Links of Interest to Writers

Articles to help your writing soar!

• Bustle:  Here's the Scientific Reason Why You Get Lost in a Book by Caitlin White @caitforestell

• Mashable:  9 Writers on the Inspiring Books That Shaped Them by Molly Horan @mashable

• QueryTracker:  How to Survive Writing Through the Holiday Season by Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL @QueryTracker

• Write to Done:  7 Ways to Keep Writing When You Feel Like Giving Up by Alison Breen @Alisontbreen @WritetoDone

• Jody Hedlund:  How to Make Your Book Play Out Like a Movie @JodyHedlund

Links of Interest to Writers

Writing advice to get you motivated!

• Babbles from Scott Eagan:  Adding Depth to Your Stories @greyhausagency
• Great advice on how to add depth by getting into your character's head.

• Julie Musil:  What To Do Before You're Published by C. Lee McKenzie @cleemckenzie
• Steps you can talk to become known before your first book comes out.

• Michelle4Laughs:  Query Questions with Jessica Watterson  @JessWatterson @Michelle4Laughs (Michelle Hauck)
• In the process of writing your query? Jessica Watterson offers advice on what to include and what to leave out!

• Write Into Print:  Self Editing 4 Fiction #7 Interior Monologue posted by Stef Mcdaid @WriteIntoPrint 
• What is your character thinking? We really want to know!

• Janice Hardy's Fiction University:  Sharing the Spotlight:  How Much Page Time Do Your Supporting Characters Need by Janice Hardy @Janice_Hardy
• How much is too much when writing your supporting characters? Do they take over the story or are they barely there?

Links of Interest to Writers

I always take time to read a little something about writing before doing the actual writing to get the brain cells activated.

• Live Write Thrive:  5 Writer Goals to Help You Avoid Overwhelm by C. S. Lakin @LiveWriteThrive
• It's so easy to become overwhelmed when trying to do everything that is required to become an author. Perhaps it's more important to discover what you need to do rather than try to do it all. 

• BookLife:  Everyone Needs an Editor by Allison Schiff @booklife
• I've read so many books recently that could have benefited from the assistance of a good editor. Don't think you need one? That's why you need to read this article!

• The Review Review:  How to Make the First Cut in a Writing Contest by Sara Backer 
• I've judged a few writing contests. The advice in this article is sound. The contests I judged waited until the contest was closed before distributing the submissions, so suggestion number one didn't apply, but I would always assume the opposite when submitting to be safe.

• Write to Done:  Lost Your Motivation to Write? The One Thing that Helps by Len Markidan @LenMarkidan @WritetoDone 
• Wonderful suggestion about breaking your to do list into hard and easy tasks and checking your motivation peaks and valleys to decide which task to do. Going to try this!

• Writers Helping Writers:  Pulse on Pacing:  How Smooth Transitions Keep Your Story Moving by Angela Ackerman @AngelaAckerman 
• Pacing is so important for readers. You can have great characters, an interesting plot, and an exotic setting, but if the pacing is slow or choppy, you can lose your reader.

Links of Interest to Writers

After reading these articles about writing, you can't help but sit down and write!

• Writer's Digest/Guide to Literary Agents Blog:  11 Steps to Finding The Agent Who'll Love Your Book, Guest Column by Lori Rader-Day @LoriRaderDay; Blog by Chuck Sambuchino @ChuckSambuchino
• Are you looking for an agent? Great ideas here.

• Publishers Weekly:  Spring 2015 Children's Sneak Previews compiled by Shannon Maughan @PublishlersWkly
• Start your list of books to read next spring! Always fun to see what's ahead.

• Highlights Foundation:  Why You Should Be Outlining by Alan Gratz @AlanGratz
• Author Alan Gratz offers some interesting ways to include your research in your outline so you can sit down and concentrate on writing your book.

• Copyblogger:  The Prepared Writer's Process for Creating Excellent Content Every Day by Katie a.k.a The Wellness Mama @wellnessmama
• Ways to assist you in sitting down every day to writer - adaptable to any type of writing.

• K.M. Weiland/Helping Writers Become Authors:  10 Best Tools to Make Writing More Successful, Organized, and Effective by Sandra Miller @KMWeiland
• Some great apps mentioned in this article that I hadn't head about yet.

Links of Interest to Writers

Information on writing I've found helpful!

