Want to kickstart 2026 in the best possible way?
It’s time for our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, but with an amazing twist: SIX guest editors are offering 21 amazing prizes!
(This contest is open for only 48 hours, so act quickly.)
Entering is oh-so-easy. Choose the prizes you’d like on this entry form. If you win, we’ll be in touch to tell you how to claim your prize.
Want More Chances to Win?
Leave a comment with your biggest writing, revision, or publishing roadblocks after filling out the entry form. At least two editors will choose one (or more) winners based on who they believe they can help the most.
BONUS! This could help us discover new topics to cover in 2026 that will help you overcome your roadblocks. You’re welcome to chime in with helpful tips for each other, too.
Here’s What You Can Win:
Prize #1: A 5-page critique of your YA or Middle Grade novel (3 winners!)
Working on a young adult or middle grade story? This prize is for you!
Marissa Graff has been a freelance editor and reader for literary agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency for over five years. She offers developmental editing and author coaching through Angelella Editorial, specializing in MG, YA, and adult fiction, with a teaching-forward approach that helps writers grow more confident and independent. Connect with Marissa on her website.
Prize #2: A 3-page + story blurb critique (8 winners!)
Erica Converso will help you refine your story’s first pages, and blurb!
The author of the Five Stones Pentalogy (affiliate link) and past intern at Marvel Comics, Erica is a research expert, editor, and writing coach. As an editor, her goal is to improve and polish your work to a professional level, while also teaching how to evolve your craft and learn from mistakes. For more information about her books, editing, and coaching services, visit astrioncreative.com.
Prize #3: A 3-page critique (2 winners!)
Jill Boehme is ready to help you craft a powerful opening. She came to fame as Authoress, the anonymous hostess of Miss Snark’s First Victim, a much-loved and respected blog for writers. In addition to authoring Stormrise and The Stolen Kingdom, she’s a story coach, freelance editor, and writing instructor. She’s passionate about encouraging writers and helping them strengthen their craft—Oxford comma included. Visit her website to find out more about her coaching, editing, and teaching services.
Prize #4: A one-hour story development consultation (1 winner!)
Stuart Wakefield can’t wait to help you build a story with a solid foundation. An Author Accelerator–certified book coach with 25+ years across theatre, TV, and fiction, he specializes in story development, character backstory, and emotional depth.
His collaborative, big-picture approach helps writers understand what’s working, fix what’s wobbly, and move forward with confidence. Find out more about Stuart and how he helps writers succeed on his website.
Prize #5: Live coaching & 1-page feedback via the Show-Don’t-Tell Podcast (5 winners!)
Author, Editor, and Book Coach Suzy Vadori will provide detailed feedback on up to 250 words of your story. She’ll read your page on the podcast, have a 30-minute coaching session, and brainstorm any blocks you may be experiencing with your book. (To get a glimpse of what Suzy offers, check out her podcast with previous Writers Helping Writers winners here, here and here.)
Tip: Don’t submit something you think is great. Send any page where you have a niggling feeling it’s telling too much, it’s boring, or just isn’t working.
A certified Book Coach with Author Accelerator and the Founder of Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp, Suzy breaks down important writing concepts into practical steps, making it easy for newer writers to get up to speed. She offers both developmental editing and 1:1 book coaching, which you can find out more about here.
Prize #6: A query critique (2 winners!)
Get ready to polish your query so it grabs attention!
Julie Artz is an Author Accelerator-certified Founding Book Coach who has spent the past decade helping writers like you slay their doubt demons and get their novels and memoirs reader-ready. She’s worked with both award-winning and newer authors across traditional, indie, and hybrid publishing, contributes regularly to major writing platforms, and brings deep industry insight to every critique.
Subscribe to Julie’s weekly newsletter, Wyrd Words Weekly, and find out more about her writing resources, courses, retreats, and 1:1 coaching at her website.
Contest Details
- This is a 48-hour contest, so enter ASAP.
