I Challenge Thee! - All the Challenges I've Been Up to and More

It’s been a hot minute since I sent a newsletter. There’s been a lot of things going on. I was hoping to do some more cover reveals with my next newsletter.

Newsletter Send Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020

Alas, I still have not received the updated covers for the rest of the Damned and Dangerous Quartet, which are through a different artist than the first book.

Alas, I still have not received the updated covers for the rest of the Damned and Dangerous Quartet, which are through a different artist than the first book. That’s OK though. The world has been in a constant state of upheaval for the past couple of months, and we’re not out of the woods yet.

What I will tell you is that I’m still alive, I’m story pounding away at keyboards trying to get things ready for publication – *cough, cough* Damned and Dangerous Quartet *cough* – and I have been staying SUPER busy – for various reasons.

One of the things I’ve done recently is I participated in a 72-hour writing challenge. It was a lot of fun. You can learn more about it and see everyone’s results in the Hope Unbound Writing Challenge group over on Facebook (Note: As of 8.23.2023 this group is no longer active).

The goal of the challenge was to write a 5,000-10,000 word short story for a charity anthology across the space of 72 hours. Not all participating in the contest submitted their stories for the anthology.

I completed my submission in those seventy-two hours and cataloged my entire journey from beginning to end within the group.

This anthology is still a ways off from being ready to hit shelves, but when it does, proceeds will be going toward the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund, which in turn filters down into a bunch of other fantastic organizations. As soon as I have more information about this project, I’ll be sure to include it in my next newsletter.

Bye Dragonlings!

The 7 day Challenge

I’ve only mentioned it a couple times, but I’m a bit of a cover addict. If I see a pretty and I have the funds, it becomes mine. I’m like a dice goblin, but with covers… OK. I’m totally a dice goblin too.

Anyway, because I have a cover addiction, my husband, who I’ll refer to in the future as Wolf, a nickname he’s had since we were in high school, has me on a semi-permanent cover ban.

It’s not terrible. I promise. And it’s only because I have 30+ covers and no books out yet.

However, earlier this year (March – you know… When I didn’t send a newsletter. Sorry about that… It was a rough month. Not just for me, but for everyone in the world.) I couldn’t write any further on any of the stories I had, but I saw pretty covers I suddenly had a slew of ideas for.

Wolf and I made a deal. If I could outline and write a complete story in seven days, I could purchase the cover that went with it. If it was still available.

Success! I outlined and wrote a 20K novella in three days. 3! It was an awesome feeling, especially with everything going on in the world and my own emotional barriers. When I sent an email to the cover artist, asking it was still available for purchase, I felt so proud of myself.

Proud enough that I want to keep the tradition. Wolf has already given the green light to continue it, but he put further restrictions. One cover per quarter. So that first one counted toward quarter one (January-March), which means I get to decide on the next one for quarter two, and I’d love YOUR help.

That’s right! You get to help decide what project I work on next for the 7-Day Challenge. That means I have seven days to outline and write a novella or novel based on a cover. The catch is that, being a premade, that cover might sell before I finish the story. If that’s the case, I’ll be looking at a custom cover instead. We’ll tackle that roadblock when we get there.

But first, let’s take a look at quarter one’s 7-Day Challenge! Cover and working blurb! This is scheduled for a holiday release. More details to come in the future.

Dear Satan

by S.D. Hegyes

A joke gone awry…

Maude’s never been able to do anything right except support her sister, Jolene. When Jolene gets her a job at the same law firm she works at, she’s grateful, even if working in the mailroom is boring.

But working for the law firm means Maude has to attend the charity ball – not her thing – and write a card to Santa. In an attempt to ease her troubles about either, Maude decides to write her card to Satan, rather than Santa.

And speaking of the devil, guess who answers?

Alright, now it's your turn.

What story do you think I should do for quarter two?

I’ll be writing the story in June, so I may not get the cover in the end, but I’ll be sharing covers that spark the ideas mentioned below.

