It’s time for our favorite round-up: Black Friday Deals for Writers! We love finding ways to save you money because we all need to know how to stretch a dollar in this industry.

Investing in the right tools can help with success, so hopefully you can take advantage of some of these current and upcoming deals (including a sweet little discount from us).

Writing, Editing, Publishing & Marketing Deals

Publisher Rocket ($30 off Publisher Rocket + a Free Course)

Your book deserves to be read! Join other authors using Publisher Rocket to sell more books by optimizing keywords, categories, and ad campaigns. This deal runs from November 28th to December 3rd.

ProWritingAid Annual & Lifetime Subscriptions (Save 50%)

ProWritingAid is the essential toolkit for storytellers, helping you to craft your story and bring it to life. Real-time feedback and in-depth analysis will show you how to strengthen your story, give your characters depth, add impetus to your plot and so much more. This deal runs from Nov 18 – Dec 3rd.

Fictionary Storyteller (or Bundled with Storyteller Live) 40% off

Fictionary’s StoryTeller Software and Live Courses offer a comprehensive process to improve story structure, pacing, character development, and settings. StoryTeller Software: Visualize your plot, identify key story arc scenes, and ensure a satisfying resolution. StoryTeller Premium with Fictionary Live!: Enjoy unlimited writing courses, live instruction, weekly editing tasks, and personalized feedback. Save 40% on subscriptions between Nov 18- Dec 12th.

Novlr Writing Software (30% off any subscription)

Novlr is the first writer-owned creative writing workspace that lets you focus on what’s most important; your words. The smart design is distraction-free, writing streaks and goals keep you motivated, the advanced analytics provide insights into your best writing times, and automatic cloud syncing keeps your work safe. Ready to be more productive? Use the code BLACKFRIDAY24 to save on all subscriptions until December 31st.

Write | Publish | Sell (40% off Instagram for Authors Course)

​Instagram for Authors is a power-packed course providing authors with the tools they need to successfully use Instagram to market and grow their author platforms. Save 40% by using the code 40OFFIGBF at checkout until December 2nd.

K.M.Weiland’s Products for Writers (Save 25%)

Save 25% off K.M. Weiland’s popular writing resources, including her books on plot, character, and story structure. Take it a step further with interactive workbooks (including the Outlining Your Novel Workbook software), and the Creating Character Arcs and the Shadow Archetypes courses. Her Archetypal Character Guided Meditations can also help you dive into your characters’ minds and dream up new story ideas. Deal valid November 18th – December 2nd.

BookFunnel Mid-List & Bestseller Plans (Save $50)

The fundamental tool for your author business, BookFunnel delivers reader magnets, delivers direct sales ebooks & audiobooks, and helps authors reach new customers through group promos and author swaps. Take advantage of our best-in-the-industry support and take $50 off an annual subscription to our Mid-List Author and Bestseller Author plans from November 25th to December 2nd.

Atticus Software (Free Course with Purchase)

Transform your writing journey with Atticus.io—the all-in-one powerhouse for book writing and formatting. Forget juggling multiple tools; Atticus brings you a sleek, intuitive platform that takes you from draft to publish-ready masterpiece effortlessly. Get a free Publishing for Indie Authors course with each purchase between November 28th and December 2nd.

Getcovers (25% off cover design packages)

On a tight budget for a book launch? Getcovers is a book cover design company that provides book cover design packages for a shockingly low price – just $10-$35, depending on the package you choose. Use the code BLACKDEALS at checkout from November 25th to December 2nd.

Book Brush Social Media Management (2 bonus months with a 6-month plan)

Your schedule is jam-packed and Book Brush services can help lighten your load with your choice of two all-inclusive social media plans: Meta Plan: We’ll manage your Instagram and Facebook, creating eye-catching graphics and reels to build a strong, branded presence in the author niche and keep your fans engaged. Video Plan: We’ll produce 15 custom reels each month for your TikTok and YouTube channels, tailored to capture your unique style and audience. Get this 8 for 6 deal by booking a consultation call by Dec 6th.

Shut Up and Write the Book by Jenna Moreci
(.99 ebook sale at Amazon)

Shut Up and Write the Book is a step-by-step guide to crafting a novel from your first spark of an idea to the final edit. Enjoy bestselling author Jenna Moreci’s no-nonsense guidance and saucy sarcasm as she walks you through every step of the writing process. Grab it on Amazon for $.99 from November 27th to December 2nd. (affiliate link)

Novel Factory Software (Save 30%)

The Novel Factory app is designed to help writers turn their ideas into fully developed, captivating novels. With powerful planning tools, in-app guidance, and a simple, intuitive design, it’s everything you need to bring your story to life—from first draft to final edit. Save 30% on an annual plan with code BLACKRIDAY2024 between November 18 to December 2nd.

Last but not least, a story support tool that helps you write friction that stands out from the rest:

One Stop for Writers 6-Month Plan (Save 35%)

Ready for a game-changer? Look no further than One Stop for Writers, your ultimate storytelling companion. Designed by story experts Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, these groundbreaking tools help you craft characters with true depth, devise fresh plots, and construct immersive worlds that your readers won’t want to leave.

Your One Stop Toolkit includes:

SHOW-DON’T-TELL DESCRIPTION DATABASE (Containing 18 Thesauruses)
CHARACTER BUILDER
CHARACTER ARC BLUEPRINT
TIMELINE TOOL
STORY AND SCENE MAPS
WORLDBUILDING SURVEYS
IDEA GENERATOR
TEMPLATES AND WORKSHEETS
THE STORYTELLER’S ROADMAP
INSIGHTFUL CRAFT TUTORIALS, TIP SHEETS & MORE

Say goodbye to writer’s block, telling, and frustration. One Stop for Writers supports you at every step as you plan, write, and revise, so only your best writing makes it to the page. Use the code BLACKFRIDAY24 to unlock a 35% discount for our 6-month plan.

We hope you find a few things on this list that help you on your journey. Happy writing & saving!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post 2024 Black Friday Deals for Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

One Stop for Writers‘ BIRTHDAY WEEK is here!

Nine years ago, Becca and I stepped outside our world of book-making and opened the doors of One Stop for Writers, a site filled with one of a kind tools and resources to make writing easier. Year by year, the toolbox at One Stop for Writers has grown and we’ve had the pleasure of helping writers all over the world. We love being part of other writers’ journeys!

