CataUniversity Novella in a Nonth Challenge

25,000 words in 31 days. Are you in? Beginning May 1st, CataUniversity will host a 31 day "Novella in a Month" challenge. You'll have the whole month of May to gear up and write 25, 000 words. To help you along, there will be weekly check-ins and daily inspirational posts from one of five author's who will host the challenge. If you want to be on the official Challenger list, go here and leave a post with your email and/or blog address. You'll be linked on the CataU site, and fellow challengers and Co-Hosts can drop by and give encouragement. Check-Ins will be on Monday and Friday and progress reports will be posted on the CataU sign-up page for all to see. :) Sound like fun? If so, go the the CataU Challenge page and sign up. Below is a little info I snipped from the site:

We are counting down to the Novella in a Month Writing Challenge at CataUniversity. You'll have 31 days to write 25,000 words. Are you up to the challenge?

Join a supportive (and challenging) environment with Co-Hosts, weekly check-ins and daily Inspirational posts. Official Co-Hosts include:

• Gail Barrett
• Leila Brown
• Nicola Marsh
• Isabel Sharpe
• Linda Wisdom

To Sign Up: http://catauniversity.com/?p=126

Get ready to write!

Need Help Finishing Your MS?

Need help finishing your manuscript? Check out Maria Connor's ProSAC website.

Setting goals and finding a way to succeed is what my Web site is all about, especially for those writers who have trouble finishing a manuscript.

I don't know about you, but I can use all the help I can get. :)

ProSAC is an interactive community offering tips, encouragement, challenges and incentives to help writers, especially those who lose steam after three chapters, to finish their manuscript. Sign up for a free newsletter and check out my Web site for contests. Go to www.maria-connor.com and click on "What the heck is ProSAC?"

In addition, I'm looking for published authors to contribute to my weekly blog on the topic of "Finishing Your Manuscript." In exchange for their contribution (3-5 paragraphs), I'll post their name, current release and Web site.

I've already signed up for the newsletter. Maria is also looking for a new name for ProSAC and is running a contest to help find one. Click here to enter. The official ProSAC title will be announced February 14, with a crystal bookmark going to the winner. Maria Connor Homepage ProSAC Website

Helpful Tips for Your 2008 Goals & Resolutions

-Into Feng Shui? If so, go over to Magical Musings and read guest blogger Belle Andre's New Year's Feng Shui Tips for Writers. -Do you want to live every day of the new year with a vivid sense of meaning and purpose? If so, visit The Best Year of Your Life website. New York Time's Best Selling Author and Life Coach Debbie Ford offers a free newsletter and site membership. Listen to life-changing meditations, or self-esteem boosting affirmations. Download her free how you can create the best year of your life article and worksheets. -Get a jump start on keeping your New Year's resolutions with Joe's Goals free daily goal tracker. Joe's Goals makes it simple to create, track, and share your personal goals. Grab the code and post your badge to your website or blog. If you forget to post your progress, have a reminder sent to your inbox. But, if you'd rather have a logbook, try Joe's Logbook.

Joe's Logbook is a simple tracking tool that lets you organize your life using the power of your words. Track your activities by adding daily notes explaining your experiences, victories, and failures. Use the simple, single-page interface to setup and track the specifics of any area of your life. Use it to record your thoughts, track your spending, watch your health, and track your dreams and inspirations. Add as many Logbooks as you want and update them all from a single interface.

What more can you ask for? -If you're a LiveJournal member, make a cute little New Year's Resolution badge and post to your blog or website. It's similar to Joe's Goals (see below), only it doesn't keep track of your progress, it only lists your goals and/or resolutions. Visit Robin D. Owen's blog to see a sample. -Fiction Factor features an article by Lee Masterson titled: Setting Goals for Your Writing Career -Surf on over to Holly Lisle's website and read her article, How to Get There From Here: The Magic of Goals, then complete the goal-writing exercise. -Are you a "slacker" when it comes to goal-setting? If so, then The Slacker's Guide To Goal Setting And Writing Success by Angela Booth is for you. Read about Jerry Seinfield's Productivity Secret here. -And finally, you'll need something to help you keep track of all your goals and resolutions. And the GoalPro 2008 is just what you need to do it. GoalPro features a personal success coach, a GoalPro scratchpad, a daily journal, reports and graphs, action-planning calendar and a success tree that provides an overview of your goal routine, graphically showing the hierarchy. This looks like a great program, however, it's a little pricey for my pocketbook. -If you'd rather have a free program, try Task Coach - Your Friendly Task Manager.