Years ago I joined the award-winning site, The Critique Circle, where I learned to hone my writing skills and develop the thick skin needed to take criticism and rejection. In addition to writing well beyond a thousand critiques, I became a moderator for the site, and with members in the thousands, I mediated situations that cropped up between writers who either struggled to give an appropriate critique, or to accept one.

This experience taught me the value of peer feedback. Learning how to give and take a critique is one of the best ways to develop your writing skills. Critiquing isn’t a walk in the park, however. It’s very easy to let one’s emotions get in the way and damage relationships. For this to work, a person must respect the other’s role, value the time and energy writing and critiquing takes, and follow through without letting emotions overrun good judgment or manners. Here are “best practices” writers should observe in each stage of the Critique Process.

When Asking for a Critique

If you are lucky enough to find someone willing to give feedback, it is your job to make your work presentable. Here’s how:

• Be honest about the stage the work is in. If this is a first draft, say so. Readers need to understand what they are looking at to offer you the best advice on how to proceed.
• Respect their time. Don’t be unreasonable regarding turnaround time. If you are on a deadline, make sure that is understood before you send your work. If you like, ask for the critter’s best guess for having it back to you. Contact them (politely) to ask how it is going only after this time has passed.
• Always send clean copy. First draft or last, make sure you have fixed typos and punctuation, and hopefully taken a stab at grammar as well. If your work is full of mistakes and your manuscript reads poorly, it becomes distracting and takes away from the critter’s ability to offer insight and advice on the story itself.
• Ask questions or voice concerns only at the END of the writing sample. This allows you to hone in on areas you’re worried about, but by placing questions at the end, you ensure the person reads the submission “clean” and without bias. Otherwise they will be looking for specific things as they read, and may miss the forest for the trees.

When Giving a Critique

It is the critique partner’s job to pay the submission the attention it deserves. Some important points to remember:

• Focus on the writing, not the writer. No matter what shape a story is in or how green the writer may be, a critter’s job is to offer feedback on the writing itself, not a writer’s developing skills (unless you are praising them, of course).
• Offer honesty, but be diplomatic. Fluffy Bunny praise doesn’t help, so don’t get sucked into the “but I don’t want to hurt their feelings” mindset. Your honest opinion is what the writer needs to improve the story, so if you notice something, say so. However, there is a difference between saying “This heroine is coming across a bit cliché,” and saying, “This character sucks, I hate her—what a total cliché.”
• Be constructive, not destructive. When offering feedback, voice your feelings in a constructive way. To continue with the cliché character example, explain what is making her come across cliché, and offer ideas on how to fix this by suggesting the author get to know them on a deeper level and think about how different traits, skills and flaws will help make her unique. Give examples if that will help. Bashing the author’s character helps no one.
• Be respectful. Regardless of where the writer may be on the path to publication, they have chosen to share their work with you, and this will make them feel vulnerable. Honor this by treating them and their work in a respectful way.
• Praise the good along with pointing out the bad. Sometimes we get so caught up in pointing out what needs fixing we forget to highlight what we enjoyed. If there’s something amazing about the work, say so. Even if the story is not your favorite, try to point out something positive, even if it is a simple description or dialogue snippet. The positives are what help writers keep going even when there is still a lot of work to do.
• Offer encouragement. Part of our job when critiquing is to offer encouragement. We want to build people up so they work harder to succeed, not tear them down and erode their confidence. End any critique with some words of support and friendly encouragement so it reminds them that writing is a process and we’re all in this together.
• Return the critique in a timely manner. If it has not been agreed upon before you receive a submission, give the writer a ballpark timeline to have the critique returned to them and then stick to it. If you need an extension, don’t wait for them to ask where the critique is…be proactive and explain your circumstances.

When Receiving a Critique

A critique waiting in our inbox brings about both excitement and dread. This is the final phase, with important steps to follow.

• Before opening the critique, let the critter know you received it, and that you are looking forward to reading it as soon as you have a chance. This lets them know that it didn’t get lost in cyberspace, and that you have not yet read it, which gives you some time to process the critique without them wondering why you haven’t said anything about it to them.
• Before you read the critique, remind yourself that the reason you asked for feedback was to make the story stronger. Set the expectation that you will have work to do, and ultimately the story benefits. Steel your emotions for what is ahead.
• Read through the critique once. Try your best to not let anger, disappointment or even excitement cloud your read. Then, set it aside and turn your attention to something else. Use this time to go through any hurt feelings this critique caused, and deal with any emotional responses (self-doubt, frustration, even elation). Good or bad, you need to clear emotion from the picture to be able to best utilize this feedback, even if your gut instinct is to disagree with it.
• When you are ready, go through the critique again, this time, free of emotion. Look at each suggestion objectively and make notes to yourself. If there are suggestions that make you angry or defensive, pay special attention. Often when a comment hits close to home it indicates that something requires more thought. Challenge yourself to see the situation or scene as they did. Do you understand how they arrived at a specific conclusion? Is information missing that would help them view the situation/scene as you intended? This may lead you to realize something needs strengthening. Or, through the act of poking and prodding, you reaffirm your belief that it works as is, and you can dismiss this suggestion. (However, pay special attention when multiple partners highlight the same issue…even if you believe it is good enough, chances are strengthening is needed.)
• **Respect the Critique Partner’s time and effort. This person likely just spent several hours working on your submission, and regardless if you agree with the feedback or not, you should send a follow up email thanking them for the critique, highlighting how it gave you better insight into you story and characters. If you have questions about the feedback, ask! This is your opportunity for more helpful discussion and ideas on how to make your book better. Do not get angry. Let me repeat that: do NOT get angry. Take the high road, even if you found nothing helpful. Show appreciation for their time, and in the future, find another partner.

**This last point is very important to nurture a critique relationship.

This person chose to help you, taking time away from their own writing. As someone who often spends hours on a critique, there is nothing more frustrating to me than when a writer does not acknowledge my work. I’m not looking for flowery pats on the head, simply to know the feedback was helpful in some form. Anyone who has given their time is worthy of your appreciation, regardless of whether you agree with their suggestions or not.  Be gracious when feedback rolls in.

Consider Offering Feedback in Return

Critiquing is about give and take, so if someone has kindly given time to help you, offering to look at something in return is the right thing to do.

Do you have any tips to add? Have you found critiquing helpful, or do you avoid it like the dentist’s chair?

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 The Ultimate Guide for Giving and Receiving Feedback appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Writing is a unique profession because people find their way to it from so many different careers. Sure, there are those who complete an English degree in school before penning their first book, but there are many more who cut their teeth in other careers before answering the call to write – some as a hobby, and many others who hope to make writing books their full-time gig. Writing on the surface seems like such an approachable art form. Heck, if you can read, you can write, right? 

But there is much more to writing a book than good grammar and spelling. Even if you bring strong writing skills with you from another career, tackling writing a full book can be daunting. Fears creep in. Writers I work with always have the same question. 

“Is my writing good enough?”  

Over the years, and working with thousands of writers, I’ve realized the real question writers want to know is: 

“Will readers get my story?”

