

2) Totebag: Harry Potter inspired "expecto patronem" tote for keeping the dementors out of your latest haul from the library.

3) Goodies to inspire you
Mousepad (or use as XXL coaster for your drinks): "The alchemy of writing consists of imagination, drive and discipline. Have these and the rest is a forgone conclusion." (See image HERE.)

Keychain: "Writers Write" with vintage typewriter (See image HERE.)

Magnet: "Read, seek, imagine..." (image at left)





To enter, you must leave a comment to this post.

Bonus entries will be given as follows:
+5 Existing follower
+3 New follower as of 9/7
+2 Tweet contest
+5 Link contest on your blog sidebar
+10 Pose an "Ask-the-editor" question on grammar, punctuation, critiquing
+1 Indicate whether you are US or international
+1 Calculate your total number of entries

Contest is now CLOSED

Winners will be announced Thursday, September 23.
Categories: ,

25 comments:

  1. Now entering contest :)

    "Ask-the-editor" question on grammar, punctuation, critiquing
    -How much is too much to pay for professional editing/critiquing?

    *This is a US entry

    *Total = 13

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm loving the look of your blog! And congrats on 202+.

    As an editor, when you are critiquing a work, what usually catches your attention first (good or bad)? . . . Grammar? Style? Story? And anything that you've seen that makes you want to shred it to pieces (just so I can avoid this)?

    Okay, points:

    Existing +5
    Linked on sidebar: +5
    US +1
    Calculate +1
    Critique question +10

    Total: +22

    ReplyDelete
  3. Super giveaway, Laurel!

    And by the way, I love the new layout. It's been too long since I stopped by. Missed you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awesome giveaway! I love the new look too. It's super cool.

    - Ask-the-Editor: Is there a trick to getting rid of all those pesky -ly words? If so, what would it be...I have way to many.

    - Old follower
    -Twitter
    -Side bar
    - In the US
    - +24 total

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great questions so far, friends, thanks! I will have blog post ideas for weeks (you can see why I give so many points for them!).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, lots of fun!

    +5 loyal follower
    +5 sidebar link
    +1 US resident
    +10 When is the best time to use a semi-colon instead of a period?
    +1 total =

    22 points :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, fun! Okay, I'm a loyal follower (whut whuuuut!), US resident, and I have a question:
    We were talking about what if's in my writing class last night and everyone would say things like "What if Narnia was real?" Now, based on my Spanish training that was should be a were, but I'm not as familiar with subjunctive use in English. Am I crazy, or are they wrong?
    That gives me...17 points!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sweet. :)

    Loyal follower-5
    Question-10
    Tweet-2
    Sidebar-5
    US (NJ)-1
    add-1
    =24

    Q.- How long does it take you to do a thorough chapter critique?

    Love,
    Lola

    ReplyDelete
  9. Okay so new follower +3
    Tweet +2
    Link in sidebar +5
    Ask-the-editor +10 "Using onamonapia. Can you use it in adult novels such as WHACK! and how do you format it (with italics or capitals? "
    US +1
    Totaling +1
    EQUALS= 22

    Awesome contest, Laurel!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cool bag!

    I'm an old follower +5
    I'm US +1
    I'm calculating +1

    Total +7

    ReplyDelete
  11. Old follower +5
    in the US +1
    grammar question +10
    It is "my husband's and my house" and not "my husband and my house" is that right? Similarly, Jackie's and David's Mom instead of Jackie and David's Mom?
    Calculating points: +1

    Total: 17

    ReplyDelete
  12. Old follower +5
    In the US +1
    Tweet +2
    Calculation points +1

    Total: 9

    Great contest, Laurel!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mmm... I'm terrible at math (which is why I'm a writer). Let me see if I can work this out without resorting to Excel.

    Old follower +5
    In the US +1
    Calculate +1
    Question +10

    So, 17 entries. I think.

    My question: if formatting isn't available in email, how do you handle formatting book titles, magazine titles, and story/article titles? With italics or underlining unavailable, what do you capitalize, put in quotes, etc?