• TED Talks:  Success, Failure and the Drive to Keep Creating by Elizabeth Gilbert @GilbertLiz
• Yes, even Elizabeth Gilbert received rejection slips. In this video she shares how she could carry on despite the success of Eat, Pray, Love.

• The BookBaby Blog:  Writing by Hand, or Typing:  When Are You The Most Creative? by Chris Robley @ChrisRobley
• Interesting question. I've found that my writing is different when I write by hand versus writing on the computer. I don't know that's it more creative, but I've found it helpful to switch off, especially when I'm stuck or confused about my writing.

• Write for Kids: Top Editor Emma Dryden on Working with Editors and Acting Professionally  @drydenbks @write4kids
• I heard Emma Dryden speak at an SCBWI Oregon Retreat. This video has great information about working with an independent editor.

• Beyond Paper Editing: 25 Word Lists for Writers by Corina Koch MacLeod @CKmacleodwriter
• Writers love lists! In this blog post, we find links to lists of Needless Words, Craft Words, Genre Words, Words from Other Languages, Misused & Mispelled Words.

• Aine Greaney, Writer:  6 Lame Writer Excuses (and 6 Reality Checks) @AineGreaney
• After reading this, you won't have an excuse not to write today!

Links of Interest to Writers

Information to help you find a new way to look at your writing!

• Jami Gold, Paranormal Author:  How to Use Layers to Show Intense Emotions @JamiGold
• Emotions connect readers to characters. This is an area I'm always struggling with - to show what the character is feeling, not just what they're doing.

• Toby Neal:  6 Beautiful Ways to Recharge This Summer @tobywneal
•  I'm definitely going to put some of these into action this summer. I love the idea of sitting on the patio with my cup of coffee in the morning planning my day. And stretching - oh, yes, the stretching really helps recharge!

• Willamette Writers Blog:  Graph Your Novel (Seriously!) by Amber Keyser @Amberjkeyser
• I personally know Amber and have found her creatively logical mind to be a inspirational fountain of ideas. Anything she recommends, I'm going to try! I loved graphing equations in school. Why not attempt to graph my novel? 

• Scientific American Blogs:  The Controlled Chaos of Creativity by Scott Barry Kaufman @sbkaufman
• Interesting research into creativity. Hmmm, not sure whether I believe that poetry is more creative than prose.

• Wise Ink:  The Top 5 Free Apps that Help You Write Your Novel @Wiseink
• I've found Hemingway an especially helpful app for analyzing your writing and I've heard great things about Evernote. Looking forward to trying the others on this list.

Links of Interest to Writers

Writing is art, writing is also craft. Here's a little help:

• Jane Friedman:  How to Create Your First Booktrack (and Get 2,000 New Readers) Guestpost by Laurence MacNaughton @LMacNaughton @JaneFriedman

• Plot Whisperer:  Emotional Elements of Plot:  Stories that Last Evoke Emotion by Martha Alderson @plotwhisperer

• My Book Therapy:  The Great Debate! Story vs Structure by Rachel Hauck @RachelHauck @MyBookTherapy

• Julie Musil:  Stuck in Your Story? Try Roadmapping Guestpost by Laurisa White Reyes @lwreyes @juliemusil

• Tony Neal:  6 Beautiful Ways to Recharge This Summer @tobywneal

• Positive Writer:  3 Myths That Hold Your Best Writing Back by Bryan Hutchinson @ADDerWORLD

Links of Interest to Writers

Love to write? Here are some great articles about writing!

• Writers Helping Writers:  Story Midpoint & Mirror Moment:  Using a Hero's Emotions to Transform Them by Angela Ackerman @AngelaAckerman

• Mythic Scribes:  Names in Fantasy - 3 Ways to Invent Names for Characters and Creatures by Grace Robinson @StorytellerGRL @Mythicscribes

• Writer's Circle:  6 Free Writing Podcasts 

• Charlotte Rains Dixon:  Building Your Fictonal World @Wordstrumpet

• Lynnette LaBelle:  8 Things to Do Before Launching a Book @LynnetteLaBelle

• Bestseller Labs:  10 Key Questions That Can Determine Your Success As a Writer by Jonathan Gunson @JonathanGunson

Links of Interest to Writers

Click a link to expand your writing horizons.