Note: Even if you, the writer, tell the world you’re writing this book for yourself, and you convince yourself that you don’t care if anyone ever reads it, or appreciates it – most writers I meet have these secret wishes

1. That their work will be found, read, loved, and shared. 
2. That their book will take on a life of its own and catch on like wildfire. 

Many writers are tempted to skip the steps needed to get their books to the level of readiness needed to reach these goals, because when you read your own writing, it reads like your awesome idea playing out in your own mind. To understand how that clouds a writer’s judgment, let’s compare becoming a competent writer to mastering other art forms.       

What if you decided to become a painter?

If you decided to share your message with a painting, instead of in a book, could you sit down and replicate the Mona Lisa without ever having picked up a paintbrush? I know I couldn’t. The Mona Lisa attempt I could make on my first try would look more like a stick figure or a semi-smiling emoji with a bad haircut. I’ve never trained as an artist, so I wouldn’t expect my first try to be expert level. 

What if you were asked to dance?

Or, let’s say you get invited to dance as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker on stage tonight. Could you do that dance justice, even if you’ve trained as a dancer but were only shown the choreography this afternoon? I took ballet for years as a kid (though never got to the Sugar Plum Fairy level) and you wouldn’t catch me up on that stage, because I’d trip, I’d fall, and probably forget the steps more than once. If you’d paid to watch my performance, you’d probably throw tomatoes at the stage.

It’s obvious that you can’t become a proficient painter or dancer overnight, without any training or practice. The same is true of writing, but with one difference that makes it easy to think you can. Reading back your own writing relies on imagination. And because you love your book’s idea, and know what you hope your reader will feel, your brain fills in all this extra information as you read, even when it’s not actually on the page. So you experience the Mona Lisa you set out to write, even though what’s on your page may only be stick figures.

If your book gets published at this stage, readers may give your rendition of the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy a lousy one star review, instead of rating it the 5 star performance you experience in your mind when you read your own work.

Don’t be discouraged, though.  I can guarantee your idea is good enough to get a 5 star review from your ideal reader. It’s kept you going, you finished your draft. And readers will love it too, if you take the time to learn the skills needed to let them see the Mona Lisa you dreamed up.

How can you get some distance from your own writing, so that you can find the stick figures and turn them into masterpieces?

 Get External Feedback

Skip friends and family for this step. They love you and have heard all about your writing dreams. They are proud of all the work you’ve put in and will read your work with rose colored glasses, giving you rave reviews. They might even see the Mona Lisa. Instead:

• Work with a Critique Partner. These wonderful writers will give you the feedback you need on your book, usually in exchange for feedback on their writing.
• Hire an Editor or Book Coach that specializes in the kind of book you’re writing. Investing in a professional’s time to help you level up your writing is an important step to make sure your book doesn’t fall flat.
• Get feedback from Beta Readers. Ask readers who love books like yours for their reactions. Their feedback might just be the key you need to take your book to 5 star status.

Set aside time and energy to learn the writing skills that will make your book sing .

Don’t buy into the myth that writers are born with talent, or not. If your first draft isn’t ready to publish? That’s normal. Expected, even. Know that in writing, just like other forms of art, or when learning a new profession, there are skills to learn, and you are capable of learning them.

If you’re reading this on the Writers Helping Writers’ blog, you’ve come to the right place to learn and practice the skills you need to make your book worthy of a standing ovation.

Not sure if your writing is at the stick figure or Mona Lisa stage?

I’ve developed this fun quiz, which will show you whether your writing is ready for readers, and give you some next steps to tackle if it’s not.

The world needs YOUR story. Making sure you’ve given yourself the skills to write it in a way that readers will read, love, and share it with others will be worth the effort, so dig in and learn from as many community members as you can while you’re here. 

Happy Writing!

SUZY VADORI - Resident Writing Coach

Suzy Vadori is the award-winning author of The Fountain Series. She is a certified Book Coach with Author Accelerator and the Founder of Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp. Suzy breaks down important writing concepts into practical steps to make it easy for writers coming from outside the industry to get up to speed in a snap, so that they can realize their big, wild writing dreams!

In addition to her weekly newsletter encouraging writers, and online courses, Suzy offers both developmental editing and 1:1 Book Coaching. Find out more about our RWC team here and discover how to connect with Suzy and all the resources she has to offer here.

The post Is Your Writing Ready for Readers? 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®.

It’s that time of year when we’re thinking about upcoming holidays and the people in our lives who love writing as much as we do. Critique partners, accountability chums, fellow scribblers in the trenches…this is a great time to give them a little something to show them how special they are to us, and to show support of their author goals.

This year we wanted to share a few of our favorite things because we think they’ll make great gifts. (A few are affiliate links, but we only suggest things we like and think you will too.) Enjoy!

Motivational Stickers

Imagine opening your laptop and seeing an inspiring quote that gets you all pumped up – that’s what these great little stickers do.

Check out the huge variety of stickers you can get from BiblioficDesigns!

A Portable Desk

Want to write on the couch, in bed, in the car or on the lounger in the backyard? Get this portable laptop desk.

I have one and use it all the time. I love being able to move around and find the best spot to inspire me as I work!

Yankee Candles

Becca loves certain things – her kids, cats, peanut butter protein shakes, and yes, Yankee Candles.

Candles are a big part of her writing routine, and she always has one burning when it’s time to work because it triggers her brain to get down to business. This is a great addition to any writer’s desk, and heck, they smell so good!

An Owl Mug

Look I’m not saying I have an owl addiction, but well, yeah, I have an owl addiction.

Owls are wise and make a great writerly mascot, so I think we both know you and every other writer need at least one mug…maybe two. And my goodness, look at this pair. I’m in love!

A Bestselling Writing Guide from Us!

By now, you likely know we’re the authors behind The Emotion Thesaurus and its many sibling guides. These books have helped writers all over the world brainstorm stronger description and master show-don’t tell, and we love creating them.

If you are new to these books, you pick your topic, and then dive in. You’ll learn how to write that subject better, be it emotions, setting, personality, conflict, etc., and brainstorming lists (the ‘thesaurus’ part) to give you endless ideas for fresh ways to describe that element in your story through show, not tell.

Not sure which book to get? Try the Emotion Thesaurus (Blue), which is the most popular volume, and helps you describe what your characters are feeling through body language, thoughts, visceral sensations, cues, & more. Or, choose the Conflict Thesaurus (Gold & Silver), which were our last two releases. You’ll love having so many possible conflict scenarios on tap to help you write fresh, intense fiction.

Literary Insults Poster

This poster was a birthday gift from my daughter-in-law, and I love it. It’s filled with great literary insults (that you can use, muahaha), so that’s fun, right?

It’s a neat collectable and conversation piece all in one, so frame this poster and then display it in your office with epic nerdy pride. I did!

A Weighted Blanket

Okay, this is a super thoughtful gift, because we all know writers keep odd hours and never get enough sleep. So, make sure your sleep is quality by wrapping yourself in a heavy, fuzzy blanket that applies just enough pressure to make all your anxiety slip away. I bought one a few years ago and have never slept better.

