Help for Writers in the WHW Amazing Race!
Remember when I mentioned last week that The Bookshelf Muse had become Writers Helping Writers?
And how the phenomenal Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi behind the site had two new books coming out this week: The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus?
And how they were going to have a great kickoff for their releases that would help other writers?
Well, that time is here! *smile* And I have a review of their new books down below.
Announcing the Writers Helping Writers Amazing Race!
To celebrate the release of their two new writing craft books, Angela and Becca are hosting a race, and not just any old race either. It’s the…
Writers Helping Writers Amazing Race
Yay! Er, wait… What does that mean?
Just like how the Amazing Race TV show is all about teamwork, the WHW Amazing Race is the same. A huge group of writers (me included!) is volunteering their time this week to see how many writers we can help.
Writing is hard. Pitching is hard. Marketing is hard. Heck, it’s all hard. But maybe with a supportive group at your back, it won’t be as hard.
Get feedback and assistance this week on all things writing. Create the perfect hook. Make your first page compelling. Craft an amazing 25 word pitch. Knock out a query that will blow an agent’s mind. On and on it goes.
Writers can ask for help in 10 categories:
- 1st page critique
- 1 paragraph hook critique
- Query letter critique
- 25 word pitch critique
- Tweet exposure
- Mini Blog review
- Book exposure on your blog
- Request a future guest post
- Ask a Question
- Social Media help
Sounds amazing, right? *smile* Just go to the WHW Amazing Race post and fill out the form. The form will be open until October 27th, 2013 for any writer to request help in any of the categories.
(Note: You’re allowed to request help in as many categories as you wish. You’re guaranteed to receive help only once, but we’re aiming for more.)
Don’t miss this opportunity to request help from other writers. Did I mention there are Celebrity Racers too–amazing authors and editors who know their way around a first page. Maybe one of them will help with your request!
Angela and Becca want this to be huge. All of the Racers want this to be huge. Seriously, we’re aiming to help 2000 writers in one week. And we want to help you!
Even after you enter your request for help, be sure to stop in at Angela & Becca’s new Writers Helping Writers website every day this week so you can enter their daily giveaways. They’ve lined up one-on-ones with agents and other prizes I’m not allowed to spill the beans on yet.
My Special Offer to My Readers
If you let me know in the comments below that you’ve entered a request in the WHW Amazing Race, I’ll help you with one of your requests—even if one of the Racers has already helped you. I want to make sure all of my readers receive help.
So enter the WHW Amazing Race, and in the comments below, let me know the name you used in your Amazing Race request. Then let me know which category you’d like to receive my help on. If I can, I’ll fulfill your special request to me. Ta-da! Bonus help.
Get the Scoop on the New Character Trait Books
Angela and Becca never cease to blow me away with their awesome help for writers. In addition to the WHW Amazing Race, this week also marks the release of their new Character Traits Thesaurus books.
The Positive Trait Thesaurus leads off with helpful tips on writing characters worth rooting for and then dives into the psychological background on how positive traits develop and how we can use them in a character arc. A section even shares how villains can have positive traits too. The appendices include bonus character development tools for making a well-rounded character.
The Negative Trait Thesaurus
opens with insights on how flaws make our characters believable and create the necessary journey and conflict for our characters’ arcs. Additional tips help with making non-cardboard cutout villains and avoiding other issues when designing our characters’ flaws. The appendices dig into our characters’ needs and those false beliefs I posted about a few weeks ago.
That doesn’t even count the trait entries themselves, with details on possible causes, associated behaviors, thoughts, and emotions for each, along with the good and bad aspects of that trait. Each trait also includes examples and suggestions on conflict.
I love Angela and Becca’s The Emotion Thesaurus, so I had high hopes for these books but didn’t see how they could live up to the ET. I’m happy to say I was wrong. These two additions are fantastic resources for writers. *smile*
Do you have any questions about the WHW Amazing Race? Do you have any questions about the new books? (Since I have them in my hands already, I’m happy to answer questions if you’re on the fence about purchasing them.) Are you entering the WHW Amazing Race? If so, leave your name and the primary category you want help with in the comments, and I’ll give you bonus help if I can!