• Writer's Village:  Could this "Magic" Trick Rescue Your Story? (Write a Frame Story) by John Yeoman @Yeomanis

• Wordserve Water Cooler:  Organizing Ideas into an Outline Christina M.H. Powell @dr_christina

• A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing:  Switching Points of View Without Losing Your Reader by Livia Blackburne @lkblackburne

• Kidlit.com:  Secrets to a Good Logline by Mary Kole @Kid_Lit

• Creative Writing with the Crimson League:  Two Ways to Introduce Flashbacks:  That Emphasize Very Different Things by Victoria Grefer @vgrefer

• Moody Writing:  The Escalation of Complications by @mooderino

Links of Interest to Writers

Reading, writing, reading about writing, writing about reading, reading good writing, repeat!

• Social Media Today:  SMTookbox:  Tips and Tools for Mastering Google Plus from Martin Shervington @MartinSherv Posted by Steve Rayson @SteveRayson 

• Mary Carroll Moore:  How to Keep Your Writing in Your Over-the-Top Busy Life:  Helpful Techniques from the Experts @writeabook

• Beyond Paper Editing:  Why Editors Use Word--Authors Can Harness Word's Powers, Too! by Corina Koch MacLeod @CKmacleodwriter

• Social Media Just for Writers:  8 Tips for Writers Using Pinterest by Frances Caballo @CaballoFrances

• The Narrative Breakdown:  Character Goals and Philosophies [Podcast] with Matt Bird, Cheryl Klein, and James Monohan @chavelaque

• iO9:  The Universal Shapes of Stories According to Kurt Vonnegut by Robert T. Gonzalez @rtg0nzalez @iO9

Links of Interest to Writers

Do a little reading about writing to get you in the mood!

• The Write Now! Coach:  5 Ways to Use a Journal to Boost Writing Productivity by Rochelle Melander @WriteNowCoach

• The Purple Crayon/Harold Underdown:  Who's Moving Where?  News & Staff Changes at Children's Book Publishers @HUnderdown This frequently updated page on The Purple Crayon website keeps you in the loop on changes at publishing houses!

• Unleaded - Fuel for Writers:  No Outlining Involved:  5 Pre-Story Time Saving Tips for Pantsers by Linda Maye Adams @lindaadamsva 

• The Review Review:  21 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Writing:  Must-Read Advice for Writers at All Levels by Robin Black @Robin_Black

• Writers Helping Writers:  Get the Scoop on Fair Image Usage by Doug Langille  @douglangille @beccapuglisi 

• Bad Language:  16 Go-To Sources for Copyright-Cleared Images by by Katelyn Piontek @KatelynPiontek @mstibbe

Links of Interest to Writers

A little writing inspiration for your muse.

• Julie Musil:  Writing Retreats:  The Benefits, and How You Can Plan One Without Going Broke by Dean K. Miller @DeanKMiller @juliemusil

• Open Road Media:  The 12 Best Writing Fellowships & Retreats in the US @OpenRoadMedia

• Cynsations:  Guest Post:  Author-Editor Deborah Halverson on Setting, Wherefore Art Thou? @Dear_Editor @CynLeitichSmith

• Moody Writing:  Scene Simpatico @mooderino "Putting the reader into the character's shoes..."

• QueryTracker:  Books We Can't Live Without:  The Writer Version by Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL Great suggestions if you're looking for books on craft!

• Writer's Digest/Brian Klems' Blog:  The 5 C's of Writing a Great Thriller Novel by James Scott Bell @WritersDigest @BrianKlems @jamesscottbell 

Links of Interest to Writers

Here are some great posts about writing!

• Charlotte Rains Dixon:  8 Different Creative Practices @Wordstrumpet

• Thaddeus Hunt:  Writing and Tips:  Creating a Custom Project Template in Scrivener @thaddeushunt

• Jami Gold, Paranormal Author:  Blogging Tips, Tricks, and Knowing Your Goals @JamiGold 

• Writers' Village:  5 Practical Ways to Kill Your Characters by Stuart Aken @stuartaken

• The Creative Penn:  Productivity for Authors, Fighting Overwhelm and How I Am Refocusing My Workload by Joanna Penn @thecreativepenn 

• Lauren Sapala:  3 Tips for Finding Awesome Beta Readers @losapala

Links of Interest to Writers

Love to write? These links to articles about writing are for you!