A Powerful Story Toolkit

There’s no better story support than One Stop for Writers. With its massive show-don’t-tell database, innovative story tools, and the Storyteller’s Roadmap, planning, writing, and revising becomes so much easier.

This is a game-changer for anyone who needs help writing stronger stories, and the subscriptions are very affordable.

We hope you enjoyed this list of our favorite writerly things! Hopefully this inspires some gift ideas. And remember, it’s okay to buy yourself a little something, too, or add these to your personal wish list!

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 Our Favorite Gifts for Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

It’s a big anniversary for us, folks! Ten years ago today we hit the publish button on The Emotion Thesaurus.

10 Years. Can you believe it?

We wrote this book hoping to help others who struggled with showing character emotion, but deep down, we were terrified. It was our first book. We were nobodies…who would take us seriously? And we were self-publishing at a time when the industry wasn’t too fond of that just yet.

We had no idea it would go on to become so well-loved book. And oh my gosh, guys–thank you so much for that!

Many of you have told us the Emotion Thesaurus never leaves your desk, and it’s hard to describe how good that makes us feel. Talk about honored. It got us thinking about the many other must-have resources that help writers create, publish, and build satisfying careers. That led to a very big question:

What would the Ultimate Writer’s Toolkit look like?

So, we polled other writers, made a list of the best of the best, and then reached out to the leaders in our industry to see if they would help us build an ULTIMATE toolkit and give it away.

The Ultimate Writer’s Toolkit Giveaway

Buckle in, writers, because one of you will win…

A 1-Year Subscription to Jane Friedman’s The Hot Sheet: An award-winning newsletter that will keep you up to date on the market, industry news, author earnings, trending topics, and new opportunities. (Value: $59) 

Writer’s Digest’s Get Published in 2022 Bundle: Nine amazing resources to help you stay productive, get published, and keep a positive mindset, so you reach your creative goals. (Value: $79.99)

Joanna Penn’s Author Business Plan Course: Learn the elements of an effective business plan, questions you need to answer to discover what lies behind the plan, and how to act on decisions made to take your author career to the next level. (Value: $99)

A 1-Year Subscription to One Stop for Writers: Everything a writer needs to create fresh, breakout fiction: powerful character and plotting tools, worldbuilding surveys, worksheets, the largest show-don’t-tell database available anywhere, and a Storyteller’s Roadmap to guide you from that first idea all the way to a publish-ready book. (Value: $105)

A Scrivener Writing Software License: Provides all you need to write and brings together your notes, research, and writing…so it’s always at hand. It also lets you set word targets for your entire manuscript or for the current writing session—which can be great motivation. (Value: $49)

A 1-Year ProWritingAid License: More features than any other manuscript editing software on the market! Improve your writing quickly and efficiently with thousands of grammar, spelling and readability improvements delivered in real-time as you write. (Value: $79)

The Hero’s Two Journeys Video Access: Two of Hollywood’s top Story Experts, Michael Hauge & Chris Vogler, reveal the secrets of mastering Plot Structure, Character Arc, Identity, Essence, Archetype and Theme. (Value: $39)

A 1-Year Subscription to StoryTeller: Get ready for revision to get a lot easier! Use Fictionary’s 38 Story Elements to evaluate your story scene to scene so only your best writing makes it to the page. (Value: $200)

A 1-Year Premium Membership to The Critique Circle: Continuously improve your writing by critiquing others and building relationships with authors who will help with your manuscripts. You can receive multiple critiques and compare feedback to see what’s working and what areas need to be strengthened. (Value: $50)

A Publisher Rocket License: Publisher Rocket helps get your book in front of more Amazon shoppers with four tools to increase book sales. It makes finding keywords, sizing up the competition, and choosing profitable categories quick and easy. (Value: $97)

A 1-Year Subscription to Book Brush: The easiest way to create professional ads, social media images, and 3D book covers using author-specific stamps, templates and animations. (Value: $99)

A 1-Year Subscription to StoryOrigin: Build your mailing list, increase sales, and find reviewers for your book all in one place. Everything an author needs to super-charge their marketing! (Value: $100)

A Writers Helping Writers Thesaurus Set*: Nine bestselling writing guides to help you activate the power of show-don’t-tell to involve readers more deeply in the world, events, and emotional undercurrents of your book. *US winner: print, International winner: digital. Emotion Amplifiers is digital only

Say, are you drooling?
It’s okay, we don’t blame you!

We can’t wait to see who wins this unbelievable writing toolkit. It won’t just improve someone’s writing – it will accelerate their career!

Runner-Up Prize Alert!

Because Writer’s Digest is so generous, they are also offering a runner-up prize:

Writer’s Digest NaNoWriMo Prep Bundle: Tons of tools to get your creativity flowing, keep you motivated, and complete your first draft in 30 days. ($56.99)

Thank you to all the generous sponsors who contributed to this Ultimate Writer’s Toolkit!

A little something from Becca & Angela

Many of you have The Emotion Thesaurus, either the original (75 emotions), or the 2nd edition (130 emotions), but you may not know it’s also at One Stop for Writers where we expand it from time to time.

In fact, we recently added 5 NEW EMOTIONS: Joy, Indignation, Misery, Giddiness, and Revulsion, so if you like, start a 2-week free trial to check out these entries (and the rest of the database), or…

Give yourself a 30% discount by using the code EMOTION when you sign up to any paid plan.

(Code valid until May 18th, 2022.)

Ready to enter the Giveaway? Find it below & good luck!

All the usual giveaway legalese applies – no purchase necessary, must be 18, and the winner is subject to our giveaway policies here. Additionally, these prizes have no cash value and cannot be exchanged. Some may have a time limit for redemption or other prize-specific conditions.

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 10-Year Celebration: Win the Ultimate Writer’s Toolkit appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

So, three things about me:

1. I like to help (really, I’m a bit psycho about it – be warned)
2. I like to build unique storytelling tools
3. I like to share great resource finds with other writers

Online, I try to match people with the information they need. Sometimes people reach out through email or a Facebook page to see if I can help them solve a problem they’re having. Many writers tend to have similar struggles, and so I often end up recommending the same tools or sites again and again. I thought it might be fun to round up the resources I recommend the most.

#1: The Critique Circle

A lot of writers reach out because they’ve 1) written a book and need guidance on the next steps, 2) they’ve become frustrated because they can’t seem to sell their book and need to know if there’s something wrong with it, or 3), they need an editor for a manuscript. While it sounds like these writers may need different things, likely they don’t. All three could benefit from the same thing – unbiased feedback.

Critique Circle is an online community where you can submit your work for critique and offer feedback to others in turn. You’ll get a variety of critiques (six, ten, maybe more) from writers at different levels. Having six sets of eyes (or more) on your work means collectively you’ll get some good guidance on what to fix, and multiple critiques can help with spotting patterns. If several folks are all pointing out the same or similar issues, you know there’s a problem to fix.

You might be wondering why I would send someone who is submitting to agents and publishers to a critique group and not an editor, right? Well, it’s simple: many writers submit before they’re ready. (I sure did, back in the day.) And taking your book to an editor right off the bat is going to cost money, whereas the Critique Circle is free (they do have a paid plan, too). Starting with a free option is a good first step.

