Happy New Year--and a Challenge by Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

Happy New Year, everyone. I can't believe that it's 2018 already, and that Project Mayhem has been in existence for 8 years. That's astounding, and I'd like to thank each and every reader of this blog, and all the writers who have contributed to it over the years. There's a wealth of information and inspiration in our archives, that's for sure.

The turning of the calendar makes most people a bit introspective, I suspect. At the end of each year, I mull over the things that transpired over the past twelve months, for better or for worse, and it gets me thinking about what I could do differently.

For me, 2017 was not a productive year on the writing front. I got sidetracked by all the public negativity, sucked into way too many tweetstorms. I found myself slinking away from the page all too often. I read less fiction too, which is alarming, because good stories are inoculations against all that is crass and cheerless in the world around us. (It's also alarming because I've got a TBR pile about to topple off my nightstand.)

In my ruminations, I did come across an article by David Cain, who writes the blog raptitude.com: Getting better about being human. Cain writes about having a "Year of Deepening," a year in which "you don’t start anything new or acquire any new possessions you don’t need."

He goes on:

"No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this year. Instead, you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started.

You improve skills rather than learning new ones. You consume media you’ve already stockpiled instead of acquiring more.

You read your unread books, or even reread your favorites. You pick up the guitar again and get better at it, instead of taking up the harmonica. You finish the Gordon Ramsey Masterclass you started in April, despite your fascination with the new Annie Leibovitz one, even though it’s on sale."

A consumer society, Cain explains, always tempts us to the new thing. In much the same way, when a story becomes too difficult, it's easy to be tempted to try something new. (I am undeniably guilty of this.) That shiny new thing is so much more appealing than the old thing you've been slogging away at, which has long since lost its luster.

I needed this reminder, and so it's with renewed determination that I am making the goal of finishing my latest novel this year. Wish me luck!

The rest of David Cain's blog post, Go Deeper, Not Wider,  can be found HERE.

Do you have any goals for the year ahead? Does going deeper resonate with you? Let me know in the comments--and have a great 2018!

Project MG Mayhem: What the Mayhemmers are up to in 2017, compiled by Michael G-G

We're back from our short hiatus--and boy did the time fly by! I thought I'd bring you up to speed about what several Mayhemmers plan for our new year of 2017. Here we go:

Kell Andrews: In 2017 I want to finish writing and revising my current novel, which is the book of my heart. My goal next is to write something for my daughter. She has a hard time finding enough of the books she loves, so I want to write the book of her heart.

Caroline Starr Rose: February 7: Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine publishes!!!!

Jim Hill: I'm teaching a workshop at NESCBWI called "So You Want to Write a Graphic Novel." April 21-23, 2017, Springfield, MA.

Mary Cronin: I'll be teaching two workshops at the New England SCBWI conference in April--
"World-Building: The Power of Setting for LGBTQ Characters" and "Writing about Characters with LGBTQ Parents."








(Looks like this will be a great conference to attend if you want to see Jim and Mary in action!)

Eden Unger Bowditch: I have MG/YA two books coming out in 2017:
May-The Strange Round Bird (Book 3 of The Young Inventors Guild)
October- Fun Things to Do With Dead Animals with my friend, Egyptologist Salima Ikram

Yamile Saied Mendez: My good news is that I'll be graduating from VCFA in January. I'll also be teaching a casual diversity class at the Storymakers conference in Utah in May. Storymakers is the largest writing conference in the state.

Michael Gettel-Gilmartin: Inspired by Caroline's recent post on The Artist's Way, I'm planning to work through the course once more. I was in an Artist's Way group way back in 1998. It'll be interesting to see how my inner artist responds to revisiting Julia Cameron's "spiritual path to higher creativity."





I hope you all have a magnificently creative and wonderfully fulfilling New Year. Thanks for reading and supporting Project Middle Grade Mayhem (now in our 7th year!!!)

Holiday Wishes from The Mayhem by Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

It's been a great year for Project Mayhem--since our beginnings in 2010 we've written more than 900 posts! Our love affair with middle grade writing grows ever stronger, and we are so very grateful for all our readers. Please accept our best wishes for the New Year ahead.

Here's a rundown on what some of the Mayhemmers have been up to this year. As you can see, we're a busy bunch.

Caroline: I had two books come out this year (though only one MG): Blue Birds in March and Over in the Wetlands in July.

(Hopeful writers, I'd like you to know I continue to get pretty consistent rejections, too. It's just how this works. :)

Paul: My debut novel Surviving Bear Island came out in March from Move Books:

After a sea kayaking trip with his father takes a dangerous turn, Tom Parker is stranded on the remote, outer coast of unpopulated Bear Island in the waters of Prince William Sound, Alaska with only a survival kit in his pocket. Desperate to find his father, Tom doesn’t know how long he can survive and must put his survival skills to the test as he fights to reach safety.

“The tension is well-crafted and realistic. Bear Island is a challenging environment to survive but a terrific thrill on the page.”–Kirkus

It is a Junior Library Guild Selection in the High Interest Middle Category for books that will appeal to even the most reluctant middle-school readers.

In December, Surviving Bear Island, went to press for a second printing. Surviving Bear Island has also been listed by the Alaska Dispatch on their Favorite Alaska Books of the Year List. It has been nominated for a Cybils Award.

Dianne: I published my fourth book, The Inquisitor's Mark; and The Eighth Day became a finalist for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award in Florida.

Eden:  Book Three of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy. The Strange Round Bird...  (the ellipsis included since I have not decided on the second part of the title!) is due out in 2016.

Donna:The release date for the 2nd book in my Joshua and the Lightning Road series, Joshua and the Arrow Realm will be May 31, 2016 by Month9Books.  Also, Joshua and the Lightning Road was nominated for a 2015 Children's & Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Award (CYBILS) in Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction.

Chris: I released You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, and the MG/YA adventure novel Bandits Peak. 

You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers is available for the Kindle, in paperback, or in Large Print paperback.

Remember the magic of bedtime stories? When you write for children, you have the most appreciative audience in the world. But to reach that audience, you need to write fresh, dynamic stories, whether you’re writing rhymed picture books, middle grade mysteries, edgy teen novels, nonfiction, or something else.

Whether you’re just starting out or have some experience, this book will make you a better writer – and encourage you to have fun!

Bandits Peak: Danger in the Wilderness 

While hiking in the mountains, Jesse meets a strange trio. He befriends Maria, but he’s suspicious of the men with her. Still, charmed by Maria, Jesse promises not to tell anyone that he met them. But his new friends have deadly secrets, and Jesse uncovers them. It will take all his wilderness skills, and all his courage, to survive.

Readers who enjoyed Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet will love Bandits Peak. This heart-pounding adventure tale is full of danger and excitement.

Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or Chris's Amazon page,

I also had three fiction and three nonfiction work for hire books come out in 2015, written as M. M. Eboch. For fiction, the three world adventures for Rourke are Monster Island (Greece), Walking the Dragon's Back (China), and An Artful Adventure (France). The nonfiction titles are Native American Code Talkers, A History of Film, and A History of Television. World War I Battlefield Medicine will come out January 2016.


MAY THE MAYHEM BE WITH YOU! SEE YOU IN 2016!