25% off all plans

To celebrate NINE YEARS, we’ve cooked up a discount. Whether you’re new to One Stop for Writers or you’ve been using it since the very beginning, grab this code to access our arsenal of tools for less:

HAPPY9

To use this code:

1. Sign up or sign in.
2. Choose any paid subscription (1-month, 6-month, or 12-months) and add this code: HAPPY9 to the coupon box.
3. Once activated via the button, a one-time 25% discount will apply onscreen.
4. Add your payment method, check the Terms box, and then hit the subscribe button.

And that’s it!

Get ready to put the largest show-don’t-tell database available to writers & the rest of our incredible storytelling tools to work!

New to One Stop?

If you’re not familiar with One Stop for Writers, join Becca for a virtual tour. She’ll show you how using the right tools will help you write stronger fiction faster.

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Happy 9th Birthday, One Stop for Writers (Save 25%) appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Valentine’s Day is coming, and people have big feelings about it. On one hand, it’s nice to have a set day to celebrate loved ones, but on the other, pressure to buy overpriced chocolates and flowers to ‘show’ love can cast a shadow on things.

Me? I think gifts are nice to give and receive, but pressure shouldn’t be part of it. But on the subject of Valentine’s Day, I have a question for you:

When you’re showing others you care on V-Day, are you giving yourself some of that love, too?

Because you should. You deserve it. Think about how you put a ton of effort into others each day, being the best employee, partner, parent, dog walker, dinner-maker, errand-runner, etc. that you can. It’s who you are, and how you provide for others.

But doing so means there’s not much time for you, is there? And that’s my point, especially for writers.

Our reality is that we need to squeeze writing in around everything else, and after a long day, there’s not always a lot of gas left in the ‘ol mental tank. But we roll up our sleeves because we have books to write and careers to build.

It can be a heavy load.
We need to be kind to ourselves.

So, this Valentine’s Day, think about what you need. And be sure to give yourself these three important gifts:

1) The Gift of Grace

Are you becoming self-critical because you think your writing progress is too slow, you find it hard to manage all the things that come with this career, or right now, certain things are beyond your skill? Let that go. You aren’t a machine, just someone doing their best. Silence your internal critic who is saddling you with unreasonable expectations. Everything takes time to learn. You’re doing great and you’ve got this!

2) The Gift of Time

Because you usually put everyone else first, this Valentine’s Day, carve time out for you. Reflect on what is important to you, and what makes you happy. Put those things on the front burner, prioritizing them. Put your needs first.

If you want to be able to write guilt-free, take that time. If you need a break from duty and responsibility so you can do something for yourself, ask someone to step in and help. And while you’re investing in your mental health, consider what small changes will ensure there’s always time for you and what you need moving forward!

3) The Gift of Patience

Because life zips along at a breezy clip, we assume our writing career will too, but it doesn’t work that way. Learning to craft strong novels, understand the industry, build a platform, and become proficient at the business end of things all take time to accomplish.

It’s easy to forget this, especially when others are releasing books and furthering their goals. We feel a sense of urgency to keep up, and falsely believe that if we can’t, something’s wrong with us. Not true. This journey will look different for each of us. And, it’s not a race, so be patient with your progress. Remind yourself that when you rush, bad things can happen.

Remember, it’s okay to put yourself first!

This isn’t said enough, and it needs to be!

Many of us feel near-constant pressure to do ‘all the things’ and we try, but it comes at a cost. Neglecting our well-being for too long saps our energy and creativity, and we need both to further our writing goals. And if we start to feel we’re not making headway because we never have time or we’re too tired, doubt creeps in. We may start to worry we don’t have what it takes (and we do!)

This is why self-care is essential. When you invest in yourself, it reminds you that you have WORTH, that those goals of yours are valid and deserve your time and focus.

When you take care of your personal well-being, you feel confident and capable. You have energy for the road ahead. And that’s a win-win-win.

So, as we inch closer to February 14th, think about how you’ll celebrate yourself. Read a book, take yourself on a long walk, and treat yourself to guilt-free indulgence. You deserve it!

Speaking of Valentine’s Gifts…

Becca and I like to put something together for writers this time of year because we love this community and feel so lucky to be part of it. So if you have been eyeing a One Stop for Writers subscription, please use this 25% off code to save a bit.

SHOW-DON’T-TELL THESAURUS DATABASE
CHARACTER BUILDER
CHARACTER ARC BLUEPRINT
TIMELINE TOOL
STORY & SCENE MAPS
WORLDBUILDING SURVEYS
IDEA GENERATOR
WORKSHEETS & TEMPLATES
THE STORYTELLER’S ROADMAP
All the story support you need to write fantastic fiction, in one place.

To redeem this one-time 25% discount:

1) sign up or sign in
2) Go to Account >> My Subscription and choose any plan
3) Add & activate the VALENTINE code in the box provided
4) Enter your payment details, click the terms box, & hit subscribe

And that’s it. Our storyteller’s toolkit is now your storyteller’s toolkit!

If you are a current subscriber, add/activate this code on the My Subscription page. It will discount your next invoice. Offer ends February 17th, 2024.

What is your favorite type of self-care? Let us know in the comments!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Why Writers Should Be Their Own Valentine This Year appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The economy is tough right now – inflation is high, and everyone needs to stretch their dollars further, including writers. Black Friday is an excellent time to get what we need to succeed and save.

To save you time, we’ve rounded up some of the best deals we’ve found,
including one from us!

Check Out These Deals: Writing, Editing, Publishing & Marketing

ProWritingAid (Save 50%)

Save up to 50% on select packages so ProWritingAid can give you clear, easy steps to improve your writing so you can write, edit, and share your stories with confidence. ProWritingAid’s real-time feedback and in-depth reports offer world-class grammar, style and consistency checking. Strengthen your prose, improve clarity, and have more time to write. This deal runs from Nov 13 – 29th.

Novel Factory (Save 30%)

Save 30% on annual licenses for the Novel Factory writing software which includes character development tools, plot templates, target tracking and so much more. Developed by award-winning author, Katja Kaine, the software includes a wealth of writing advice, which helps new writers master the craft and more established writers hone and perfect their skills. Use the code BLACKFRIDAY2023 by November 24th to grab this deal.

