Writers Challenge Week Six

JAN: Well, its over. Done. We can all pat ourselves on the back for our efforts and calculate our word count and page numbers. Or maybe we just feel good about figuring where our story is headed - the hardest part of writing isn't writing, it's thinking.

Aside from practically finishing my novel (I'm halfway through the changes based on first reader comments), my biggest accomplishment has been the distance I've put between myself and my email.

I realized halfway through this, that urge to check email is directly connected to brain fatigue. In other words, it's just another way to space out or avoid hard work. Why waste any of that precious early morning caffeine time on email or any Internet vices?

Late in the afternoon, when the blood sugar dips, the temptation to check email or go online is still strong. Willpower weak. Maybe I'll have to invent a new challenge to address that!

How has the challenge worked for you, and how did you calculate your own success? So please, tell me how relieved you are that this is finally over and how much you accomplished a long the way. I'll be selecting names at random this week and announcing all winners next Sunday - so stay tuned!

Writers' Challenge - Week Four

ROSEMARY: There's a terrific line in the movie House of Games - there are so many, if you haven't seen it, put it on your Netflix list immediately.

The female lead, a shrink who's a best-selling author asks her friend - another shrink - what to do when you've done something unforgiveable.

The friend answers - forgive yourself.

If you've fallen off the wagon a little this week - forgive yourself.

You are approaching the home stretch and, much like a diet, it's not always easy to stick to it after ther initial thrill of getting started and losing those first few punds or seeing those pages stack up.

My hybrid version of the challenge - no email and/or 1000 words a day has been working pretty well even though I had a weekend trip to Birmingham for Murder in the Magic City and Murder on the Menu - and what I wrote on the plane disappeared from my flash drive and computer!

I spent half a day looking for it, thinking I might have accidentally saved it in the wrong file. Eventually I had to write it over so I lost a whole day.

Just staying mindful of the challenge every day has worked for me. And I have posted a sign that says

Do Not Go On Online near my computer.

Sometimes I ignore it, but more often than not it's worked.

Do you have any mind tricks to share that have kept you on the straight and narrow?

First Monday in January

ROSEMARY: On the first Monday in October, the Supreme Court opens for business - this first Monday it's my job to bang the gavel and open Jungle Red for business for another year of commentary, interviews, conversation, writing advice and encouragement, rants, cheers, jeers from six - and soon to be - eight mystery writing women. Yup, the picture above still shows six of us, but in the coming weeks we'll be joined by two new voices - stellar talents from coast to coast - (that was a small hint) who will be flashing their talons as soon as they get their Jungle Red manicures.

Right now, I'm looking at the new year like a new ream of paper - what's it going to be filled with in 360 or so days? Will I hit my marks? Surprise myself? Lose the last five pounds? Climb another mountain? I've unwrapped my brand new Frogs calendar and started to fill in...

This week is a busy one as I deliver page proofs for Slugfest (in an italics quandary which I would love to get feedback on later in the week..) On Wednesday I bang the gavel again as the new President of Mystery Writers of America's New York Chapter. Next day it's off to San Diego with 15 fabulous writers - T Jefferson Parker, Naomi Hirahara, Kate Carlisle, Vickie Doudera, Jeri Westerson, Joanne Fluke, Gary Phillips, Ken Kuhlken, Tim Hallinan, Sue Ann Jaffarian, Sophie Littlefield, Kelli Stanley, Dianne Emley, Harley Jane Kozak and our own Hank Phillippi Ryan for a party at Mysterious Galaxy on Friday night and an all day event at MidWinter ALA the next day.

How are you kicking off the new year?

HALLIE: Starting it off so delighted that we're being joined by two of my all-time favorite writers. One from north and one from south of us (another clue.)

Otherwise, same old same old. Writing writing writing, one word/sentence/page at time. Counting counting counting as I go. I do love the new book I'm working on--trying to get a good head of steam because March 22 I'll be taking a break to promote "Come and Find Me."

And looking forward to Lifetime running the movie of "Never Tell a Lie" -- and I can finally stop telling people I DON'T KNOW when they ask me when is it going to run. I think I'll be watching it like I watch Red Sox games, with my eyes closed, afraid of what they're going to do to it next.
On a personal front, trying to slow down enough to show my sweet husband how much I enjoy his company. Staying connected with my daughters and cherished friends. And trying to cook a few dishes I've never used before--maybe this is the year of the croquembouche chez moi.