• Writin Geekery:  A Balance of Strengths to Take Your Story Higher by MJ Bush @Writingeekery

• Wordcraft:  The Key to Suspense by Avi

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  How to Write Blog Content:  9 Tips to Entice Readers to Your Author Blog @annerallen

• Daily Writing Tips:  100 Exquisite Adjectives by Mark Nichol @writing_tips 

• Amanda Bumgarner:  Tips for Humor Writing (Part 1) (Part 2)

• Creative Writing Video Tutorials for the Multimedia Age:  If You Have a Great Character but No Plot by Cy Porter 

Links of Interest to Writers

Read and watch a little about the craft of writing. Here are some links to start with:

• The Seekers:  Five Things I Learned About Writing from Jack Reacher by Tina Radcliffe @TMRadcliffe

• Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast:  Peanut Butter and Jellyfish:  Jarrett J. Krosoczka Discusses His Picture-Book Process [Video]  @StudioJJK

• The Write Practice:  How to Improve Your Metaphors And Similes by Monica M. Clark @monicamclark @write_practice

• Fiction University:  Oh, That's Subtle:  The Little Things Holding a Story Back by Janice Hardy @Janice_Hardy

• Bane of your Resistance:  Action Map Your Way Out of Writers Resistance by Rosanne Bane @RosanneBane
• Action Map Your Way Out of Writers Resistance, Part 2
• Personalize the Action Map to Free Your Writing

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's some writing wisdom to motivate you today.

• Patricia C. Wrede:  Writing Scenes

• Books & Such Literary Management:  The Author-Agent Partnership:  Finding the Right Fit by Mary Keeley @marygkeeley

• Nathan Bransford:  8 Ways To Know If You Have a Good Agent @NathanBransford

• Write to Done:  2 Amazing Ways To Revise your Novel (And When To Use Them) by Darcy Pattison @FictionNotes, blog:  @WritetoDone

• The Blabbermouth Blog:  Five Things You Can Do To Improve Your Query Letter by Tara Slagle @TaraSlagle, blog: @LindaEpstein

• Jane Friedman-Writing, Reading, & Publishing in the Digital Age:  The Complete Guide to Query Letters That Get Manuscript Requests @JaneFriedman

Links of Interest to Writers

Gather inspiration from these articles about writing.

• JeriWB Author & Editor/Make Every Word Count: 10 Tips for Writing Poetic Prose by Jeri Walker-Bickett @JeriWB

• Writer UnBoxed:  10 Tips About Process by Brunonia Barry @BrunoniaBarry @WriterUnboxed

• The Webwriter Spotlight:  9 Things Exceptional Writers Habitually Do So Well by David K. William @DavidKWilliam @Writerspotlight

• Jami Gold, Paranormal Author:  Story Themes:  What's Your Worldview? @JamiGold

• 99U:  29 Ways to Stay Creative [Video] @99u

• Gail Carson Levine:  Character Flip Flop

Links of Interest to Writers

Looking for a bit of writing inspiration?

• Creative Writing Video Tutorials for the Multimedia Age:  Master Point of View by Cy Porter

• YA Muses:  Mental Revision Tools by Brett Ballou @BretBallou  @kalongshore @YAMuses

• Nillu Nasser Stelter, Fiction & Freelance Writer:  Owning Your Choices in Story-Telling and in Life @nzstelter

• Coffitivity:  If you find you are more creative in a coffee shop, Coffitivity will give you the coffee shop sounds without the high price of the coffee. "A gentle murmur to get the day started." @Coffitivity

• The Book Designer:  5 Things You Should Know About Working With Beta Readers by Corina Koch MacLeod @CKmacleodwriter and Carla Douglas @CarlaJDouglas @byondpapr; blog by @JFbookman

• Project Eve:  Combating Writer's Block:  Get Your Content Flowing Again by Bola Olonisakin @ProjectEve

Links of Interest to Writers

Here are some of my favorite blog posts about writing this week.

• The Creative Penn:  The Intentional Writer:  Finding the Time, Space, and Inspiration You Need to Write by Erin Bartels @ErinBartels @TheCreativePenn

• Marcy Kennedy:  Does Genre Still Matter in 21st Century Fiction? @Marcy Kennedy 

• Creative Writing With The Crimson League:  On Continuity in Creative Writing by Victoria Grefer @vgrefer

• The Bookbaby Blog:  3 Tips to Writing Action Scenes by Chris Robley @ChrisRobley @BookBaby 

• Elizabeth Spann Craig:  Twitterific Writing Links @elizabethscraig

• Writers in the Storm:  How to Avoid the Dreaded Dialogue Tag by Laura Drake @PBRWriter

Links of Interest to Writers

Want to read a little about writing? Here are some great places to start!