Fictionary Storyteller & Storyteller Live (Save 40%)

Fictionary’s groundbreaking software and expert guidance give you the tools and support you need to write an unforgettable story. With StoryTeller Developmental Editing Software, you’ll generate a story arc that allows you to see how your structure, characters, plot, and setting compares to best-in-class. With StoryTeller Premium + Fictionary Live! Guided Editing Program, subscribers also get personalised guidance from Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Instructors. It’s a surefire way to get your manuscript over the finish line. Save 40% on monthly and annual subscriptions between Nov 15 – Nov 24.

FirstEditing Services (Save 21%)

FirstEditing’s professional editors correct and perfect every word so you can publish your manuscript confidently and successfully. You get an expert editor in your genre to personally edit your writing, revise your syntax, and advise you on how to develop and structurally strengthen your writing. Save 21% off any professional editing service including Certified Structural Editing, Book Coaching, and more between November 25th and December 1st.

Novlr Writing Software (Save $50)

Novlr is the first writer-owned creative writing workspace that lets you focus on what’s most important- your words. Our smart design is distraction-free, writing streaks and goals keep you motivated, advanced analytics provide insights into your best writing times, and automatic cloud syncing keeps your work safe. You will be more productive on Novlr. Save $50 on an annual subscription with the code BLACKFRIDAY23 until December 31st.

Write | Publish | Sell ($10 Bundle)

We’re celebrating 10 years in the business of supporting authors with a bundle of 4 of our most popular book marketing workshops for ONLY $10 with the code BLACKFRIDAY. Grab this deal by November 30th.

PublishDrive (3 Months Free)

Easily self-publish ebooks online, audiobooks, and print books to thousands of stores worldwide with PublishDrive. New Customers can subscribe to our annual plan, and get 12 months of service for the price of 9 (three months free). Grab this deal by December 31st.

SelfPubCon Access Pass (Save 50%)

Enjoy 50% off a six-month or lifetime access to content from the Self-Publishing Advice Conference (provided by the Alliance of Independent Authors) with discount code BLACKFRIDAY23. Grab this deal by November 30th.

K.M.Weiland’s Products for Writers (Save 25%)

Save 25% off K.M. Weiland’s popular writing books and put her expert guidance on plot, character, and story structure to work. Her interactive workbooks (including the Outlining Your Novel Workbook software) can turn your knowledge into practical skills, and you can dive deep into character development with the Creating Character Arcs Course. Katie also has Archetypal Character Guided Meditations to help you delve into your characters’ minds and dream up new story ideas. Grab this deal by Nov 27th.

Publisher Rocket (Free Course)

Get their Kindlepreneur Keywords and Categories Course free with the purchase of Publisher Rocket, a powerful tool to help you determine the best keywords for your book. This deal runs from November 21st to November 29th.

BookFunnel Author Service (Save $50)

BookFunnel is the premier software service for authors. Whether it’s delivering your reader magnet or ARCs, finding great ways to promote and swap books with other authors, or doing direct sales and Kickstarter fulfillment, BookFunnel is the essential tool for your author business. Save $50 on the mid-list or higher yearly plan until November 30th.

Atticus Software (Free Course)

Transform your writing journey with Atticus.io—the all-in-one powerhouse for book writing and formatting. Forget juggling multiple tools; Atticus brings you a sleek, intuitive platform that takes you from draft to publish-ready masterpiece effortlessly. Get a free course with every purchase of Atticus: Publishing for Indie Authors between November 22nd and November 27th.

Scribophile Premium (Save 30%)

Scribophile is one of the web’s largest online writing communities and workshops. Writers of all skill levels join to make friends, finish their novels, help each other improve, take writing classes, and meet beta readers. Save 30% off a premium membership until November 30th.

Sacha Black’s Courses & Books (Save 30%)

Save 30% with the code BLACKFRIDAY30 and improve your prose, characters or storytelling! Join rebel author, podcaster, and bestselling author Sacha Black for her Villains Masterclass and the Anatomy of Prose: The Senses course, or save on her catalog of writing guides between November 30th and December 3rd.

Shut Up and Write the Book ($2.99 Deal)

Save on Shut Up and Write the Book, a step-by-step guide to crafting your novel from plan to print, written by award-winning author and YouTube sensation, Jenna Moreci. Grab it on Amazon for $2.99 from November 24th to December 1st.

Saving the best for last: story support tools to help you write your BEST book!

One Stop for Writers (Save 40%)

Ready for a game-changer? Look no further than One Stop for Writers ^®, your ultimate storytelling companion.

Designed by story experts Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi, these groundbreaking tools will help you craft characters with true depth, invent fresh and captivating plots, and construct immersive worlds that your readers won’t want to leave:

SHOW-DON’T-TELL DESCRIPTION DATABASE
CHARACTER BUILDER
CHARACTER ARC BLUEPRINT
TIMELINE TOOL
STORY AND SCENE MAPS
WORLDBUILDING SURVEYS
IDEA GENERATOR
TEMPLATES AND WORKSHEETS
THE STORYTELLER’S ROADMAP
INSIGHTFUL CRAFT TUTORIALS, TIP SHEETS & MORE

Say goodbye to writer’s block, telling, and frustration as you plan, write, and revise.

One Stop for Writers supports you at every step so only your best writing makes it to the page.

Use the code BF2023 to unlock a
40% discount on our 6-month plan.

(Deal ends November 27th.)

We hope you find a few things on this list that help you on your journey. Happy writing & saving!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Top Black Friday Deals for Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Some characters are so dynamic, we feel immediately close to them. Everything they say, do, and think is consistent with who they are, they have a past and present, and as we share their experiences, we never have to guess at what they feel, want, or need.

This authenticity happens when the author does the deep work to understand the character inside and out. And, I’m betting they did something else, too: created a reference file about the character, a.k.a., a Character Bible. This is a great way to avoid unintentional inconsistencies and mistakes.

And mistakes do happen, because we forget things —Does Emma fear lizards or birds?—or we change our mind mid-book, and the love interest, Liam, goes from being a skateboarder to the king of parkour. Oh, and name changes? Don’t even get me started!