- Choose ONLY the prizes you’re interested in.
- Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct.
- There will be at least 21 winners! If you win, I’ll email instructions for receiving your prize.
- Please have pages ready if you win a critique prize. Format with 1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font.
Every month is a new chance to win feedback. Subscribe to our blog in the sidebar, and notifications about this contest and other helpful writing articles will come right to your inbox.
Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins! And thank you to all our generous guest editors & coaches! ?
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.
80 Comments. Leave new
Another huge thank you to the generous coaches for giving away such amazing prizes…and even going through the comments with tips for overcoming your roadblocks and handing out additional prizes.
And thank all of you for stopping by Writers Helping Writers and entering. I’ll e-mail the lucky winners by tonight so they’ll know how to claim their prize. 🙂
Prize #1: A 5-page critique of your YA or Middle Grade novel from Marissa
1. Laurie Treacy
2. Kookie Williams
3. Megan Pickett
Prize #2: A 3-page story blurb or query critique from Erica
1.Suraya Jairam
2.Gretchen Sherrill (plus query)
3.Chrissy Hicks (plus query)
4.Tracey Brown
5.Megan Kunz (plus query)
6.Toni Alexis Carbone
7.Bridget Head
Additional prizes from Erica:
Elaine Buckner: brainstorming session via e-mail
Angela Dahle: outline critique
Darlene Foster: brainstorming session via e-mail
Prize #3: A 3-page critique from Jill
1. Barbara Malcolm
2. Holly Greenfield
Additional prizes from Jill:
Elli Comeau: critique of your first 5 pages, with an eye to setting descriptions
Kelly Malacko: critique the first 5 pages of your novel
Sarah Claxton: critique the first 5 pages of your novel
Jodie Houghton: a one-hour coaching session
Lori Knutsen: 90-minute coaching session, which includes a line-edit of your first chapter.
Prize #4: A one-hour story development consultation with Stuart
1. Tema Frank
Prize #5: Live coaching & 1-page feedback Show-Don’t-Tell Podcast with Suzy
1. Sarah Miller
2. Tracie Renee
3. Ojiya Excellence
4. Stacy Burch
5. Darlene Elder
Prize #6: A query critique with Julie
1. Mary Luce
2.Anthony C
Congrats again everyone! I’m happy dancing for you and hope this helps you start the new year in the best possible way.
My biggest roadblock is me! I’m working on a third draft of my current manuscript (a psychological horror) and have found myself paralyzed with indecision. Instinctively I know that the story needs more conflict and scene level tension, but when I think of the work ahead of me I get overwhelmed and start to doubt aspects of the story.
Hey all! Thanks for the opportunity! I am writing middle grade speculative fiction and struggle with having a main character who is too passive, where the action ends up happening TO her rather than her helping to advance the plot. I think I’m trying to avoid middle schooler cliches and end up taking away her agency. My supporting characters are all rich and exciting and making decisions left and right! But my MC…YAWN.
I feel like a horse in a pool. I’m sorry I don’t write fantasy, one the books I’m working on is mystery romance I think. While writing the first couple of pages I realized that there was device I’ve seen authors and even directors use in film (I’m not sure if it has a name exactly). And I would really like to use in my book although I have no idea how to do so naturally. Its when the tone, opening and setting, hint at the the truth of the mystery aka foreshadowing its outcome without totally revealing what has/had happened to bring the plot into motion. Gosh that sounds like a bowl of spaghetti but if anyone can make sense of my jamble I appreciate any advice. Thank you.
I’m fairly confident with the voice and plot of my MG novel. My biggest roadblock is balancing backstory and immediacy in the opening scenes where the protagonist is a short sleeper.
Confidence. It’s always a lack of confidence that gets in the way for me.
Thank you Mindy, Editors and Authors for this amazing opportunity in offering us feedback on our manuscripts. One of my major roadblocks is knowing when the pacing is off. I have a completed contemporary MG novel and ensuring the pacing flows (especially with each page turn) can be challenging.
