Just for fun, Picture Books

The Halfway Mark for 12 x 12!

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As of the end of June the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge will have reached the halfway mark. To celebrate, 12 x 12 creator, Julie Hedlund, is hosting a blog party where participants can share their progress so far and either celebrate or commiserate.

Here’s my little update…

PB manuscripts finished so far: 11! (thanks to NaPiBoWriWee in May I have a few extra)

PB manuscripts started, but not finished: 4

Successes: My February PB was published in an online magazine. (You can read it here.)

Submissions: Apart from the one I submitted to the online magazine, I currently have a couple submitted to some PB competitions, but it’s too early to have heard anything from them yet. I’m yet to submit any of them to publishers (most of them still need a lot of work and revision and I  have more polished work that I’ll be submitting before my 12 x 12 MSs).

I’m really enjoying the challenge so far, not just because I’m building a great folder of PBs to work on, but because the support and friendship within the 12 x 12 group has been invaluable. I hope everyone else participating is getting something out of it, whether it’s new PBs or great friends. If you’re not participating, it’s not too late to join in; we still have six months left to go!

55 thoughts on “The Halfway Mark for 12 x 12!”

    1. No, don’t lose your will to live!!! I am a bit of an overachiever (I always was at school!), but I’ve also been blessed with some great inspiration. Of course not all my drafts have been good ones and will probably never see the light of day, perhaps I should have added a category for number of GOOD PB ideas.

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      1. Looking back, I’m not entirely sure how I managed to get any drafts done in those first few months! Especially since bubs was admitted to hospital a couple of times, too, for various problems. I think in a way it’s been my release. It’s the only writing I’ve been doing since bubs was born–no short stories or novel work. It’s something I can do with kids around because they are often my sounding boards.

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  7. Congrats on so many pb’s, Jo! And I went over and read your story that was published…good for you…that is fantastic. 🙂
    Best of luck in the second half…you’ll have probably….30. 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Vivian 🙂 I’m not sure about 30, I’ll be happy if I can get another 6. If it wasn’t for NaPiBoWriWee I wouldn’t even have as many as I do. I just hope there are a couple of workable drafts I can get polished up for submission.

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    1. I think getting it out there is often the hardest part. I have to keep telling myself, if I don’t put it out there it will just sit in a folder on my computer gathering (metaphorical) dust.

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    1. Thanks, Donna! They’re not necessarily all good ones lol. They’ll need a bit of revision and polishing (and some will probably stay tucked away in their folder forever). I was so excited Green Nadine got accepted.

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    1. Thanks, Jarm! It does make me feel a bit more relaxed about the second half of the year, knowing a have some extra drafts to fall back on. It’s been fantastic being surrounded by such a fabulous bunch of fellow PB writers.

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  16. Congratulations, Jo, on your published piece. I am impressed by how quickly that happened. And most importantly, congrats on building you PB folder. That is one of the best part about this challenge, not to mention the wonderul writing communtiy we have here.

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    1. Thank you, Romelle. I knew the magazine was looking for pieces on a specific theme and used that theme as inspiration for my February PB, though I wasn’t sure I’d have it ready by the deadline. My awesome critique group gave me some great instant feedback so I was able to polish it up before submitting. I got it in mere hours before submissions closed.

      It is a great community.

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  17. Congratulations on what you have achieved and bub as well. Went over and read Nadine, that is one cute story, I just loved it. Good luck with the rest of the year. Love being on this journey with you.

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    1. Thank you, Diane! Glad to hear you liked Nadine. Good luck to you, too. I’m enjoying sharing this journey with so many great writing friends.

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  22. I agree about gaining the folder of new PBs to work on and also gaining some great friends through this challenge! Happy Halfway! 🙂

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    1. Thanks so much, Heather! I wasn’t sure how I would go juggling writing PBs with a baby, but it’s ended up being the only writing I’ve been getting the chance to do–all my other writing is on hold.

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  25. Jo, people like you inspire me and make me crazy! 😉 Super big congratulations (again) on the new little member of your family, and also on your writing accomplishments. For sure you will finish the year with many more promising manuscripts.

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  26. Congrats on publication and getting your stories out there! Sounds like a very nice folder of work to revise. Good luck in the last six months!

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  27. 11 for 6…okay, what kind of math is THIS? So jealous, but I’ll get over it. I’ll have to try that NaPiBoWeek next year. And publication to boot! Great work, Jo. Very inspiring for a new writer like me. Thanks for sharing your progress, hope it doubles logarithmically in exponential fashion in the next 5.76 months (now THAT might take some ALGEBRA).

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    1. You should definitely try NaPiBoWriWee next year, it’s a great challenge. I didn’t finish it this year (only five out of seven), but it still gave me a couple of good PB drafts to work on (and gave me a few extra drafts for 12 x 12). Glad to have inspired you.You astound me with your algebraic skills!

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