The point is that nothing pulls readers out of the story faster than when details shift, so implementing a way to keep each character straight in our minds is key.

The Character Bible: A Writer’s Best Friend

A character bible document will contain important details about a character, everything from their appearance, personality, and preferences to their backstory wounds, goals, needs, and secrets. It has a trio of benefits:

1. It pushes you to explore a character’s inner layers to figure out who they really are and what’s driving them in the story
2. Once complete, the bible serves as a reference tool for you to ensure everything about the character is consistent
3. Writing is easier because how the character thinks, acts, and behaves will be second nature to you.

How detailed your bible is depends on how important the character is. Some things you may wish to capture:

Appearance

What does your character look like? Do they have any interesting features that act as clues to readers as to the type of person they are? For example, hair: is their go-to a messy bun, is it chronically unwashed, or is every curl carefully tamed? Or do their clothes suggest a style preference or level of wealth? Do they have scars, marks, or defects that hint at an experience or trauma? Chosen well, specific details do a lot more than just help readers imagine what they look like.

Backstory

Your character’s past affects the present, in good ways and bad. So, who has influenced them to date, either supporting them or limiting them? What personal challenges have they worked through? What negative experiences (emotional wounds) are unresolved, leaving behind fear, biases, and false beliefs about themselves and the world?

Answering these questions will give you a good sense of what their past was like, and the most likely things they will carry forward, like emotional baggage, a sense of duty, a compulsion to fix people, etc.

Personality Traits

Every character will have a unique personality made of positive traits (strengths & identity markers) and negative traits (flaws that keep people and situations at a distance so the character can avoid being hurt by them). Think about both halves – this character’s defining positive qualities, and those that create friction with others.

Moral & Spiritual Beliefs

All characters, even the baddies, will have a moral code. Do you know what beliefs your character hold to so strongly they make decisions and are willing to sacrifice other things to stay true to them? Where is their line in the sand, and what ideas are important enough to them to protect?

Emotional Range & Behaviors

Each person expresses themselves in their own way, and characters will too. Think about your character’s individuality – are they open and communicative about feelings, or keep them inside? Are they demonstrative, or more reserved, extroverted or introverted, or somewhere in the middle? What are their quirks and comfort zones? Understanding a character’s typical emotional range helps you choose emotional responses that feel authentic.

Fears and Misbeliefs

Every character has fears that result from negative experiences, because that dark seed is planted that the same sort of hurt could happen again. So, what fear is making your character a prisioner in some way, shaping their view of the world, themselves, and holding them back from being truly happy? Do they believe they are unworthy or incapable because of this fear, and this destructive lie is one they must cast aside to achieve their story goal?

Talents, Skills, and Abilities

A character should have a few things they are good at, or an ability that make them unique. Giving your character a talent or skill that aids them when it comes to their goal (even in an unexpected way!) will create a sense of synchronicity for readers.

Likes and Dislikes

What are some of your character’s preferences…and why? Will these preferences steer their behavior in the story in good ways and bad? (Yes, the answer is yes.)

Hobbies, Interests, and Passions

What does your character enjoy doing? For a character to be realistic, they should have a few personal interests that make life more enjoyable. These may not even tie into the bigger story, but they do humanize your character to readers.

Current Situation

Just like a character has a past, they have a present, too.  Note a few details about where they live, what their family situation is like, what job they do, the vehicle they use to get around, and any routines or habits that might show up in the story. Knowing your character’s life better will give you ideas on how you can poke their soft spots (people and places they are attached to) and choose conflict that will come with personal stakes attached.

What They Want Most

Every character wants something – a goal that will make their situation better and leave them happier or more complete. This is what your character is striving to do or achieve in your story.

This goal should be something tangible or quantifiable, so readers know the character has done what they set out to do.

What They Need

Sometimes what your character wants and what they need are a bit different. Maybe your character wants a new girlfriend to get past the pain of their latest breakup, but what they need is time to love themselves better and understand why they keep choosing toxic partners. Thinking about what makes them feel incomplete and why can set them on the path of a goal that will help them grow and make them feel more complete.

Secrets

Every character has a secret (maybe more than a few!) so think about what they hide from others. Is there something that could create big problems for them if it was revealed, or does it tie into their unresolved emotional wound? (Readers love secrets, and a hint of one will keep them flipping pages.)

Worldview

How do they view the world – do they believe most people are good, or untrustworthy? Do they put others first, or look out for number one? Do they have biases, avoid certain places and experiences because they have preconceived ideas about what will happen, or refuse to listen to certain opinions that go against their own? If so, try to understand how this might tie to their backstory experiences.

Insecurities & Sensitivities

Life is not always gentle, and experiences where your character’s ego was bruised, or their emotions upended may have left them feeling insecure or easily triggered. If there are emotions your character tries to avoid feeling, or situations they stay away from because they make them feel weak, inept, or emotionally volatile, make a note. These are pointing to past pain, and you might wish to use them in the story to push them to become more self-aware so they can start a journey to healing.

This may seem like a lot to know about someone, but think of how easy it will be to write this character’s thoughts, decisions, and actions. And by writing when you down these details, you’ll have a character bible to reference when you need it!

A Tool that Creates a Character Bible for You

It takes time to uncover a character’s inner layers, we know, so we built a tool to help with that: the Character Builder at One Stop for Writers. Using psychology, it asks you the question you need to know about a character and collects the details into a profile that can be saved to your computer or transferred into certain software programs like Scrivener.

The Character Builder makes brainstorming characters faster and easier because it pulls characterization options from a giant database and shows you how choosing one detail about a character (like their job, or a personality trait) can help you brainstorm other details that naturally connect to that first detail. For example, if you decide your character is a teacher, the Character builder will show you a list of positive traits and skills that a teacher will likely have. With a click, you can add these traits or skills to the profile.

One Stop for Writers’ Character Builder will help you plan your character’s backstory, behavior, skills, goals, personality, fears, and everything else you need to know about them.

This profile is easy to update if you want to tweak something about them, and you can even clone the character profile and adapt a second one if you are thinking about this character and how they change in a series, keeping core details in place like their backstory and personality, but changing their goal, motivation, and perhaps an unresolved wound of set of fears that will play a big part in this new book.