ROSEMARY: Just tell us when to come over for the croquembouche!

ROBERTA: Oh yes, are we ever excited about our upcoming new members! And can't wait for Hallie's movie. Since they didn't consult you on anything, you can't be held responsible right? Unless it's fabulous of course!

I am psyched about my new food critic series. Headed to Key West tomorrow to attend the Key West Literary Seminar, which is focused on food writing this year. Will get a chance to meet (or at least hear from!) Frank Bruni, Ruth Reichl, Calvin Trillin, and lots more...and then I must go back to writing like the wind. Deadline looming very very large on the horizon. And I still have to get used to my new name (Lucy Burdette!) and figure out how the heck to integrate her into my life. Suggestions very welcome....

I'm so jealous about ALA, Ro, maybe next year....

JAN: The last five pounds, Ro, where are they? And Hallie, um.... so WHEN is the movie version of "Never Tell a Lie" going to run? My daughter, who read Hallie's book TWICE, will want to know, along with the rest of us.

One of the first things I'm going to do in 2011 is initiate another Writers Challenge on Jungle Red, so stay tuned here and on Twitter at @janbrogan #JRWritefirst -- I'm hoping to finish two books in 2011. That sounds incredibly ambitious, except that I've been working on both of them --one fiction, one non-fiction - for quite some time. I'm especially excited about the non-fiction book, tentatively titled The Combat Zone --about a murder and trials of the 1976 murder of a Harvard football player in Boston's Combat Zone.

On the personal front, the first goal never changes (and I have made SOME progress) CHECK my EMAIL less, and practice guitar more.

HANK: Hallie, when when when? There's something about a new year, right? Where so many wonderful things can happen. (And oh, yes, we've got SUCH a lovely surprise for you! We're so happy!) (And there were clues in my New Year's poem--did you see that?)

As for me--madly juggling day-reporter job and writer-job. Working on some big stories for TV. Working on a new book--but almost afraid to talk about it, why is that?

But, owning it, it's new, it's different, it's a challenge, and I have no idea if it's good. I should know by now, shouldn't I? Since I'm on page 267.

My calendar is filing up like crazy--I'm already having to turn gigs down. Isn't that amazing? San Diego, then NYC for the national board of MWA meeting. And I promise I am going to try to keep a little bit better balance this year. Which I'm going to kick off by taking the red eye home from California. Okay dokey then. I'll start AFTER that.

RHYS: my first priority in the New Year is seeing my orthopaedist tomorrow and hopefully getting this cast off so that I can type again and not rely on battling with a speech program that doesn't always understand me.
I too am absolutely thrilled that our new Jungle Red Writers are two of my favourite people in the mystery world and two of the best writers that I know. Are you all suitably curious now? We should have a sweepstake and hear your guesses on who they are.

As far as my own work is concerned I start a new book the moment this cast comes off, we head back to Phoenix where I can work in peace and I look forward to long walks in the sunshine and desert. Oh, and I do need to lose five pounds too after all those holiday parties. Those parties all made sense in the old days when cakes and puddings and sugar were treats and when one needed the calories to keep warm all winter. Now we should really get together and serve celery intimate juice at our parties (I've left this misspelling in to show you what my program is doing to me -- I said tomato juice)

RHYS: And I would have said that one of my resolutions was like Hank - not to go rushing around so much, to kick back and enjoy life more. But I've just been filling in my new calendar and I see that I'm going somewhere about every two weeks until May. Someone needs to chain me down!

ROSEMARY:...I'm so glad Rhys is not really drinking something called "intimate" juice..

Stop back on Wednesday for a visit from Vito Colucci, author of Inside the Private Eyes of a PI. Vito's been called a "real life blend of Columbo, Kojak and Serpico" and has worked some of the nation's highest profile cases including the Michael Skakel, Jayson Williams and honeymoon widower) George Smith cases. Come back and pick his brain (I have!) and the best question or comment of the day will win a copy of Vito's book.

