Friday, March 29, 2013

Our Read 1K Write 1K Challenge Kicks Off April 1st!


Give yourself the Gift of Accomplishment!

Come join our Read 1K Write 1K Challenge 
here at the Book Boost starting April 1st!


I think we can all agree that writing and reading go hand in hand but I'm here to test the theory that if we make time to read at least 1,000 words per day and write at least 1,000 words per day that we'll take a big leap toward meeting our goals.

For the purposes of this challenge, you'll be asked to "sign up" by either e-mailing me privately or posting a comment here on the blog no later than April 1, 2013 (deadline: noon Central Standard Time).

Why sign up?  Because I'll be giving out some prizes throughout the month and you must have signed up and be actively participating to be eligible to win.  And you must stick through to the end to be eligible for the Mystery Grand Prize!

But, wouldn't finishing that languishing manuscript be reward enough?  Wouldn't pushing past that middle of the book slump be reward enough?  Wouldn't writing along side other authors and getting the push you need be reward enough?  Wouldn't sharing great reads with each other be reward enough?

It would for me.


So, who should take this challenge?  Do you... 

Need to get the words rolling on a new project?

Feel stuck in the middle of a novel and can't seem to push through? 

Is your novel...almost done and it just needs a few...more...words?

If any of these are you, then please join me starting Monday, April 1st for 30 days of writing fun! Every day I'll chronicle my writing adventures as I juggle 3 kids, multiple editorial jobs, and much more all while completing my latest novel.

For those of you who've written with me during previous challenges, welcome back! For those new to my challenges...you're in for a treat. Cause not only will you boost your word count and stay motivated by sharing your daily word count with fellow class mates, but you'll be in the drawing to win prizes.  A special shout out to all my Book Factory author family members who are here to keep that productivity in check.  Want to know more about my Book Factory Method?  Check it out here. 

Now, you may be asking, how does this challenge work exactly?

Step One: Leave a comment here or e-mail me privately to sign up for the challenge no later than noon CST on Monday, April 1, 2013.

Step Two:  Show up here on April 1 to check in (by leaving a comment and telling us what manuscript you're working on and what you're going to be reading).

Step Three:  Your manuscript can be anything and you can switch projects throughout if you need to but you must commit to writing at least 1K a day.  You may write more on some days and you may write less on some days.  That's okay.  Be honest with yourself and with us.  Just strive to do the best you can and write some every day for 30 days.

Step Four:  Choose a fiction book and read at least 2 chapters a day.  Since books and their chapter lengths will vary and it will be too difficult to monitor "actual word count" go ahead and consider 2 chapters being a minimum of 1,000 words.  Share with us the title and author of the book and let us know if you meet your daily goal.  Also, give us a little "non-spoiler" comment on the book each day.  Something like "things are heating up" or "not wild about this chapter but I'm sticking with it".  If you finish the book during the month, let us know if you'd recommend it or not.  You may read more than one book during the challenge, this is flexible.

Step Five:  Repeat steps 3 and 4 each day during April.  If you miss posting on a particular day due to the dog, the cat, the hubby, the kids, the weather, work, rain, snow, the power company, the post office, the cable company, the neighborhood kids, an impending apocalypse or well...any other possible interruption...you will be fine in posting a comment on that day's update as soon as you can.  Just be sure you go to the particular day and post your comment there.  Don't combine all your updates on one post because it will be too darn difficult for me to sort out and well...I won't feel like it (nor will I have time as I'm taking the challenge too). :-)

Step Six:  At the end of the challenge, be prepared to be amazed at your accomplishments and give yourself a pat on the back.

Please Note:  The Book Boost is a promotions blog and I will be featuring various authors on the blog throughout the month.  So, if you check in and see a normal blog post at the top, be sure to scroll down to find the dated post for that day.

Most importantly, be sure to report in each day, whether you've met your goal or had a bad day...we want to hear all about it. Get ready...get set...let's write and read!

See you Monday!

Happy Easter weekend to all.

Bunny hoppingly yours,
Kerri Nelson
Owner, The Book Boost

39 comments:

Jessica Ferguson said...

Okay, this is a little scary since I'm doing the A to Z Challenge--blogging the alphabet every day through April, but I want to start a new novella so this might be the time. Took your Book Factory course and it was super! I'm a lurker but read it all and loved it.

Count me in. ~jess

Barbara said...

I'm in. I'll be working on part 3 of my series, the sequel to Autumn Leaves and Winter Storm. Usually, I try to do 2,000 words on weekdays, so I should be okay...I hope. For reading, it's a French YA novel at the moment, and either French or a US based mystery next.

