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Although I write as Linda M. Au, I live my life as someone slightly different. When I知 not writing or proofreading, I知 playing adventure games on the computer or crocheting some poor soul an afghan she probably doesn't need. Or I知 meandering around Sam痴 Club searching for huge vats of salsa. Or I知 buying office supplies and wondering why I'm not at my desk writing.
For several decades I've done office and freelance work as a proofreader, but I知 phasing out that part of my life in favor of writing. I致e been on the wrong side of the publishing desk for too long.
Yeah, we値l see how that works out. . . .
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Writing Sales & AwardsWriting Sales & Awards
The Onion once had an article about the Fonty Awards (for best typeface) that I giddily thought was real for a few days. Once I realized it was just a joke I retreated to my office and refused to come out for a week, eating nothing but Ho-Ho's and Ruffles potato chips, washing them down with gallon-size bottles of Starbucks Frappuccino.
But, even proofreaders-turned-writers sometimes get awards. Like most people behind the scenes in publishing, I write (and then I edit myself to death).
Sadly, I'm egotistical enough to include a small list of my small prizes and small awards for my small writing. Just so you can see that I, as a fellow writer, feel your pain.
Also, in November each year, I participate in the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I get to write a 50,000-word piece of junk in 30 days! Give me a good deadline, and I'll stoop to it. Actually, this yearly foray into insanity has become the backbone of my novel writing, forcing me to get half a novel done once a year. The theory is then to finish the rest and edit it during the rest of the year until the next November. The addition of a deadline, albeit a silly one, has helped me change from a writer churning out a short novella every fifteen years to blowing through an entire, longer novel every year since 2004.
Reprint article "E-vangelism and a Guy Named Jim" appears on Kyria.com:
http://www.kyria.com/topics/missionallife/outreach/evangelismandguynamedjim.html?start=1
"Don't Be a Digital Dinosaur"
Interviewed James Watkins for The Upper Case, newsletter of the St. Davids Christian Writers' Association
http://www.jameswatkins.com/digitaldinosaur.htm
Article "E-vangelism" appears online at Today's Christian:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/storiesofhope/sharingthefaith/onlineevangelism.html
Devotional published: Daily Devotions for Writers, Infinity Publishing. (January 27 entry.) Book available here:
http://www.bbotw.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-4594-8
Article sale: "Gigabytes and God" to Today's Christian
Article sale: "Yore Spell-Checker Stinks" to Spirit-Led Writer
2nd Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Light Poetry
"O Sing of Spring!"
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
"Reunited States"
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
"The Scarlet Letter Opener"
National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Societal Smackdown"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests
2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Men, Manna, and God"
3rd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humorous Poetry
Title: "Household Chores"
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
Story Beginning: "Mrs. Needlemeier's Novel Idea"
Honorable Mention
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: "I Knew I Was a Writer When..."
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Mrs. Needlemeier's Novel Idea"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult Fiction
Title: "The Scarlet Letter Opener" (chapter 8 in a cozy mystery)
This win entered me into the St. Davids Hall of Fame for the Adult/Young Adult Fiction category.
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Gigabytes and God"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests
Honorable Mention
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Childhood Memory
Title: "The Skating Rink"
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Black and White and Blood All Over"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cement, But Were Afraid to Ask"
This win entered me into the St. Davids Hall of Fame for the Humor category.
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests
2nd Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Story Beginning
Title: "Good Men Doing Nothing"
Top 4 Runner-Up
Operation First Book contest (sponsored by Tyndale House and Christian Writers Guild; judged by author Jerry Jenkins)
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow"
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Black Soul Choir"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Dear Santa"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow" (chapter 1)
2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Pennies in the Couch"
Several 1st Place honors
Daily faculty roast contests
National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
Title: "Do-It-Yourself Widow"
2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Tightening Your Belt"
Honorable Mention
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Gray Area" (chapter 6)
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests
Top 20 Semifinalists
Operation First Novel contest (sponsored by Tyndale House and Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers Guild)
Title: "Gray Area"
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Adult/Young Adult Fiction
Title: "Gray Area" (chapter 4)
1st Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Humor
Title: "Rash Behavior"
3rd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Category: Personal Experience Feature
Title: "Gullible's Travels"
2nd Place
St. Davids Christian Writers' Conference
Daily faculty roast contests
1st Place
Mercer One-Day Writers Conference
Category: Life-Changing Moment
Title: "Say 'Ahhh!'"
1st Place
BrassRing.com's online national essay contest
Category: Humor and Technology
Title: "Brave New World, Scared Old Mom"
1st Place
Two winning limericks on potato salad for a local deli company
Used in two separate local radio ads
Yes, I'm serious. Potato salad.
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