On Writers Challenges or slipping into bad habits

JAN: I admit it, I've fallen into bad habits. I just finished a book proposal for my non-fiction project -- a proposal that took me almost a year as I had to get my head out of the original story structure - used for the screenplay - and shake up my thinking. I had major mental roadblocks and it took a lot of research, hard work and hard thinking to get past them. So when my agent loved the book proposal -- I mentally signed off -- although I've been sitting at my computer working on my fiction, I've been allowing too many distractions.

You know, the email thing. Then there was the baking for Thanksgiving thing. Of course, next there is the Christmas shopping thing. So I was thinking as part of my new year's resolution to issue a new WRITE FIRST writer's challenge for January 1.

But before I do, I'd love to hear from writers in what there special trials were and what kind of writer's challenge might be most useful. Please feel free to comment here, or email directly through my website www.janbrogan.com

Writer's Challenge Winners

JAN: Well, it's officially over, the Jungle Red Writers' Write First Challenge.

But writers, it's never really over is it???

First of all, I want to thank everyone who participated. It was terrific for me to meet you all (via blog of course) and to realize how many of us needed a way to corral our Internet use. This was more fun than I could ever have imagined when I threw out the idea.

Truly, this challenge was one of the high points of the summer. Writing is just so incredibly emotional, and this challenge energized me on a level that went beyond page count. Writing first was somehow symbolic. It reminded me that no matter how I sometimes try to avoid it, I am not happy unless I am a writer first.

But enough about me. Now it's time to talk about you.

I can only hope it was as valuable for you as it was for me. If it was, we are all winners. But here are winners chosen at random from the comments pages: First, second and third prize winners.

Winners:

First: Annoxford

Second: Lora96

Third: Lynn (of the alpha smart)

Here are the winners chosen by category. This was really tough because so many people said so many inspired, insightful and helpful things.

Fourth: Most insightful: Pat Marinelli - for her line posted over my computer: I control the Internet, it doesn't control me.

Fifth: Most inspired: JM Reinbold - who managed to stay with the Writers' Challenge while dealing with family illness and hospital visits.

Sixth: Most helpful: James Montgomery Jackson - for how to strike a deal with Internet research while staying true to the challenge.

And a special new category I just added:

Honesty in cheating: Colleen Collins - who admitted to a FULL HOUR of prewriting Twitter (slapping wrists), but the part I loved, likened it to gorging on chocolates.

Winners must contact me at jan@janbrogan.com with email and snailmail address. First place winner gets to choose which book he/she wants. After that, I issue them according to what's left.

If I don't hear from you by Friday: I pick new winners.

Prizes (listed alphabetically, so egalitarian, don't you think?)

Royal Blood (Rhys Bowen)

Teaser (Jan Brogan)

Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (Hallie Ephron)

Dead Head (Rosemary Harris),

Asking for Murder (Roberta Isleib)

Air Time, (Hank Phillippi Ryan)

To make you smile, whether you get a book or not, I'm leaving you with this gift:

A really funny bit about dating writers. Hysterical. And true: http://tinyurl.com/2aw49qb

And thanks again for making my summer!!!

Writer's Challenge V

"It's doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction."
— Jonathan Franzen

JAN: My son told me about this quote and I just had to hunt it up and use it. Because its so TRUE. Email is my downfall.

Email and Hurricane Earl. I'm writing this Friday, in advance of Earl, in case we lose electricity or cable connection. I also had guests come today, so I confess, I've been vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, moving deck furniture and bikes into the basement, filling containers with water and restocking at the supermarket and the liquor store before we are all ordered off the streets at 2 p.m Also found the evacuation center and if I'm going to be honest, must admit I stopped by the beach to check out the big waves.

Pretty cool.

Anyway, upshot of the deal is that I haven't written a word today. In part that's also because I've done as much as a I can on both my novel and my non-fiction book proposal until I get home -- which is Tuesday. But tomorrow, if there is electricity post-Earl on Martha's Vineyard, I vow to go back and fuss with my synopsis just to keep my head in the writing game.

OKAY, IT"S TOMORROW: SATURDAY.

Earl was such a bust, the winds didn't sweep away the whiffle ball inadvertently left on the deck. But I did get to write first thing this morning today. I did it by writing in my bedroom before I even came down for coffee with my house guests. Every just thought I overslept.

