Hey, wonderful writerly people! It’s time for our monthly critique contest! This month, we have a HUGE prize!
3 winners will receive feedback on 20 pages from a professional editor. So exciting!
3 winners will receive feedback on 20 pages from a professional editor. So exciting!
This contest is closed. Please try again next month. If you’d like to be notified when the next one goes live, consider subscribing to the blog (in the sidebar).
If you’re working on a story and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I’ll be able to contact you if you’re a lucky winner. Please know that if I’m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you’ll have to forfeit your win.
Here’s the editor you’ll be working with:
Stuart Wakefield
With 26 years in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching under my belt, I have a visceral understanding of what makes stories work, and I love to share that with others because the world of storytelling is like the ocean: deep, mysterious, and a little scary to those who don’t know how to navigate it. With so much left to luck and timing, it’s my life’s mission to give great books the best chance of getting into readers’ hands. I particularly love to coach Romance, Commercial Women’s Fiction, YA, New Adult, and Contemporary Fiction.
As a writer myself, I have an MA (Distinction) in Professional Writing, and my debut novel, Body of Water, was one of ten books long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. My latest novel, Behind the Seams, was a 2021 BookLife Fiction Prize Contest semi finalist.
I’m an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, a proud Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, and I was recognised as one of the top book coaches by Coach Foundation: https://coachfoundation.com/blog/top-book-coaches/ You can find my website, blog, and free self-editing cheat sheet right here: https://linktr.ee/thebookcoach
Contest Guidelines
- Please be sure your first 20 pages are ready to go so Stuart can critique them before next month’s contest rolls around. A4 paper size (you can find this in Word settings), 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. Feedback will consist of in-line comments concerning what’s not working and what is.
- You’ll need to have a synopsis ready (a rough one is fine) so Stuart can make sure his feedback is in context.
- This contest only runs for 24 hours, start to finish, so get your comment in there!
Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow morning. If you win, I’ll contact you with information about sending it to me. Then, I’ll forward it to our amazing editor for feedback.
We run this contest on a monthly basis, so if you’d like to be notified when the next opportunity comes around, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar).
Good luck! I can’t wait to see who the winners will be. 🙂
Save the Date!
Becca will be back to critique first pages next month, but in the meantime, she wanted you all to know about an upcoming opportunity to grow in your craft. On January 28th at 2pm EST, she’ll be presenting an online webinar on Using Character Emotion to Wow Readers. Romance Writers Online are opening this event up to everyone, and registration is live. Use this link to learn more about this webinar or to save yourself a seat!
PS: If you want to amp up your first page, grab our helpful First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more instruction on these important opening elements, see this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.
Mindy loves giving back to the writing community. She’s a founding member and Administrator on the From the Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors blog, an SCBWI volunteer, and host of the PBParty chats, New Draft Challenge & Critique Train, and annual contest. She writes middle grade novels and picture books filled with humor, heart, and hope and is represented by Joyce Sweeney.
Count me in!
A huge thank you to Stuart for these amazing prizes! And thank you all for hopping over to Writers Helping Writers to enter. The lucky winners are:
Julee Nicklaus
Amanda I
Glenda Warburton
I’ll send the three of you an e-mail with instructions. Congrats!
I would appreciate a professional edit of my first twenty. Thanks!
I would love the feedback on my women’s fiction.
I could really use this, thanks so much!
Oh, I would love this!
Awesome opportunity! The tips linked to are helpful too.
I would love the opportunity to take part! Looking forward to instructions on next steps!
Oh my gosh, thank you for offering this opportunity! I would love to be considered and have my first 20 pages ready (Plus a synopsis).
Wow! This would be an incredible opportunity!!
My firs introduction to Angela & Becca’s resource material came from a fellow writer. The Emotion Thesaurus to this day remains one of my treasured resource books. It encourages an active voice and has been invaluable as my go-to reference. I have a wealth of resource material, but the Emotion Thesuarus has gotten the most use to date.
Thank you for this opportunity! I’d love to have Stuart’s critique, so… fingers crossed!
I would love this opportunity!
All your posts are worth reading. Thanks for helping writers reach readers, and for feedback and critiques.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity Angela and Stuart!
I would love feedback on my first pages. Thank you for providing this opportunity!
Oh, I would LOVE to win this! I need a professional male to critique my suspense novel, and I welcome all feedback. I hope I get picked!! 🙂
A great learning opportunity. Thanks!
This is such a great opportunity! Thank you. First pages are not for the faint of heart.
Thank you for this amazing opportunity! I have 20 pages and a synopsis all ready to go and would love the chance for feedback.
I know my first pages need a boost and would love some feedback. Thanks for this opportunity.
Great opportunity. Hope my pages are chosen.
This is such an amazing opportunity. Thank you for hosting this. And thank you to Stuart Wakefield for his generosity.
I would be over the moon if Mr. Wakefield could critique my first 20 pages!
I’d love feedback on my novel! Good lucknto everyone 🙂
What a great opportunity! I’ll definitely come back to try again if I don’t win this month!
I’ve never entered one of these, but I think now is a great time. Thanks for always being so supportive!
Thank you for the opportunity! Confused about the WordPress email. I created a profile, put in my ‘normal’ email. WordPress shows a possible different profile name/adress? Eg. @randlscott on WordPress.org. I’m not using that. Should I?
Glad to see this happening! Thanks for the information and the opportunity.
This is an amazing opportunity!! You guys are the best.
Winning this opportunity would be gaining a gift you cherish for life.
This is exactly what I need right now.
Thanks for all this great support One Stop provides on this writing journey.
Here you go, “any comment”. Pick me. Pick me.
Awesome, I just finished updating the beginning of my novel!
What an amazing give-away. And I happen to know Stuart. Thank you for your generosity!
I’m entering! And all set with 20 pages and a synopsis. Thank you for the opportunity.
Perfect. And on my birthday, too. (No, really. Not a trick).
Sounds like a great opportunity!
I won in 2022, a first page, but wanted to try again because this is the first twenty pages. Thank you again for this blog! I look forward to it daily!
Hello Stuart, thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks so much for doing this on a regular basis! I welcome the opportunity!
Would love to win. Thanks so much. Bev Bell
Twenty pages? That’s very generous! Sounds like fun.
I love that you offer this opportunity. Thanks!
What an amazing opportunity. Thanks!
Thank you for doing this!
Not sure if I can enter as I recently won one of your First Pages Contest (and that was amazing). But….if we can still enter, consider this my way of saying I’d love to win a look at my first twenty pages and synopsis. My manuscript is a work of speculative fiction.
Hello! would love to win this fab opportunity!
I love these offers. I have a supernatural fantasy novel and completing my final line edits and ready. I’m in!!
This would really help me right now. Thanks for the opportunity.
Super cool, would love to win! 🙂
I always get excited when these come around, especially when I’ve started a new WIP! I would LOVE for Stuart to give his feedback! Thank you for the opportunity!
What a great opportunity! Thank you!
Sounds great, just what my first 20 pages needs. Thank you for the opportunity!
This is great, Mindy.
Is there anything you can’t do?
Hello! This is very exciting, good luck to everyone who enters!
so exciting! 20 whole pages! I do hope get through, I’ve been working hard on my work and I have brand new front pages!
Thank you for an amazing opportunity to get direction from Page One!
Fantastic opportunity 😊🙏 Thanks!
Wonderful opportunity for a professional critique. Thanks.
Hello, Mindy. Thanks for this opportunity!
Good day! I would love a critique please. Thank you!
Great contest. Good luck to everyone.