When I saw we'd hit 400 FOLLOWERS today, I knew I had to do something special! So to celebrate, I thought I'd host a little contest...with a very unique prize.
The winner will not only get a first chapter critique...
...they will also choose my NEXT thesaurus collection.
It's almost time to retire the Colors, Textures and Shapes thesaurus collection and start a new descriptive thesaurus. I've been agonizing on which one to start next, trying to gauge which might be the most helpful to the average writer. I have many different collections to choose from, like really awesome X or innovative Y. Or maybe something neat-o like Z. Oh the choices!
I guess we'll have to wait and see what the winner picks, won't we? *winks*
So, the CONTEST!
Simply comment which thesaurus entry you've found the most helpful, or what type of description you struggle with the most. Or if you have an idea for a thesaurus you'd like to see someday, let me know that too!
Often I'll get email from Musers asking about different thesaurus ideas, and if they are ones I think I can make work, I add them to my master list. I'm always interested in hearing what will help writers most!
Entries: Followers (old and new) only please!
+ 1 Leave a comment about your fav entry
+ 1 Tweet this contest
+ 2 Blog this contest
+ 2 Link TBM to your awesome sidebar
+ 1 Facebook/Myspace this contest
So just comment, post your point tally with links and that's it!
The winner can send me a first chapter of their novel (all genres except Erotica) for inline critique, and I will send them a blurb for each of the Thesaurus Ideas I'm considering for the next collection.
Contest closes on Feb 10th. :-) Good luck everyone!
44 comments:
Actually I found nearly all entries very useful, because description is one of my weaknesses, but especially emotions related entries were godsend. As I am revising my manuscript now, I appreciate their value even more.
Perhaps a science-fiction thesaurus next?
Also twitted about this contest @lostwanderer5
2 points
I believe a thesaurus category focused on people and/or dialogue would benefit me the most.
3 entries.
Here's my blog post.
http://jonathonarntson.blogspot.com/2010/01/hi-contests-yay.html
Entering! I struggle the most with anger, and your anger part of the emotions thes. has REALLY helped with that. :)
Yay to 400 followers!
I'm going to comment on the entry I most recently used: embarrassed. I was having trouble showing it and your entry definitely came through for me!
Wow...congrats on 400 followers!
"Sadness" and "Boredom" are my hardest emotions, and your thesaurus has helped. :)
Next idea...hmmm...perhaps a subset thesaurus for different genres (YA, chick lit, etc.)
I keep anger and fear open when I'm editing. Those are two emotions I have trouble showing.
- Contest has been Tweeted under LianaBrooks
- Blog post about the contest will be on my blog Tuesday morning before 9am EST
- Bookshelf Muse is already linked on my sidebar
- And Tweet feeds directly to FB so that's done too.
Can I have a cookie?
I love your color entries. And congrats on the 400 followers! Woot!
Congrats on 400 followers! And I must say my favorite so far has been the "Emotions" thesaurus, so useful. I'm off to tweet this contest.
I like the whole Emotion series best, but all of them are helpful.
Would you be interested in an occupations / professions series?
3 points. :-)
Yay!
Well, my current WIP is suspense, so I have been using the fear and desperation posts a lot. LOL.
+1
+1 twitter: http://twitter.com/lchardesty/status/8221274287
+2 sidebar: www.lchardesty.blogspot.com
That's 4! Thanks! :)
400 and counting: Congratulations!
I'll be back to enter, for sure.
Hip, hip, hurray! Yes...your emotion thesaurus is a favorite. I agree with Jonathon, something on people and dialogue would be great.
Since I've already been the very grateful recipient of one of your critiques, I'll forego the contest entry and will just say how thankful I am to have a resource like this at my disposal. I can't count the number of times I've used it. To say it's helped me become a better writer is an understatement. I use the EMOTION thesaurus the most, every emotion listed, because that's where I struggle the most in my writing. Thanks so much, Angela.
For me it's the Emotion Thesaurus that gets the most use, although the Setting Thesaurus has had a work out too, especially the one on 'Forests'.
Congratulations on your great following.