Here’s a Character Bible I created so you can get a feel for what all the Character Builder can help you brainstorm. If you’d like to try the tool for yourself, just start a free trial. Happy creating!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How to Create a Protagonist with True Depth appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Let the good times roll…
One Stop for Writers‘ BIRTHDAY WEEK is here!

It’s hard to believe Becca and I have been helping writers grow into confident storytellers at One Stop for Writers for EIGHT YEARS now. That’s eight years of supporting writers as they plan, write, and deliver their books into the hands of excited readers. Eight years of watching creatives all over the world go from pre-published to published. What an incredible ride! Thank you so much for letting us join your journey.

Save 25% On All One Stop for Writers Plans

Eight years is worth celebrating, so here’s a sweet birthday discount for anyone wanting a war chest of storytelling tools to support them as they plan, write, and revise:

EIGHTYEARS

To use this code:

1. Sign up or sign in.
2. Choose any paid subscription (1-month, 6-month, or 12-months) and add this code: EIGHTYEARS to the coupon box.
3. Once activated, this one-time 25% discount will apply onscreen.
4. Add your payment method, check the Terms box, and then hit the subscribe button.

And that’s it! All of One Stop for Writers’ resources, including the incredible descriptive THESAURUS, are now part of your storyteller’s toolkit.

New to One Stop?

If you’re not familiar with One Stop for Writers, join Becca for a virtual tour. She’ll show you exactly how this site is going to help you write stronger fiction faster:

Planning your NaNoWriMo Novel?

If you’re gearing up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) now’s a great time to start building your characters, plotting your story, and creating your world. The Storyteller’s Roadmap will guide you step-by-step to the tools and resources you need.

Once November hits, you’ll love having non-stop ideas on what to write using our Show-Don’t-Tell Database, too. Thanks for helping us celebrate our birthday, and happy writing!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Happy 8th Birthday, One Stop for Writers! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

What are writers chronically short on? Time.

There never seems to be enough of it as we try to get the next book written, research our publishing options, keep up with marketing, work on our platform, etc., and that doesn’t even factor in what’s happening in other areas of our life. And as we juggle, the one thing that can help us succeed more than anything else is often neglected: education to help us improve our storytelling skills.

Introducing Mini-Lessons

You guys know Becca and I have a lot to say about description and how showing the right things in the right way means readers are pulled in and will care deeply about characters and what’s happening in their lives. We’ve written books on many description elements and have even more of these in our THESAURUS database at One Stop for Writers.

This summer, Becca and I have recorded a mini lesson for each of our thesauruses, helping you better understand that story element, what its superpower is in your story, and how to activate that detail through description.

Each video takes you through a thesaurus in the One Stop for Writers database, but you don’t need to be a subscriber to benefit from these lessons or use our thesauruses (although they are very helpful for brainstorming). But if you are someone who uses them, this will broaden your understanding so you get even more value from each brainstorming list.

Bite-sized learning is a perfect match for busy writers

Life can be hectic, making it hard to carve out big blocks of time for learning. With these videos, you need about 5 (ish) minutes. Totally doable! Whether you want to learn how to describe a character’s emotions, activate the power of your scene’s setting, or understand character motivation better so plotting becomes easier, a helpful mini-lesson is waiting for you.

Here’s the playlist, or choose the topic you’d like to know more about below.

Happy writing and learning!

Grow Your Skills with Becca & Angela

How to Describe a Character’s Appearance

How Emotional Trauma Affects Characters & Their Arc

How to Use a Character’s Fears in Storytelling

How to Create a Character Readers Will Love

How to Give a Character Flaws that Will Hold Them Back

How the Right Setting Details Make a Scene More Powerful

How to Create a Memorable Character Using a Talent or Skill

How to Show What Your Character Is Feeling

How to Use Conflict to Power up Your Story

How to Write Your Theme and Use Effective Symbolism in Fiction

How to Use the Weather to Build Mood and Generate Conflict

How to Find the Right Job for a Character

How to Bring Readers Into a Story Using Textures

How to Create Vivid Description Using Colors and Patterns

How Describing an Object’s Shape the Right Way Strengthens the Story

How to Build Strong Characters & Arcs

How to Amplify Your Character’s Emotional State

Need more help as you plan, write, and revise? Join us at One Stop!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Show-Don’t-Tell is something we hear a lot about as writers, and yet many struggle to apply it. Why? Because while most understand the basics of show-don’t-tell, not every writer can spot descriptive opportunities where deploying it the right way will draw readers in.

Becca and I have studied description extensively and trained ourselves to spot these opportunities by adopting what we call a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset. To help you do the same, we’ve created a recorded webinar on our process: Think Like a Story Expert: How to Engage Readers Using Psychology & the Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset.

In it, I’ll show you how we identify details that can connect the story dots for readers, add depth, and how leveraging psychology will help you connect readers to your characters so they care and become invested in what happens next.

This isn’t a long webinar, but it’s packed with takeaways to help you strengthen your stories. So if you’d like help in this area, give it a watch, and happy writing!

More Show-Don’t-Tell Help

Show-Don’t-Tell Resource Page
Free Show-Don’t-Tell Pro Pack
One Stop for Writers’ Show-Don’t-Tell Database
Mastering Show-Don’t-Tell

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset Helps You Write Stronger Stories appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

As you may know, Angela and I have recently reached the unbelievable milestone of having sold a million books.

I say “unbelievable” because this was never in our sights. We started out as two writers with no formal education in the field. We had no publishing experience. What did a couple of stay-at-home moms really know about succeeding as authors?

Needless to say, when we sold our thousandth book in 2012, we were over-the-moon excited. And then we hit the 10,000 mark. Then 100k… With every milestone, people asked us how we had done it—because I think a lot of writers can relate to our feelings of uncertainty, of having a goal but not knowing how to get there, and not wanting to dream too big.

But here’s the truth: if we can succeed, you can succeed. Full stop.

Granted, it would have been easier with a little more information when we started. So we’d like to share some of the things that have worked for us, because we believe they can work for you—no matter what you’re writing or what goals you’ve set for yourself.

Give the Readers What They Want

Some of you may not know that the very first thing we blogged about in 2007 was The Emotion Thesaurus. As critique partners, we had both struggled with how to show emotions in new and realistic ways, and we knew it was also a problem for the other members of our group. So we thought: maybe this is something other writers need help with, too.

