I write stuff for kids...and muse on writing, children's books, and the publishing industry in general

Friday, February 18, 2011

First Crusader Challenge

The time has come for the First Crusader Challenge, woot!!! It’s a bit of a getting-to-know-you exercise with a little bit of a twist (you didn’t think it would be easy did you? *grins*).

Here it is:

The Challenge 

In 300 words or less, tell us:

· one secret

· one lie

· one interesting quirk

· one annoying habit

· one of your best character traits, and

· one of your favourite things in the whole world.

The post can be in any format, including poetry (for those poets among us), but must include the random words, “bloviate,” “fuliguline,” “rabbit,” and “blade” (tee hee).

Finish your post with something along the lines of, “I may have revealed something about me that isn’t strictly true, can you guess what it is?” (this last bit isn’t included in the word count). And don’t forget to tell us the answer in your next post!

Once you’ve posted your Challenge post, pop back here and link directly to it in the linky tool below (make sure you include the direct link to that post, not just the link to your blog)

Entries in the First Crusader Challenge will close next Friday, February 25th (at 11.59pm EST), so make sure you get your post in the linky link before then!

After that, the judging will begin...

Judging and prizes (did somebody say “prizes”? Of course there are prizes!)

I’ve put together a posse of fabulous Crusaders, who’ll be meandering amongst your Challenge posts and doing a spot of judging.

Extra points will be awarded for:

- inability of the judges to tell which is your lie

- how entertaining the post is, and

- seamless and original use of the random words

Please note that all my followers are very welcome to take part in my First Crusader Challenge, but only Crusaders who are following all the other Crusaders by February 25 (on blogs not necessarily Twitter) will be eligible for the prizes. Crusaders, it’s fine to post your Challenge entry before you’ve finished following everyone, but get on to that follow button as soon as you can so you're finished before February 25 :)

“And what are those prizes?” you may ask.

...DRUMROLL...

“Well, hold on a sec and I’ll tell you.” *grins*

The winner of the Challenge will receive their very own Crusader Challenge Winner badge, designed by the lovely Rachel Morgan (thanks Rachel!), whom many of you will have met by now through the Crusade.



The badge comes in your choice of colors (but seriously, how can you not want purple?), all the better for some serious blog beautification :)

The winner will ALSO have the choice of:

(1) an interview on Rach Writes... (did anybody say “platform-building”?)

OR

(2) a critique from the fabulous Lynnette Labelle, copyeditor and proofreader, and one of our very own Crusaders, woot!!! (more details below)

The runner-up will receive the other prize :)

Tell us more about the critique

Okey doke. The recipient of the critique can choose between a critique of their first 500 words OR a critique of their query letter. Plus, they can revise and resubmit to Lynnette. Here’s her bio from her website:
“Lynnette Labelle is a certified copyeditor and proofreader with over ten years of experience, and is the editor of RWA Online’s newsletter LoveBytes. She spent many years teaching kindergarten to grade eight, but especially enjoyed instructing the junior high students how to write short stories and poems.

After studying writing for children and teens through The Institute of Children’s Literature, taking Advanced Creative Writing in university, participating in dozens of writing workshops, and reading far too many “how to write” books to count, Lynnette has a great understanding of the craft of writing. She knows the typical mistakes beginner writers and some published authors make that keep them from either getting published or moving further up the publishing ladder. Her background in writing, teaching, copyediting, and proofreading makes her an excellent choice as a mentor. Her assistance and services have helped writers on their journey to publication.”

Worth playing for, yes?

So, all that remains is to enjoy. Leave me a comment to let me know you're playing. Have fun writing your post, then pop round to the other entrants, check out their posts, follow and comment, and see who you can catch out in a lie!!! I can't wait to see what trickery you all come up with :)

And don't forget to pop back here and add your name and post link to the linky tool below before 11.59 pm next Friday!

IMPORTANT: DON'T PUT YOUR NAME IN THE LINKY UNTIL YOU'VE WRITTEN YOUR POST - THEN LINK DIRECT TO THAT POST PLEASE


76 comments:

Summer Ross said...

Rach- I am having serious problems following everyone, I did go through and follow every blogger one, and I have favorited or signed up for the mailing list/ rss feeds on the other ones. I hope that works as following.

I will be participating in this challenge.

Rachael Harrie said...

