Happy January, everyone! Typically, this is a month redolent with opportunity and new beginnings. Where I live, it also means that your kids only go to school half the time. So…kind of counter-productive. On the upside, snow days mean sleeping in, waffle breakfasts, and long days in pajamas. Also, lots of reading. So let’s do a critique contest, shall we?
CRITIQUES 4 U!
CONTEST CLOSED
If you’re working on a first page and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment that includes:
1) your email address. Some of you have expressed concern about making your email address public; if you’re sure that the email address associated with your WordPress account is correct, you don’t have to include it here. But if you do win and I’m unable to contact you through that email address, I’ll have to choose an alternate winner.
2) your story’s genre (no erotica, please)
Also, please be sure your first page is ready to go so I can critique it before next month’s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won’t be able to get it to me right away, I’d like to ask that you plan on entering the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of. 🙂
~~ONLY ENTRIES THAT FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED~~
Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback. Best of luck!
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.
BECCA PUGLISI says
Thanks for entering, everyone! The winners this week are…
Irene Kessler
MM Forsythe
Mary Balice
I’ll be in touch shortly with the 3 of you. Everyone else, I’ll see you next month!
Judy Levine says
Enter contest. writer.jlevine@gmail.com. Women’s Fiction.
I have your books and find them helpful. I’m already on your mailing list. I’ve reworked the beginning of this novel many times and would like an outside (and professional) opinion of the current first page.
Michaela Bull says
Wr8ter3@gmail.com
Christian Fiction/Romance
nina says
Hi!
YA clean romantic fantasy
Talia says
I would love to win a critique! My genre is YA fantasy.
Janet Kerr says
Thank you for doing this each month.
clean contemporary romance
Janet Kerr says
faithfulproofreading@reagan.com
Wendy Hewlett says
Wendy.m.hewlett@gmail.com
Paranormal Mystery
Mary Balice says
Mbalice@sbcglobal.net
Contemporary Fiction
Thank you!
Tracy A Cross says
ldglns@me.com
Science fiction
Thanks for the opportunity.
Jay Hicks says
Hi Becca. I’m writing contemporary/historical fiction involving an elderly recluse who is forced to change her ways when she learns she’s not the last living member of her family. Thanks for this opportunity.
M M Forsyth says
marilynforsyth@hotmail.com
Dual timeline (contemporary/medieval) with romantic elements
Susan Grillo says
susangrillo@yahoo.com
Romantic suspense
Lois Simenson says
simenson64@gmail.com
Romance adventure
Jarm Del Boccio says
MG Historical Fiction Thanks for the opportunity!
Victoria Marie Lees says
I think the snow scene looks beautiful. I love snow, but I understand how it can interfere with life. Thanks for this opportunity.
vmleeswriter@gmail.com
Memoir
Emile Horne says
I’d love a shot at this critique!
My WIP is a YA contemporary.
J.A. Richardson says
Hi. Mine is: YA Contemporary.
jrichardsonwriter@gmail.com
Thanks for the opportunity!
Rahma Krambo says
Contemporary women’s fiction
Holly & Jenn says
Great opportunity! We’re in!
Taleoftwowriters@gmail.com
YA Adventure
Emily Cushing says
Thanks for the opportunity and stay warm. 🙂
emcush@hotmail.com
MG Mystery
Barbara Parker says
Working on historical fiction
Barbara Parker says
Thanks for the opportunity.
bkparker@comcast.net
historical fiction novel
Leta McCurry says
Thanks for the opportunity. My email is leta@letamccurry.com and my genre is historical fiction.
Bev says
Thanks for this opportunity for a critique.
Bev says
sweet romance
bckii@outlook.com
KATLYN Duncan says
duncankatlyn(at)gmail(dot)com
YA thriller
JC Martell says
Would an entry be considered if you’ve already had (the great pleasure!) of winning before? This is a mighty generous thing you do.
I have been a member of One Stop for Writers since it originated, and it’s still my #1 resource for line editing, and more and more for the big picture planning and revision with all the super new resources you’ve added. I’m amazed at all the new and useful things you come up with! What about some sort of “action” thesaurus? All those dull walk, stood, sat, said, thought, etc. There are resources out there, including plain ole alternative-word lists but your approach is always so much more detailed and I DO like all my resources in one place. I would love something that not only has the alternatives, but how they “compare” (if that makes sense) – without having to look up the definition of the alternative word. A BIG thank you for One Stop, once again.
BECCA PUGLISI says
Hi, JC! If someone has won a critique in the past and they win another one within the same calendar year, I have a policy to withdraw them from the running for that contest. But so far, that’s never happened. And because this is January, everyone’s back in the running :).
And thank you for your suggestion. We will keep this in mind or future resource ideas!
Irene Wittig says
My genre for the novel I am currently working on is Historical Novel – and is about Vienna from the time of their civil war in 1934 through the war to 1959.
Thank you for your newsletter and all the helpful information you are willing and eager to share with fellow writers.
Irene Kessler says
I’m in.
irene.boca@gmail.com
Historical
Blaine says
Count me in 🙂
blaine@blainedarden.com
Gay Fantasy/Romance
Romana Iorga says
riorga@yahoo.com
Romantic suspense
Donna-Louise Bishop says
Newshoundtonovelist@hotmail.com
Literary/YA