I am so dying to get home to my office, my printer, and my research materials, that I just called and made my car reservation earlier off the island.

How's it going for everyone else?? Are you thwarted by weather, Labor Day weekend celebrations or have you already moved onto September and the post-summer work ethic?

What's on your bulletin board?

ROSEMARY: The bulletin board in my office is barnacled with pictures, clippings, post-its with passwords,Greek worry beads, a Bettie Page air freshener, pins..including an ancient one that reads I Believe Anita Hill, a picture of Marlon Brando from The Godfather, a french postcard for On the Waterfront, advice from Horace on how to be happy, advice from Voltaire on how to live, the Gettysburg Address, and any number of quotes I have printed out for inspiration.

Here are two of my favorites -

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do" Eleanor Roosevelt
and

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." Havelock Ellis

I can't claim to agree with some of the speakers' other statements and philosophies, but these two quotes strike a chord with me. There's a matter-of-fact fearlessness in them which appeals to me.

So first off...what's on your bulletin board, and are there any quotes that give you a little extra inspiration when you need it? (Two pix are my bulletin boards, I actually have four. And the third pic is Roberta's but blogger keeps jumbling them up. You should be able to guess!)

ROBERTA: Those quotes are terrific Ro! I have tons of pictures over my desk, along with some postcards, and a few quotes. One from a former student is so faded I can't read it anymore. I believe it's in Hebrew and it means "May you go from strength to strength." Another is from Kinky Friedman: "They say when you die and go to heaven that all the cats and dogs you've ever had in your life will come running to meet you." Boy, I sure hope that one's true!

HALLIE: I agree, great quotes, Ro. I keep a ladder of fortunes from Chinese fortune cookies. My favorite: "You will succeed in a far out profession." I got that right before my first book sold. Prophetic.

As far as quotes, my husband once did a caligraphy of one of my favorite quote from a children's book, Rootabaga Stories by Carl Sandburg:
"An ambition is a little creeper that creeps and creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, 'Come and find me, come and find me.'"

HANK: Hallie, that sounds like a great title...hmmm. Oh, yes, on my bulletin board are several quotes. My favorite right now: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
I also have the whole poem "Ithaca," by CV Cavafy. Here's how it starts:

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.

The rest is just as great. I almost cry every time I read it.

JAN: Hank, that's a terrific poem. I have a poem on my bulletin board, too. My son Spike wrote it after a friend in high school died tragically. It's sad, but really, its a poignant insight of a kid trying to deal with the incomprehensible that's neither hokey nor in denial. It's a mother thing, but I read it every morning before I write. !!

Also just last week, Pat Marinelli, one of the participants in the Writers Challenge wrote a post:

I am in control of the Internet. It does not control me.

I copied it in red on a sticky note and posted it on the bulletin board behind my computer.

RHYS: I love the poem too, in fact I carry a pocket sized Walt Whitman around with me for that same reason. Oh, and I don't have a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt on my desk--I have the person. I was once given an Eleanor Roosevelt doll--the ugliest thing you've ever seen but I've grown very fond of her and she sits on my computer--constantly imparting wisdom to me.

I only have one quote on my bulletin board. It's No Pressure, no diamonds by Mary Case. Apart from that it's mainly photos: a huge glossy of Robert Redford when young with his shirt open (I've had it for a long time!), my parents, sadly no longer with us, me with Lyn Hamilton, also sadly no longer here, me with Parnell Hall--he dressed as the Puzzle Lady and me as Lady Georgie,and me holding the Agatha teapot. At the moment only one piece of paper as I've moved all the to do stuff to the white board below. The piece of paper is the IMBA bestseller list that shows me at number 1, ahead of James Lee Burke, Daniel Silva, Ridley Pearson, Janet Evanovich, Thomas Perry etc.

As you can see it's a board designed to remind me that all things are possible.

ROSEMARY: So What's in your office that gives you inspiration?...Oh, there's one other quote I love and have on the board. No idea who said it -

Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars.

Try to do all those things.

WRITERS CHALLENGE UPDATE II

JAN: I have a confession to make. I'm also doing another challenge. It's called the three week Sugar Smackdown and I'm into the third week of no sugar (even the one gram in English muffins) no sugar substitutes, no alcohol, no white flour (that means no Baguettes or Italian bread) or processed grains of any kind (white rice.) Even white potatoes are frowned upon.