WHW Amazing Race Logo Photo Credit: Tharrin
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Hello, Jami,
I entered a request in the WHW Amazing Race. I used my name Sarah Kunz in the entry and I would love help on a first page critique. Wow! This is so amazing that all of you are doing this! What a fabulous thing to do! Thank you!
Hi Sarah,
Found it! You’ll be receiving an email with your bonus feedback today. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Jami,
Thank you so much for offering your time! I really appreciated your critique! Have a wonderful day!
Hi Sarah,
You’re welcome! I hope it helps. 🙂
I agree wholeheartedly with you about The Emotion Thesaurus being wonderful. I got that for Christmas last year, and … I don’t really need to think about what I want this year. 🙂
This WHW Amazing Race is almost too good to be true. Of course I entered (in two categories), even though I’m not very far ahead in my writing – and though English is my second language. I used my name Siv Ekman, and sent it just a few minutes ago. If you give me feedback, I honestly don’t care which catergory you choose.
Thank you!
Hi Siv,
I’m right there with you. LOL! I’d always struggled with character emotions in general, much less how to show them in non-cliche ways. So after I finished the initial “how to write” learning curve, the ET probably improved my writing quality more than any other craft book of the past year or so.
I found your entry and I’ll make sure you receive feedback from me today. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Thank you so much for your feedback!
Hi Siv,
You’re welcome! I hope it helps. 🙂
Fantastic, Jami! I can’t wait for my new copies to arrive in the mail. I put in a request if you have the time. Now, I’m off to re-read more of your posts for November. Thanks so so much! April
Hi April,
It looks like you have two requests. Let me know if you have a preference for which one you’d like me to do for you. Otherwise, I’ll pick one to work on later today. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi Jami,
Firstly, I’d like to tell you I find your blogs absolutely invaluable. Thank you so much.
With regard to the WHW Amazing Race, I used my name (Marilyn Forsyth) and asked for some feedback on my first page.
Many thanks.
Hi Marilyn,
I found your entry, and I’ll send you feedback on your first page later today. 🙂 Thanks for the kind words about my blog and thanks for the comment!
Jami, this is incredibly awesome of you, to add extra feedback to your followers who enter the race. Very cool. And thanks so much for volunteering to help. It’s exciting to see how many racers we’re able to help :).
Hi Becca,
I agree–I love seeing how many we can help! Thanks to both you and Angela for the great idea and thanks for the comment! 🙂
Hey Jami! Love it when you pop up in my mail box 🙂 You keep on givin! I entered the other day with my name Shah Wharton. I’d really love more on the first page critique please. *Big Grin!
I adored the first in this series and have already requested the next two in my Christmas box (yes, they looked at me strangely, but hey!)
Thanks so much to ALL of you for being so marvellously generous. X
Hi Shah,
I’ll be happy to do a bonus critique for you. I recognized your name in the list and almost did one last night (but ran out of time). 🙂 Thanks for the kind words and thanks for the comment!
[…] Are you rushing over to sign up to Writers Helping Writers? […]
[…] Writers Helping Writers Amazing Race is still going strong, where an army of writers are trying to help as many other writers as we can […]
Hi Jami,
I’ve entered the WHW amazing race! What a great opportunity!
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
I found your entry and I’ll make sure you receive feedback today. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for being a part of the Amazing Race!
Hi Jami,
I saw your blog post and entered the race. I’m glad I got in on it. I have already received a wonderful critique. Thanks for the information and for helping out writers.
I entered under this same name and would love any help you could offer. It’s really generous of you to offer your help.
Thanks,
A.G.
Hi A.G.,
You requested help in several categories, so let me know if you have a preference for which one to do for you. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for being part of the Amazing Race!