Great idea!

The Book Boost said...

@Jess~
Yay! Yay! You can do it. I have a ton of other April commitments as well, but I can't put off this novel any longer. Gotta do it. See you there!

@Barbara~
Can't wait to see you there. Sounds like you're a natural for this challenge. Woot!

Unknown said...

Count me in. I need this challenge. I am getting stagnant with all the work-related writing taking precedence in my life.

The Book Boost said...

@Evelyn~
Consider yourself counted in! Get ready to roll on Monday. :-)

Jordan said...

I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this April, but am going to join this also. It will be a greatway to get in those extra words!

I took your Book Factory Class in March, it has really helped me a lot... I cannot wait to get started!

-Jordan

The Book Boost said...

@Jordan~
I know you'll do great. Thanks for joining the challenge!

Marie Sultana Robinson said...

I'm ready.. I've been stalled out for a while and I like the comraderie of this and the push!

Anonymous said...

I have a book I'm polishing the first three chapters so I can submit it. I had a request for a partial and I've been charging along. I need to get the synopsis written and finish editing the second chapter and send the third to my critique partner. So with that and judging 2 contests I think I can use this challenge. I'm also doing Camp NaNo and a BIAM for April so lets roll it all together.

Cinette said...

I'm in! I also signed up for 5 online classes, so this will definitely be a challenge, but I'm in!

Cindy Carroll said...

I was thinking it will be scary since I'm trying to do the A to Z Challenge as well. For three blogs. :) And I'm teaching an online class in April. But life happens and I need to make time for it. So I'm going to give it my best shot!

Oladapo ogunfuye said...

I am in....

cornelia amiri said...

I'm participating to finish the rough draft for a novella and to finish the revisions of two novellas and to submit those two.

The Book Boost said...

@Marie~
Let's cheer each other on!

@ckcrouch~
Great to have you on board. Love that you are multi-tasking!

@Cinette~
I love that you love a challenge!

@Cindy~
Your best shot is all you can do!

@Oladapo~
Yay!

@Cornelia~
Sounds fantastic!

See you all tomorrow!

Lynnette Labelle said...

Kerri,

Just making sure you have me signed up. Can't wait to get started.

Lynnette Labelle
www.lynnettelabelle.com
www.labelleseditorialservices.com

BetsyG said...

Okay, count me in. I've been finding excuse after excuse not to write. Time for me to make this a priority!

Linda Butler said...

You already have me signed in from the end of the Book Factory Course, so this is to confirm that I'm still committed to the challenge. linda butler

The Book Boost said...

@Lynnette~
You are all set!

@Betsey~
That's the attitude I love to hear!

@Linda B.~
Confirmed!

Best of luck on day 1!

Teresa Reasor said...

So glad I'm involved with this. I need the outside push to get'er done. I enjoyed the Book factory class so much!!!

I'll be working on a short story, To Capture a Highlander's Heart: The Courtship.

And working on my next Navy SEAL romance Breaking Away.

I'm reading The Lebanese Connection by Jonathan Marshall --it's research for the SEAL book.

I may be getting my edits for Highland Moonlight this week, so that too may be part of this challenge for me.

Already working on my 1000written and 1000 read.
Teresa Reasor

Sally Christie said...

Hello and Well Met!

I am Sally and I am going to see how far I get in this challenge. I have six NaNoWriMos under my belt.

Today, I have 1006 words. I'll add more.

I bought a novel on my Kindle last night. It is The Testament by John Grisham. So, far, it appears to be written in the first person through the eyes of an old and rich man about to show his last will.

I'll be back, tomorrow.
Sally

Teresa Reasor said...

Got my thousand written, actually a little more. And read quite a bit more, doing research for my medieval short story. And wrote a blog.
Teresa R.

Stacie VanE said...

I signed up through the book factory course, so I hope I am not too late signing in. I've been on the road all weekend with no access to the internet - the horror!

I will be working on a m/m erotic romance. I am about half way through Taking A Shot by Jaci Burton, so I will hopefully finish that book in a few days.

I wrote 1085 words today.
Stacie

Stacie VanE said...
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Stacie VanE said...
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Linda Butler said...