So, unless a person tells me they’ve extensively workshopped a book and have already used critique groups, I recommend starting at Critique Circle, even if a person just needs an unbiased opinion on whether a book is ready for submitting. Once the writer has learned what they can at the critique level, they can decide if they need to move to an editor, or focus on their query letter & targeting to achieve a better response rate.

#2: ProWritingAid

Another handy-dandy tool I suggest to writers all the time as they polish and tighten is ProWritingAid. It’s a brilliant tool with a free and paid version (and the cost is reasonable and offers great value). As I mentioned above, hiring a freelance editor can be costly, so the stronger you make your writing before seeking one out, the better. And if you are querying, or sending a synopsis and sample pages, you don’t want typos, grammar or weak writing to distract an agent or editor from your brilliant story premise.

#3: Jane Friedman

One reason why it’s such a great time to be a writer is that our community is packed with experts willing to share their experience to help us navigate publishing. In the old days, it was straightforward – you wrote the best book you could, got an agent, and then submitted to publishers. Straightforward, but far from easy. Like today, you needed a stellar book with a fresh premise, a killer query, and then to win the lottery by finding the right agent and editor at the right time, who was looking for a project just like yours. That’s traditional publishing.

Of course now we have self-publishing and hybrid publishing options, too, and so we need to think about the right path for us. Once we decide, we need to buckle in and get ready for a mountain of work. But fear not, writing friend, because we have Jane Friedman‘s beautiful brain and her step-by-step guidance as we navigate the publishing path we’ve chosen.

Jane been in the industry for a long time and knows it inside and out. She’s taken a deep dive into different publishing routes and so has many articles and resources to help writers. (Her blog is also filled with tons of great articles on craft and marketing, too!)

#4: Buffer

Ah, marketing, the necessary evil. We can write a book, and publish it, but if we don’t market it, chances are, no one will find it. So, we need to proactively think about our audience and how to reach them. I know you’re worried about coming across as car salesman-y, but here’s a secret – marketing isn’t about selling books. It’s about having a focus, being authentic, and building relationships. (You can read more about my FAR Marketing Method here.),

If we want to find our reading audience across the entire world, we should get online and embrace social media to some degree. Don’t worry, we don’t need to do it all, but we should do some, focusing on platforms where our ideal audience hangs out.

A big problem with social media is that it can steal a lot of time, so using tools in the right way can help us be more efficient. A tool I couldn’t live without is Buffer. It allows me to schedule content on all my social platforms, so I’m always sharing helpful articles and occasional items to help people discover how I can help them. Scheduling this content means I get time back to use my social media time to hang out and chit-chat on feeds and DMs, as being social is what it’s really about.

#5: Trello

Between writing, publishing, marketing, and running a business, well, writers juggle A LOT. Lists can be our friend, but having a way to visualize our action items and track important spreadsheets, links and sites in one place is really helpful. Becca and I use Trello, which allows us to create boards, lists, and cards for everything we do from our publication process for each book, to marketing objectives and goals, to brainstorming ideas for blog posts, books, and new tools for One Stop for Writers. Cards can be dragged from one column to the next, reordered, labelled, etc. It’s a brilliant way to map out a to-do list or process, or even brainstorm ideas for a new book. Did I mention Trello has a generous free version? Check it out!

#6: One Stop for Writers

As you know, Becca and I work to help writers strengthen their description skills because the better we get at showing the things that matter in a story, the more readers can truly experience the story, and a good book becomes exceptional. Many are familiar with our Thesaurus Writing Guides, and so write us to see if we have a thesaurus on a particular topic they need help describing.

Ironically, more often than not, we point them to One Stop for Writers because we have many more descriptive thesaurus topics there (16) than we do in book form (7). Our thesauruses are all centralized in one database, meaning it’s all in one place, saving writers time.

The site has a lot of other special lists, generators, worksheets, and crazy-helpful tools (like the Character Builder) that can help writers with everything to do with a story, so even if something isn’t covered in a thesaurus, it’s tackled somewhere. If you’d like to poke around to see all the resources and tools, test drive the 2-week free trial.

#7: Wide for the Win Facebook Group

If there’s one truth in this world, it’s that writers work freaking hard to get their books into the world. And that work doesn’t stop at writing “the end” or hitting the publish button at Ingram, Amazon, or elsewhere, either.

When we choose to be authors, we’re also choosing to become business owners, marketers, publishers, publicists, and accountants. And boy, is there a lot to know.

One of the best sources of information I’ve found is the Wide for the Win Facebook group. It’s over 10,000 strong, and each member is motivated to share knowledge and experience to help one another succeed.

If you’re an indie, this is the group for you. But honestly, I think even if you’re traditionally published, I think there’s a lot to learn here about how to sell. One thing to note – this is a “going wide” group, meaning discussion is around leveraging multiple platforms to reach readers, not restricting a book to Kindle Unlimited.

#8 The Storyteller’s Roadmap

Another thing people ask about is where to hire a story coach (here are some options). A story coach can be wonderful for someone who needs guidance, but for some, the cost is not in the budget. Becca and I created a solution for writers who want step-by-step help but are on a budget – the Storyteller’s Roadmap.

There are a lot of steps to planning, writing, and revising a powerful novel, meaning more than a few places where writers can become stuck, blocked, lost, and frustrated enough to quit. It’s important to keep going because this story called out to be written, right? There’s a diamond within, and if it’s written, it can be fixed.

The Storyteller’s Roadmap is your writing GPS, helping you navigate your way to a publish-ready novel. It guides you to what you need as you need it, too, pointing out tools, resources, and advice that help make your job easier. You loved your story enough to start it, and the Storyteller’s Roadmap at One Stop for Writers will help you finish it.

#9: I Need Help With… Resource Mother Lode

Finally, last year when we redesigned Writers Helping Writers, we built a powerful I need help with… section on the home page with our very best articles, tools, tip sheets, and more. You’ll find a ton of help in key areas, not only to help you write a stronger story, but also market your book, and manage your mindset and business. Just choose your topic to find what you need:

These are my top recommendations…what are yours?

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 The Sites I Recommend the Most to Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The reality is that this is a tough business. There’s so much to it beyond writing and no matter how much knowledge and education you may have, at the end of the day there’s a lot of experimentation on what works and what doesn’t.

Succeeding (and staying sane) often comes down to our ability to reach out to others and the kindness of those people to share what they have discovered so we can weigh that experience against our own journey.

It doesn’t matter who you are…chances are, others helped you to this point and will continue to help you grow and thrive. And this is why the writing community is such a great place…it’s full of people who understand it’s easier to learn from one another and succeed together.

It feels good to say “Thank You”

So I put together a list of ways to do that which won’t break the bank. I hope you get some good ideas here!

Free Gifts for Writers

An encouraging note. Sometimes the only thing that keeps us going is a kind word at just the right time. A facebook post. A tweet. An email. Public or private, let someone know how much you have enjoyed working with them this year and that you appreciate them.