    Hooray for you! Go go 202! (See, a poet, not a mathematician. OK, bad poet.)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love all these writerly prizes!

    + 5 Existing follower

    +2 Tweet contest (I'll tweet it here shortly, but what's your tweet name?)

    +5 Link contest on your blog sidebar: http://margoberendsen.blogspot.com

    +10 Pose an "Ask-the-editor" question on grammar, punctuation, critiquing: my critique group always argues about how you should write time. 5 o'clock or 5:00 pm? And do you have to write out numbers, as in five thousand, or can you go with 5,000 (in fiction?)

    +1 US

    +1 Calculate your total number of entries

    24 points!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great contest Laurel!
    old follower -+5
    Tweet +2
    Link contest on my sidebar +5 http://www.christinedanek.blogspot.com
    Question to "Ask the editor" -- What grabs your attention in a chapter 1? +10
    I'm in the US +1
    Calculate +1

    total-24

    good luck everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  16. tweet contest +2
    question to "ask the editor"--What should I look for when choosing a title for a work? +10
    international +1
    calculate entries +1

    total= 14

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love the new look and the "Ask the Editor" entries! I'm an old follower in the U.S. and here is my editor question: I always have trouble with lay and lie. I've heard that people lie and objects lay but it always sounds odd to me to say,"I'm lying here" instead of "I'm laying here." What is the correct usage?

    So my points: old follower +5, question +10, US resident +1, totaling +1 = 17

    ReplyDelete
  18. Okay, I'll play. At the very least, you'll save on shipping if I win. :)

    +5 old follower
    +2 tweet
    +1 international, but living in the US :P
    +10 question
    +1 totalling
    ------------
    19 entries

    AND...the question:
    I've been using it by instinct alone, but I'm sure there are rules for using em-dashes to offset action or commentary in the middle of dialogue. For example:

    "I don't think"--Gaby frowned and waved a hand dismissively--"you really have any idea what you're talking about."

    Like, if the action break comes after a natural comma in the dialogue, what do you do? something like "...yes,"--ACTION--"but..." or do you leave off the comma?

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. +5 existing follower
    +1 calculating
    +1 U.S. resident
    +10 Ask the editor see below:

    TOTAL: +17
    QUESTION: When you're creating an example that needs a gender free pronoun such as:
    When a person goes to the store ___ (he/she??) must get apples.
    Which is the proper pronoun to use? I've heard that the standard was he and then it changed to whatever gender the author is. I just feel like it's weird to use she. Perhaps because I've seen more he's? I'd love your input!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yay! An international contest! My Norwegian soul is very happy:)

    +5 Existing follower
    +2 Tweet contest
    +5 Link contest on your blog sidebar
    +10 Pose an "Ask-the-editor" question on grammar, punctuation, critiquing
    +1 Indicate whether you are US or international: International!
    +1 Calculate your total number of entries
    =24

    My question: How important is an editor when it comes to a book's success?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yay! Congratulations on the followers! You make me feel like I should be doing something to celebrate, but I did just give away a book.

    Anyway
    +5 old follower
    +2 Tweet @charitybradford
    +1 live in the US
    +1 totaling
    =9 entries.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats on reaching the 202 mark! I'm at 7 on my blog (and that includes me), and I'm thankful! Below is my entry into the contest...

    +3 new follower
    +2 tweet
    +5 contest link on my blog sidebar
    +10 "Ask-the-editor" question: How much is too much to pay for a critique and can you make a recommendation?
    +1 US resident
    +1 Total # of entries: 22

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on reaching 200! That's marvelous. You always have the best competitions and prizes. Count me in. I think that's 8 points for being a follower, tweeting and being a US resident.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Who dosen't love a fantastic blogging event!!! I've been gone to long away from your blog *hangs head in shame* Congratulations on such an amazing feet Laurel!

    Your blog background is super adorable! I mean I'm actually jealous of how festive and fally it is! (yes I just made up the word fally, don't hate!)

    ReplyDelete