1. I liked the Emotion: Fear. I had to express that so much in my last book that I worried it had lost all impact.
2. I now follow!
3. I'm going to RT right now.
1. I liked Emotion: Fear. I had to use fear so much in my last work that I worried it started to lose impact.
2. I now Follow!
3. Going to RT right now.
Hi Angela,
Congrats.
My fave post is the one on anger.
i have linked this post to my blog http://rohishetty.blogspot.com/2010/01/bookshelf-muse-mystery-followers.html so that is 2+1=3 points.
Metta to you.
Rohi
Congrats on 400 followers! (407 as I post this comment.)
I think I've used the "annoyance" thesaurus the most. (I'm obsessed with eye-rolling.)
3 points (this comment and you're on my sidebar)
Thanks everyone! Keep those entries coming--the more the merrier. :-)
My favorite thesaurus is anger because I have trouble coming up with words for what my character is feeling. They typically have a lot of anger. :)
So:
1 for the comment
1 for Twitter: http://twitter.com/Brittany1159
2 for the blog post: http://hillsandcorkscrews.blogspot.com/2010/01/revision-to-do.html
So 4 entries total.
I find all of your entries helpful, but I guess the emotional ones help me the most. Shock/Surprise is one I come to a lot in order to avoid that whole "Suddenly..." thing.
I linked you in my sidebar here: http://valeriekwrites.blogspot.com
+3 points
I love the emotion thesaurus. I use it all the time. One emotion I struggle with in my writing is thoughtful/contemplative.
I already have TBM on my sidebar, and I posted a blog at
http://guatagirl.blogspot.com/2010/01/books.html
5 points.
Facial expressions, gestures, body language. I really do get tired of shrugs, frowns, widened eyes, lifted eyebrows and eye rolling.
It's hard for me to single out just ONE post, though; I see I'm not the only one who's saying that.
Awesome! I love your shapes and colors and texture thesaurus entries the best. They're very yummy. O:)
A genre thesaurus would be fun, long and complicated, but fun. :)
Congrats on all your followers! :o)
Angela, congrats on the big 400. So cool!! You know I'm gonna enter this one. I shall be back tomorrow to link you to death. Great contest. It's just that the family has a danged stomach flu. And it ain't pretty. See you then. (^_^)
I would have to say the most helpful entry to me, is "fear". To often do I write "chest tightened" or some variation of that, because it is the first thought I have when I think of fear. The entry here has helped me countless times. +1
As soon as I post this, I'll be tweeting @ljboldyrev +1
Blog ljboldyrev.blogspot.com +2
Sidebar at the same blog +2
And a facebook link --LJBoldyrev +1
Total= 7
(If I win, can I get a second chapter crit since you already did my first? *grin*)
Direct link to my blog post, because I am a goober and didn't post it in my original post: http://ljboldyrev.blogspot.com/2010/01/contest-for-writers-free-crit.html
Huge congrats on your 400th follower! Woo-hoo!
I'm so glad someone (can't remember who) on a writer's loop posted this link today. I'm absolutely loving it here! Your thesaurus collections are GREAT! I haven't had a chance to look at everything I want to yet, but I'll get there.
I've added you to my rss feed, I tweeted about your contest and I plan to post a blog regarding the contest.
What an awesome blog!
Congrats on 400 followers :o) Yay!!
Let's see the emotional thesaurus is the one I use the most - I have the worst time describing emotion. It's hard to really put emotion into words at times...
Not sure about the new one... maybe sounds? or dialogue?
I'll tweet ya of course ;o)
The description I struggle with the most are with smiles and other facial expressions. I feel like I use too many words trying to explain a simple action.
+1 I find the Uncertainty/Unconvinced Thesaurus entry the most helpful.
+1 Tweet: https://twitter.com/whatinabox/status/8353901639
+2 Blog: http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com/2010/01/bookshelf-muse-first-chapter-critique.html
+2 Sidebar: http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com (under Blogroll)
TOTAL = 6
whatinabox at gmail dot com
I've just come across your blog and it's WONDERFUL! I wonder how long it will take me to read all I've missed. I'm starting to revise my novel so I feel I've struck gold coming across your site. In fact, I'm going right now and add a P.S. to my latest blog entry.
