• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About WHW
    • Press Kit
    • Resident Writing Coaches
    • Contact Us
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Master Storytelling Newsletter
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
    • Charities & Support
  • Bookstore
    • Bookstore
    • Foreign Editions
    • Book Reviews
    • Free Thesaurus Sampler
  • Blog
  • Software
  • Workshops
  • Resources
    • List of Resources
    • Recommended Writing Books
    • WHW Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
    • Free Tools & Worksheets
    • Free Show-Dont-Tell Pro Pack
  • WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Win Feedback on Your First 10 Pages

Published: August 21, 2025 by MINDY ALYSE WEISS

Good news, wonderful
writerly people…it’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, where we help transform your story’s opening from good to great!

If you need a bit of help with your opening, today’s the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback! (We’ve had past winners tell us they’ve found their dream editors through this contest, and even ended up with offers of representation!)

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).

Two winners will receive feedback on their first 10 pages!

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave your contact information on this entry form (or click the graphic below). If you are a winner, we’ll notify you and explain how to send us your first page.

Contest Details

  • This is a 24-hour contest, so enter ASAP.
  • Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct.
  • Two winners will be drawn. We will email you if you win and let you know how to submit your first 10 pages.
  • Please have your pages ready in case your name is selected. Format with 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font. 
  • You’ll need to supply a synopsis (a rough one is fine) so Stuart has context for his feedback.

The editor you’ll be working with: Stuart Wakefield

With 26 years of experience in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching, I’ve developed a deep love of character and what drives them. My coaching style is warm, thoughtful, and practical—I believe writing a book can be hard sometimes, but more often than not, it should be fun.

As an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, I specialize in story development, with a particular focus on character backstory and emotional depth. I’ve helped writers develop powerful, satisfying stories that hold up to editorial scrutiny—and two of my clients have books coming out this year.

I hold an MA in Professional Writing, and my most recent novel, Behind the Seams, reached the semifinals of the BookLife Fiction Prize Contest, scoring 10/10 in every category. I’ve also been commissioned to write a play, and my first TV show—based around celebrity characters—is available to stream online.

Grab my free ebook on emotional resilience for writers and learn more about my services at: https://www.thebookcoach.co/

I’m also the host of the podcast Master Fiction Writing, where I explore the craft of storytelling with writers, editors, and creatives from all walks of life.

Sign Up for Notifications!

If you’d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, subscribe to blog notifications in this sidebar. 

Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins!

PS: To amp up your first page, grab our  First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. For more help with story opening elements, visit this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.


MINDY ALYSE WEISS
MINDY ALYSE WEISS

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 annual contest and monthly New Draft Challenge & Critique Train. She writes middle grade novels and picture books filled with humor, heart, and hope and is represented by Joyce Sweeney. Find out more about her picture book critiques here.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Writing Help

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MINDY ALYSE WEISS says

    August 22, 2025 at 5:26 am

    A huge thank you to everyone who entered and to Stuart Wakefield for offering such an amazing prize.

    The two lucky winners are:

    Debbe Geiger
    Susan Burdorf

    Congrats! I’ll send an e-mail with instructions for sending me your first 10 pages and synopsis.

  2. kimberly sum-ting zhuo says

    August 22, 2025 at 12:28 am

    kimberly s zhuo is interested. UO not ou

    • MINDY ALYSE WEISS says

      August 22, 2025 at 12:37 am

      That’s great, Kimberly. Don’t forget to fill out the entry form: https://forms.gle/cd3gNrK7k7xyGFpw8

      The contest closes soon. If you miss it, keep your eye out because we have one each month. 🙂

Primary Sidebar


Welcome!

Writing is hard. Angela & Becca make it easier. Get ready to level up your fiction with game-changing tools, resources, and advice.

Never Miss a Post!

Subscribe to blog updates

Find it Fast

Read by Category

Grab Our Button

Writers Helping Writers

Software that Will Change the Writing Game

One Stop for Writers

Join our Writers Helping Writers Newsletter

NO AI TRAINING: Any use of this content to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The legal copyright holder, Writers Helping Writers®, reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models. WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® · Copyright © 2026 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d