Introducing In-Site Blog & Critique Camp

I've been pondering things. Things about blogs and things about critique, and I've come to two change-inducing conclusions at once.

The first is that I'm moving out of blogger, away from my long-beloved LiveJournal, and into WordPress. Not only that, but this WP is available right inside my delicious little website. Now you can find everything I ever wanted to tell you about me in one convenient place. How's that for one-stop shopping? 

The second is that Critique Camp went so well that I'm taking this show on the road! Which is to say, I'm now offering Crit Camp as a regular service. After several years of doing insane amounts of critique (anyone remember the Call Me Icarus project?), I've come to terms with the fact that it's something I love and I should just make it official. So here it is, Crit Camp!

To celebrate both of these things and entice you to shift gears with me and check out my new blog, I'll be hosting a number of giveaways over the next few weeks. Or maybe the next month. It depends on how long my stash lasts. I've got more than a few goodies you might be interested in. Frex:

• An ARC of Dawn Metcalf's INDELIBLE: The Twixt Book One
• A finished, signed copy of THE LOST SUN by Tessa Gratton
• An ARC of Romily Bernard's FIND ME
• A finished copy of THE SIN EATER'S CONFESSION by Ilsa J. Bick
• Bookmark swag from Sonia Gensler (THE DARK BETWEEN) and Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY)
• And more things I haven't decided on yet

Don't those look delightful? Well. THEY ARE. Trust me on this. Also, with every book/package I giveaway, I'll throw in one free entry to Crit Camp. 

So, long time readers (thank you!) and newcomers (welcome!), please join me for continuing adventures on my new blog!

Two Plunges: Tumblr & Guest Posts

I've resisted Tumblr for a long while. The same way I resisted Twitter until everyone in the known universe had an account except for me (there may be exceptions to this; please, allow me my hyperbole). But the time has come. A name too perfect to pass up arose from an exchange between Tessa and myself and therefore, my Tumblr was born. Once something has a name, it exists, you know.

If you're curious to see what I'll Tumble (and believe me, I am), you can find me here: Obviously Parker.

The other new experience was a guest post that went up about a week ago over at the Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing blog.  This is a fantastic blog, run by people engaged with the publishing work at every level. It is full of excellent resources and advice for writers. In addition every month, they run a workshop on the 1st 5 pages of works in progress. This is one of the best (not to mention generous!) ongoing workshop offers I've seen. Find more details by clicking here.

My guest post is here: The Anatomy of a Good Hook. In which, I use fishing hooks to talk about writing.

Hope you're all off to a grand start this 2012!

This is the post...

. . .wherein I get to use phrases like "represented by" and "my agent." Were technology a little further along, this would also be the post from which I could shower you with confetti.

I am pleased as pudding, pie and posies to announce that I am now represented by Sarah Davies at The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

(!!!!!!!!!!!!! <-my excitement defies words) On the evening of May 15, 2011, I sent out the first queries I've sent since my senior year of high school. It was exciting and terrifying and I soon had a happy handful of requests for my manuscript. My manuscript! Things happened much faster than I ever could have hoped for and I won't go into all the details here. Instead I will skip to the part where I sign my agency agreement with an impish grin and thematic nail polish. --->

So! I am celebrating this moment. Would you like to know how? Yes, I think you would. I'm celebrating by making a potentially reckless offer that is open to anyone.

*ahem*

In celebration of being able to say the words "my agent is" I am giving away critique like it's the end of the world! This is not a contest, this is a public demonstration of my tendency to leap first and learn how to fly on the way down. Call me Icarus, with superglue.

Here's how it works.

• You send me the first 5k of your wip (I don't care if it is a complete draft or not) in an email to nataliecparker AT gmail DOT com (attached as a word doc) with the subject line: CALL ME ICARUS: title of your wip here.
• In the body of that email, please give me the following information: your name, your genre and your sensitivity level based on my newly crafted scale of fruits! See below:

I AM A PEACH - I am delicate. Look at me sideways and I'll bruise. Please be gentle and kind.
I AM AN APPLE - I've been around the block. It takes a little effort to hurt me, but it can be done. Pull your strongest punches, please.
I AM A COCONUT - I am a fortress. Bring it on.

• Cut off date is Friday, June 17th at midnight.

I will read and crit in the order in which these arrive and work as quickly as possible. That's it! Anyone and everyone is welcome because I am crazy excited!

And since it bears repeating - My agent is Sarah Davies!

Sign-Post -> LJ

So! For a while, I've been experimenting with cross-posting here from my primary platform, LiveJournal. For the time being, I have decided to post solely on LJ and stop updating this page. I may come back, but for now, this is a place-holder with a giant sign-post point to where you can read all of my exciting updates.

Please, join me on LJ where I am nataliesee: http://nataliesee.livejournal.com

Reminders marching two by two

"To draw, you must close your eyes and sing." - Pablo Picasso

Just a quick reminder that the final edition of The Cello Project is up (here!) and comes with a small contest to mark the occasion. In addition to announcing the winners tomorrow, I'm also pulling together a blogroll of year long creative projects going on in 2011. If you've got one and you'd like to be creative in community, drop a link here or in the contest post and I'll include it.


"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." - Maya Angelou

We're posting like mad on Tangled Fiction. We kicked off the year with a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood called Lady of the Ax, and I've started a new piece this week called Strange Tongue. It's here, if you missed it, with more to come later today from Valerie.