Warning: This 36-second video contains the 'F' word.

I got a preview of the cover for Barnum's Revenge  yesterday. 

I'm a big fan of writing conferences. Sure, some meet our personal budget and current needs better than others, and not everyone you encounter leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy about your future potential, but if you go along with an open mind, the positives far outweigh any negatives.

If you know of a writing conference taking place this year, please share a link to its homepage in a comment. I'll upload it into the main post here.

Create Something Magical Writers & Readers Conference
Saturday, March 16th, 2013 - Iselin, New Jersey

   The Write Stuff Conference
Fri-Sat, March 22nd - 23rd, 2013  - Allentown, Pennsylvania (pre-con workshops on March 21st and 22nd)

 Write it Right Writers' Conference
Saturday, April 20th, 2013 - Tamaqua, PA

I had a great time at the Jersey State Feline Fanciers Cat Show over the weekend.

The 2013 Meager Puddle of Limelight Award for Best Opening Line

Everyone knows a great opening line is an excellent way to pull someone into a story, but now it can bring you fame and fortune too!

Okay, maybe not fame, and to be honest, not fortune either, but it can win you a Meager Puddle of Limelight Award and a free copy of my book, Fur-Face, as well as a couple of my I are a writer! pens.

How can I enter?
If you'd like to take part, you can submit up to three opening lines. They can be from finished stories or WiPs, but please note: they must be your own work. Put your entries in a comment below or send them to me within a separate LJ message (or email: jon@acatofninetales.com) under the heading: 2012 PUDDLE FOR BEST OPENING LINE. I'll screen all comments when the contest submission period closes. Be sure to check your spelling because your entry will be cut & pasted directly into the poll.

What do I win?
Aside from a signed copy of Fur-Face and the I are a writer! pens, winners get to bask in the meager puddle of limelight which my journal can provide. I'll post an interview with the top three finalists here on An Englishman in New Jersey. In addition, the overall winner gets the opportunity to do a guest blog here if he/she wishes.

I don’t have a Live Journal account. Can I still enter?
Sure, but you’ll need an LJ account to vote for anything. If you enter by non-LJ comment don't forget to give your name and website/email address so I can contact you if needed.

Do you plan to enter your own stuff, Jon?
No. I've excluded myself from the competition.

How will the winner be selected?
As in previous years, entries will be voted on by your peers in secret ballots. I'll explain the process in more detail later.

What’s the closing date for entries?

To be considered for the 2013 Meager Puddle of Limelight Awards for Best Opening Line, please submit your entries by 8pm (US/Eastern time), on Thursday, January 31st, 2013.

Sure, the Puddles may not be as prestigious as a Hugo or the like, but any award voted for by your peers is one worth having. Besides, just like those shiny diamonds people like to sing about, bragging rights are forever.

I got tagged on facebook to share 7 lines from page 7 of a current WiP.

These are from page 7 of Abraham Lincoln Stole My Homework: 

     The envelope had a damp crimson splodge over one end. I picked it out from beneath the plant pot, careful not to touch the stain. Sure enough, as it slid free, I saw the words on the front.
     Important message for Bartholomew Jones!
     The handwriting looked weird, as if whoever wrote the words had never used a pen before. I turned it over, then let out a tiny shriek. There, finger-painted on the back of the envelope, in what looked like half-congealed blood, was a single word.
      Run!

How about you?

Care to share 7 lines from page 7 of your WiP?

I'm looking forward to this morning's meeting of the Liberty State Fiction Writers. Today's guest speaker is Alice Orr, who'll be giving her talk, Pitch Perfect: How to Create a Project Pitch with Agent-Editor Appeal.

Aside from school visits, I tend to hibernate during January and February, but I do have a few events booked.


Here's what I have planned for the next couple of months:   

JANUARY 12th (Sat) 10am LIBERTY STATE FICTION WRITERS
Edison Public Library, 340 Plainfield Avenue Edison, New Jersey 08817

JANUARY 15th (Tues) 8:30am YELLIN SCHOOL Fun with Fiction Module #2 Brilliant Beginnings
Samuel S. Yellin School, 111 Warwick Rd, Stratford, NJ 08084

JANUARY 22nd (Tues) 8:30am YELLIN SCHOOL Fun with Fiction (Module TBA)
Samuel S. Yellin School, 111 Warwick Rd, Stratford, NJ 08084

JANUARY 26th-27th (Sat & Sun, 9am - 5pm)  JERSEY STATE FELINE FANCIERS CAT EXPO 
Extended Stay America, 1653 E. State Hwy. No. 70 Cherry Hill, NJ  08034

FEBRUARY 2nd (Sat) 11am GARDEN STATE SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITERS regular meeting
Old Bridge Library, 1 Old Bridge Plaza, Municipal Center, Old Bridge, NJ 08857

FEBRUARY 9th (Sat) 10am LIBERTY STATE FICTION WRITERS regular meeting
Edison Public Library, 340 Plainfield Avenue Edison, New Jersey 08817

2013 FEBRUARY 23rd (SAT) MONMOUTH WRITERS 10am-noon
KATE LUTTER - "So You Want To Be A Published Writer . . . "
Howell Public Library, 318 Old Tavern Road, Howell, NJ 07731