A beta read or chapter critique. Feedback is what we all need but it can be intimidating to ask. If there’s someone who has really helped and supported you, why not tell them you’d like to gift them some feedback? You can even create a certificate, like this one I created with Canva. Canva is free to use…just go here to grab the template!

A book review. If you’re like me, your time is constantly being swallowed by other things. If book reviews are something you always mean to get around to doing but forget, take a few moments to visit the books you love and leave some words on Amazon or other e-tailers. It helps so much. Then tag the author online so they know!

The gift of your time & book love.

All writers are trying to get exposure for their blog and books. If you’ve read someone’s book and enjoyed it, review it. Then go a step further and visit Amazon and upvote all their positive reviews. This helps them ensure the best reviews rise to the top. This is especially important if they have 1-star reviews for things outside their control, like the fact that a book arrived damaged, the buyer didn’t read the back jacket copy and so ended up getting a story they didn’t expect, or left a review even though they didn’t read the book. These things happen and there’s little an author can do.

A Show, Don’t Tell Pro Pack.

We’ve put together a Show-Don’t-Tell Pro Pack that contains a sample entry from all of our writing guides, plus helpful tips and links to some of our best show-don’t-tell articles.

If you know someone who struggles with description, this will get them thinking differently about what they should describe and why.

Low Cost Gifts for Writers

If you don’t mind spending a little, here are some of our top picks.

(may contain affiliate links, but we stand behind all these suggestions)

James Scott Bell’s Write from the Middle writing guide ($4.99).

This is a thoughtful digital gift for any writer who struggles at the novel’s midpoint. My favorite “mini-guide” from Jim, hands down.

K.M.Weiland’s Creating Character Arcs writing guide ($4.99).

All of Katie’s books are great, but I am particularly fond of this one because so many writers struggle with Character Arcs and it digs into what they are and how to create them in a straightforward way.

A Special, “Just for Writers” Etsy Gift

Avery Olive create a ton of wonderful things for writers – custom stickers for laptops, door hangers, book ornaments, swag, and more, many which are under $5 each. Check out her store.

The Perfect Mug

Every writer needs a great mug, and I think we’ve found the perfect one.

This seems like a really great warning to anyone tempted to disturb a writer at work, or while they’re enjoying a book. Find it here for $22 USD.

A One Stop for Writers Subscription

Becca and I love helping writers put their best fiction on the page. One Stop for Writers houses our most powerful resources, helping creatives plan, write, and revise their way to publish-ready novels.

The tools at One Stop teach writers how to think like experts so their characters are lifelike, plots are fresh, and their story worlds are so real readers won’t want to leave them.

So if you want to invest in your creative goals, or know someone else who needs a toolbox that makes the writing process easier, come check out our affordable One Stop for Writers subscriptions!

Need more ideas?

Think about what you would view as a thoughtful token. Chances are, what appeals to you will also appeal to others.

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 Free & Nearly-Free Thank You Gifts to Give Other Writers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Every once in a while, I think about my early days, and how I got to where I am now. I find it gives me perspective, especially when things aren’t going well, or I feel in over my head. Looking back helps me see the ups and downs I’ve navigated and leaves me feeling more capable of handling the road ahead.

We all had a ‘first step’ in our writing journey. In my case, I signed up for a mail-in writing course (yes, “mail-in.” This was a long time ago.). They paired me with a mentor; I would turn in assignments to him, and he’d offer suggestions for improvement and words of encouragement.

When I completed the course and got my certificate, I was SURE my author career was about to launch. All I had to do was find out how to submit these ‘wonderful’ stories I’d written during the course…how hard could it be?

Since I knew nothing about publishing, I joined a few writing forums. I discovered publishing was competitive, and many writers would use critique partners to help them get their stories as strong as they could be before submitting. So, I joined the Critique Circle. Soon after, I met Becca – we clicked right away, and worked to help each other improve. We decided to study writing craft together and as you know, eventually went on to publish the Emotion Thesaurus.

But between joining the Critique Circle and creating one of the most-loved guides out there, I almost quit.

It was the learning curve. It seemed like no matter how much I knew, it was never enough. There was always more.

Joining the Critique Circle showed me I had a long way to go. And that was okay; I was ready to put the work in. I did, too – studying, critiquing others, and writing more stories. I grew my skills over time.

Eventually I queried, got an agent, left them after a time, got another, went to acquisitions. And repeat, repeat, repeat. I became stuck in a close-but-not-quite loop, and it did a number on my head. I started to doubt myself. I felt like despite all my hard work to become a stronger writer, something was wrong with me–I wasn’t smart enough, or creative enough. Maybe this writing thing wasn’t meant to be.

(I’m guessing some of you can relate to my story.)

Thankfully, today the landscape is different. We have more than one path to publishing, and a successful career is more in the hands of the writer than gatekeepers. But one thing that remains the same then to now is the learning curve. A compelling story has a lot of moving parts, and there’s a lot to know. It’s easy to get frustrated when we hit a gap after gap in our knowledge.

At some point, the weight of what we’re trying to do hits us, and it can be soul crushing to realize just how much we DON’T know about storytelling. At that point in the learning curve, some writers flirt with giving up. Others do.

But the rest? They soldier on, because they can see the forest for the trees.

Storytelling is an art. It takes time to be good at it.

All careers have a learning curve. No one expects to walk out of med school after a year ready to do brain surgery. Yet as writers, our expectations are sky-high. We irrationally can feel like if we don’t master everything quickly and see success, something is wrong, and we’re the problem. No wonder rejections can hit so hard.

This mindset, that we’re only worthy if we succeed quickly, master the curve quickly, etc. can do a lot of damage, and it’s why I almost quit. I hadn’t yet learned the most important lesson: writing, like all creative careers, means ongoing education. There will always be more to learn, new ways to grow our insight and skills. And that’s a GOOD THING. It means we’ll never peak. We’ll always have a better story ahead. And that’s pretty exciting, don’t you think?

What’s the best shortcut for the learning curve?

So…there are no shortcuts. We must all learn what we need to, and it will take as long as it takes. However, there are ways to “shorten” the learning curve! Investing in the right help and seeking out the best sources of information can keep us focused and on task. Thankfully there are many great books, resources, mentors, tools, and more out there. One of the best all-round places to start would be this page.

I mentioned earlier that shortly after we met, Becca and I began studying writing craft together. We actually took a year off from writing fiction to tandem study the best writing guides out there, and it gave us a terrific foundation of knowledge. Since then, we’ve continued to be students of the craft, reading and experimenting. We’ve also taught and mentored, passing on the best lessons we’ve learned to others.

And now we’ve created a system for planning, writing, and revising a novel: a Storyteller’s Roadmap. It’s full of expert advice, hard-won lessons, tools, checklists, and more, taking you from that first idea to a publish-ready manuscript.

This is our answer to “How can I shorten the learning curve?” because we supply the information you need as you need it. We also direct you to the best resources to help you at each step, so you’re never wasting time looking for help or wondering what tool to use.