Hi, Suraya! Pacing is something I really struggled with when first starting out as an author. Figuring out the right balance between description and action, or dialogue and internal scenes takes some practice, but it absolutely can be learned. I’d love to offer you a critique of your first 3 pages and a blurb if you’ve got one to see if it’s something I can help with!
Hello Erica,
I’m glad that I am not the only one struggling with pacing! It’s certainly tricky finding the right balance and bringing the entire story together in harmony. That would be amazing to receive a critique from you! Thank you so much!
My biggest roadblock is deciding how and when to move a story forward. I am trying to balance my instincts as a writer with the practical steps of revision, positioning, and submission. I would love to take a manuscript I have, and run it through clear and actionable to-do just to make sure I’m not missing any important steps. Moving from having a polished manuscript to the next steps with clarity and confidence would be tremendously beneficial to me.
Knowing when you’re truly “done” and your story is ready for agents/editors is so hard! The first step I take with the writers I work with is to make sure the Four Essential Questions have been clearly answered in the pitch, the synopsis, and the pages themselves. Take a pass through this workbook and let me know if it helps! https://www.julieartz.com/four-essential-questions-workbook
Warmly,
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors!)
Hi Julie!
Thank you for this – it was actually VERY helpful. Matching my manuscript against the four essential questions revealed that the story clears those thresholds, so it is working as intended (all good things!).
What I now realize is that the main challenge isn’t identifying foundational or structural issues, but rather knowing how to move from this stage to the next: what to prioritize, what requires refinement, and when to move forward. I’d love guidance on how you approach that transition.
Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity! In my writing, I struggle most with setting descriptions, especially describing landscapes (I write fantasy).
Hi, Elli! Fantasy is my first love. 🙂
Happy to offer you a critique of your first 5 pages, with an eye to setting descriptions.
I wrote a breakup letter to procrastination two years ago because I believe that it’s part of the setback I have faced in my writing journey.
But down the line, I have seen other contributions to my non-progressing writing journey. It’s rejections. I have faced a lot rejections in my writing career up to the zenith that I am having this second thought that maybe writing is not my forte. I have submitted a lot of works for contests, write for a site, but all I ever got is a feedback that is destructive to me. And this opens the door to procrastination which leads to no inspiration, and no motivation at all to write.
Revising my sports Contemporary MG by adding a bit of concussion therapy and the struggles to heal. I’m dealing with this therapy now so that’s a struggle too. But I really want to include this angle in the books for kids to show the realities of recovery in a fun way.
Thanks to everyone who are making this opportunity possible! My biggest roadblock is that I get so excited by secondary ideas, I sometimes have a hard time keeping my story on track to finish it
I feel your pain, Dana!
It’s hard to keep your story on track, so my advice would be to keep asking yourself whether the exciting secondary idea contribute to the ‘point’ you’re trying to make to your ideal reader. If they can’t see the true throughline in your story, you risk losing them. I’m reading a very long book at the moment, I’m about 80% of the way through, and I still have no idea what it’s actually about.
And if you ever struggle to stick with one story, you might want to try this blog post: https://www.thebookcoach.co/post/battling-shiny-object-syndrome-as-a-writer-how-i-m-staying-focused-on-my-novella
Stuart (I’m one of the prize editors).
Thank you, Stuart. I will focus on that idea. Thanks also for the blog post rec. I will give that a read because I am definitely a crow when it comes to shiny objects.
That’s a great article Stuart, thank you for sharing! I’m struggling with burnout and your tips for reconnecting with the heart of a WIP look to be very helpful in countering that stalled-out “why did I even want to write this mess in the first place?” feeling.
My number one challenge remains getting character thoughts/emotion on the page. I think I’ve finally nailed interiority, then a critique partner or editor comments, “I don’t know what she’s thinking here.”