• Kidlit.Com:  Building Emotional Anticipation by Mary Kole @Kid_Lit (Note:  I'm currently reading Mary Kole's book Writing Irresistible Kidlit:  The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers. I'm discovering loads of great information and examples.)

• Moody Writing:  The Three Dimensions of Character @mooderino

• Bad Language:  Cheat Sheet:  We're Giving Away Our Proofreading Checklist by Clare Dodd @claredodd

• Writer Unboxed:  When the Thrill is Gone By Barbara O'Neal @WriterUnboxed  @barbaraoneal

• Open Culture:  Stephen King's Top 20 Rules for Writers @OpenCulture @StephenKing

• Babbles from Scott Eagan:  Query Letters 101 @greyhausagency

Links of Interest to Writers

Here are some writing gems to polish your prose.

• Brain Pickings:  Neil Gaiman on Why Scary Stories Appeal to Us, the Art of Fear in Children's Books, and the Most Terrifying Ghosts Haunting Society by Maria Popova @brainpickings @brainpicker @NeilHimself

• Write to Done:  How to Write a Poem (and Why This Will Help You Become a Better Writer) by Mary Jaksch @WritetoDone @Mary_Jaksch

• Writers Helping Writers:  Getting Quiet and Letting Go of Expectations by Alyssa Archer @beccapuglisi @TheWriterShip 

• BookBaby:  What Does a Style of Writing LOOK Like?  by Chris Robley @Chrisrobley @BookBaby

• Publishers Weekly:  My Self-Publishing Journey:  On Becoming an Indie Author by Paige Crutcher @PublishersWkly @PCrutcher

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  Building Platform:  What Most Writers are Getting Wrong @annerallen @RuthHarrisBooks

Links of Interest to Writers

A few blog posts on writing to get you motivated.

• Writability:  How to Sprinkle Background into Your WIP by Ava Jae @Ava_Jae

• Anna Staniszewski:  Getting into the Creative Zone @annastanisz

• Janet Reid, Literary Agent:  Question:  The Oft Maligned Prologue  @Janet_Reid

• Writing and Illustrating:  Tips on Writing A Synopsis Kathy Temean @KathyTemean

• Gail Carson Levine:  Vexing Complexity

• Writer's Digest:  25 Tips to Make You a Better Non-Fiction Writer by Mike Sager @therealsager @BrianKlems

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's a little writing inspiration for your reading pleasure.

• Lauren Sapala:  Trimming the Fat (a post about time) @losapala

• Seekerville:  Settings That Captivate Readers by Janet Dean @lihauthor

• Writing is Hard Work:  Dialogue and Description:  The Delicate Balance by Roger Colby @RogerDColby

• Positive Writer:  A Crazy Myth Writers Need to Kill by Bryan Hutchinson @ADDerWORLD

• Kayla Curry:  My Self-Publishing Journal:  The Costs @KaylaCurry1

• Sandy Appleyard:  Email Subscribers Lists:  The Why and The How @SandyAppleyard

Links of Interest to Writers

Tips for utilizing your writing time wisely!

• Creative Writing With The Crimson League:  The Pros and Cons of Writing on Paper First by Victoria Grefer @vgrefer

• QueryTracker:  Five Ways to Land an Agent by Stina Lindenbratt @StinaLL @QueryTracker

• Writer.ly:  The Importance of Hiring a Professional Editor by Archana Murthy @archiemurthy @WriterlyTweets

• Moody Writing:  Motivating Your Inner Writer by Mooderino @mooderino

• She Writes:  Kickstarter Isn't For Wimps by Elaine Soloway @ElaShapSolo

• Worddreams: 10 Tips From Toxic Feedback by Jacqui Murray @AskaTechTeacher

Links of Interest to Writers

A few gems on writing to inspire you!

• Creative Writing Video Tutorials for the Multimedia Age:  In Depth "Show Not Tell for Creative Writing by Cy Porter @drawnovel

• Author, Jody Hedlund  6 Key Things to Consider When Developing Characters @JodyHedlund 

• Clear Writing With Mr. Clarity:  Meaningless Nouns Make You Sound Phony by Joe Roy

• Fiction Notes:  Author Website Tech:  Professional Email by Darcy Pattison @FictionNotes

• Kate White:  How to Make Time for What You Love @katemwhite

• Catherine, Caffinated:  To Do:  A Social Media Spring Clean by Catherine Ryan Howard @cathryanhoward

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's a little info to get your started writing this morning:

