Social Media and Author Websites
“Finding Your Writing Tribe” by Daniel Swensen on SurlyMuse <—Tips on creating that all-important, online group of peeps to talk to, share experiences and learn from.
“5 Ways Writers Can Break Out of the Tired Old Social Media Box” by Aubre Andrus on Copyblogger <—Teaching old writers new tricks! A Must-Read!
“Will Only Those Who Shout the Loudest Be Heard?” by Jody Hedlund <—Learning how to step outside your comfort zone/knowing consistency/qualist is way better than quantity. A Must-Read!
“Do Blog Tours Sell Books?” by Roni Loren <—Interesting post on whether or not the hard work behind a blog tour actually sells the book its promoting.
“Yet Another Reason You Should Blog” by Ava Jae on Writability <—How writing a blog post causes you to sit down, learn and think about the topics you choose before sharing them thus, making you a better a writer.
On the Craft
“Scene and Structure: Make Something Happen!” by Daniel Swensen on SurlyMuse <—Structure your scenes correctly so they’re not dry, dull and boring.
“Game Changer: Create an Inner Dialogue Within Your Hero and Your Villain” by Larry Brooks on Storyfix <—Bringing complexity to not only your hero, but your villain.
“Expanding Beyond Your Genre (and meet Brad Pitt) by Stina Lindenblatt <—Great recommendations for books on the craft (geared towards screenwriters).
“Another Word About Voice” by Lynn Price on Behler Blog <—Great advice on voice from an editorial director.
“How Should Writers Research? All at Once or as Needed?” by Jody Hedlund <—Advice on the best way to complete your research before and after writing that first draft.
“Use Selective, Visual Details to Power Your Writing” by Martina Boone on Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing <—How to keep too much detail out of your writing.
“The Empty World – Is Your Novel Eerily Deserted?” by Roz Morris on Nail Your Novel <—Adding in those extras to prevent your novel from being too quiet.
“25 Things You Should Know About Story Structure” by Chuck Wendig on Terribleminds <—The man does it again! Awesome points to think about when plotting, outlining, and editing that story. A Must-Read!
“KM Weilan on Reverse Outlining” on The Bookshelf Muse <—Working backwards for a simple outlining process. A Must-Read!
“Opening Chapters” by Nancy J. Cohen on The Kill Zone <—Checklist for how to write the perfect opening chapters of your novel.
“Think Backward to Write Meaningful Metaphors” by Sarah Baughman on Write It Sideways <—Tips on how to write awesome metaphors!
Writerly Inspiration
“My Favorite Writing Advice: Failing on the Page” by Shelli Johnson <—“Perfectionism will kill your writing goals.”
“Rules Rule” by Nicola Morgan on Help! I Need a Publisher <—Inspiring to know an author had distraction issues back in the 1930’s – and that he pushed through it with rules!
“25 Ways to Come Up With Great Ideas for Your Writing” by Ali on Aliventures <—Tips on how to bring that inspiration to you for awesome ideas (small section dedicated to bloggers).
“7 Things I Learned Last Week from Stephen King” by A. Victoria Mixon <—No writer can pass up the opportunity to learn writing lessons from Stephen King! A Must-Read!
“Learning to Fall” by Lynda R. Young <—Learn how to fall before you can learn how to fly.
“Inspirations, aka, Where Do Ideas Come From?” by Lydia Sharp on The Sharp Angle <—Sparking ideas from the even the smallest of tasks (even when you’re not looking for them).
“A Journey Worth Taking” by R.M. Clark on Tina Moss’s blog <—Interesting journey of a MG author from completed/polished draft to published.
“Training to Be a Career Author – Writing is More than the Writing” by Kristen Lamb <—Inspiring read on taking the challenges in this writing life and conquering them.
“So You Want to Be a Writer” by Ava Jae on Writability <—Inspiring and awesome open letter to new writers.
On Editing, Critiquing, Querying, Publishing and more…
“Author Anxiety” by PW Creighton <—The cold hard truth about first-time author stresses and anxiety.
“The Importance of a Mentor” by Ken Gire, guest post on Rachelle Gardner’s blog <—The importance of giving back and feeding your talents when you’re not writing.
“Before THE Call: Ten Tasks to Complete Before an Agent Calls” by Lynette Labelle <—Simple-yet-important checklist of what you need to start doing now before receiving that offer of representation. A Must-Read!
“Why a Small Press?” by Alicia Rasley, guest post on Harry Potter for Writers <—The advantages of going with a small publisher. A Must-Read!
“20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes” by Jon Gingerich on Lit Reactor <—Checklist to ensure you don’t make these mistakes before hitting the send button.
“Crafting Your 90-Second Pitch” by Marcy Kennedy on Girls with Pens <—Great tips for that all-important moment of pitching to an agent or editor. A Must-Read!
“There are NO Exceptions” by Scott Eagan <—Interesting rant-type post from an agent on how our stories are not the exception to the rules.
“How to Get Published – Part 1” by Lynda R. Young <—Tips of what you can do now in order to become a published author.
“What Makes Your Feel Legitimate” by Jami Gold <—Thought-provoking post on what makes you feel as if you have talent and that you should be doing what you’re doing. A Must-Read!
“We’re Ready for Revision Pre-Flight: Top 10 Self-Editing Tips” by Janice Hardy <—Quick and easy checklist for a smooth editing process!
“Back to Basics – Writing a Query (slash) Pitch (slash) Jacket Blurb” by Lydia Sharp on The Sharp Angle <—Tips and examples on how to write everything in the title.
“If I Only Had More Time” on The Write Technology <—Using the Pomodoro method as a basis for time management.
“The Role of Editors: A Writer’s Viewpoint” by Juliet Marillier on Writer Unboxed <—Recognizing the important role that your editor plays in your writing development. A Must-Read!
Here on the blog in case you missed it: Writing Lessons Learned from The Breakfast Club
Happy Reading and Writing, everyone!!!
Melinda