Thank you so much everyone for offering your time and expertise. I believe that my biggest challenge in my African American magical realism novel is my opening pages and making decisions that engage the reader emotionally as well as getting the story off to an exciting start. I have been torn between beginning with an action opening or one that is more character driven. I made the choice for the latter but I am not sure that it really hooks the reader. I am also challenged by deciding what genre to call my novel. i chose African American magical realism as that is the closest description I can think of. I would love some feedback and help with this.
Magical Realism is a wonderful genre because it takes the experiences of those impacted by colonialism–for example, African Americans–and explores them through a magical lens. Finding the right balance of character and action in your opening can be tough! I’ve got a blog post here on WHW that can help though: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/10/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-hook-and-inciting-incident/
Best of luck with what sounds like a wonderful story!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors)
Thanks for the opportunity! My biggest writing roadblock is getting out of my head long enough to get a messy first draft done. I find myself overthinking everything and/or editing what I have rather than writing new words!
Developmental edits. I struggle to make big changes to my work, but love to line edit.
Thank you for this!
Hi, Kelly!
Loving line edits means you’re already halfway there. 🙂 First, I’d like to recommend my free private podcast, THE SELF-EDITING CRASH COURSE. Get it here: http://jillianboehme.com/for-writers
Second, I’d like to offer you a prize! I’d be happy to critique the first 5 pages of your novel.
My biggest writing roadblock is time. I’m a mom of three littles and I have a lot of guilt pulling myself away from the beautiful life I’m trying to create with them. I suffer from insomnia so setting an early alarm isn’t a healthy option, nor is working late into the night. Between trying to get enough rest and showing up for my family, I feel like I’m grasping at straws trying to get the writing time I crave.
My biggest publishing roadblock with my middle grade novel is trying to stand out in a sea of other amazing agented manuscripts. I am a champion of my contemporary Cinderella retelling, but it’s been harder to get editors to fall in love with it and see my vision. It’s my first novel and it’s a great premise but I have a lot to learn. I’m hungry to improve my skills and give my cleaning-obsessed protagonist the chance to touch readers’ hearts!
Oh boy! I would dearly love some feedback on my beginning. And I have some breadcrumbs I need to sprinkle in along the way, but I’m not sure yet how to do that.
Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity! ??
Thank you so much everyone for this very generous opportunity!
I am currently working on a sequel to a fantasy novel I finished last year, and my biggest roadblock is sorting out plot, structure, and story arc. As a pantser, plotting has never been my strong suit. Even though I have some specific scenes and plot beats in mind I’ve been stalling on how to weave them together into a cohesive story alongside character arcs and world building that are still developing. I more or less have an idea how everything will fit together, but it’s been challenging to make it happen. Contributing to my difficulties are a heaping dose of burnout and self-doubt/discouragement. (For the record, any future blog articles on either of those topics would be of great interest to me!)
As for my previous novel, I did a round of revisions based on some excellent beta feedback but have yet to show the second draft to anyone, so feedback on its opening pages would be welcome.
It can be so hard to revise when you’re not sure what exactly needs to shift and the doubt demons start creeping in! When I work with clients on planning a revision, we always start with the Four Essential Questions Workbook (https://www.julieartz.com/four-essential-questions-workbook), which is a powerful tool to identify if your plot, character, and stakes are working together in your story. I promise it’s pantser-approved because I myself am an exploratory writer and mildly allergic to outlining 🙂
Best of luck with your revisions!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors!)
Thank you so much for the link, Julie! I look forward to reading it with an eye to my current mess of a WIP. I definitely share your outline allergy, so I appreciate your guidance. 🙂
My biggest roadblock on my current project has been finding the right narrative voice and age category. I originally outlined it as an adult novel, then drafted and edited it as middle grade. Now I’ve aged up to YA while reintroducing some of the original older, more adult-leaning plot points. I’m also trying to make it clear in the pitch that the setting is entirely fantasy, even though it uses 1930s/40s‑style technology and aesthetics without being set in that era or in our world. Translating that nuance from blurb to page has been a challenge.
