Festival season

I'm getting very excited for the THREE upcoming blogfests.

Love at First Sight Blogfest, hosted by Courtney Reese on February 14

So-Long Blogfest, hosted by Karen at Novels During Naptime on February 18

Whoops! Blogfest hosted by Laurel's Leaves (that would here, folks!) on February 22

If you've never participated in one, you might be wondering what all the hubbub is about.

A blogfest is a writing party of sorts. One blogger posts a writing prompt, usually on a theme, and invites other bloggers to join in by posting a scene. The host blogger posts a sign-up sheet for participants so readers have a go-to place to find out who's participating and to easily access links to the various entries.

Why should you participate?

1) It's fun!

And who doesn't need more fun, especially in February? I've been snowed in for days with a bored 7-yo, hubby with a bad respiratory infection and 168 pages of proofreading to do for work. Fun would be a very nice thing about now!

2) It's a great way to get a little feedback on your work in progress, test out new characters, give life to a killed darling, or play with a new genre or POV or style.

For the Kissing Day blogfest, I posted a snippet I'd cut from WIP-2 because it was too racy for the context of my work. But doggone it, I'd worked hard to craft that sensuous moment, so the blogfest was an excellent place to let my work be "published."

For the No-Kiss blogfest, I debuted the bad boy Laughlin O'Donnell, who will be appearing in WIP-2. This poor guy has been lingering in a file cabinet since the early 1990s. He needed a stretch so I could get to know him again.

3) You'll meet lots of cool bloggers.

The energy these blogfests generate is fantastic. Each blogfest widget is a quick, easy way to find blogs you might not otherwise have known existed. Giving and receiving feedback in the online community sparks many wonderful new friendships.

4) It's informative and widens your horizons.

You get to read unique spins on the prompt, often giving you a taste for many different genres. In the Kissing Day blogfest, we saw straight-up romance, as well as fantasy, historical, paranormal, literary, YA and MG. I learned a lot about other bloggers, and about genres I never read but now have a taste for. A good taste. And I want to read more.

Procrastinate no longer, my friends! Go sign up today!

Never participated in a blogfest? What might convince you to try?
Are you a blogfest maven? What benefits did you enjoy from participating?

Categories: blogfest, links