2nd Annual Writers For Hope Auction Items

Drum roll, please!!

It’s time for the full list of 2015 auction items! There are winnings for book lovers and writers and ALL items will start at a minimum bid of $10 – the price of one lunch! It’s also the amount of money needed for RAINN to help one survivor take the first steps toward reclaiming her or his life. 100% of every winning bid will go directly to helping a person in need of support.

Click on any item number to see the full details! (Or to bid, after midnight on the 1^st.)

First up, prizes for the book lovers!

SIGNED BOOKS

• ITEM #1: THE TWIN’S DAUGHTER
• Donor: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
• ITEM #2: MORE THAN EXES, MORE THAN MUSIC, MORE THAN COMICS
• Donor: Elizabeth Briggs
• ITEM #3: STORYBOUND, STORY’S END
• Donor: Marissa Burt
• ITEM #4: UNFORESEEN, UNVEILED, UNBOUND, UNBRIDLED
• Donor: Lauren Grimley
• ITEM #5: ACROSS THE DISTANCE
• Donor: Marie Meyer
• ITEM #6: WAIT FOR THE RAIN
• Donor: Maria Murnane
• ITEM #7: REAPER, ONE MORE DAY
• Donor: L.S. Murphy
• ITEM #8: BREAKING THE ICE (& Bag of Book Swag!)
• Donor: Gail Nall
• ITEM #9: ARC of NAKED
• Donor: Stacey Trombley

BE IN A BOOK!

• ITEM #10: Get a Character Named After You!
• Donor: Laura Salters

And now on to those of the writerly persuasion….

CATCH AN AGENT’S ATTENTION

• ITEM #11: Query Critique
• Donor: Dahlia Adler
• ITEM #12: Query Critique
• Donor: Danielle Barthel
• ITEM #13: Query Critique (includes phone consultation!)
• Donor: Jenny Bent
• ITEM #14: Query Critique
• Donor: Laura Bradford
• ITEM #15: Query Critique
• Donor: Mackenzie Brady
• ITEM #16: Query Critique
• Donor: Victoria Marini
• ITEM #17: Query Critique (2 passes!)
• Donor: Dannie Morin
• ITEM #18: Query Critique
• Donor: Marieke Nijkamp
• ITEM #19: Query Critique
• Donor: Jami Nord
• ITEM #20: Query Critique
• Donor: Jami Nord
• ITEM #21: Query Critique
• Donor: Laura Salters
• ITEM #22: Query Critique
• Donor: Lauren Spieller
• ITEM #23: Query Critique
• Donor: Lauren Spieller
• ITEM #24: Query Critique
• Donor: Laura Zats
• ITEM #25: Synopsis Critique
• Donor: Fiona McLaren

MAKE YOUR PAGES SHINE

• ITEM #26: First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Molly Lee
• ITEM #27: First Three Chapters Critique
• Donor: Ronni Arno
• ITEM #28: First Three Chapters Critique
• Donor: Mandy Schoen
• ITEM #29: First Thirty Pages Critique
• Donor: Emmanuelle Morgen
• ITEM #30: First Thirty Pages Critique
• Donor: Shannon Parker

WINNER’S CHOICE

• ITEM #31: Query and First Chapter Critique OR Query and Picture Book Critique
• Donor: Veronica Bartles
• ITEM #32: Query OR First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Skylar Dorset

COMBO PACKS

• ITEM #33: Query and First 1250 Words Critique
• Donor: K.T. Hanna
• ITEM #34: Query and First 1250 Words Critique
• Donor: K.T. Hanna
• ITEM #35: Query and First Five Pages Critique
• Donor: Ava Jae
• ITEM #36: Query and First Five Pages Critique
• Donor: Caitlin Sinead
• ITEM #37: Query and First Five Pages Critique
• Donor: N.K. Traver
• ITEM #38: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Brooks Benjamin
• ITEM #39: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Juliana Brandt
• ITEM #40: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Elizabeth Briggs
• ITEM #41: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Karen Dionne
• ITEM #42: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Jodi Meadows
• ITEM #43: Query and First Chapter Critique
• Donor: Marie Meyer
• ITEM #44: Query and First Three Chapters Critique
• Donor: Fiona McLaren
• ITEM #45: Query and First Fifty Pages Critique
• Donor: L.S. Murphy
• ITEM #46: Query, Contest Pitch, Synopsis and First Fifty Pages
• Donor: Dannie Morin