Remember that the most important thing to get across in the pitch is the plot/character/stakes triumvirate, not the world building. You can give a sense of the world-building both by identifying the genre as fantasy and with the comp titles you include in the pitch. But most of the world-building belongs in the pages themselves rather than the pitch.
My Craft Your Query Workbook might be of help here: https://www.julieartz.com/queryworkbook
Best of luck!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors!)
My biggest roadblock is that I am breaking two significant structural/genre conventions. I am confident these are the right moves for the story, but I also recognize the risk. Even though I have an idea of how to help manage reader expectations so they appreciate–rather than resent–the broken conventions, there are times the audacity of it all overwhelms me and I lose all momentum.
Rule breaking can create something so fresh and new as long as you’re aware of the conventions you’re breaking and the cost to the reader in terms of subverting their expectations or potentially confusing them. So I always weigh the risks vs. the benefits. Sometimes what you can do is strengthen your adherence to other genre/structure conventions to make up for the rules you’re breaking, if that makes sense.
Best of luck!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors)
Thank you! That’s a helpful way of reframing some of what I am thinking!
Thanks for this opportunity! In my MG magical realism novel, I have a couple of roadblocks. The first is one I call the M & M problem. How much Magic and how many Mistakes should I show with the protagonist? Am I including enough mistakes to show the arc of her character? Do I need to include more magic sooner so the reader knows what’s to come?
The second is with my short stories. I include original fables and myths to “teach” the protagonist the direction to take. I’m having problems transitioning into and out of these stories. I admit… I love these stories and would rather not “kill my darlings” by eliminating them.
Thanks for offering so many great prizes! My roadblock is the conflict. I have a conflict but not sure it’s strong enough and as it is written in first person, the male character’s GMC isn’t evident until a few chapters in, when he and the protagonist meet regularly.
It can be so hard to figure out how to weave in goals, motivations, and other character traits into the opening pages without info-dump/backstory that will slow the pace to a crawl. I always start my clients out with the Four Essential Questions Workbook, which will help make sure your plot/character/stakes triumvirate are working as necessary to get readers turning pages: https://www.julieartz.com/four-essential-questions-workbook
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors)
This is an amazing opportunity, thank you for everyone involved!
My biggest challenge with my adult paranormal why-choose romance novel is chapter pacing. I don’t want to end all of my chapters on a cliffhanger because I’d like my story to have time to breathe but I’m afraid of losing my readers interest when ending on a quiet note. I also have four POVS in my book, so merging chapters is a little tricky.
On top of this, I just started preparing for my querying journey, and I realised that there are very few traditionally published why-choose romances, so now this gives me a lot of doubt about my book’s “marketability”. Not to mention that my word count is 135k (I know, it’s a lot!) but I don’t feel like I can cut it down as my book is a standalone with an important plot line centering around a mystery, on top of the romance arc that has to develop between 4 people. So there’s a lot to say to make the relationships feel earned and not rushed.
I have had the most difficult time with my opening page. I’ve written and rewritten and completely overhauled it over a dozen times, and it’s not drawing the reader in. I feel like I have a great story, but no one will see it if they don’t bother reading past the first couple paragraphs.
This is such an amazing offering! My biggest roadblock has been keeping the passion for revising. I started out writing PB’s, and I’m working on my first novel. It’s hard to bounce back and forth, and sometimes I procrastinate revising because there are just so many words! I get dismayed and have a hard time breaking it into achievable chunks.
Hi, Sarah!
The struggle is real! First, I’d like to recommend my free private podcast, THE SELF-EDITING CRASH COURSE. Go here: https://jillianboehme.com/for-writers. It may be just what you need to break free from that procrastination. 😉
Secondly, I’d like to offer you a prize! I’d be happy to critique the first 5 pages of your novel.
Amazing! Thank you so much!!
Many thanks to Mindy and the editors!
