This Week in Favs……

10) “Read Like a Writer” by Lisa Gail Green on Paranormal Point of View. Ah, yes!!! Someone finally said it. Once again, Lisa gets you thinking and I couldn’t agree with her more on this point. When I read, I read for the enjoyment of reading and getting lost in another world. If I start to dissect a book, then I’m never going to get past certain chapters. Then I’ll end up closing the book and never picking it up again.      BUT <—here’s my but on this one: If the novel was that good, then I’ll read it again, but the 2nd time will be as a writer, not as a reader. That is because I want to know what kept me so enthralled, what structured their story and its subplots, and mostly, I really just want to learn how that author managed to keep me up all night!

9) “Is Fear Holding You Back?” by Ava Jae, a guest post on Harry Potter for Writers. My answer: “Why yes it is…at times…” This is a great piece and I have to say that I wasn’t ready to face my fears again and I haven’t really had too many of them since I started my blog and met some wonderful and talented writers. But now I’m back at the crossroads of fear since my current WIP is almost finished with its last round of edits – which means I’m about to pass it onto my CP…and that in itself scares me half to death, though I really don’t know why. After reading this particular article, I feel a lot better about it and can’t wait to get some feedback! :0)

8) “When Rules are Meant to be Broken: The List” and “When Rules are Meant to be Broken: The Whole Story” by Tina Moss (2nd article is a guest post on Yelena Casale’s blog). I love it when I can break the rules!!! We all know the standard rules of writing that are floating around out there, right? Well, Tina lists just a few for us this week – crossing my fingers that we may see more from her – and what she says truly holds true for all writers: “Do what works for your story.” As an example: if what works for your story are short, choppy sentences that flow incredibly well, then do it! Your beta readers and CP will tell you if they’re working or not, but don’t be afraid to bend or break the rules every now and then. Write, learn, break or bend the rules sometimes. It’s completely okay…it isn’t going to kill anyone.

7) “What Your Character’s Favorite Fairy Tale Says About Them” by Jeannie Campbell, The Character Therapist. Now this was a great post! I’d never thought of this before, but by finding out what your character’s favorite fairy tale is, you get to know them a whole lost better. It gives you a window into what their life script is. I have a whole new perspective on a few of my characters now that I know what their favorite fairy tales are. Get over there and read this, learn it and give it a try on your own characters. You’ll enjoy the process…trust me!

6) “You Got My Attention, But Where’s the Action?” by Beth Hill on The Editor’s Blog. Here’s a little lesson on action in stories – from opening with action, to writing it into the middle of the story and the actions that give personality to characters. The article is a little long, but it definitely holds some great lessons within its words, so it has been printed and placed in my notebook for future reference. These are the types of posts that I enjoy perusing through and learning from, and it’s one of the many reasons I started this Friday round-up to begin with. There is no shortage of information on the craft within the blogosphere…especially not on this blog.

5) “Surprise!” by Donald Maass on Writer Unboxed. I love learning from Mr. Maass and this article was no exception! In this article, he teaches us to bring the surprise to our stories. If the reader sees a plot twist coming from a mile away, then how are we going to keep them interested in our story?!? Well, one way to avoid that is by doing the following: “Appoint yourself God. Survey your story from on high. This story of yours has grown complacent. It’s taking you for granted. It’s not thankful enough. It needs to be humbled. Think of a nasty disaster to throw at it. Toss it down like a bolt of lighting. Take that! Ha! Teach it a lesson.” Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Oops – sorry, but you get the point. Go check this one over the weekend. You’ll be rubbing your hands together with an evil grin on your face as you think of the many ways you can teach your MS a lesson.

4) “Internal Dialogue: The Voices in Your Head” by Lisa Hall-Wilson on Girls with Pens. I don’t know about you, but I personally love a little internal dialogue within my stories. I enjoy diving into a character’s thought process every now and then to find out what is motivating them to make some of their decisions. And sometimes, the internal thoughts are hilarious! Lisa breaks it down a little on the what/how of internal dialogue, and even as a writer that is very familiar with it, I still enjoyed hearing what she had to say on the subject. I even took away a great tip or two that I plan on implementing in the near future.  ;0)

3) “Family Stories” by S.P. Sipal on Harry Potter for Writers. Wow! Not only did I thoroughly enjoy getting to know Susan a little better through this article, but I felt a slam as I reached the end and read the following words: “Because from one culture to another, from one age to the new, from my family to yours, Story is what unites us. Story is the power of meaning that flows eternally through human blood.” Do you want your weekly dose of inspiration? Get over there and read this article. You will not be disappointed. 

2) “Have You Given Yourself Permission?” by Jami Gold. Well…. I’m a touch OCD – if you know what I mean. There…I said it! So no, I have not been giving myself permission like I should. This week especially, I’ve been beating myself up over not spending time writing even though things with my day job have been insanely busy, therefore leaving me with almost zero time to do anything when I get home from work. With that said, I think I’ll forgive myself for being MIA this week in the blogging world and on Twitter, and more importantly, for not spending time with my Muse <- who has been pretty lonely all week and is now punishing me by not showing up when I have a scene that must be written for a workshop I’m taking. Grrr……But anyway, this was a beautifully timed article for me this week, and I highly recommend writers read this so they can also begin to forgive themselves for lying low for a bit….or for not giving themselves some time away from keyboard.

1) Considering the kind of week I’ve had (two weeks to be honest), I’m more than happy that the weekend is finally here! So, to celebrate, I’m going to do a little jig when I leave the office at 5pm and sing the following tune at the top of my lungs in the car all the way home (it’s one of my favorite moments from one of my favorite TV shows, Family Guy). I hope you enjoy!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!


Happy Reading & Writing!
Melinda