Helping Writers: Writing Coaches, Guest Posts, & More!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m a huge fan of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s work. They’re the genius duo behind the Emotion Thesaurus, the Positive and Negative Trait Thesaurus books, the recent Urban and Rural Setting Thesaurus books, and the Writers Helping Writers (which started as The Bookshelf Muse) and the One Stop for Writers websites.

Yeah, geniuses. *smile*

I’m lucky enough to have been friends with them since early in their Bookshelf Muse days—long before their first book released. I wrote an entry for their old Bookshelf Muse version of the Weather Thesaurus about dust storms and monsoons all the way back in 2011.

Since then, we’ve helped each other out many times over the years. In 2012, we celebrated the release of Emotion Thesaurus with a Random Acts of Kindness Blitz. In 2013, I gave writers advice in their Amazing Race event, helped them launch their then-new Writers Helping Writers site, and shared four common writing problems that their Emotion Thesaurus can help us fix. In 2014, I shared my tips for easy image editing on their site. And just one year ago, I cheered them on for the launch of their One Stop for Writers site.

In return, Angela and Becca have both shared their expertise and knowledge with all of us in guest posts here. Angela’s talked about using subtext to reveal characters who lie, and Becca has given us tips on how to use the Trait Thesauri books and how to use settings to create a mood.

I don’t say any of that to brag about connections but to highlight just how awesome I think they are. *smile*

The WHW Resident Writing Coach Program

I also wanted to share all that background so you’d understand how Holy Cow! excited I am to join their Writers Helping Writers site as a Resident Writing Coach! Woohoo! Yay!

If you didn’t see their announcement, check it out:

“One of the best ways to evolve one’s writing skills is to experience a variety of teachings and viewpoints.

Really, we’re all looking for the same thing: the brightest nuggets. The best bits of writing help.

We put our heads together and identified some of the best sources of writing information online… And then we begged bribed asked if they would like to join us here at WHW as resident writing coaches.”

And wow, did they ever assemble a fantastic group. I’m on the list with Michael Hauge, James Scott Bell, and a bunch of other super-talented authors. *looks again* Michael Hauge, you guys! I love his work!

So yeah… I’m a wee bit excited—even though my first guest post there isn’t scheduled until December. *grin*

Now It’s Your Turn!

Speaking of guest posts, my blog usually falls into the “I invite those I want” camp for guest posts. When I think of a blog topic that I don’t have the experience or knowledge to tackle, I reach out to someone who does and ask if they’d like to guest post.

But to help me out during NaNoWriMo, I sometimes open my blog to guest post proposals. Each time I’ve put out a call, I’ve received fantastic proposals that I was proud to include here at my blog.

I also love giving a boost to others by letting them “borrow” the audience of a “Top 100 Websites for Writers” blog here at the same time they’re helping me. Some of the guest posts from my previous proposal calls have been shared over 1000 times!

(And that’s not counting the usual online and newsletter readers, which also number in the thousands, or the ongoing exposure through my blog’s popularity with search engines.)

So I’m doing a call for NaNo November again. *smile* Have an idea for a guest post? For the next two weeks, hit me up through my Contact Page with a proposal for what you’re thinking.

I run topics here that cover all aspects of writing, from craft and publishing advice to the ups and downs of writing life. As long as the post will add value for my readers (no promo-only posts), I’m happy to take a look at all ideas.

NaNo Project Time: What Should I Do?

So that brings me to talking about NaNoWriMo. I love participating in NaNo every year, but I’m not sure what story I should work on for the month this time around.

Due to delays from all my health issues this year, the release of the next book in my Mythos Legacy series has been pushed back throughout the year but will be out soon. Now, though, I have to decide what to work on next.

• Should I work on Book 5 of the Mythos series, which will be about a pair of assassins (she’s a siren and he’s a sniper)?
• Or should I kick off my new novella series with gargoyle heroes, which is a spinoff of the soon-to-be-released Book 4?

I don’t know. I mean, on the one hand, assassins—one a siren—but on the other hand, when my beta readers and editors read my Book 4, they all said “Please tell me you’re turning this into a series!” All the characters are chattering to me at once, and I’m not sure how to prioritize them. What should I do?

Does anyone else have this problem? Maybe we can help each other. *smile*

Which project should work on—my Book 5 novel or my novella spinoff? Are you participating in NaNo this year? Do you know what you’re working on, or do you need feedback? Do you have any questions about guest posting for me? And lastly, how cool is the WHW Resident Writing Coach Program? *grin*