I love the way you use a sentence or two, then use that SAME sentence showing how it can be layered, improved. If it's not too late, I'd love to be entered in the contest. I'm a new follower and I've linked to you.
I love the Colors, Textures and Shapes thesaurus collection. Now I'm off to read about Emotions.
Thanks for all your posts. Better than a how-to book.
jess
http://www.jessyferguson.blogspot.com
Hey Angela!
You know, I'm a big fan of your Thesaurus so narrowing it down to a few is tough for me. The descriptions are great but I find the emotions much more helpful. I really like the Confidence/Pride and Stubbornness ones.
Going to tweet this as well. @JentheAmazing
Love TBM! Keep it up!
--Jen
I love the emotional and setting have been the most helpful to me.
I tweeted: @justJoanS
Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=1651497130&ref=nf
Sidebar links: http://authorwithin.blogspot.com/ (Blogger) and http://authorwithin.livejournal.com/ (LiveJournal)
5 entries (unless the blog links count separately and then it's 7 entries)
Count me IN. *air fist pumps*
I like your setting Thesaurus entries, mostly because my WIP consists of a *lot* of sensory perception in a *lot* of different settings. The most helpful for me has been the forest because my characters spend so much time there.
Blogged, commented, FB'ed, and tweeted.
Count me in for 5 points
Angela, at first I thought it was another thesaurus, but after some thought I realize it is the setting one. I have used it so much since my MG novel takes place in the woods. And it has come in handy, my friend.
As have all of them. Next fav, emotion.
I facebooked, tweeted, blogged, commented, linked to my awesome sidebar. *fingers crossed* =)
Here's the links:
Facebook
twitter
Putting Pen To Paper
Putting Pen To Paper
Great contest! Congrats on having so many followers. :-) I don't get by here often, but I know your Thesaurus is always here if I need it. You do such a helpful thing for writers. thank you!
Congrats on 400! I have put up a sidebar on my blog contecting to your contest.
http://bish-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/
Angela, I LOVE your blog! Thanks to Robyn Campbell for posting about it. I will be snowed in all weekend, so I'll have lots of time to play in the thesaurus. I have all sorts of glaring and nodding in my manuscript so I'm anxious to explore new words, lol! I think an edition of new words or emotions would be fun. Something else that I find helpful is in the Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus. It's a sidebar including easily confused words. I'd love to see more of those. I'll be sure and post about your contest and your blog. Again, thanks for doing this!
thevirginiascribe.blogspot.com
What a great contest. But I have to choose only 1 entry that helped me? Man, that's going to be hard. Maybe the library? Or no, how about the coffee shop. No, I think the Anger one was good too. Eek! I can't decide.
Twittered this!
Sidebared this!
Facebooked this!
Oooh! I feel a pitter-patter in my heart for you guys!
I'm about to Twitter this (http:twitter.com/weirdlucy)
And I have a blog going up on Tuesday the 9th mentioning you (http://www.yousayweird.blogspot.com/)
And you're already in my sidebar at the above. :)
I really love all the emotional ones - they help me to not rely on the crutch of using the eyes/sighs to convey every feeling.
XO Lucy
Congrads on 400 followers!
+1 The Emotions Thesaurus is my favorite, particularly annoyance, confusion and frustration
+1 Tweeted @wastepaperprose
+2 Blog Post
http://wastepaperprose.blogspot.com/2010/02/bookshelf-muse-contest.html
+2 Blog sidebar wastepaperprose.blogspot.com
+1 Facebook link at facebook.com/wastepaperprose
Total = 7
I love a lot of the entries, but my favorite one is about urban streets. :)
+1 fav entry
+1 tweet (http://twitter.com/sandy_shin/status/8773139878)
+2 blog (http://www.sandyshin.com/2010/02/winners-contests.html)
+2 sidebar
+1 facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?v=feed&story_fbid=310466027712&id=100000321009659&ref=mf)
total = 7 points
Thesaurus Ideas
Chapter Ending Hooks
There's a lot of different ways to end a chapter to hook a reader. I would like to see a thesaurus like this.
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