I recently shelved my first MG manuscript–it won some accolades and had a respectable request rate but just doesn’t seem marketable right now. In the meantime, I’ve drafted a new project and am trying to work up the courage to dive into querying again (while also still processing the lessons I’ve learned from my first querying adventure).
On that note, I’ve just completed the second round of edits on my second MG novel (contemporary/humor) and am struggling to get the pitch and the query letter right. Pacing/plotting is always my nemesis, so I’ve worked hard during this round of edits to adjust the plot beats using the SAVE THE CAT method…but now I am wondering whether all those tweaks are working the way that I want them to. The chapters following the climax might need a bit more tightening and I’m not sure if the subplots are doing what they need to do.
I’m also trying to develop my next project. I have a mostly complete outline for a YA dystopia but can’t figure out where to start the story. I also have a stand-alone poem that feels like the first page of a novel-in-verse, but I haven’t found the plot yet.
Thanks for considering me!
It’s so heartbreaking when we have to shelve a manuscript we love! When I’m trying to help writers assess if they’re query-ready, I start with The Four Essential Questions Workbook: https://www.julieartz.com/four-essential-questions-workbook It helps you ensure the plot/character/stakes triumvirate is working as it should be in the pitch AND the pages.
Check it out and let me know what you come up with!
Julie (Book Coach in Residence and one of the prize donors)
This is so generous and exciting! Thank you! I believe my most significant issue IS my first pages! I have revised, changed, and moved my story’s start so many times! HELP!
I’m writing an MG grounded fantasy set in the US Virgin Islands. The main character’s ADHD helps him zone in on a clue that gets him noticed and changes his character direction. This is not an issue book. I used soft clues for the character’s ADHD. An agent provided feedback on my query and first page that my premise was “intriguing,” but my character’s “voice sounded like he had ADHD,” which did not “draw her in”. The agent rejected my submission. The novel is not about ADHD, but it is part of his character and sprinkled sparingly across the story. I’m not sure how to make this balance clearer in future submissions.
In addition, the character has negative feelings about his location in the first pages, which are necessary because negativity makes him a target of wicked spirits. I hope I’m walking the tightrope of a likeable character, unhappy with his initial circumstances. I want to keep the reader reading and not dismiss the MC as a brat.
Gretchen, hi! This seems like a really fascinating premise for a novel! I’d love the opportunity to take a look at your first 3 pages and query letter to see what I can do to help.
Thank you for offering this contest! My biggest roadblock is trying to secure a literary agent. I’ve queried nearly a hundred agents in the last 2 years (and I’m still querying). I’ve completed 2 books which I’ve queried separately. One of my books received some attention, with several agents requesting the full manuscript, but ultimately declining. I’ve revised both the manuscripts and my queries (slaying many a darling), but still not having much luck. I’ve published in anthologies and magazines, placed in contests, and have a book deal with a small press for my debut. I hoped this would make me a more attractive client for an agent, but it doesn’t seem to help. Is it my query? Are my first pages not strong enough? Maybe I’m shooting myself in the foot with my comps? Any assistance and advice would be amazing!
Chrissy, I’d love to take a look at your query and first 3 pages to see if we can give you a better shot in the querying trenches!
Thank you for this opportunity! I am struggling with my first real novel. I am mostly done with the first draft, but hit a road block at the end and don’t know what direction to take it in. My novel is an adult sci-fi/thriller and it is currently at 60,000 words out of my projected 80,000 words.
These prizes are so generous. My biggest roadblock is figuring out what my opening pages are missing. What will make them stronger.
Thank you for this amazing contest/opportunity, Mindy and fellow editors.
I’ve had a four book series published traditionally, gotten my rights back when the publisher went out of business, and have now been putting them back up on Amazon. (the fourth book is being re-formatted right now) My roadblock is finishing a requested historical romance for Harlequin, after not writing for over a year due to family and health issues. I want to get it done and submitted but don’t want to rush the second half of the book and ruin this chance at my dream of writing for Harlequin. And after such a long time, I’m worried my “voice” and tone sound different and might not match what Harlequin loved in the partial they read.