I took the advice and filled out several categories 🙂 Since I received a great critique on the first 250 words, how about just the first paragraph hook?
That would be amazing. Thanks for taking the time to do it!
Hi A.G.,
Will do! 🙂
I’ve entered the WHW amazing race! It makes me nervous, but I hit “submit” for a first page critique.
This is such an awesome opportunity. Thank you.
Diana
Hi Diana,
I’ve found your entry and you’ll be hearing from me. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for participating in the Amazing Race!
Thank you for your comments and taking the time to help others.
Hi Diana,
You’re quite welcome. 🙂 Thanks for being part of the Amazing Race!
I took part and asked for a review of my blog, and I found out it’s not as rough as I thought, but I do have to resize some fonts in my posts. That said, it’s hard to find a balance between fonts that speak to my brand while avoiding the “Hard to read” problem. It took hours to find the fonts I used for my blog’s logo, because I wanted to look child-like and that (Given my niche) could’ve written it, but many were too small (Even sized up) or too stylized to read, and I tested it out on my grandmother’s iPhone at times to see how clear it was to read on a mobile without excessive pinching and zooming. Eventually I want to have a mobile version of the site and the fonts I find need to look great on both. For blog posts, I tend to stick with the Georgia font as it’s easy to read and I like the typography of it. Classic without looking to typewriter-like like Courier or even Times New Roman, which I hear is not a great font for blogs, though I still use it for query letters and manuscripts unless specified otherwise by who I submit to. But I sometimes highlight things at the start and end of a blog post with “Comic Sans MS” since it fits the cartoony nature of my site and when bolded it stands out when I give particular information. The second biggest issue is… — Read More »
Hi Taurean,
Yes, I’ve never done much with fonts here other than on the post image. That might be because I used to collect fonts and would go too crazy with them if I didn’t limit myself. 🙂
The one thing I’d say about the font in your header is that it undermines the message of your tagline “Not Just for Preschoolers Anymore!” The font style makes it seem like that’s not true. But maybe that’s just my adult mind not seeing much of a distinction between preschool and early handwriting styles. 🙂
I’d agree that your social media links should be at the top of the sidebar. If I’m searching for social media links (like to give credit for a blog post when I link on Twitter), I’ll check the Contact page. But in general, I’d expect to see them in the header or the top of the sidebar. I hope that helps! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Well I chose the header fonts I did because even though I’m trying to reach beyond the preschool set, I don’t want to shut them out. Think about it, my tagline says “Not JUST for preschoolers Anymore.” I still want to attract kids to my site, Jami , but I also want to open my niche up to kids beyond preschool-2nd Grade, to teens and adults who aren’t parents. That requires a different approach than if I’m only aiming at one area over the other. I also don’t want my site to be perceived as being too “Adult” if you follow my meaning (i.e. XXX…) so I used the fonts in my header that had whimsy to them but still readable. If it was all uniform and modern slick looking (Kind of like your site, minus the purple which is nice BTW), it wouldn’t look fun and inviting, and whimsy is part of my brand, I just didn’t want it to look too Playskool-esque. I’m trying to appeal to kids and adults, so I feel that duality is important. Take Disney Junior’s website, for example, clearly designed with kid- appeal in mind, but is polished and easy to navigate content, I’m just trying to take a more “In the middle” approach. I’m still working on the social media icon situation, but I’ve yet to find a plugin that works. I may have to change my theme again to something that will have that sidebar built-in. I like playing with typography… — Read More »
Hi Taurean,
Yep, and that’s why I added the disclaimer to my feedback about the fonts. I’m definitely looking at them/evaluating them from an adults’ eye, and that’s not necessarily helpful to you. But I didn’t want to NOT share my thoughts…so the disclaimer it is. 🙂
You have a good strong sense of your brand and that’s a good thing–not only for yourself, but also to know when feedback doesn’t apply. LOL! Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for following along on this adventure of mine. I’m so grateful to the “Writer’s Amazing Race” as the feedback I got from those who answered my call of second eyes to the blog, including your feedback, which confirmed some things I was concerned about and also helped me see how well I know my brand, which for someone who often dives in headlong, like brevity, I have to work at foresight regarding my marketing.