EXTENSIVE CRITIQUES

• ITEM #47: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Anya Kagan
• ITEM #48: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Anna Katz
• ITEM #49: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Tamara Mataya
• ITEM #50: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Joy McCullough-Carranza
• ITEM #51: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Rachel Lynn Solomon
• ITEM #52: Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Stacey Trombley
• ITEM #53: Query, Synopsis and Full Manuscript Critique
• Donor: Sonia Hartl

CONSULTATIONS

• ITEM #54: 30 Minute Call or Skype Discussing the Road to Publishing
• Donor: Scarlett Cole
• ITEM #55: 30 Minute Call or Skype Discussing the Road to Publishing
• Donor: Scarlett Cole
• ITEM #56: 30 Minute Call Discussing Independent and Self-Publishing
• Donor: Lauren Grimley
• ITEM #57: 30 Minute Call Discussing the Road to Publishing
• Donor: Maria Murnane

WRITING COURSES

• ITEM #58: The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals
• Donor: The Great Courses
• ITEM #59: Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques
• Donor: The Great Courses
• ITEM #60: Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write About Anything
• Donor: The Great Courses
• ITEM #61: Writing Creative Nonfiction
• Donor: The Great Courses

PROFESSIONALLY DESIGNED BOOK COVER

• ITEM #62: Custom Digital Book Cover
• Donor: S.P. McConnell

There they are! Sixty two fabulous auction items from forty five amazing donors!

Comment sections on the items will be off until 12:00am EST on April 1^st. After that, let the bidding wars commence!

Any last minute questions? Put them in the comments!

ITEM #61: Writing Creative Nonfiction

We all have a story we want to share with others. Maybe it's a funny or dramatic moment in your everyday life. Perhaps it's an unforgettable trip overseas or a heartwarming family reunion. Or possibly even the life of a close relative or public figure that has inspired you in some unique way. Regardless of the story or experience, there's no better way to write, record, and share it than through the power of creative nonfiction.

Bringing together the imaginative strategies of fiction storytelling and new ways of narrating true, real-life events, creative nonfiction is the fastest-growing part of the creative writing world—and the fastest-growing part of the market for books as well. It's a cutting-edge genre that's reshaping how we write (and read) everything from biographies and memoirs to blogs and public speaking scripts to personal essays and magazine articles.

But learning the secrets and techniques of creative nonfiction offers you so much more than just insights into this exciting style of writing. Mastering the art and craft of creative nonfiction can

help you write more effectively in a variety of professional and personal situations,

provide dynamic new ways for you to preserve life experiences as they truly occurred or as you felt them,

allow you to share your stories in ways that other people are sure to find compelling, and

open up new windows on how you think about your own personal history—and the personal history of others.

Format: DVD | 24 lectures | 30 minutes per lecture

Your Professor: Ph.D. Tilar J. Mazzeo

Dr. Tilar J. Mazzeo is the Clara C. Piper Professor of English at Colby College in Maine and the New York Times best-selling author of The Widow Cliquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It and The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume. Professor Mazzeo earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington. In 2008, she won the Gourmand Award for the Best Work of Wine Literature in the United States for The Widow Cliquot. She is also the author of Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma and Back Lane Wineries of Napa. Her travel, food, and wine essays have appeared in a range of national publications, including Food and Wine magazine. Professor Mazzeo held the prestigious Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Residence position at The George Washington University. Her lessons, exercises, and advice on the art and craft of creative nonfiction have appeared in collections including Now Write! Nonfiction: Creative Nonfiction Exercises from Today's Best Writers.

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by The Great Courses

ITEM #60: Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write About Anything

For thousands of years, writing has been a powerful way for us to communicate with one another, to share our distinct thoughts and ideas through the power of words. Even in today's technologically saturated 21st century, we still express ourselves in writing almost every single day. And oftentimes, we write to argue our viewpoints, persuade others that we're right, and share our unique experiences and perspectives.

But all writing—whether it's a powerful essay, a persuasive letter, a detailed business report, or an autobiographical story—is at its most effective and memorable when it's built on the fundamental critical and analytical skills that transform your words from "good" writing to "great" writing. Regardless of your subject, your goal, or your occasion, these skills are the heart and soul of engaging and effective writing. They include the ability to:

• organize your thoughts into a coherent piece that never leaves your reader behind;
• make a persuasive argument rooted in solid facts;
• draw on the styles and characteristics of various literary genres;
• make responsible use of research materials and outside resources; and
• avoid common grammatical errors that could cost you your credibility.