I have chosen to go with covers available from a single artist because these covers are from their website and available for public view. In the future, I might choose covers from other designers who have private groups, but I’ll need permission to share those images.

Covers this time are from Fantasia Cover Designs, who also did the cover for Dear Satan.

Curious?

If you’re interested in participating in future polls, SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Author Resource

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue

by James Scott Bell

There is one sure-fire way of improving your novel fast. . .

You may know the fundamentals of how to write fiction. You may be more than competent in plot, structure and characters. But if your dialogue is dull it will drag the whole story down.

On the other hand, if your dialogue is crisp and full of tension it immediately grabs the reader. And if that reader is an agent or editor, sharp dialogue will give them instant assurance that you know what you’re doing as a writer.

Writing a bestseller or hot screenplay is no easy task, but dazzling dialogue is an absolute essential if you want to get there. The best part is, the skills of the dialogue craft are easy to understand and put into practice. #1 bestselling writing coach James Scott Bell has put together and expanded upon the dialogue lectures from his popular writing seminars. In How to Write Dazzling Dialogue you’ll learn:

What fictional dialogue is … and isn’t
The 11 secrets of crafting memorable dialogue
The 5 essential tasks of dialogue
5 ways to improve your dialogue ear
4 can’t-miss methods to increase conflict and tension in any dialogue exchange
The top 10 dialogue issues, and how to resolve them

You’ll also see dazzling dialogue in action with examples from hit novels and screenplays.

Don’t sabotage your chances of selling your work to readers or publishers because the dialogue is unexceptional. Dazzle them with what the characters say. How to Write Dazzling Dialogue will give you the tools to do it.

S.D. Hegyes NOTE: I’m part of a panel of awesome AuthorTubers who get together the last Saturday of every month to discuss a non-fiction writing craft-related book called Writers Workshop, hosted by the lovely Tamara Woods.

The last book we read and discussed for this second season of Writers Workshop was On Writing Well by William Zinsser.

Full disclosure: the book is a bit aged, something we discussed in the panel, and probably needs another revision to match the changing times, but we still learned something.

At the end of May, we’ll be discussing How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell.

This is the third book by Bell I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to talk about it.

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S.D. Hegyes Newsletter

A monthly newsletter with Day-In-The-life commentary, author resources, cool new writing tools and tips, as well as a little writing humor thrown in. An all around good read from a good friend.

Fiction Fling

Beauty and the Beast

by Vivienne Savage

Princess Anastasia Rose dreams of attending school, but her plans are put on hold when war begins between her father and the beastly lord of a nearby castle in the mountains.
Prince Alistair isn’t an ordinary dragon. He’s a shifter afflicted by a curse, unable to become human again until he finds his true love. When a mortal king’s adventurers trespass in Alistair’s territory to steal a rare flower, the prince decides to steal a valuable prize of his own.

Undertake a magical journey in Vivienne Savage’s new romantic fantasy series loosely based on the lore of multiple fairy tales. Meet strong heroines supported by a cast of sexy heroes, intriguing friends, and devious villains.

S.D. Hegyes NOTE: Author’s Note: This is a magical retelling of the beloved tale written for an adult audience. Reader discretion is advised.

S.D. Hegyes Short Story

S.D. Hegyes Newsletters were originally published with subscriber exclusive content like free short stories. Subscribe today to be the first to access exclusive content in the future!

ATHEAL THE WERELING

Exclusive Short Story Excerpt

When you go to one of those anonymous groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, you have to admit you have a problem. They say that’s the only way you can begin fixing the problem—to admit you have one.

Hello, my name is Atheal, and I am a wereling.

Dragonling Archives

Read past issues of S.D. Hegyes Newsletter for a glimpse into her writing past and future, along with her plans and dreams. Follow along the Indie Path and experience the fun and frustration of being an Indie Author!