I hope you got the help you needed regarding your blurb.
I know it’s hard to get them right. But try to remember that even though blurbs and hooks drive you nuts, it’s not ALWAYS an indicator the actual story you’re trying to blurb is in a similar dire position.
That’s what I have to remind myself DAILY regarding my own stuff.
An aside, I finally found a plugin for social media icons that works with my layout and are easily visable on top. Will this do it?
Hi Taurean,
You mean it would put them on the top of the banner or the sidebar? Either way should do the trick. 🙂 The point is visibility. I hope that helps!
It does help. I did want it to be right under the header but the sidebar works if I put it first with search underneath, this way it will be on every page and I’ll later redo my “Contact TAA” section to just have my email and Google Hangout/Skype info for future networking purposes.
Hi Taurean,
Sounds perfect. 🙂
Hi Taurean,
Exactly! If we really know our goals/brand, it’s easier to ignore feedback that doesn’t apply to us. That’s why I point out knowing our goals so much. 🙂
Eh, I’ll get there eventually with my blurb. I think I’m trying to touch on too many issues/conflicts for 100 words, so I’m shortchanging them all instead focusing really well on the main plot line. *sigh* Thanks for the reminder and thanks for the comment! 🙂
An aside: I could really use new eyes on some videos I did recently for my upcoming novel Gabriel- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPZrgcMIdY (The MC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPZrgcMIdY (The Antagonist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN21sIxLjis (The MC’s Mentor) My original videos (Linked above) were a bit longer because I was going for character immersion, but was told by someone more experienced in video than I might’ve been overreaching in parts (I’m not sure how my more condensed videos have gone over yet…) The point of trailers is to create intrigue, but I don’t think I revealed the whole story in the videos I’ve done, but I was more concerned of being too convoluted, because as the author I know the whole story, but lay readers don’t, and as we’ve discussed via comments “Intrigued is GOOD. Confusion is BAD. So NOT the same!” This is the part of content creation I dread. Brevity. I don’t want to bore people and drag on and on, but I’m not minimalist by nature, I have to WORK at it, Jami, and I frankly was taking the “Just do it!” mantra you and others often sing gospel about and (While I did plan it out) had to throw some caution to the wind just to not talk myself out of the idea. I think part of this (Besides the learning curve of creating video) is just because I struggle with how much to share to avoid the “Huh?” factor since my book’s not coming out for a bit, but I still want potential readers… — Read More »
Hi Taurean,
Yep, I’m right there with you in finding it next to impossible to achieve clarity and not confusion in a short format. (As an aside, I asked for help for my 100-word back cover blurb for my new WIP in the WHW Amazing Race, and the feedback said, “Confusing!” *sigh* So yeah, I’m still not getting it right.)
I checked out those videos for you, and the main thing that struck me was a sense of an unfinished message at the end of each of them (meaning, before the informational graphics at the end). In other words, the introductions didn’t end on a hook or anything. They just kind of…ended.
That said, I was impressed by the quality of the videos themselves–the music, visuals, and voice-overs were all well done! I’m not sure if that’s helpful feedback or not, but it’s something for you. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I’m not sure I follow what you mean, Jami.
I mean, the point of these videos is to engage potential readers and be aware of the book before it comes out. Since I don’t have a cover or excerpts to share yet, I did these videos to help spread the word.
Over time as I release more videos, they (Ideally) will tease the throughline of my debut novel, without giving the story away, but it seems they fell flat in this regard given your reaction. Can you elaborate on why they felt flat to you?
Why did they were incomplete to you? How would you then define a “complete” book trailer that doesn’t spoil the story before it’s even read?