That suspicion was confirmed almost immediately. We started putting up a new emotion post each Saturday, and our readership just blew up. Before long, people were asking for the content in book form. And that’s when we knew we had something people wanted to read.

Takeaway: Whether you’re writing nonfiction, cozy mysteries, thrillers, steamy romances, or a memoir, you have stories that people want to read. Write what excites you. Hone your craft so you can write those stories well. And start building connections with the people who want to read what you’re writing.

Take Risks

Angela and I had always dreamed of being traditionally published, so when it came time to turn The Emotion Thesaurus into a book, we assumed we’d go that route. Then we started seeing our thesaurus content popping up on other people’s sites, and being distributed as a PDF. Suddenly, we couldn’t afford to wait two years or more for our book to be available; we had to get it out quickly before someone else did, and that meant publishing it ourselves.

But this was 2011. Self-publishing was openly poo-poohed in the industry, with many people bemoaning the substandard quality of self-pubbed books (and some asserting that authors only went this route if they couldn’t get a traditional contract). Oh, and we had zero idea how to publish a book. Going down this path was a huge risk for us, but Ange and I knew we needed to do it, so we got to work figuring out file formats, and distributors, and cover designers, and the logistics of co-authoring a book. And we made it work, and in 2012, we launched The Emotion Thesaurus.

Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to take risks with your writing. Try new things. Dive into uncharted waters and educate yourself. Sometimes, the scariest opportunities have the biggest payoffs, but you won’t reap the rewards if you don’t try.

Put Your Own Spin on Your Work

Another thing that made us nervous was the unconventional format of our books. Instead of the typical narrative structure, our thesauruses consisted mostly of two-page entries full of lists and phrases. It was a risk to deviate from the norm, but we went for it because our blog readers liked it.

Not only did readers love the “user-friendly” structure, other writing books with lists soon began popping up all over Amazon.

Unfortunately, it’s also led to copycat covers and many books that have similar titles to those in our series. We feel bad every time someone tells us they bought a book they thought was one of ours only to discover it wasn’t. So if you are trying to find our thesaurus guides, just look for the Writers Helping Writers® logo.

Takeaway: Always put your own spin on your writing. Infuse it with your unique voice. Explore the themes that interest you and the subjects you’re passionate about. Write as your authentic, one-of-a-kind self and you’ll end up creating books that will stand apart from the others in your genre.

Make Your Books Available to as Many Readers as Possible

Because readers have their own preferred storefronts and formats, we wanted to reach as many of them as possible by going wide and making our books available in lots of places. We also offered PDF versions, since people like having their book files open on their computer while working. We even created a Character Traits Boxed Set to sell directly from our website.

The bulk of our sales do come from Amazon, but by distributing through many digital storefronts and independent bookstores, and making our books available in PDF, we ensured that readers could get our books where they liked to show and in the format that worked best for them.

Takeaway: Make it easy for people to buy your books. Sell through multiple distributors, in different formats. Listen to what your followers are saying about how they like to read and make those options available to them.

Explore Every Opportunity

As you grow, opportunities are going to come along that you never considered. Ange and I had published three books and were working on the fourth when we got an email from a publisher asking if the Korean rights to The Emotion Thesaurus were available. Foreign translations weren’t on our radar at all. We didn’t have an agent, couldn’t negotiate an international contract ourselves, and couldn’t market a book overseas if we wanted to. So it would’ve been easy for us to dismiss the request as being too far outside our wheelhouse and something we just didn’t have time for.

Instead, we looked into it. We found an agent who specialized in negotiating rights deals with foreign publishers. We talked to her about the email we’d received, and we realized this was a gift that had fallen into our laps. So we sold those rights. And, boy, was that the right decision. We now have books in 9 languages that have sold almost 400,000 copies to date in markets we never would have reached on our own.

Takeaway: No matter how busy you are, explore every opportunity that comes your way. You don’t have to invest a ton of time. Just do some basic research, keep an open mind, and see if it’s something you should pursue. When in doubt, see Point #2.

Run Experiments

It can be hard to know if an opportunity is a good one or not. In those cases, it doesn’t hurt to experiment.

In 2018, KDP started contacting us with requests to highlight our Kindle books in their daily and monthly deals. We were skeptical about how this would affect our sales. Sure, more people might buy our Kindle book if it was priced at $1.99. But wouldn’t we end up making less money that way? Would those discounted sales cannibalize our paperback sales?

So we ran an experiment and started participating in those deals. It became clear that while we made less per book, our revenue still increased. Why? Because it lowered the barrier to test out one of our thesauruses, and if the person found it helpful, they would often collect more volumes in the series. Also, because we have observed our readers prefer print to digital, some kindle deal buyers would go on to pick up a print copy also. So this experiment has really paid off for us.

Takeaway: New opportunities don’t have to be permanent. If you’re not sure about something, set aside a prescribed period of time to test it out. Setting a timeline and recognizing that the experiment is temporary can ease your mind about trying new things.

Know When to Cut Bait

But remember that not every experiment is a success. Prior to 2019, we hadn’t utilized ads on any platforms. Sales were flagging a bit at Amazon and a lot of people were finding success with ads there, so we decided to give it a shot. After eight months, we realized that the investment just wasn’t paying off, and we stopped.

Takeaway: Accept that some experiments won’t pan out. Keep a close eye on those trial runs and the risks you’ve decided to take. And do the same with your day-to-day tasks—you know, the processes and systems you’re using because that’s the way you’ve always done them. Be deliberate about monitoring what you’re doing and assessing if it’s worth the ROI. If it’s not working, stop doing it or find a new way.

Seek Out Multiple Revenue Streams

Let’s face it: it’s hard to make a living from book sales. But Ange and I learned early on that our skills as writers lent themselves to other ways of bringing in money. So we branched out as speakers, running workshops for local writing groups and at larger conferences. Then we explored another collaboration that resulted in One Stop for Writers, a subscription-based website that contains all our thesauruses (not just our books) and writing tools and resources designed by us that help writers in a new way.

Workshops and One Stop for Writers have provided additional revenue for us in and of themselves, but they also generated more sales by introducing us to new people who had never heard of our books.