• Creativity's Workshop:  Creative Action:  Freewrite About Your Writing Fears by Jessica Baverstock @JessBaverstock

• Writing is Hard Work:  5 Tips for Finishing a Writing Project by Roger Colby @RogerDColby

• FutureLearn:  Free Online Courses from leading UK and International Universities @FutureLearn

• Writer's Digest/Brian Klem's Blog:  8 Reasons Every Book Needs a Business Plan to Achieve Success by Nina Amir @NinaAmir

• Project Mayhem:  Considering Common Themes in  Middle Grade Books by Joseph McGee @mcgeejp

• LitReactor:  The Top 10 Reasons I May Have Rejected Your Short Story by Susan DeFreitas @manzanitafire

Links of Interest to Writers

How about a little writing inspiration?

• Middle Grade Minded:  5 Things Every Middle Grade Book Needs by Stacey Trombley @Trombolii @MGMinded 

• Bridget Whelen:  10 Rules for Writing a Synopsis

• Publisher's Weekly:  How to Write YA by Seth Fishman @SethFishman @PublishersWkly

• All Write - Fiction Advice:  How To Avoid Author Intrusion by A. J. Humpage @AJHumpage  

• QueryTracker:  The Rites of Feedback by Stina Lindenblatt @StinaLL

• NEA Arts Magazine:  Plainspoken Inspiration - interview with Sherman Alexie @Sherman_Alexie

Links of Interest to Writers

Fascinating reading about writing from writers' blogs:

• Reading and Writing are Fattening:  6 Ways to Entice Readers (How much of an e-book is read before it is tossed aside?) by Marla M. Madison

• Jane Friedman:  10 Apps to Help You Stay Focused on Your Writing by Frances Caballo @CaballoFrances @JaneFriedman

• Woven With Pixie Dust:  Picture Book University:  Character Driven Picture Books by Pam Calvert @PammCalvert

• Path of Possibility:  Are You Making Enough Mistakes? by Sage Cohen @SageCohen 

• Writers Digest/Guide to Literary Agents:  Word Count for Novels and Children's Books:  The Definitive Post by Chuck Sambuchino @ChuckSambuchino @Writersdigest

• Publisher's Weekly:  Children's Books:  A Shifting Market by Jim Milliot @PublishersWkly

Links of Interest to Writers

Words of wisdom about writing.

• Copyblogger:  The Lede:  How to Use Persuasive Words by Jerod Morris @JerodMorris @Copyblogger

• Mary Carroll Moore/How to Plan, Write, & Develop a Book:  Winter Doldrums? Ten Fun Exercises to Get Going on Your Writing Again @writeabook

• Everyone's Story:  Jim Denney:  Replacing Fear With Courage In Writing @WriterJimDenney @ElaineStock

• Writer's First Aid:  A Walking Idea Factory by Kristi Holl @KristiHoll

• Creative Writing with the Crimson League:  5 Strange Truths Authors Know About Productivity by Victoria Grefer @vgrefer

• M. J. Wright:  Essential Writing Tools:  Why Paper's an Essential Editing Tool  @MJWrightNZ

Links of Interest to Writers

Take some time to writing something special today. Here are some articles that might help you!

• All Write - Fiction Advice:  Redundancy in Fiction Writing by A.J. Humpage @AJHumpage

• Writers Helping Writers:  Using Emotional Discharge to Power Up Your Story by MJ Bush

• The Creative Penn:  Writing Tips:  Using Real Life Fear and Pain to Springboard Your Story by Eric Praschan  @EricPraschan @thecreativepenn

• Write To Done:  How to Write Children's Picture Books by Tara Lazar @taralazar @WritetoDone

• Artzicarol Ramblings:  Writing Sequences of Events by Carol Riggs @Artzicarol

• Babbles from Scott Eagan:  Edit Everything! @greyhausagency

Links of Interest to Writers

Do you like to read what people have to say about writing? I do! Just don't forget to write.

• Argh Ink:  Questionable:  Character Watch-ability by Jennifer Crusie @JennyCrusie

• The Plot Whisperer:  The 7 Essential Elements of Scene by Martha Alderson @plotwhisperer [video]

• Hemingway App - A new app to make your writing bold and clear. Great for editing! @HemingwayApp

• GalleyCat:  Louis Sachar:  "Always Be Willing to Rewrite" @GalleyCat

• Daily Infographic:  How To Keep Your Creativity Flowing @dailyinfographc

• A. Victoria Mixon:  4 Tricks for Improving Your Fiction in One Day @VictoriaMixon 

Links of Interest to Writers

Some reading on writing to get you motivated!

