And I apologize in advance for not responding quickly on any comments – I promise to catch up when we return on Sunday! :0)
Playing on the Zune: Save Me From Myself by Christina Aguilera.
Social Media and Author Websites
“All About Web Space for Authors” by Sierra Godfrey on Roni Loren’s blog, Fiction Groupie <—Now I’m debating on moving to a site entirely – I love having a bit more control. *smile*
“Do You Need a Social Media Intervention?” by Angela Ackerman on The Bookshelf Muse <—If you’re experiencing the symptoms of platform and social media overload, Angela has got the cure for you! A Must-Read!
“How to Effectively Use Twitter for Authors” by Melissa K. Norris on The Wordserve Cooler <—Great tips! Now I’m making effective use of lists!
“Why I Don’t Auto-Follow Back” by Ava Jae on Writability <—Great analysis of why we shouldn’t auto-follow tweeps.
“What Is the Goal of Ranting?” by Jami Gold <—Don’t ever insult authors or readers, especially on the web, it spreads like wildfire and your career just may find itself swallowed by flames. A Must-Read!
On the Craft
“From Blank Page to Published Book” by Roni Loren on Anita Philmar’s blog <—The journey of a story from draft to the shelf.
“Advantages of Writing a Fast Draft” by Lynda R. Young <—After reading this, are you still debating on whether or not this route is for you?
“Through the Trapdoor – JK Rowling’s Blueprint for the Harry Potter Series” by S.P. Sipal on Harry Potter for Writers <—Analysis of how JKR played with her readers by leaving clues, foreshadowing what was to come. A Must-Read!
“Crabbit’s Tips for Writers: 5 Ingredients of Poor Writing” by Nicola Morgan on Help! I Need a Publisher! <—Great tips on what NOT to do!
“Pacing for Pantsers” by Lisa Gail Green on Paranormal Point of View <—Also great advice for those who have crossed-over to the dark side of plotting.
“Writing Kickass Action Scenes: Part One & Part Two” by S.J. Kincaid on Seeing Creative <—Great analysis on action scenes!
“Don’t Tell Us She’s Special. Show Us.” by Roz Morris on Nail Your Novel <—You can never have too much advice on this particular topic.
“Lending Realism to the Paranormal” by Lisa Gail Green on Mystery Writing is Murder <—Five features that are imperative to creating ‘realistic’ paranormal. A Must-Read!
“Getting a Scene from Brain to Paper” by Kat Zhang on The Katacomb <—How to coax the scene out, little by little. A Must-Read!
“What’s Their Story? Discovering the Front Story of Your Non-Point of View Characters” by Janice Hardy <—Taking a look at you secondary characters to find what it is they want, what their goals are.
“Head Hopping and Hemingway” by Joe Bunting on The Write Practice <—Ground rules for changing POV’s in your story.
“5 Tips for Writing an Effective Plot Twist” by David Lazar on Write It Sideways <—Toss your reader into the mix and try and unexpected kill? These are my kind of plot twists! *grin*
“4 Techniques for Creating Believable Villains” by Roseann Biederman on Writer’s Digest <—Tips from James Scott Bell’s book, Conflict and Suspense.
“Catching Your World on Paper” by Danyelle Leafty on QueryTracker.net <—Three main components to consider when building the world of your novel.
“Constructing Your Opposite Turning Points in Story Structure – Part One and Part Two” by Lydia Sharp on The Sharp Angle <—Analysis of a story’s structure. A Must-Read!
“Writing is Rewriting” by Joe Moore on The Kill Zone <—Tackling the rewriting process.
“What Project Runway Taught Me About Explanations” by Veronica Roth <—Learning how to get your message across to the reader without explaining it to them or causing them to feel small.
Writerly Inspiration
“WIP Writing Exercises to Recharge Your Creativity” by Martina Boone on Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing <—Writing exercises to help recharge your battery before diving back into your story. A Must-Read!
“How to Find Original Ideas When You Have None” by Jody Hedlund <—Advice on getting that brain of yours to churn and create new – and possibly original – ideas. A Must-Read!
On Editing, Critiquing, Querying, Publishing and more…
“Write Tips: 9 Free Ways to Market Your Book” by Brian Thomas Schmidt <—Did you say free, Brian? We like free!
“Results from Writers Digest Conference 2012” by Lisa Wilson-Hall on Girls with Pens <—If you’re like me and are bummed that you missed the conference this year, Lisa lets you in on what you missed (which is enticing enough to ensure you’re there next year).
“Celebrating Bad Reviews” by Mike Mullin on The League of Extraordinary Writers <—Don’t feel bad when you receive or have to give a bad review.
“Speed Up Your Editing in Word” on The Write Technology <—Tips and tricks to help move the process along – a bit faster, I might add.
“What Writers Need to Know About Formatting (FAQs)” by Brian A. Klems on Writer’s Digest <—One stop shop on formatting that MS.
“25 Things Writers Should Know About Agents” by Chuck Wendig on Terribleminds <—How to do your homework and commit to both querying for an agent and making that relationship work. A Must-Read!
“Do You Call Yourself a Writer or an Author” by Jami Gold <—Great piece that taught me to gather some more self-confidence and call myself an author due to my ultimate goal of becoming published. A Must-Read!
Happy Reading and Writing, everyone!!!
Melinda
