I am not a sentimental person. I don’t keep my kid’s report cards or their math test, and I could probably fit all of their art projects into one drawer. The tooth fairy has never seen the need to save their baby teeth and the Kindergarten soccer trophies have long since found their way to the basement. But what I do have is 36 Christmas ornaments, all handpicked and all scripted with my children’s names Read more…
As far as grandmother’s go, my Grammy P was the best. She made chicken roll sandwiches on hamburger rolls, which I thought was the height of haute cuisine when I was a kid, and every Christmas she gave me a special ornament for the tree—a handmade doll.It was always the same: a hand-beaded Styrofoam ball gown topped by a mini-Barbie head with a sweeping bouffant, and pipe cleaner arms that ended in tiny plastic hands. Read more…
Holiday Guest Post by Lori Goldstein When Brenda asked me to write about a family holiday tradition, my excitement swelled like a helium balloon. But after an hour in my desk chair, all I had to show for it was a flat piece of Mylar and a voice like Donald Duck. Because my family is not good at follow-through. The only holiday tradition my family managed to maintain for any length of time was “oh-so-cute” Read more…
The window for Pitch Wars is now open! You have until 12/2 at 11:59PM EST to get your applications in to brendadrakecontests@gmail.com. If you don’t know what Pitch Wars is or if you need the submission guidelines, go here. To learn more about our participating agents go here. The mentors’ picks will be announced on this blog on December 11, so check back then to see if a mentor chooses you. And there will Read more…
The agent round isn’t until January 22, but I thought it would be fun to announce the agents now, so you can see all the fabulousness waiting for you if you are chosen by one of our amazing mentors. So grab some popcorn, sit by the fire, and warm your toes while you get to know the agents for Pitch Wars. (Submissions for Pitch Wars is now closed. The mentor’s picks will go live on Read more…
The last day! I can’t tell you all how much I’ve enjoyed meeting all of you and getting to know your work! We’ve had over 70 people participate! I’ve also decided that critique giveaways will now be a once-a-month part of my lineup here on Brenda’s blog. So all is not lost if you didn’t win today! So now, without further ado . . . today’s final winners are . . . CK Lyall, Shawn Read more…
You’ve scrambled your way through the Mentor’s bio posts, searching for secret words and letters, and looking for clues to help you unscramble the mystery quote. You’ve pulled at your hair, begged for extra hints on twitter and crossed everything crossable, hoping that your entry would be one of the lucky five chosen for an extra mentor application. The quote was a line from a book that held special memories for both Brenda and me: Read more…
Still procrastinating! And still doing MULTIPLE winners! And now, without further ado . . . today’s winners are . . . Eboni Collins, Kelly Heinen, Pete Catalano, and Cait Spivey! @MadSeasonGirl, @Aightball, @Pete_Catalano, and @CaitSpivey Congrats!!! I will DM you the details shortly! And for the rest of you, please keep tweeting ! If I favorited your tweet, you are definitely doing something right! I will be keeping an eye on you and looking for your tweets Read more…
You guys are terribly confusing. I like easy choices; it’s too hard to pick between all of you. So today, tomorrow, and Sunday will have at least two winners! (Also, I don’t want to write my infectious disease paper. Doing crits is one of my favorite procrastination techniques.) And now, without further ado . . . today’s winners are . . . Talynn Lynn and Mande’! @TalynnL and @Darle78 Congrats!!! I will DM Read more…
Hey, it’s Rae again! For those of you just tuning in, here’s my spiel: As writers, we all Google-stalk agents (and often editors). Come on, admit it, you do. And if you’ve done your homework – and you should have done your homework – you can probably rattle off your dream agent’s most recent sales, submission guidelines, history as an agent, favorite font, and caffeinated beverage. But did you know that agents are people, too? Quirky, nerdy, Read more…