Was sent here by a friend. I’m basically at the querying stage right now, creating an agent list to send my materials to. This is my third book. Never queried my second book. My first book was from a decade ago. I sent out 3 queries back then, but knew my writing wasn’t there, so never queried further.
I have been active in writing communities over the years mostly reading absolutewrite, queryshark, and pubtips. I’ve been an active member of pubtips for 5 years, giving critiques and reading almost everything on there, but I have slowed down in the past 1.2 years.
I’ve had beta-readers already, but it would be nice to get another glance at my opening pages from someone inside the industry.
My work is a YA Contemporary Fantasy that draws from the myths and supernatural lore of my culture.
My roadblock right now is my MG novel’s plot. Is there too much going on? Have I shown what the main character REALLY wants? Does she know what she wants?
My roadblock is, I’m drowning in the query trenches and can’t figure out what is missing! I’m getting several non-form rejections with things like “the writing is strong… but” or “your voice is great… but” or “I love the premise… but”
Thank you so much for this opportunity! My writing roadblock is twofold. One, I have had luck submitting my first MG historical fantasy, which has gotten a few champaign rejections and great feedback from agents and editors (unique premise, fun/quirky characters, strong voice and world building) but it is on the longer end and I need more advice on where to cut. I already revised it and cut out a lot, but I’m looking now at plot-wise, what can I cut w/o losing the vision or balanced/flow of the story, instead of grammatically.
My second roadblock, is that I am writing multiple MG fantasy stories, and trying to decide which has the most promise, then focus my energy there first. I get a lot of positive feedback from critique groups on my unique world-building, voice, and characterization. I’m a pantser by nature, and have done light plotting before, but I need to find a way to plot w/o putting a damper on my natural pantser ability which often creates unique plots/settings, surprise twists, world-building, and unique/detailed characters. I feel more free writing that way, yet, for organizational/structure and pace/momentum, I would like guidance on balancing the two writing styles. One manuscript is written in two-person POV. I’m told I did a good job of making each POV unique/different from the other, but I’m struggling to find a way forward on one particular plot point in the story.
Ooh, all of these middle-grade stories – I love it! Since you’re struggling to figure out where to cut, I don’t know that a look at first pages and a blurb would help. But if you’ve got an outline that you’ve created now that the story’s finished, I could to help you figure out places where it would make sense to trim down.
As for having too many story ideas, that’s certainly a problem I’m familiar with from my own writing! My suggestion is to focus on the one where you have the clearest idea of how the plot’s going to go. Discovering the story as you write is always fun, but you may find that you’ll have more luck finishing the journey if you know the destination (general ending) in advance, even if you don’t know quite which route you plan to take there.
Thank you for this amazing opportunity! My biggest roadblock is wondering if my thriller/adventure should be MG or YA? Is upper middle grade and lower YA the same thing?
The line between upper middle grade and lower YA can be subjective, but there are things you can do within a manuscript that skew it closer to one side or the other. I’d love the chance to take a look at your first 3 pages and blurb to see if I can help you figure out the right direction to aim in.
Thank you, Erica! I truly appreciate your time and assistance.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit and comment! My greatest writing roadblock in the middle grade area is learning enough about my characters to make their voices authentic. It’s only after I place them in challenging situations and see their reactions that the writing flows more easily. It’s very time consuming!
Fantastic opportunity! I’ve been receiving lots of encouraging rejections for book #2. Something’s missing, but I don’t know what!
Thank you all for your time putting together this contest, Mindy and editors!
My roadblock for my novel has been mixed feedback as to where it places between YA and adult historical fantasy. My content is YA with its subject matter, but I have been cautioned that the reading level of the writing is 12th grade or above, making it more suitable to adults. It is set in the Victorian era around a literary figure, which is why the proses are more complex, but in my heart of hearts the message and lessons it shares helps the YA audience more. I would be deeply grateful for assistance in determining the best course for this story as I am going into another round of revisions soon and am seeking guidance on how I should reshape the language within the book.