Our intention with this roadmap is that the more you use it, the more you sharpen your skills, and that means delivering even better stories to readers. And that’s what it’s all about. If you’re interested, here’s more about our Storyteller’s Roadmap and One Stop for Writers site. (TIP, use this 30% off code: CONFLICT until September 20th.)

Can you go it alone and be a successful author?

Absolutely! It just will take a bit longer simply because there’s so much to know about writing, publishing, and marketing, and so this means more researching and trial-and-error. Reaching out to others to benefit from their wisdom and experience shortens the learning curve.

What’s something you’ve done that really helped with the learning curve? 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 Writers, Do You Struggle with the Learning Curve? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The reality is we’re always growing and changing, and sometimes that means delving into a new genre that we’re unfamiliar with writing. Maybe we go from non-fiction to fiction, or children’s fiction to memoir. When there’s a big shift, there’s also a learning curve. Rochelle Melander has navigated this move and is here with some great advice on how to make this a smoother transition. Read on! ~ Angela

When I launched my writing career in the late 90s, I knew I wanted to write for children. But with two master’s degrees and professional training as a life coach, I found immediate success writing articles, resources, and books. In 2017, I got serious about getting a children’s book published. In 2019, I landed a book contract for Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing, which came out this week.

If you want to boost your writing career, you can write more books, start a blog, write for hire, ghostwrite, and so much more. Genre switching might be one of the most challenging ways to expand your writing. But it also brings many benefits: writing in a new genre will inspire you, strengthen your writing muscles, and expand your platform. Here’s how to start:

1. Build on your strengths

Whether you’re trying to find a new genre or have one in mind, you can speed up your progress and ease the transition by assessing your current strengths. I’ve written picture books and middle grade novels. But when I got serious about getting published, I knew that I had the best chance of breaking into the market by writing a nonfiction book. I could use the skills I’d developed to write about famous writers. And writing about writing would build on my established platform.

Try this:

1. List what you already do well as a writer. Be sure to include both craft and business skills.
   
2. Brainstorm ways you could use these skills in a new genre. At this point, don’t limit yourself to the genre you’re leaning toward. This will help you expand your thinking about what’s possible for you.
   
3. Note the specific skills you can use in your chosen genre.

2. Get schooled.

No matter how much writing education and experience you have, switching genres requires learning about the craft and market. Picture book author Kira Bigwood has two degrees in writing and works as a copywriter by day, but she studied and wrote for several years before she sold her debut picture book, Secret, Secret Agent Guy. She said, “You wouldn’t expect to know how to perform surgery without going to med school, so why would you think you could write a children’s book without first putting in the work (I’m talking to myself here).”

Try this:

Check out your new genre’s professional organization—and see if they offer classes. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and I used that membership to find classes. Follow the leaders in the field, and read their bios: where did they learn the craft? Read as much as you can, focusing on articles and books published in the last five years.

3. Get help.

You can take a gazillion classes, but at some point you’re going to need specific feedback on your writing. Whether you join a critique group, get a critique partner, or hire a professional editor, you need someone who knows the genre to read your work. They will be able to tell you if your work sounds contemporary. Retired educator and children’s book author Sandy Brehl said, “My critique partners worked hard to keep me from slipping into “teacher voice” and just let information work itself into the natural storyline… or land on the cutting room floor!”

4. Know your why

Succeeding in a new genre takes time, hard work, and persistence. You will have moments when you want to give up. According to Simon Sinek, author of Find Your Why, it helps to “know the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to do what you do.” Whenever you feel like giving up, get connected to your purpose, your why. Knowing that you are writing books to inspire children or bring joy to tired adults or teach people—that will keep you going when you’re facing obstacles.

In 2006, I founded a writing program for young people in Milwaukee. I wrote Mightier for the children I’d taught for years. I knew that they would love reading stories about young people just like them who found their voice, wrote their truth, and changed the world in the process. When I got stuck, remembering them helped me to keep moving forward.

Try this:

Connect your hardest tasks to your why. I encourage my clients to write a goal statement that includes their when and their why:

Each morning, I will write my romance novel so that it will bring joy to people!

Here’s the template:

When: [Time frame]
I will: [Your task and goal]
So that: [Your why]

5. Don’t forget to play

In the midst of writing, publishing, and marketing a book in a new genre, it’s easy to forget the passion and joy that inspired your decision to jump into a new playground. What seemed joyful at first can begin feel like drudgery—especially when you encounter obstacles. When you get stuck, remember why you started on this journey. Embrace the delicious parts. Take time to play with words. You will be happier. You’ll write better. And you’ll delight your readers.

Rochelle Melander wrote her first book at seven and has published 11 books for adults, including Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and Live to Tell About It) and Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity. 

Through her writing and work as a professional certified coach, Rochelle Melander helps writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs overcome distractions and procrastination, design a writing life, turn their ideas into books, navigate the publishing world, and connect with readers through social media. Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing is her debut book for children. Visit her online at writenowcoach.com or rochellemelander.com

About the book: Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing is a middle grade social justice book pairing life changing writing exercises with the stories of a diverse group of people who changed lives and communities throughout history.

The book features people from a variety of disciplines who used their words to educate people about the stars, advocate for women’s rights, end slavery, save the environment, protest injustice, and more.

Guest Contributor

Interested in posting at Writers Helping Writers? Review our content guidelines to see what we’re looking for and how to pitch us your ideas.

The post Genre Switching: Launching a Successful Career in a New Genre appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Every writer I know who has lasted in the publishing industry for more than five years has one thing in common: a support system that functions on multiple levels. Everything about this industry (querying agents, sending stories out on submission, the erratic way in which we get paid, etc.) tends to weed writers out and wear us down. But those of us with multi-level support are more likely to weather the storms of self-doubt. 

There are three key types of support for writers: 

Critique: People who offer feedback on your writing in exchange for your feedback on theirs.

Mentorship: People ahead of you in their career who inspire you.

Accountability: People who help keep you on track for your writing and career goals.

The key to emotional well-being and continued productivity is knowing which part of your support system to call on when. The crazy thing is, once you start looking, you can find support everywhere: from writers and non-writers, people you may never meet in real life, or authors who don’t even know you exist. 

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to delve into all three sides of the triangle. But today’s deep dive starts with that moment when you can no longer be objective about your work. Even worse, you can’t figure out what the hell you’re writing in the first place, and, oops, you’re 50,000 words in, but, damn, that last sentence was fire!  

You need a fresh set of eyes that are attached to someone else’s brain. I typically know I’ve hit this wall when I’m moving the same sentence to four different places in a MS, deleting it, reinserting it, and then adding a comma because surely that’s going to solve the problem. If you’re at the tinkering-with-no-progress point in a project, call in your Critique Support. 

Critique Groups: To refine your writing, gather a small group of writers who exchange work according to preset rules and time frames. The group format lets you see a variety of reactions to your work and triangulate information to see what you need to fix. If four out of the five of members of the group say, “I was confused and had no idea what happened in this scene,” you know you have a serious problem. If two of the members get in a huge fight about which one of your characters is the worst—fantastic! You’ve written something that invoked passion in others. If one person hates something, well that’s interesting and helpful feedback, but maybe it’s more about their personal preference than your writing. The added bonus—a critique group will help you develop a thicker skin, which will come in real handy when those reviews start going up at Goodreads.  