Hey Summer, great job :) Yep, that's fine. Can't wait to see your entry!

Hugs,

Rach

Sarah Ketley said...

now the embarrassing question, what happens if you have missed a random one along the way?
so easy to do.

just asking:-)

great competition, desperate to figure out what to do...hmmmm... HAVE to go to bed. On call tonight for a night duty. sigh...

THANKS RACHAEL

Donea Lee said...

I'm in! How fun ~ :) I've got my list printed, I'll be going around to finish following my fellow crusaders this weekend. Post will go up next week before the deadline. Prizes sound fab! My mind's already buzzing with ways to use "bloviate" in a post... thanks!

Summer Ross said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rebecca Christiansen said...

I posted my challenge in the Linky Tool already :) Heehee, this one was silly. Love the prizes!

Trisha said...

Yep, I have followed a bunch but have yet to follow everyone. And some people don't seem to have ANYTHING I can follow with, i.e. not even an RSS feed or any subscription option.

Trisha said...

D'oh, sorry - I realised I did the wrong thing with the linky. Are you able to remove my name?? I haven't done my challenge yet ;)

Rachael Harrie said...

@Constance, LOL, um, I'll frown really hard? Tee hee, do your best ;)

Wow, I'm really impressed how quick you guys were at posting!!!

Hugs,

Rach

Rachael Harrie said...

FOR ANYONE HAVING TROUBLE FOLLOWING A BLOG (eg if they don't have a "follow" button or RSS subscription link:

Copy the URL of the blog, go to Google Reader, click on "Add a Subscription" (top left) and paste the URL into the box

Otherwise, just do what you can :)

Sharde(Shar-day) said...

Becca, Summer, and Trisha you guys are quick. Seriously, I thought maybe I was late for the challenge post when I saw Summer's entry in my feed.

Anyhoo, this ought to be interesting. Funny thing is I might actually have a problem finding something to do with the word 'rabbit.'

Unknown said...

Woot! Awesome, awesome! Like this one ;-)

Grandpa said...

Woot! Just gate-crashing the party Rach... I thought it was going to be easy, till I saw those words - that's more like it - challenging!

Good luck all.

Misha Gerrick said...

Hi Rach! I won't be able to do the post today, but will get around to it tomorrow or Sunday.

:-D

Margo Benson said...

Ooh, this one's for the weekend! What a great start to the challenge. I'm gradually following everyone and am having a wonderful time.

Dominic de Mattos said...

Thank goodness you gave us a week!

I had a steady five to six week plan to get round and spend some quality time on each blog, following as I went. I will have to go round and follow first then comment later!

I will also have to get my dictionary out!

Great challenge. Thanks Rach

:Dom

Summer Ross said...

LOL- Sorry Sharde! I was up with a sick little girl so I used my time wisely. :)

Unknown said...

How FUN!! I have to announce the winner of my blogfest giveaway today, but my crusader entry will go up tomorrow. I'll be sure to add my name to the list then!

Thanks for hosting this awesome event!

Susan Fields said...

Oh, this sounds like fun! I'll need a few days to get it just right, but I'll definitely be playing along.

Anonymous said...

I entered! I already had one person comment on what they thought my lie was - this is so much fun!!

Anonymous said...

I messed up - I thought 'fuliguline' and 'bloviate' were made-up words and they're not! So I'm going to have to trash my original post and start again. Sorry :(

Anonymous said...

Ok, sorted now. Same link, so I don't think I need to re-submit :)

Golden Eagle said...

This sounds like a great challenge! I'll be sure to post and add my link once I've written it. :)

Shari said...

I can't believe some of you have posted already! I'm still figuring out my secret! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's entries.

Anonymous said...

I'm in!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I should have read your blog first thing. Then I would have known what all the entries were that used those above words lol. All this time I thought my vocabulary was really impaired...so dumb of me.

Karlene Petitt said...

Excellent Crusade! I'm in! And you've been Awarded the Stylish Blog Award! http://tinyurl.com/4zxo39u Thanks for being great! Congratulations!!! XOX Karlene

Sylvia said...

I have posted mine!

http://www.playwithyourwriting.com/crusaders-challenge-1

Alyssa Fox said...

Anyone else having trouble finding out what Fuliguline means?

Tanya Reimer said...

So I already goofed. I linked to my blog site and not the post. How do I change that?