Thanks for providing this opportunity! My biggest roadblock is that I keep receiving overall positive feedback (one editor even said “I’d love to keep reading”), but no actual requests for more pages or R&Rs. I have also been getting mixed feedback as far as whether I should pitch my novel as YA or MG. I feel that I keep getting close, but just barely missing the mark. I would love some guidance! Thank you!
Megan, I’d love to offer a look at your first three pages and query letter to see if I can help you out!
Thank you for this opportunity. I am struggling with pacing in a fantasy novel. I want the world building to happen gradually and woven into scenes, but taking the time to do that, can slow down the action too much.
I have been a picture book writer for years, but I am just now venturing into writing a middle grade novel. I have had the idea for several years, but I’m having trouble knowing where to begin my story and discerning the voice for the main character. I feel like I know my characters well, their flaws and passions, and how they can grow over the course of the book, but there are so many options for how to start. I would welcome any feedback and encouragement on this writing journey.
Huge thanks for organising this and to the editors.
I’m used to writing how-to, and also picture books that give the illustrator freedom to use their imagination. I also prefer to read novels that only describe essentials, and let me imagine appearance, setting, and more. Consequently, I’m struggling to add extra words to an informational story featuring England’s most famous Victorian hermit and his family that feels ‘finished’ at novella length. Sigh!!
Many thanks, Mindy and guest editors. I have an end destination in mind for my MG verse novel, so I’m not a total pantser, but I’m the proverbial detail lover who loses sight of the forest for the trees.
I’ve had my YA novel edited and I was in talks with Pantera, who eventually passed on it due to the protagonist, at 13, being too young for the story. I liken my novel to the sort of level seen in Skulduggery Pleasant and I’m aiming at the same sort of audience.
My roadblock is having too many ideas, and not knowing which to focus on, or moving on to a new one before finishing one I’ve been working on.
Hey, Jodie! I’d love the opportunity to talk you through this. The prize: a one-hour coaching session.
I write a series of middle-grade books. I have started the 12th book and am struggling with coming up with fresh new ideas. I feel it’s all been done before. This is an awesome contest, thanks.
Darlene, hi! I’m a big fan of middle-grade work (especially in series form!) and would love the opportunity to take a look at yours and do some brainstorming. Instead of first pages and a blurb, I’d be happy to take a look at your current set of ideas and help you generate some new ones.
I’m grateful to all the editors for devoting their time and expertise to this First Page contest, and many thanks, Mindy, for organising these contests. Although I’ve been writing for decades, with limited success, I’ve never felt that my recent first pages were ready for assessment until now.
My current writing dilemma is whether to keep submitting a police procedural that I finished rewriting last year. My three published beta readers and my experienced editor all encouraged me through to my final sixth draft, which I submitted to an independent publisher, unsuccessfully. Before submitting the novel to any of the other publishers on my target list, I asked two more published writers to assess the manuscript. Both struggled through a few chapters and told me it needed more work.
Was I wrong to start serialising that police procedural on my website instead? I also started revising the sequel as colleagues feel it is a better read, so far.
This is such an exciting opportunity. I want to learn about adding effective interiority – to all of my novel – but especially the opening pages
Thanks for doing this and for donating your time, Mindy and editors! My biggest roadblock with my YA novel is in revision and rewrites, especially with later chapters that aren’t as polished. Things feel rushed. I don’t think the middle and ending are as satisfying as they should be. My word count is 85K for a YA Sci-Fi with dystopian elements, but I think I have room to expand and open up. I just don’t know where or how because I’ve been in this story for so long.
Hey, Lori! I’d love the opportunity to help you, so I’m offering this prize: A free, 90-minute coaching session, which includes a line-edit of your first chapter.