On the positive side, this challenge is doing as promised, and I've lost my four o'clock craving for chocolate and can look at desserts with sincere disinterest. But I still miss my morning cran-raspberry juice, I miss a glass of Pino Grigio with dinner when I'm at a restaurant, and I am beyond sick of no-sugar iced tea, water, and flax-oat-pita bread with hummus.

In contrast, I'm not suffering from any deprivation in the Writer's Challenge; there is nothing I miss. I surely don't miss checking my email first thing in the morning. I don't miss looking at the clock and realizing its 10:30 and I still haven't written a word because I've been caught up in blogs or responding to Facebook messages. And I'm not sick of producing a minimum of one to two pages of new writing a day!

As others have written in to say: I feel better about myself when I'm not sucked into the Internet. When I accomplish my own goal before I indulge in what Hank calls "passing notes in class" (email) or what I think of as chit-chat at the water cooler. So far, there is no down side.

A technical point. One day I wrote a full page of a scene, but the next day I decided I didn't need that scene at all and jumped to a different scene. Does that one page count, even though I scrapped it? I think so -- because sometimes you have to write a bad page to see that its exactly what you don' t need. The bad move offers clarity on a better move. What do you think?

In other news :Julie Hennrikus at the SISTERS IN CRIME National Blog heard about our challenge and the incredible response to it (almost a hundred participants) and will be writing about it later this week at http://sisters-in-crime-sinc.blogspot.com/ Check it out. One of the things she wanted to know if there were any surprises.

Outside of how many people shared my Internet procrastinations, I've been surprised at how I've started to feel a connection to all of you sharing this six week journey, and how people have been willing to share some of their personal struggles and frustrations both in blog comments and on Twitter #JRWRITEFIRST.

So please, keeping sharing.. Writing is an emotional game, and our productivity often suffers from setbacks like bad writing days and rejections.

The good news is that we've all had those bad days and cried about those rejections. We all can really understand.

So keep it going: WRITEFIRST!!

Writers Challenge - UPDATE

JAN: I'm thrilled with the response to the Writer's Challenge, which was more than 50 brave participants as of three o'clock Saturday. And I'm amazed at how many of you, like me, needed both a kick in the butt, and some discipline to get away from the Internet.

What challenge?

In case you missed Friday's post, here's the shorthand version: You have to write one page every single day (even weekends) before you check your email or go on the Internet for any reason. For six weeks. There are variations for people who have to go to work so early they can't write first, and for screenwriters. Scroll down to Friday, August 6th post for details.

We've also decided you can sign up late, as long as you make up the lost pages. Actually, you can do whatever you want, how would we ever know?? But, we're relying on the honor system. And of course, your desire to write more consistently and at a higher quality.

To qualify for prizes, you have to comment at least three times, updating us on your progress, your obstacles, your solutions, your eureka moments. Please post your comments on Sundays. Otherwise, it might get lost, as topics change during the week.

JAN's Day One (that was yesterday) experience:

I'm a lunkhead who stays up late reading --All Souls by Michael Patrick McDonald kept me up until 1 a.m. last night -- so I usually like sleep on Saturdays. My husband and I had an appointment to see a house on the south shore at 11 a.m. which meant we had to leave home by 10 a.m. To do my page first, I made the supreme sacrifice and set the alarm for eight o'clock. I went straight to my laptop in my jammies. Because I'd left the screen open to Jungle Red Writers comments the day before, I had to immediately switch out of the Internet and into Word. Then I wrote a page, which actually turned into a page in a half. And a good page and a half at that. Although I couldn't do my yoga first, my husband very kindly made me a latte, which greatly assisted my productivity.

It was about 11:30 when I realized, I'd gotten so carried away with writing, I forgot to eat breakfast. So guys, I wound up having breakfast at 2 pm yesterday. And you know what?? It tasted better because I'd done my Writer's Challenge page for the day!!

So if you really want to enjoy every bite: WRITE FIRST!!