Critique Partners:  A good critique partner is worth their weight in gold because they’re willing to read the same chapter again, and again, and again. This is the writer you swap work with on a regular basis and provide reciprocal critiques. It’s helpful to specify which type of critique you need, depending on the stage of your project. 

• Big picture edits to check for pacing problems, voice consistency, or other over-arcing issues
• Line edits when you’re tightening, refining voice, clarifying action, working on visualization, etc. 
• Copy edits to check for grammar, consistency, and formatting issues before you send out for potential publication
• Positivity Passes when you need to hear what you’re doing well. This is often overlooked and highly under-rated. Ask for this type of feedback when you’re thinking things like My writing sucks and Why am I even doing this? A positivity pass provides some much-needed validation. And if your CP can find something nice to say about the work, you won’t have to throw the whole thing in the garbage. 

Beta Readers: Beta readers are as close to a reader shopping a bookstore as you can get. These are one-time readers who give initial impressions on how your story is coming across. The super fantastic thing: beta readers don’t have to be writers. They just have to be readers whose opinions you trust. More information on finding beta readers and critique partners can be found here.

If you’re asking someone to read a full manuscript, that’s a huge time commitment, so start by asking if they would read the first ten pages for you. If they’re into your story, then ask if they’d like to read the whole MS. If they’re not into the story, it gives them a graceful out. Again, look for overlapping places where multiple readers comment. This means you’re either doing something really right or really wrong. 

Critique lets you see your work (more) objectively. It lets you know what your strengths as a writer are and points out places where you could spend a little more time revising.  If you get your critiques and realize you are great at description but your dialogue could use work, consider holding yourself financially accountable and invest in a class to help refine your skills. 

One thing to keep in mind: Critiques are other people’s opinions. It is your story, so disregard the feedback that is irrelevant to your vision. Incorporate and revise based on the feedback that hit home. 

Critique support often turns into emotional support as well.  Writing is a weird industry, and only another writer is going to understand the sting of a query rejection or why it takes four years for your book to get to print. That emotional support has kept me from walking away from this industry more than once, and it all started with swapping some pages.

***

Bio: Jessica Conoley connects story tellers and tells stories. She writes essays, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and fantasy. Her coaching services demystify the business aspect of writing by drawing on her past experiences as president of a non-profit and managing editor of a literary magazine. In addition to developmental editorial services, she offers virtual workspaces and critique groups as a way to foster creative community for writers. Learn more at: https://jessicaconoley.com/ or on Twitter @jaconoley

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 Building Your Writing Support Triangle, Part 1: Critique appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Outside feedback is vital to the success of your manuscript. 

As I’ve quoted many times before on my YouTube channel, according to Terry Pratchett, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”

Our first drafts are imperfect translations of the perfect story in our minds. This version of the story isn’t ready for the eyes of the reader. But in order to improve the weaknesses in our story, we first need to be able to locate them. That’s where critique partners (CPs) and beta readers come in. 

Before we get into where you can find CPs and beta readers, let’s first talk about what they are.

Critique Partner Vs. Beta Reader

Critique partners are writers who provide feedback on your work, usually by request (to exchange chapters or full manuscripts).

Beta readers are people who read your manuscript as a reader first (rather than a writer). Most of the time, beta readers are not writers.

A good CP will:

• Be kind and professional when providing any kind of feedback
• Be timely in their feedback and maintain agreed-upon deadlines
• Be attentive to the feedback you are looking for (such as big-picture editing vs. grammar)
• Find any faults or shortcomings in your writing (that you may have overlooked), including world-building holes, wonky pacing, pointing out when a character is two-dimensional, and much, MUCH more
• Show you the worst and best of your writing to help you to reach your full potential
• Provide specific recommendations for areas of improvement (without telling the writer how to write their story), and not simply “I don’t like this”
• Encourage you to write the best version of the story you want to write—and not the story they want to see

A good beta reader will do many of these things as well. However, since many beta readers are not writers, their feedback will not be as in-depth. For example, common feedback from beta readers might be something like: “I was bored in this section.” Then it’s up to you, the writer, to determine where your pacing lagged and how you can make that scene or chapter more engaging. (Unless, of course, you meant for the pacing in that chapter to slow down.)  

Finding a Critique Partner or Beta Reader Is a Lot Like Dating

I will be the first to tell you that finding CPs and beta readers, especially when you are first starting out, is exceedingly difficult. It’s a heck of a lot like dating—where you put out feelers to see who would be interested in swapping chapters. If it’s not a good fit, then you amicably part ways and start again. If you find someone who clicks, you have to continue to channel your inner chill and ask if they want to swap manuscripts. (Or whatever process works best for you.)

Personally, I’ve probably worked with an upwards of fifty CPs over the course of the last ten years, and I’ve now found my humans. It’s not going to take everyone nearly as long, but be prepared that the first CPs and beta readers you connect with might not be your tribe. 

Where Do You Find Critique Partners and Beta Readers?

First and foremost, you must put yourself out there. You can’t wait for them to come to you. Below are a few places where there are writing and/or reading communities and you can potentially find CPs and beta readers.

TWITTER 

• If you see an interesting pitch in a Twitter pitch contest, tweet at that person and ask them if they are looking for a CP.
• Follow writing hashtags, such as #amwriting, #writingcommunity, and so on. Start chatting with writers and see if anyone there wants to swap stories. 

INSTAGRAM

• Similar to Twitter, follow the writing hashtags to see who is currently writing a book and might be looking for feedback. Be a friendly, normal human and engage with them in the comments. When it feels natural, ask them if they want to swap stories. 

YOUTUBE

• I’ve said this in my iWriterly videos, and I’ll say it here. There are writing communities on YouTube. Don’t be afraid to jump into comments on my videos (and other writing videos) and ask other writers if they want to exchange chapters with you. AuthorTube is a great place to connect with writers, especially in the comments. But respect the person if they say no. 

FACEBOOK WRITING GROUPS

• There are many writing groups on Facebook, some of which are dedicated exclusively to beta reading. Do some research, ask your fellow writer friends what they have used, and see what happens!

GOODREADS 

• Unlike the other recommendations I’ve offered thus far, Goodreads is a community of readers (vs. writers). This may be where you find more beta readers than CPs. However, definitely check out some of the groups on this platform for beta reading. There are lots of voracious readers!

LOCAL WRITING GROUPS AND SOCIETIES

• Depending on what age category and genre you write in, you might want to check out some local chapters for writing societies, such as SCBWI. 
• If you’re unable or do not want to pay the annual fee to be a part of writing societies, you could also check out places like Meetup, which hosts a number of different groups.  

One thing I recommend to all writers looking to find CPs and beta readers is to post on whatever social media platforms you are most active on, saying you are looking for volunteers to read your book and provide constructive criticism. However, if you have an existing author platform, it’s much easier to call for beta readers and have folks interested in reading your story (than if you have no platform at all). Still, I do think it’s worth trying—in addition to proactively putting yourself out there in the handful of communities and places I’ve recommended above. 