• MIT Course Materials:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) makes the materials used in the teaching of their subjects available on the web. You can find a list of the courses here. Lots of choices for Literature and  Writing

• Write To Done:  How To Make The Right Choices For Your Novel by K. M. Weiland @KMWeiland @WritetoDone

• The Atlantic:  Why Writers Are the Worst Procrastinators by Megan McCardle @asymmetricinfo

• Hiveword:  Free Online Novel Writing Organizer "Organize and plan your novel in one place from anywhere! @Hiveword

• Open Ticket:  Boys Will Be Boys, and Girls Will Be Accommodating by Laurel Snyder

• BookRiot:  Books for Boys and Books for Girls:  Problems with Gendered Reading by Kelly Jensen @catagator @BookRiot

Links of Interest to Writers

If you love to write, you'll want to read these articles about writing.

• BookBaby:  Setting Up Your Own Book Tour by Chris Robley, @ChrisRobley @BookBaby

• Unleaded - Fuel For Writers:  John Cleese on "5 Factors To Make Your Life More Creative" [Video] by Day Al-Mohamed @DayAlMohamed

• Writer Unboxed:  Is Your Book Good Enough for Publication? A Cold-Blooded Assessment by Jennie Nash, @jennienash  @WriterUnboxed

• SteamFeed:  8 Characteristics of Highly Effective Fan Pages by Mary Green  @MaryGreenIM @SteamFeedcom

• QueryTracker:  Conference DOs and DONTs by Rosie Genova @QueryTracker

• Writers Helping Writers:  Ask Questions to Find Your Story by C. S. Lakin @LiveWriteThrive 

Links of Interest to Writers

Writing, writing, writing, reading, reading, reading! Here's some interesting reading about writing.

• Blogging Funk:  Tips for Writing Picture Books:  The Illustrator Is Your Partner by Josh Funk, @papajfunk

• Eight Ladies Writing:  Justine:  Map Freak by Justine Covington, @AuthorJustineC

• As The Plot Thickens:  Juggling Act by Jennifer B. White, @JenniferBWhite (One author's look at juggling projects.)

• Fiction Notes:  OutTakes:  Publicity for Your Book by Darcy Pattison, @FictionNotes

• Writers Helping Writers - K. M. Weiland:  Why Gut Feelings Are a Writer's Secret Weapon by Harrison Demchick, @HDemchick, @KMWeiland

• From The Write Angle:  Decisions, Decisions:  Choosing the Conference That's Right For You by MarcyKate Connolly, @MarcyKate

Links of Interest to Writers

Some articles about writing for your reading pleasure.

• The Guardian:  Philip Pullman Calls Time on The Present Tense 

• Marcy Kennedy:  How is First Person POV Different? @MarcyKennedy

• Elizabeth Spann Craig:  Self-Publishing Mistakes, @elizabethscraig

• Writer's First Aid:  Principles of a Creative Life by Kristi Holl, @KristiHoll

• Positive Writer:  6 Quick Tips to Help You Tighten Up Your Writing by C. S. Lakin, @LiveWriteThrive

• Mary Carroll Moore - How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book:  Writing a Premise Statement for Your Book:  Inner and Outer Story Synopsis and Why It Helps Get You Published, @writeabook

Links of Interest to Writers

Read some great info about writing!

• Aliventures:  Take the Plunge:  How To (Finally) Start Your Novel by Ali Luke, @aliventures

• Beyond the Margins:  How to Start a Novel by Chris Abouzeid, @gripemaster

•  All Write - Fiction Advice:  Tempt, Tease and Tantalise by A. J. Humpage, @AJHumpage

• Jody Hedlund:  Character Motivations:  The Key to Gaining Ready Empathy, @JodyHedlund

• Copyblogger:  Have You Ever Thought About Starting Your Own Podcast? by Demian Farnsworth, @DemianFarnsworth

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  Six More Pieces of Bad Advice for Writers to Ignore, @annerallen

Links of Interest to Writers

We've got snow at my house! Excellent day to write and read about writing.

• Moody Writing:  Three Goals for Every Character

• Lynnette Labelle:  8 Common Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences

• Write Practice:  How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don't Feel Like It) by Joe Bunting

• C. Hope Clark:  How The Shy Writer Copes When She Hits a Wall (Podcast #11)

• Write To Done:  How to Revise Your Novel at a Glance by Darci Pattison (Darci's Shrunken Manuscript is a great way to see problems with your manuscript!)