NEWS FLASH (As if you needed any other incentive than the sheer joy of productivity)

Rhys Bowen, our blog mate vacationing in the south of France, has graciously offered to give away a signed copy of her newest Lady Georgie book, ROYAL BLOOD, which comes out Sept 7th. Hot off the presses!

To recap: First prize, drawn randomly, is first choice of Rhys' new book, or any of the books below. I'm also offering a free critique of whatever you wrote during the challenge. (sixty page maximum) But this is totally optional -- you don't have to show anyone your work if you don't want to.

Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel, (Hallie Ephron)
Teaser (Jan Brogan)
Dead Head (Rosemary Harris),
Air Time, (Hank Phillippi Ryan)
Asking for Murder (Roberta Isleib)

There's second and third prizes,also drawn randomly from comments, as well as a prize for the most inspired, insightful and helpful comments. Winners will be awarded one of the books above.

ALSO, if you've signed in as "anonymous" for comments, and want to be entered in the contest for prizes, please give us a way to distinguish you from other anonymous commentators. It can be simple as Anonymous #3 or whatever.

To refresh yourself on the details of the challenge, scroll down to August 6th post.

And go out to that keyboard tomorrow morning and KICK BUTT!!

The Writer's Challenge

JAN: If you are a writer, the Internet is both your best friend and your mortal enemy. Need to find an expert or see what a Glock looks like?? The info is only minutes away by Google.


But sometimes, all that time you save goes down the drain in lost productivity. In terms of writing (not promotion) that would be Email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.


Here's the challenge:
For six weeks, starting tomorrow, you must write one, full page every day -- even Saturday and Sunday -- BEFORE checking email or visiting anywhere online. That's the critical part. You can get online as soon as you finish your one page, but no sooner. If you have to check email at work in the morning, the challenge can start as soon as you come home. You are not allowed to go back to the Internet for ANY reason until you write that one page.


Why one page?

• Because if you only wrote one page a day for an entire year, you'd have a novel.
• Because when I gave myself a five-page-a-day quota, I found myself writing drivel, just to get the pages done.
• Because with with a one page quota, you have time to go back and revise earlier pages. Sometimes they bulk up, lengthwise, to create an extra page. (and yes, that counts as a new page.)
• Because one page is eminently doable.
• Because even on the weekends, you can get yourself to sit down at the computer if it's ONLY one page. And the consistency of a writing every day enhances productivity in terms of story structure.
• Because one page often leads to another. In other words, one page is the minimum, not the maximum.

Why now?

• Because for many of us, August is the least productive month of the year. (hey, and I'm even going to do this on vacation)
• Challenging yourself in January when is snowing outside is no challenge.

Why six weeks?

• Because after six weeks, we'll all have 42 pages. If you are starting a novel, that's about where you'd end on a hook, so you'll have enough material to send it to the agent/editor with a query.
• If you are writing short stories -- that's at least two of them.
• Because I host the blog every six weeks.

Why do you really want to do this?

• Aside from becoming a more disciplined writer and an all around superior person, we're also giving away prizes.

No cheating:

• One page is defined as the FULL page, double spaced.
• If, by any chance, you are writing a screenplay, you can still do the challenge, but that's TWO AND HALF pages a day for you.

How to enter?

• Sign into the comments page any time through Sunday (okay Monday for you procrastinators).
• Report in (via the comments page) every Sunday.
• Tell us anything, your obstacles, your solutions, your progress, the best sentence you wrote, or any tricks you've learned along the way.

Prizes:
If you post at least three times (on different weeks), we enter your name in raffle and the winner gets a signed copy of Hallie Ephron's Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. I will also read and critique your work, if you want. (you can forgo that prize if the idea of critique stunts your productivity. It's your choice.)


There's also second and third prizes, as well as a prize for the most inspired, insightful or helpful comment.


In no particular order, those prizes will be signed copies of:
Teaser (Jan Brogan)
Dead Head (Rosemary Harris),
Air Time, (Hank Phillippi Ryan)
Asking for Murder (Roberta Isleib)


(Rhys is on vacation in Europe, so we didn't want to bother her, but more prizes may be added later.)


The challenge technically ends Saturday September 18th and you have all weekend until 5 p.m. Sunday on the 19th to post your comments. I'll be drawing and deciding winners one minute after 5 p.m.
I'll announce winners September 20th.


So get started and good luck!!