February 23rd (SAT) NJAN PANEL/Q&A: ‘I’ve finished my first draft, now what?’
Wall Public Library, 2700 Allaire Road, Wall Township, NJ 07719
Featuring: Jon Gibbs (moderator); Kristin Battestella; Karen Bostrom; Jennifer Eaton; Jim ‘JJ’ Lair and Nicole Zoltack

2013 MARCH 9th (SAT) Bridge of Hope Luncheon
Featuring presentations by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, Jon Gibbs and Joan Scharff
Indian Springs Country Club, 115 South Elmwood Road, Marlton, NJ 08053

MARCH 10th (Sun) 11am - 4pm LINES ON THE PINES
Kerri Brooke Caterers Banquet Room, 755 White Horse Pike (Route 30), Hammonton, NJ 08037

MARCH 13th (WEDS) 6:30pm - 9pm SOLO workshop: MEET THE CAST OF YOUR BOOK 
THE BOOK GARDEN, 28 Bridge Street  Frenchtown, NJ 08825 (908) 996-2022 (admission $10)

MARCH 14th (Thurs) 7pm NJAN PANEL/Q&A: ‘I’ve finished my first draft, now what?’
West Orange Public Library, 46 Mount Pleasant Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052
Jon Gibbs (moderator); Gary Frank and TBA 

How about you?

What writerly events have you got lined up in the coming weeks and months?
Feel free to promote them in a comment below.

Over the holidays I watched The Hunger Games for the first time. I hadn't read the book, so I didn't know what to expect.

What with hurricanes, snow storms, power outages, and the usual holiday-related flu bugs and other excitement to be had in the last months of the year, I found myself slipping behind a bit towards the end of 2012.

Rather than play catch-up for the next month, I've decided to reorganize/postpone a few things, including the current Puddle contest (more on that soon).

Wisdom on the Web returns next Friday. In the meantime, if you haven't had a chance to look at my personal pick of interesting blog posts about writing from 2012, here's the link: http://jongibbs.livejournal.com/326314.html

Effective immediately, my publisher, Echelon Press, is raising the price of all its eBooks from $2.99 to $4.99. This includes my novel, Fur-Face, and the upcoming sequel, Barnum's Revenge, which is currently scheduled to hit the digital shelves some time next month.   

When I checked a few minutes ago, the new price is already set on all sites but Amazon, which I gather always takes a little longer to update.

If you have a twisted sense of humor, or you know a tween reader with one, and you'd like to get the Kindle version of Fur-Face before the price goes up, click on the pic below.

JANUARY
Things Editors Have Taught Me (Kelly Simmons)

FEBRUARY
Two Things Every Novel Needs James Scott Bell)

MARCH
Entertainment vs. Truth (Donald Maass)

APRIL
All writing tips are not created equal. (Larry Brooks)

MAY
The Art of Pacing in a Novel (Elissa Cruz)

JUNE
Making the Most of Writers' Workshops (Stina Lindenblatt)

JULY
Unhook Me Ten (Lynn Viehl)

AUGUST
Do Not Love Your Characters (More or Less Than Your Readers) Maggie Stiefvater (aka m_stiefvater)

SEPTEMBER
The Biggest Mistake Writers Make and How to Avoid it (Lisa Cron)

OCTOBER
Why Writers Disappear (Kristine Kathryn Rusch)

NOVEMBER
Do You Have Impostor Syndrome? (Rachelle Gardner)

DECEMBER
Agent Monday: Don’t tell me how I’ll feel… (Marie Lamba)


How about you?

What were your favorite blog posts from 2012?


If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2011.

I first saw this amazing stop motion video on Patty Cryan's blog. Patty (aka p_m_cryan) owns Annie's Book Stop in Worcester, Massachusetts.

It was made by the folks at Type Book Store in Toronto. Lord only knows how many hours it took to move all those books around, but I bet they're happy with the results. The delightful melody was composed by Grayson Matthews.

Easily my favorite video of 2012.


#1 The Joy of Books


Click here for #1
Click here for #2
Click here for #3 and #4
Click here for #5

Matt Harding's latest dance video doesn't quite beat his 2008 effort, but it's still a joy to watch.

#2 Where the hell is Matt’s (2012)




Click here for #1
Click here for #2
Click here for #3 and #4
Click here for #5

Since yesterday's 6pm (US/Eastern) deadline, three people tried to submit entries for this year's Meager Puddle of Limelight Award for Best opening Line.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Unfortunately, we all fell victim to a second bout of the cold/flu virus which has been doing the rounds at our house, so I missed posting yesterday.

To catch up, I'm doing #4 and #3 together.

#3 Geico commercial; Night Vision


#4 Excellent ‘Don’t Spam’ video


By way of Rachelle Gardner


Click here for #1
Click here for #2
Click here for #3 and #4
Click here for #5

Between now and the end of the year, I'm posting my favorite Youtube videos from the last twelve months. Starting today with #5. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

#5 Flashmob in Moscow (Feb 2012) Putting on the Ritz



(by way of Dorothy Winsor aka dawtheminstrel)


Click here for #1
Click here for #2
Click here for #3 and #4
Click here for #5

I mean the wonderful wizard of Middle Earth that is, not the Australian one. We're going to a morning screening of The Hobbit. I think it's the 3D, 8 gazillion frames a second version too, which should prove interesting.