Zan Marie said...

Hey, Rach, do you have a specific time to reveal the lies? I just want to know about some of these folks... ; )

Brooke R. Busse said...

We have to be following all blogs to participate? Houston, we have a problem (I watched Apollo 13 today). Why, oh why, is it I'm compelled to read every single post a person has ever written before I follow?

J.L. Campbell said...

Didn't comment before, but I'm in.

J.L. Campbell said...

Brooke's comment about is hilarious. I felt the same way reading through all the stuff in the Blogfest I participated in yesterday. Did someone just say bleeding eyeballs?

Brooke R. Busse said...

Bleeding eyeballs? Sounds very painful. I wouldn't care so much if, there were say, 102 hours in a day?

dolorah said...

Fun challenge Rach. I'll be sure to post mine this weekend. But following 215 more blogs - I don't think so. Hmm, I'm already failing as a crusader.

I also looked over the groups draft. Looks like some interesting people. Wow, this must have taken a lot of hard work to compile. I look forward to the challenges :)

.........dhole

Witless Exposition said...

A tough one, but very fun! I'm really loving all the ones I've seen so far and can't wait to see the others as they come in.

Lola Sharp said...

OMG, I'm STILL trying to get around to everyone! Between Nicole's blogfest and the crusade list going up and my regular commenters that I need to visit...lawsamercy, the faster I go the farther behind I am getting. o_0

I'm trying hard to get around to follow everyone (I'm close). Promise.

But as I'm in revisions on a deadline right now, I doubt I'll have time to participate in this challenge. I love the random words you chose...sounds like so much fun! :)

Hugs,
Lola

Trisha said...

WOW. Just finished following everyone a couple of minutes ago. Except those who didn't have any discernible way in which I could follow them, anyway. Those I left a comment for asking them to add something ;)

Jordan McCollum said...

I think maybe we need a reminder that fuliguline is an adjective (meaning like or as) and not a noun...

@Alyssa: I couldn't find it at Answers.com or Merriam Webster. So I just Googled it. Wiktionary has it.

Len Lambert said...

Been following everyone but can't do the ones without the 'follow' button. Will do what you suggested, Rach.

I will be posting my first crusaders challenge tomorrow. Yay!

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Oh, this is going to be fun! I'll get mine posted and linkyed next week. :-)

Anonymous said...

All done! I'm finally following everyone. I posted yesterday and I have to admit, fuliguline is now one of my favorite words. Fun challenge!

Nikki

Anonymous said...

I'm in too! I still need to finish signing up to follow everyone else, but this is fun.

*Fuliguline means of or relating to sea ducks*
But is the ending pronounced as 'lean', 'line', or 'Lynn'??

I'm following people all different sorts of ways, some through NetworkedBlogs, most through the Google thing, and some with RSS or email subscriptions. Is that okay with the rules?

Rachael Harrie said...

Ooh, I'm loving reading everyone's entries, this is fun!!! :) Just do your best with following, I know some people don't have obvious ways to do it. And no problems with how you follow :)

Remember, you can enter the Challenge if you're not following everyone, it's just the prizes that need you to do this :)

Hugs,

Rach

Len Lambert said...

Rach, can't follow the ones on wordpress that don't have any link but if there's a 'join this site' or 'subscribe to this site', I am able to do so. The suggestion you made above doesn't work when I do it.

Anonymous said...

Heylo all, just read about the crusade and decided to take part - this should be fun!

Anonymous said...

Rach, I accidentally linked to the blog and not the post - how do I fix that? I don't want to spam up the linky list!

Carrie said...

Hello! My challenge post is up and I have followed everyone (I think!) through google friend or by just using my google reader.

Thanks, Rach. This is a lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

What fun! I am already starting to think about what to write and i've learned 2 new words too :O)

Maggie said...

I've already messed up. My blog is Pondering life, not Going Coach.

Ah, well. This was fun.

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

My post is written, but I will post it and link it tomorrow. Now I've got to catch up with following - I've got a ways to go! I get o interested in everyone's blogs that it takes me forever :)

VR Barkowski said...

Ack! I'm *so* ashamed. I didn't see we were supposed to write the post first then add the link. I was too excited about the first challenge. Is there anyway to back out of Mr. Linky and begin again???

Patricia A. Timms-McGehee said...

