Social Media and Author Websites
“Build a More Effective Author Website” by Jane Friedman <-- 5 must-have elements and 5 common mistakes of an author website.
“Should Your Author Blog be About Writing?” by J.A. Bennett <—A take on writing what you want on your blog.
“Goodbye, Google Friend Connect – Now What?” by Jami Gold <—Are you building your platform on shaky ground?
“The 5-Part Recipe for Profitable Unpopularity” by Sonia Simone on Copyblogger.com <—For those days when social media begins to feel like halls of a high school.
“The Pinterest Problem” by Marcy Kennedy on Girls with Pens <—Before joining the newest social media program, read this.
“Can Blogging Help Your Writing Process?” by Jenny Hansen on More Cowbell <—How blogging can truly help your writing.
““Social Media Explained” by Lydia Sharp on The Sharp Angle <—Here’s your giggle for the week.
“Four Ways to Make Your Own Luck Using Social Media” by Alexis Grant, guest post on Rachelle Gardner’s blog <—4 tips to social media success.
“Who Will Rule Social Media? Introverts vs. Extroverts” by Kristen Lamb <—Hmm…great question! Love the new vlogging vids!
“Enough With the Quid Pro Quo Blogging Etiquette – Free Yourself” by Roni Loren <—It’s *OK* if you don’t follow the ‘unwritten rules’ of blogging.
On the Craft
“TTYU Retro: What Does Choice of Point of View (POV) Mean? How Does it Challenge a Writer?” by Juliette Wade on TalkToYoUniverseBlog <— Quick review of the POV options a writer has, the pros and cons of each, and examples from published works to bring the message of each home.
“Understanding the “Show Don’t Tell” Rule” by Ali on Aliventures <—You can never read too many posts on this one!
“Stop Using the Word ‘Some’” by Joe Bunting on The Write Practice <—Another word to add to your list of words-I-need-weed-out-and-hit-delete-on.
“When Writing, Take Your Time” by Ava Jae on Writability <—A writer’s take on slowing down during the drafting process vs. spitting it out via the fast draft process.
“What ‘Finding Nemo’ Can Teach Us About Story Action” by Kristen Lamb on Warrior Writers <—A great movie analysis of a favorite children’s movie and how to incorporate that into your writing.
“6 Ways to Develop Your Voice” by Marcy Kennedy on Girls with Pens <—7 ways to develop the voice in your writing.
“Refining Dialogue” by Nicole Steinhaus on YA Stands <—Quick and easy tips to make your dialogue sparkle.
“Footloose and Not So Fancy Free: Four Ways to Update an Old (And Familiar) Stories” by Janice Hardy <—Taking a classic plot and making it fresh through backstories, stakes, setting and perspective.
“8 Tips to Turning ‘Real Life’ Into Bestselling Fiction” by Anne R. Allen <—Quick and easy read with great tips to take with you on the road to becoming a bestselling author.
“Drama Comes From Making Us Care” by Roz Morris on Nail Your Novel <—What is drama and where it comes from.
“Do Writers Get Better the Longer They Write?” by Jody Hedlund <—I’d like to think so – as long as we’re committed to it!
“The Author’s Bucket List on Plot Structure” by Jordan Dane on The Kill Zone <—Thoughts on the 3-act structure and the storyboard method of plotting.
Writerly Inspiration
“So You Want To Be a Writer…” by Lisa Gail Green on Paranormal Point of View <—5 pros and 5 cons of writing to remind you that this journey is worth it!
“Grab a Hoe and Let’s Go” by C.S. Lakin on Live Write Thrive <—Getting rid of the old views, thinking and methods and realizing that 1,000 true fans is all you really need to be a successful author.
On Editing, Critiquing, Querying, Publishing and more…
“The Immortality of Books by Annie Neugebauer <— Very interesting post about why book blurbs. synopses, reviews and query letters are written in present tense.
“When a Man Loves a Book: Character vs. Plot” by Lyn Midnight <—How quick do you fall in love with a book?
“DRM Isn’t the Answer, But It’s Not Not the Answer Either” by Nathan Bransford <—Great take on DRM and some possible solutions to the policy that will satisfy readers and owners of e-readers.
“Know Your Competition” by Rachelle Gardner <—Knowing and assessing books similar to yours so you’re prepared to provide comps for your book to your agent and/or publisher.
“Write Tips: Cat Rambo’s Developmental Editing Checklist” by Bryan Thomas Schmidt <—What to look for after you’ve edited for the basics.
“5 Tips for Writing a Novel/Memoir Synopsis” by Chuck Sambuchino on Writer Unboxed <—More tips on writing the ‘dreaded’ synopsis.
“25 Ways to UnF***k Your Story” by Chuck Wendig on Terribleminds <—A how-to list for fixing your novel when something just isn’t jiving like it should.
“From Sparkly to Sexy to Scary: A Statistical Analysis of 6 Popular Vampire Myths” by Pavarti K. Tyler on Huffington Post Books <—Great look at the many different interpretations of the vampire and how they stack up against the top 5 criteria set forth for their kind, and each other.
“Curing Author Ignorance: Porter Anderson Talks Publishing Trends, Intelligent Writing & Editing’s Secret” by Matt Gartland on Winning Edits <—Amazing interview!
“Ask Jami: Editing Tips – Tightening Scenes” by Jami Gold <—Great tips on how to tighten up those looong sections in your writing.
“The Dark Side of YA – and free Kindle books!” by Alexandra Sokoloff <—Is there such a thing as YA being *too* dark?
“That’s So Annoying: Adding Small Problems to Your Plot” by Janice Hardy <—Assistance will all the little annoying issues!
“Can’t Make It To a Writer’s Conference? Not to Worry” by Mary Kennedy on Books & Such Literary Agency Blog <—When life gets in the way and you can’t make it to that conference.
“Finding a Publisher: 10 Steps to Success Part One” by Author Fred Hurr on Wordserve Water Cooler <—Easy step-by-step instructions on finding that publisher.
This week on the blog:
Happy Reading and Writing, everyone!!!
Melinda