Format: DVD | 24 lectures | 30 minutes per lecture

Your Professor: Ph.D. Dorsey Armstrong

Dr. Dorsey Armstrong is Associate Professor of English and Medieval Literature at Purdue University, where she has taught since 2002. The holder of an A.B. in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Duke University, she also taught at Centenary College of Louisiana and at California State University, Long Beach. Her research interests include medieval women writers, late-medieval print culture, and the Arthurian legend, on which she has published extensively, including the 2009 book Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur: A New Modern English Translation Based on the Winchester Manuscript and Gender and the Chivalric Community in Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, published in 2003. In January 2009, she became editor-in-chief of the academic journal Arthuriana, which publishes the most cutting-edge research on the legend of King Arthur, from its medieval origins to its enactments in the present moment. Her current research project-Mapping Malory's Morte-is an exploration of the role played by geography in Malory's version of the story of King Arthur.

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by The Great Courses

ITEM #59: Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques

Whether you’re huddled around the campfire, composing an email to a friend, or sitting down to write a novel, storytelling is fundamental to human nature. But as any writer can tell you, the blank page can be daunting. It’s tough to know where to get started, what details to include in each scene, and how to move from the kernel of an idea to a completed manuscript.

Writing great fiction isn’t a gift reserved for the talented few. There is a craft to storytelling that can be learned, and studying the fiction writer’s techniques can be incredibly rewarding—both personally and professionally. Even if you don’t have ambitions of penning the next Moby-Dick, you’ll find value in exploring all the elements of great fiction.

From evoking a scene to charting a plot to selecting a point of view, Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques offers a master class in storytelling. Taught by acclaimed novelist James Hynes, a former visiting professor at the famed Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the University of Michigan, these 24 insightful lectures show you the ins and outs of the fiction writer’s craft.

More than just delivering lectures, Professor Hynes offers the first steps of an apprenticeship, showing you not only how fiction works but also how to read like a writer. Here you’ll find explications of novels and stories across the ages:

• Rediscover classics such as Jane Eyre, Bleak House, Middlemarch, Mrs. Dalloway, and others.
• Gain new insights into bestsellers such as the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones series.
• Explore the world of literary fiction, from Chekhov’s “The Kiss” to Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping.
• Reflect on what makes characters such as Anna Karenina and Sherlock Holmes so memorable.
• Find out how to create suspense like Dashiell Hammett, George Pelecanos, and John le Carré.

Format: DVD | 24 lectures | 30 minutes per lecture

Your Professor: James Hynes

Professor James Hynes is a published novelist who has taught creative writing as a visiting professor at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the University of Michigan, The University of Texas, Miami University, and Grinnell College. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Michigan and a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Professor Hynes is the author of five works of fiction: Next, which received the 2011 Believer Book Award from the Believer magazine; Kings of Infinite Space, a Washington Post best book for 2004; The Lecturer’s Tale and Publish and Perish, which were both New York Times Notable Books of the Year; and The Wild Colonial Boy, which received the Adult Literature Award from the Friends of American Writers and was a New York Times Notable Book for 1990. In addition to his work as a novelist, he has also written book reviews and literary essays, which have appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Boston Review, Salon, and other publications.

Professor Hynes has received several literary grants and teaching fellowships, including a James Michener Fellowship from the University of Iowa, a Teaching-Writing Fellowship from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and a Michigan Council for the Arts writer’s grant. He currently lives in Austin, Texas, and is writing a new novel.

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by The Great Courses

ITEM #58: The Art of Storytelling: From Parents to Professionals

The gift of storytelling may be one of life's most powerful—and envied—skills. A story well told can make us laugh, weep, swell with pride, or rise with indignation. A story poorly told can be not just boring or uncomfortable, but positively painful to experience. Humans seem to be fundamentally hard-wired for stories—they’re how we record both the monumental events of life and the small, everyday moments.

The oral storytelling tradition is as old as language itself. Throughout history, stories have primarily existed in the verbal realm, preserving and passing knowledge across generations before being canonized in print. This was true of the ancient epics, and it’s true today. Your family history, your company’s history, the stories you tell that define and shape your identity—these are all stored in your mind and shared through your actions and words.