I am writing a novella with a working title of "The Earl". I wrote 1008 words today. I'm not sure where this story is going but I've made a start.
I've started Kasey Michaels How to Tempt a Duke. I've read it before but I always enjoy reading a book again as I watch for foreshadowing, symbolism, metaphors etc that make a more interesting read. The first time around I just read for the story. I read a lot and fairly quickly. I only vaguely remember this story so I'm sure I'll enjoy the re-read.
I read the prologue and chapter 1 today. The hero, who was supposed to escort Bonaparte to Elba, receives a messenger telling him that he is now a duke. Ch1 introduces the heroine. linda

Linda Butler said...

I changed the book I'm reading. The one I started of Kasey Michaels is 346 pages long and has 17 chapters, which makes approx 20 pages per chapter. I was reading last night and it just seemed to go on and on.
I've now selected Julia Quinn's When he was wicked. Again, this is from my bookshelf, so I've read it before. It is 364 pages and 23 chapters, so approx 15 pages per chapter. Chapter breaks are important and this is a lessons to me in my writing. If chapter are too long, people reading in bed just go to sleep trying to reach the end of the chapter, and the book is no longer interesting. linda

The Book Boost said...

@Teresa~
So great to see you here, my friend. Still multi-tasking away I see!

@Sally~
You made it! Yay! Keep up the great work. Only 29 more days to go.

@Stacie~
You are good to go! Your plan sounds right on target.

@LindaB.~
Interesting. I don't normally re-read a book. Never really thought of reading it again for the technical aspect. Good on you! But love love love Julia Quinn!

Teresa Reasor said...

Got my 1000 written and 1000 read. Over half way through with the short story. One more day and I should be through with it.
I updated my website but I'm having trouble publishing so the only reading i got to do was on google trying to figure out what the problem was. Darn it.
Teresa R.

Linda Butler said...

2 April - Only got 500 words written, so I'll try for more tomorrow. plus read 2 chapters of When he was Wicked.
There are a lot of books that once is enough, but I can read Julia Quinn's any number of times and still enjoy them. linda

The Book Boost said...

@Teresa~

I've been there on the website sitch. That reminds me...I need to update mine. Oy!

@LindaB~
Hey, 500 is swell. Hang in there--you are rockin'!

Teresa Reasor said...

Well I only made 600 words today. Had company and lots of interruptions. And I had to get my stuff together for my class in the morning. Darn it.
But I'm reading a few minutes before I go to bed so I'll get my 1000 read.
Teresa R.

Linda Butler said...

Comments on Julia Quinn:
I just want to comment again about reading books twice. I recently read Julia Quinn’s Just Like Heaven for the first time. However, even in my quick reading, I noticed a lot of “handkerchiefs”. In one of the early chapters there is a scene where the hero gets out his handkerchief and wipes the heroine’s eyes. It didn’t seem important at first, but then handkerchiefs get mentioned several times after that. The hero becomes ill and the heroine nurses him. She goes to retrieve a handkerchief to clean the wound and retrieves his underwear instead. Later, the heroine needs a handkerchief but instead reaches for the bed sheet to dry her tears. I have to wonder why the housekeeper didn’t bring linen to clean the wound when she brought the hot water. The handkerchief, is usually an impersonal piece of linen, but Quinn creates layers of meanings. I don’t know if the handkerchief is a symbol, or just a recurring object that helps to link the story together. I have left a post-it-note in the book and the next time I read it, I will examine this in more detail. First I read for the story and the next time I read it I look for the details. I may not re-read it right away, but by leaving a note to myself, it alerts me as to what I found interesting.

Linda Butler said...

I managed to write 740 words today and no reading done.

The Book Boost said...

@Teresa~

Happens to all of us. I've not been doing so well on the reading. Too much time trying to work in my writing!

@LindaB~

Yay to the word count! And now I'm going to have to check out this book. That's one I haven't read of hers and now it'll be like a seek and find puzzle. :-)

Linda Butler said...

Tonight its 200 words of writing and I've read 2 chapters of Quinns When he was wicked. I love the humor in Quinns books. linda

The Book Boost said...

@LindaB~

The book sounds great and 200 words is a great effort!

Linda Butler said...

I wrote 300 words today and read 2 chapters. I'm not very happy with myself, but I'm wondering where everybody is? Are we all going to be writing our novels at the end of the month?

The Book Boost said...

@LindaB~

Everyone is commenting on the individual day updates. Check the main page of the blog here: www.thebookboost.blogspot.com

I'm posting individual day updates every day. I'm giving my personal updates there and everyone is chiming in on each day's comment section.

Check it out and you're doing great!

The Book Boost said...

I'm going to close the comments on this blog post so that everyone can move on to the individual day updates.

Thanks.