Takeaway: What additional career opportunities could you pursue that utilize your writing skills? What else could you be doing “on the side” while you’re writing books? Here are some options you may not have considered.

Partner with the Right People

If there’s any one secret to Angela’s and my success, it’s that we found each other. It’s really, really hard to do this job alone. I can’t imagine having to handle everything by myself. At some point, most writers will need to partner with other people, be that a business partner, editor, agent, cover designer, copy editor, bookkeeper, etc. Those partnerships can save you—as long as you choose wisely.

Takeaway: Research potential partnerships carefully. Look for people who complement you, people who are strong where you’re weak. Find people who share your values and work ethic and are pulling in the same direction.

There’s more we could share, but this post is long enough already, and we’d rather hear what has worked for you. Let us know in the comments!

More quick facts about the books
Enter our celebratory giveaway

BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Selling a Million Books: What Worked for Us (and Can Work for You, Too) appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Fear is a disruptive force, even though its job is to keep us safe. When there’s a perceived physical or psychological threat, our brain blasts us with a shot of adrenaline so we respond, fight, flight, or freeze, whichever helps us navigate the danger we’re in.

But fear is also insidious. It can sink into our thoughts and memories and become an ongoing dark force that cloaks us, changing our behavior and how we see the world. We become ever-watchful for new threats, and avoid things that have the potential to lead to another painful experience.

In fiction, characters also feel this dark weight, and it can be as detrimental to them as it is to us.

Fear may cause a character to…

Hold back in relationships
Underachieve (by choosing ‘safe’ goals below their potential)
Avoid certain places, events, and people
Misread situations and overestimate threats
Feel stuck in life
Struggle with self-worth
Retreat into themselves
Stay within their comfort zone
Settle for less
Find it harder to make decisions
Hold onto the past in an unhealthy way
Have a more negative view of the world
Doom cast (decide something will fail without trying)
Become triggered by certain events and circumstances
Project fears onto others (damaging relationships)
Develop phobias
Not take advantage of opportunities
Have unmet needs (that grow deeper as time goes on)
Develop health conditions
And more.

Whatever your character wants in the story, fear stands in their way.

Strong characters have agency, meaning they make choices and act, steering their own path toward their goal. But this goal will be hard to achieve, and if fear is in the driver’s seat, it affects their choices and actions.

If they stay within their comfort zone rather than take a risk, avoid something they must do because they don’t want to be judged, or convince themselves an effort will only end in failure, their decisions and actions are impaired, and whatever they choose to do instead won’t be enough to win.

There are many debilitating fears which can hold someone back. Knowing what your character’s exact fear is, be it rejection, intimacy, competition, or something else, will help you write their actions, behaviors, and decisions in the story. It will also help you plot events to purposely challenge that fear, in the hopes that they will grow and come to control it, rather than it controlling them.

How to find a character’s deepest fear

Fears can be learned (like a child who fears dogs from being exposed to their mother’s phobia of them), but for the most part, fears are born of negative experiences, especially trauma.

For example, being surrendered to the state by a parent who no longer wants to be tied down would be a devastating experience for a character. This trauma likely would create a fear of rejection, abandonment, or both. They will move through life worrying that if they let someone in, that person will eventually get tired of them and the character will be discarded once again.

To find your character’s fear, think about their experiences, especially emotional wounds. What happened to them, and how did this shatter how they see themselves and the world? What insecurities do they now have? What triggers them, what do they avoid more than anything, and what do they refuse to do because the mental barrier of fear is too strong?

Help for brainstorming your character’s fears

We’re thrilled to announce that our Fear Thesaurus is now part of our THESAURUS descriptive database at One Stop for Writers.

This thesaurus dives into deep-level fears so you can show how one changes who your character is & how it steers their thoughts and actions in the story.

Each entry looks at what the fear looks like, the behavioral fallout it leads to, what might have caused it to form, the inner struggles your character may be facing as a result, and the triggers, possible disruptions to their life, and more.

Use this thesaurus to build deeper characters, understand the role of fear in character arc, and plot events that will be specifically challenging for your character so they struggle but also have an opportunity to grow!

Wondering what One Stop for Writers is about?

One Stop for Writers® is a site Becca and I created to help you beyond our thesaurus books. It’s packed with tools designed to make planning, writing, and revising easier, and teach you to become a stronger storyteller as you go.

If you’d like to take a look, join Becca for a tour, and then start a free trial to test these tools and resources for yourself. See you at One Stop!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How to Uncover Your Character’s Deepest Fear appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

It’s a touchy topic, I know.

On one hand, we may putter a bit as a way ‘into’ writing–getting supplies together, pouring a cup of coffee, and putting a few cookies on standby. Most of us have a pre-writing ritual. But, on the other hand, after we do those things, how many of us suddenly remember something that needs our attention? Maybe, Oh, I forgot to send that email and so we head to the inbox. We send our message, but as we do, see another about a friend’s new book. So, naturally we zip over to Goodreads and add it to our shelf.

You know where this is going. Goodreads leads to Facebook, which leads to Instagram and Tiktok, and boom, an hour’s gone. Maybe more.

Another thing that chews up writing time is the research and brainstorming we need to do. There’s always things to look into for our story, and information for marketing, learning stronger craft, and more.

Finally, there’s the time we waste trying to locate our story planning materials – those characters bios, timelines, notes about the plot, worldbuilding information, and the rest which helps us as we write and revise. These things may be scattered in notebooks, on hard drives, post-its, etc. and every time we need to look something up, it pulls us out of the writing flow. Sometimes by the time we find it, we’ve lost track of what we had planned to say.

So…how do we get lost time back?

By changing our habits & process a touch so writing time is spent doing exactly that: writing. Here are some tweaks that might help you:

Procrastinate…with a timer. If you know it’s your habit to check a few things before you start writing, then give in to it, but set a timer on your phone to limit how long you spend surfing social and handling email.

Schedule time for non-writing tasks. Story planning, researching information to help us write and market, connecting with people on social media, and yes, answering email – it all needs to be done. But if we organize ourselves better, and create designated times for those bits of work, we protect our sit-down-and-write sessions.