And being a gifted storyteller has its advantages: A well-crafted narrative can keep the people, values, and life lessons you hold dear alive and give you the power to influence your children, your employees, and others.

There are many reasons we relate and respond to stories. We’re often drawn to:

• what or whom the story represents;
• how the story reflects a core part of who we are (or who we want to be); and
• what the story could be—because we don’t like the reality of what the story is.

Format: DVD | 24 lectures | 31 minutes per lecture

Your Professor: Ph.D. Hannah B. Harvey

Dr. Hannah B. Harvey is an award-winning professor, an internationally recognized performer, and a nationally known professional storyteller. She earned her Ph.D. in Performance Studies/Communication Studies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was also a teaching fellow. While teaching at Kennesaw State University, she received an Honors Program Distinguished Teacher award and an Alumni Association Commendation for Teaching Impact. As a performance ethnographer, Professor Harvey develops oral histories into theatrical and solo storytelling works that highlight the true stories of contemporary Appalachian people. Her ongoing fieldwork with disabled coal miners in southwest Virginia culminated in a live ethnographic performance of their oral histories, Out of the Dark: The Oral Histories of Appalachian Coal Miners, earning her a directing award from adjudicators at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in 2007 and three year-end awards from professional critics in 2005. Her written research has been honored by the American Folklore Society and been featured in Storytelling, Self, Society, of which she is managing editor. Professor Harvey has delivered award-winning performances and has conducted workshops at festivals and universities in the United States and around the world. She has performed as a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee; received accolades for her performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland; and led intercultural workshops at the University Hassan II, Ben M'Sik, in Casablanca, Morocco.

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by The Great Courses

ITEM #57: 30 Minute Call Discussing the Road to Publishing

Talk to author Maria Murnane and learn about the process of getting a book published!

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Maria Murnane

ITEM #56: 30 Minute Call Discussing Independent and Self-Publishing

Talk to author Lauren Grimley and get the scoop on independent and self-publishing!

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Lauren Grimley

ITEM #55: 30 Minute Call or Skype Discussing the Road to Publishing

Talk to author Scarlett Cole and learn more about the process of getting a book published!

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Scarlett Cole

ITEM #54: 30 Minute Call or Skype Discussing the Road to Publishing

Talk to author Scarlett Cole and learn more about the process of getting a book published!

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Scarlett Cole

ITEM #53: Query, Synopsis and Full Manuscript Critique

AGE RANGE: Middle Grade through Adult

GENRE PREFERENCES: Contemporary, Thriller/Suspense, Romance, Magical Realism, Gothic and/or Psychological Horror, Ghost Stories

SPECIALTIES or RESTRICTIONS: I’m not well versed in Picture Books or Epic and Urban Fantasy, so I probably wouldn’t be the best person to critique those. Young Adult and New Adult are my forte, but I read across all categories.

TURNAROUND TIME: 2 weeks

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Sonia Hartl

ITEM #52: Full Manuscript Critique

AGE RANGE: YA/MG

GENRE PREFERENCES: Any

SPECIALTIES or RESTRICTIONS: No verse novels

TURNAROUND TIME: 3 weeks

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Stacey Trombley

ITEM #51: Full Manuscript Critique

AGE RANGE: Young Adult

GENRE PREFERENCES: Contemporary (her favorite!), Historical, Paranormal, Fantasy

SPECIALTIES or RESTRICTIONS: Great at copy editing, character development, detail work, filling plot holes, providing insight into the publishing process

TURNAROUND TIME: 3 weeks

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Rachel Lynn Solomon

ITEM #50: Full Manuscript Critique

AGE RANGE: MG or YA

GENRE PREFERENCES: Any, except Horror

SPECIALTIES or RESTRICTIONS: In addition to fiction, I’m also a playwright, so could critique any genre/age level of stage play. In fiction, I personally write contemporary, but I read widely and am comfortable critiquing across genres.

TURNAROUND TIME: 1 month

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Joy McCullough-Carranza

ITEM #49: Full Manuscript Critique

AGE RANGE: YA – Adult/Erotica

GENRE PREFERENCES: Romance, Contemporary, Urban Fantasy

SPECIALTIES or RESTRICTIONS: YES: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary, Urban Fantasy. NO: Epic Fantasy or Hard Sci-Fi

TURNAROUND TIME: 1 month

STARTING BID: $10

(Help one survivor get the support she/he needs!)

Donated by Tamara Mataya