The Writer's Inspiration Kit

A brand new notebook.  A good, quality pen.  Maybe an excellent cup of coffee or tea.  Writers often have that one thing that is somehow associated with creativity (and subsequently, with productivity). Here’s your chance to win what I call a “Writer’s Inspiration Kit,” while at the same time getting your current work highlighted and shared with other writers. Let me take a few lines to explain the motivation behind the contest.  Hopefully it’ll make sense to someone other than me:

I honestly believe that one of the most inspirational things for a new or aspiring writer/novelist is to learn of the work, goals, and successes of other writers – especially of fellow new writers. So a new feature that I want to showcase on my creative writing blog (Sojourner Mountain) is to highlight the writers I’ve met through blogging and Twitter.  To that end I thought I’d create a list of those willing to showcase your work, and this contest is a way to ask your permission and collect the info I want to highlight.  After this contest is over, I’ll create a regular blog update where I highlight an author, and describe where they are in the process of completing their work.  In addition, this will help draw attention to my creative writing blog.  

How to play: All you have to do is 4 super easy things to qualify for the contest…

1) Click on the Sojourner Mountain link to the right, which will take you to the Sojourner Mountain Creative Writing Blog.

2) Click on “Submit” on the left hand side.

3) Submit the following information:

            a) your Twitter handle or blog address

            b) The name of your current work in progress, and a short (1-2 sentence description.  Please include what genre your WIP is).

            c) How long you’ve been working on it and when you hope to have it c.ompleted.

4) Tell me if you mind if I highlight your information on my blog (Yes or No)

So my entry would look like this:

• Twitter @WELinde
• Chasing After Vanity, a Humor-Crime-Mystery novel that follows five normal, everyday white collar workers as they try to hunt down the thief who stole the fortune that belongs to them.
• I’m in the final editing stages now.  I hope to complete it by the end of April 2011, and to start sending out my query letter by the end of May.
• Yes.

Now for the cool stuff. Here’s what you can win:

1^st prize: The Writer’s Inspiration Kit.  This has a collection of things that at one time or another has probably in some way helped motivate us as writers.  They’re things…gimmicks.  But they’re fun.

The Kit includes (see article photo above): A Sojourner Mountain Visual Writing Prompt Collection – a nicely print collection of 20 of the best visual writing prompts featured on Sojourner Mountain; A ½ lbs bag of Café Mam Tango Blend Coffee (an excellent roast from the certified Fair Trade coffee company Café Mam in Mexico); 1 box of Revolution Dragon Eye Oolong tea (one of the absolute best teas I’ve ever tasted); 1 Sojourner Mountain coffee cup; 1 moleskin hardback notebook; and 1 7-year pen.  The value of the kit is approximately $65 dollars

Second Prize: A Sojourner Mountain Visual Writing Prompt Collection and Coffee Mug

Third Prize: A Sojourner Mountain Coffee Cup

And that’s it. I’m going to keep this contest open for the rest of April, then hold a random drawing the first week of May. You can submit as many times as you have WIPs.  Please spread the word, and good luck!