Organize our story materials in the same place. It’s true, we can be like birds, storing shiny bits and bobs for our story all over. This happens because as we’re planning, we’re not always in the same place. Sometimes we’re at the computer and things go into a file, other times, ideas hit in the car and we jot down notes on our phone or on the back of a receipt.

Keeping things together means we always know where to go when we need to check something about a character, scan our outline, or remind ourselves of certain story details. Being able to find the information we need quickly is key to getting back to writing and more words each session.

If you’re looking for a way to organize all your story items, check out One Stop for Writers. We just revamped our dashboard, the Workspace. You can create everything for your story there, store it, and when you need to look something up, it auto-sorts everything for you. (Don’t you wish someone would create a button to sort out your actual desk? I do!)

Check it out:

Finally, if you’re procrastinating too often, ask yourself why. Often, we fall into a distraction hole because we’re struggling with the story. When the writing gets hard, our motivation drains away. We’d rather get lost on the internet than face a nasty knot in our manuscript.

Problems don’t fix themselves, so we need to push ourselves to identify what’s wrong, so we can find a solution. Going back to our story materials is often key as they can show us if we’ve planned enough, need to raise the stakes, give a character more depth, add a scene, or something else. TIP: The Storyteller’s Roadmap has a Code Red section to help you fix the most common story problems.

How do you make sure procrastination and disorganization doesn’t derail your writing? I’d love to hear your tips!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How Much Time Do You Waste as a Writer? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

When February 14th rolls around, it’s a reminder to let certain people know that we love and cherish them. So, we buy chocolate, flowers, or go for a night out. Maybe we give the gift of time and make a favorite meal or dessert.

In reality, most of us don’t need a special day to show our love for the people in our lives.

But we do need a reminder to show love for the person we tend to forget about: OURSELVES.

Speaking of the L word, many of you know Becca and I gave our hearts to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs long ago. We use it all the time to teach writers how to build stronger characters, arcs, and how to add meaningful conflict and stakes.

Well, if there were a hierarchy for a writer’s life, it might look something like this:

In other words…YOU always come last.

So this year, think about how to put yourself first.

Be your own Valentine!

Start with some meaningful gifts:

1) Give yourself the gift of space.

We all live busy lives and can end up trapped within responsibilities and routines. We’re used to taking every spare moment and filling it with stuff that must be done – errands, fixing things, appointments. When do we have time to reflect on what we need, what we want to see for ourselves, and what will bring us more happiness and fulfillment?

So…back away from the to-do list and give yourself some space to think and reflect. We only get one kick at the can of life (unless reincarnation is a thing), so go for a walk in the park, take yourself on a picnic, or fill the bathtub with suds and lock the door. Turn your thinker to what small changes you can make to move toward a happier and more balanced you.

2) Give yourself the gift of time.

The Writer’s Pyramid shows how everything else tends to come first. After all, we love the people around us and want to make sure their needs are taken care of. But the constant merry-go-round of work, driving everywhere for school and activities, and all the other life stuff doesn’t leave us a lot for writing and other fulfilling goals.

So…be a little selfish with your time this February. Putting your needs and interests first for once doesn’t make you a bad person. Pausing things that can wait so you can make room for your writing and yourself is a healthy habit and teaches us to make choices about what’s really important. Plus, when you have more time for yourself and things personal to you, you’ll be happier and more energized.

3) Give yourself the gift of escape.

Forgive me, Stephen King, for I have sinned: I have become so busy I barely have time to read anymore. In fact, I may have moved that stack of books I bought out of sight so I wouldn’t feel guilty about what I wasn’t doing…reading.

If this sounds familiar, it’s okay. You aren’t alone. A busy life means reading fiction can end up on the back burner. But remember, we write because we love stories and want readers to escape into our realities. Reading is key to furthering our career and keeping our creative well filled.

So…let’s escape, too, and go on a book date. Pick up that trilogy you’ve been eyeing. Buy yourself your favorite sweets, a new flavor of tea, or whatever will help you unplug from everything and focus on the fictional realm. Give yourself permission to put everything else on hold and fall into a story world.

4) Give yourself the gift of help.

Writing is hard work and requires passion, perseverance, and grit. It can seem like we’re climbing a mountain that only gets higher as we learn what strong writing looks like and how to get our own story craft to that level. But while there’s much to learn, we also have a writing community filled with experts to help!

So…put resources in your toolkit that can help carry the load. In fact, we created a giant i need help with… section on our home page so you’ll be able to get the help you need no matter what the topic. Click the image link and scroll down the page!

And did you know…

Many writers associate us with our thesaurus books, but we are also the creators of One Stop for Writers, a treasure chest of storytelling goodness.

One Stop for Writers has everything you need to build standout characters, fresh plots and stunning worlds. It also guides you step by step as you plan, write and revise.

And if you are a fan of our books like the Emotion Thesaurus, you might be interested to know an even larger THESAURUS database is at the site. So come check it out sometime. We have a 2-week free trial.

Or, if you’re ready to put this powerful tool in your writing kit, be our Valentine and save 25% on any plan with this one-time discount code:

ONESTOPVALENTINE

To redeem this 25% discount:

1) sign up or sign in

2) Go to Account >> My Subscription and choose your plan

3) Add & activate the ONESTOPVALENTINE code in the box provided

4) Enter your payment details, click the terms box, & hit subscribe

Plan, write, and revise faster and easier as One Stop for Writers’ Storyteller’s Roadmap, Thesaurus Database, and other story support tools!

5) Give yourself the gift of grace.

Above all else, we want to see you get your books in the hands of readers and realize your writing dreams. Fulfillment is fuel, and when we achieve meaningful goals, we’re happier, more balanced, and optimistic. But writing a strong story and publishing it takes time, especially when we have a full life and other responsibilities.

So…take a moment to remind yourself that this isn’t a race, and you’re not competing with anyone. Publishing a book and having a successful career of doing what you love is about putting one foot in front of the other. Go at the speed that is right for you, not one that might lead to burnout. Be kind to yourself and remember: YOU’VE GOT THIS!

6) Finally, how about the gift of sleep?

Hit snooze more often, or sneak in a nap or two. The world will not break apart if you rest more, I promise!

How are you taking care of yourself? Let us know in the comments!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How Writers Can Be Their Own Valentine appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.