Still, thanks for looking them over, I’m new to video and the only thing harder than making them is getting feedback on them.
Hi Taurean,
For awareness and introduction of the characters, these videos accomplish that goal. So they might work fine for you–in which case, ignore me. 🙂
I was just comparing them to other book trailers I’ve seen where the purpose is to interest the reader in the story. And while these could meet that goal as well (my opinion belongs only to me 🙂 ), personally I’d find them more appealing story-wise if they ended on a hook. (Not spoiling the end at all! But a hook.)
Basically, they should have something similar to a query or back cover blurb where they’d end on the hint of a problem. Even something like “and then one day, everything changed” would signal an end feeling and hook the readers’ interest (want to find out how things changed? read the book!).
But again, this is only my opinion, and that might not tie in to your goals for these videos at all. So I tell you this not to make you worry, but because I know you wanted constructive feedback. 🙂 I hope that helps! Thanks for the comment!
Yes Jami, my goal with these was to introduce my three key characters, and more of the plot will be revealed in future installments (That’s why the credits say “To Be Continued…”) I tried to write a script for a more plot-driven trailer, but it was too long, and people already felt the longer versions of my current videos was too long already, so I went this route to start with. Again, these are only the first in a series of short videos that will share more of the plot, and I also feel this will avoid looking melodramatic if I break it up in parts. I’ve seen this tactic used with movie trailers and television promos all the time, and I liked the more intimate feeling it gives versus a traditional book trailer where it’s more about the plot, and it was a way to set myself apart. If I had more assets from the actual book I would’ve tried to do a more traditional trailer, so I used the videos to reflect the character personalities and POV, and I did lift a line or two from the book, but to avoid story spoilers (Never mind the fact that revisions with my editor is still ongoing and I don’t want to include things that might get cut or reworked, giving an unmeaningly false impression of what it’s like) I had to write most of the scripts from scratch to both avoid spoiling the story This spoke to me creatively… — Read More »
Hi Taurean,
Yes, these definitely had an intimate feel, so I think you’re succeeding for your goals. Listening to my personal preference and adding a line to hint that change is coming could have changed the tone to be too melodramatic, which I know you don’t want. You know your goals best. 🙂
I was honestly impressed by the quality overall, so maybe that’s the feedback that’s most specific to what you wanted to learn. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Jami, I waited to ask this so I didn’t sound rude (I did appreciate your feedback. Even if it sounded otherwise) but I do think Rum’s Video ended on that “Hook”- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dSCiNGSmPc While my main goal with these videos was to give an intimate sense of the three key characters in my novel, Rum’s did end on a cliffhanger. Gabriel’s did too, albeit more subtle. It might help if I know specifically what each video individually felt for you when you watched them. That’s why I was a bit confused when you said they all just end haphazardly. I can get why Gabriel or Mr Quint’s videos could be perceived that way, but I thought Rum’s did handle that okay, even though I still did my best to not make ANY of them ramble on too long. I wasn’t able to hit the 30 second to 1 min sweet spot a lot of people advise, but under 2 minutes is still short, and I KNOW there are movie trailers that are longer than 30 seconds As I said before, my more plot-driven trailer idea would’ve been long than all three videos combined, and trailers by definition are short teases, and I found it was easier to do a series of short videos than risk cramming too much in one video. Not because I wanted to be annoyingly long, but I wanted to give an intimate feel to the videos, and get early awareness of the book, when I get closer… — Read More »
Hi Taurean,
Oh yes! You’re quite right about the video on Rum. I’d watched all the videos back-to-back before and so hadn’t analyzed them separately, but you’re right that the Rum video does end on that hint I’d mentioned.
Sorry for lumping them all together and adding to the confusion. I hope that clarifies things. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
[…] new books, The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus, contained tons of new character development tips that I’ll definitely be using for character creation. But I wondered if the new books could […]