Best of luck finding your writing tribe! 

MEG LATORRE

Meg LaTorre is a writer, YouTuber (iWriterly), creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, blogger, and she formerly worked at a literary agency. She also has a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism. To learn more about Meg, visit her website, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, sign up for her monthly newsletter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel, iWriterly.

The post How to Find Critique Partners & Beta Readers appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Writing a novel is flipping difficult. It often takes years to complete your first novel (and even more years after that to write a good one). You heard that right — writers’ first books are usually a hot mess. That is because, as untested authors, we don’t yet know how to write a book. 

On average, most writers pursuing traditional publication write four novels prior to getting a literary agent. In other words, it takes most writers writing a few books to get the hang of things. 

If you are reading this, you are likely curious about how you can shorten your learning curve and write a better book more quickly. Let’s talk about the eleven ways you can improve your novel-writing skills today. 

1. Acknowledge That You Don’t Know Everything and Your Writing Isn’t Perfect

One surefire sign of a newbie writer is thinking your writing is perfection. Nothing anyone can say is applicable because if they have a critique, it means they don’t understand your story. (And not that your story needs improving — certainly not that!) 

I was there, friends. Once upon a time, I thought my books were the next NY Times bestsellers and ready for publication — often after completing the first draft. 

As I’ve said many times before on my YouTube channel, iWriterly: first drafts are not final drafts. According to Terry Pratchet: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.”

Therefore, be open-minded to the fact that while you might have a lot of great elements within your story, you have many drafts ahead of you to polish your story and get it ready for the eyes of readers. 

2. Research How to Write a Good Book

As newbie writers, we can’t hope to figure out how to write a book on our own. Or, at least, most of us can’t. Therefore, you will want to do some research to learn about how to write a good book. (HINT: It’s about more than just grammar!) For example, some topics you might want to research include:

• Plot structure
• Character arcs
• How to give a character a unique voice
• Pacing 

Here are a few resources you could check out: 

• Nonfiction books about how to write a novel
• Free articles and blogs
• YouTube: iWriterly, for example, is in a niche called AuthorTube where aspiring and published authors talk about how to write books
• Online courses (Writers Helping Writers has a list of recommendations in the Online Learning Centers section of their Resources for Writers page)
• Formal education at a college or university 
• Fiction books by the greats in your genre

Keep in mind that many of these options are free. You don’t have to immediately pull out your wallet. However, if you are going to pay for a product or service, always research whether or not the person teaching the course has applicable experience and is an expert in their field. 

3. Consider Outlining Your Book before You Write It 

(One Stop for Writers Story Maps)

If you haven’t yet heard of plotters and pantsers (or architects and gardeners), allow me to enlighten you. A plotter (also called an “architect”) is a writer who plans out their story prior to writing it. A pantser (someone who “flies by the seat of their pants” — also called a “gardener”) is someone who doesn’t plan prior to writing. They write and see where their muse takes them.

There is no right or wrong way to go about writing. However, a pantser has a lot more work to do in the editing phase because they didn’t plan out anything in advance, such as big plot beats. Therefore, consider checking out things like beat sheets or different types of plot structure prior to writing your book. (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Jami Gold’s blog have a lot of beat sheets writers use.) You don’t need to plan out your novel in advance, but it might be worth jotting down the big plot points you want to reach at certain places in your story. 

4. Work with Critique Partners and Beta Readers 

Critique partners and beta readers provide feedback on unpublished manuscripts. However, their roles are slightly different.

• Critique partners are writers who provide feedback on your work, usually by request (to exchange chapters or full manuscripts).
• Beta readers are people who read your manuscript as a reader first (rather than a writer). Most of the time, beta readers are not writers.

Without outside feedback, we can’t improve the stories. This is due to a writer’s blindness to our own story’s flaws from being too close to it. We can see it so perfectly in our heads, but it doesn’t necessarily translate well onto the page. It’s the job of a good critique partner and/or beta reader to read a story and provide feedback and suggestions for areas of improvement — thereby helping us make the best story possible. 

For more information on finding critique partners or beta readers, check out Critique Circle or look for local groups via the blogs for different genres, such as SCBWI or RWA.

5. Be Open to Critiques/Feedback on Your Work

It’s not just about getting feedback from critique partners and beta readers. If you are not open to making changes to your story, then getting feedback is a pointless exercise. Do your best to look at your story objectively and listen to what critique partners and beta readers are saying. 

6. Look Closely at Your Weakest Points

Did your critique partners and beta readers seem to have a consensus about what aspects of your writing could be improved? Those are most likely your “weak spots” as a writer.

For me, I’ve always struggled with info-dumps. Most recently, I’ve struggled with too much internalization (vs. dramatization). Simply knowing where you aren’t strong as a writer is helpful so you can teach yourself to spot the issues — perhaps even before you make them. 

Listen to what the consensus is for feedback. There is always the outlier — one critique partner or beta reader who has a completely different take on your story — but if there is a consensus, pay close attention to it. It more than likely is an issue you will want to address.

7. Edit the Book on Your Own MANY Times

As I mentioned earlier, the first draft isn’t the final draft. Most authors edit their books dozens of times before it gets to the version you see on the bookshelf. Personally, I edit my manuscript two to five times (front to back) by myself before sharing it with critique partners. After that, I work with critique partners and beta readers through many drafts (and self-edit in between).

Consider working with more critique partners and beta readers after you have edited your book and implemented the previous round of feedback. Ideally, you will want to work with them on several drafts of the book. The exact number of times beta readers and critique partners read the manuscript is going to be up to you and them. 

8. Brush up On Grammar

While good grammar doesn’t make a good story, bad grammar can pull readers out of one. As such, you will want to be able to write with proper punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, and so on. 

9. Read Books by the Greats within Your Genre

Dissect the books you love. Try to determine what it is you enjoyed about them and what that author excels at. In addition, think about ways you can emulate (or perhaps imitate) some of those skills in your own writing (without plagiarizing!!). 

10. Write Often to Sharpen Your Skills

According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours (or approximately 10 years) of practice to become an expert. While you don’t necessarily need to be writing books for 10 years before you are deemed “ready,” you do need to put in the time to practice your writing skills in order to become a better writer. 

11. Write the Next Book 

Going along with our previous point, the best way to be a better author is to write many books. That is because the more books you write, the better you will get at it. 

From my experience, writing a book isn’t something you can teach. Sure, you can learn the principles of writing a good book or learn how other authors write theirs. But you must learn how you as an author operate through the process. How you do it is going to be different from other people’s process. Therefore, the only way to glean that knowledge is through experience. 

Happy writing, friends!

MEG LATORRE

Meg LaTorre is a writer, YouTuber (iWriterly), creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, blogger, and she formerly worked at a literary agency. She also has a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism. To learn more about Meg, visit her website, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, sign up for her monthly newsletter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel, iWriterly.

The post Improve Your Novel Writing: 11 Tips For Newbies appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.