I've linked my challenge post. I'm in it for the fun and not the prizes because I know I can't follow that many people in such a short time when many of them have unfollowable blogs and I don't want to go through the hassle of the Google Reader stuff. I love the challenge though and I'll be out and following as many bloggers as I can. I promise to return the follow of anyone following me.

And now back to my WIP's. Write On Writer's!

Marieke said...

My post is up! I'm trying to get around to following everyone before the week's over :)

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, I think I put the wrong link...oops!!!!

Anyway, great first challenge!!! :D

Kerri Cuev said...

Yay first challange!
Okay, so I actually tried looking up Fuliguline and bloviate with no luck and used them as made up words. I should have came here first. BUT I'm not going to change it now and I'm sure you will get a good snarf at how it was used LOL!

Kristal Lee said...

Posted my challenge responses today @
http://www.kristalleeromances.com/2011/02/one-of-these-facts-doesnt-belong.html

Unknown said...

I posted up a link. It was a fun challenge. ;3

Janina said...

Good challenge Rachael. I look forward to the next one.

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone! I just wanted to send out a general message using Rach's site, since she has all the peeps. So, I'm blown away! I went from 0 to 73 followers in about a week! I am now in the process of using the links to your posts above to join your blog as well. PHEW! Let me catch up then I'll try to stop by individually, say howdy and read your blogs. GO CRUSADERS!!

CherylAnne Ham said...

Hi Rach, What a crazy week. :)

I am now offically following everybody in the crusade (thanks a million for your google reader tutorial) and I've posted my challenge responses. I had a ton of fun writing it.
Excellent first challenge.

Now I'm off to go check out what everyone else has written.

Lisa Potts said...

I've got about twenty blogs left to follow, but I should be good by Wednesday. This was a fun challenge, Rach!

Margo Kelly said...

Ha. That challenge was a CHALLENGE. But YAY! Got it done! Wahoo.

Michelle Merrill said...

Okay, really? Did I really just put the link to my blog and not directly to the post? YES! Ugh. Sorry Rach, I hate to cause a headache. I'll put the direct link here. I even promised myself that I would remember that little detail. Grrr. This was a great challenge though! It was a ton of fun and I'm excited to read what others have posted.

http://perfectingthecraft.blogspot.com/2011/02/crusade-challenge-bring-it-on.html

Charity Bradford said...

Ahhhh! Rachael, sorry I didn't link to the actual post the first time. Can you delete that one? The second one goes to the post.

That's what happens when I get in a hurry. So sorry!

Zan Marie said...

Rach,
What fun I've had reading everyone's challenge entry. At least I think I have. ; ) I have gone to everyone's blog and followed in some way. And that's a challenge for my techno-novice ways.

BTW is there a specific plan to reveal the lies?

Ben Langhinrichs said...

Boy, I had fun with this one. I think it is a safe bet to say that my response was in a format that nobody else used. Of course, the is obvious to me, but I'll see if it is obvious to others.

Adina West said...

Wow, so many entries already! And so many Crusaders tThis is on my list for tomorrow...ideas ideas.

Chris Phillips said...

just put mine up.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Phew! It took hours to follow everybody, but I finally made it. My post it now up and linked. *wipes brow* :-)

Sierra Gardner said...

I had so much fun with this! I am all caught up and even got to write a poem. Life is good!

Len Lambert said...

Hi Rachael. I've enjoyed this and currently visiting blogs. Unfortunately I won't be able to finish following all crusaders. I've done my groups and finished the others a total of 118 I've followed. I still have 100 to do. I will be able to do this but just to let you know I'm not going to be eligible for the prizes. I'm happy to have participated in the first challenge and happy for the other crusaders to qualify for the prizes, too! :) Hugs to all!

Anonymous said...

I am now following everybody. When I hit that last 'follow' button, I thought confetti would fall and I imagined trumpets blasting in the background! LOL

kar_took said...

Wow, I didn't think I was going to manage to get those words in there, but I did.

I'm not following all the crusaders, but I am following my group and will be following everyone who follows me by the end of the day. Now to just get round and comment on everyone elses...

Dominic de Mattos said...

Hi Rach - I nearly forgot to add my name to the linky! phew!

I have managed to follow everyone, but it will take me some time to visit everyone and say hi properly.

:Dom

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