• The Kill Zone:  Five Key Ingredients to Nurture a Story by Jordan Dane

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's some reading to inspire your writing!

• *Thup:  Memorable Characters by Erin Brown Conroy (Ideas to make your characters shine.)

• Men With Pens:  The Real Reason Why You Can't Write by Esther Litchfield-Fink

• Get Me Writing:  How to Achieve Effective Social Media Promotion for your Ebook by Matt Roberts 

• Novel Matters:  What Do Productive Writers Do To Meet Deadlines? by Latayne C. Scott

• Writer's Digest/Brian Klem's Blog:  How To Create An Antihero That Readers Love by Jessica Page Morrell

• Marcy Kennedy:  How is First POV Different? 

Links of Interest to Writers

Spend some time improving your writing craft!

• The Write Conversation:  Keep Writing -- Sometimes You Have to Go Through the Junk to Get to the Gems by Edie Melson

• Emu's Debuts:  Making Time by Megan Morrison

• Daily Writing Tips:  Showing Dialect in Dialogue by Maeve Maddox

• Writers Helping Writers:  Softening a Hard Character to Make Them Likable by Angela Ackerman

• Narrative Breakdown:  Middle Grade Fiction with Author Jill Santopolo

• Huff Post College:  Ink on Paper:  Some Notes on Note-taking by Wray Herbert

Links of Interest to Writers

Here we go -- more blog posts writers will love!

• The Other Side of The Story:  6 Tips on Making Similar Scenes Feel Different by Janice Hardy

• Writer's Digest - Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents Blog:  Conferencing for Introverts by Angela Ackerman

• Molly Greene:  101 Fabulous Plot Resources for Novelists

• Justine Larbalestier:  Writing Under Different Names

• Stavros Halvatzis:  Scene Checklist

• My Book Therapy:  Backstory, Flashback, Memory Moment:  The Difference by Rachel Hauck

Links of Interest to Writers

What are you going to write next?

• Creative Writing With The Crimson League:  First Person Narration:  Is It Like Dialogue? by Victoria Grefer

• Writers Helping Writers:  Good Heavens--Another Post About Opening Lines? by Becca Puglisi

• The Write Now! Coach:  Your Query Letter:  How to Write An Irresistible Offer by Rochelle Melander

• Writer's Digest - Chuck Sambuchino's Guide to Literary Agents Blog:  7 Tips for Pitching to an Agent or Editor at a Conference by Peggy Eddelman

• Publishers Weekly:  DiCamillo, Floca, Sedgwick Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz (Awards) by Diane Roback

Links of Interest to Writers

If you want to write, here is some great reading to assist you.

• The Writer's [Inner] Journey:  A Workshop for Writers Who Hate Writing Groups (and Why This Writing Group Works) by Meredith Resnick

• Kill Zone:  A Short Course on Dialogue Attributions by James Scott Bell

• The Write Life:  How One Famous Author (Elizabeth Gilbert) Tricks Herself Into Writing Wonderful Stories by Amanda Palleschi

• Writer Unboxed:  The Lessons I Should Have Learned From Stephen King's On Writing... by Jeannie Ruesch

• Time to Write:  More Book Trailers Should Be Like This by Jurgen Wolff'

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  Writer's Toolbox #5:  Must-Have Research Tools Beyond Google & Wickipedia by Ruth Harris

Links of Interest to Writers

Some great tips about writing in these blog posts!

• Pretentious Title:  Managing Your Inner Editor by Rachel Aaron

• Brain Pickings:  Debunking the Myth of the 10,000-Hours Rule:  What It Actually Takes to Reach Genius-Level Excellence by Maria Popova

• Sharing With Writers & Readers:  Blog Tour Tips:  Reminder or New Ideas for a More Successful Tour by Carol Howard-Johnson

• Books & Such Literary Management:  Alert:  New Home Office Tax Law by Rachel Kent

• Write To Done:  How To Create an Inspiration Workspace for Writing by Laura Carlin & Alison Forbes

• The Washington Post:  The Health Hazards of Sitting by Bonnie Berkowitz & Patterson Clark

Links of Interest to Writers

Happy writing to all you authors out there!

• Daily Writing Tips:  Do You Mean Passive or Just Weak? by Maeve Maddox

• Pen & Prosper:  What We Can Learn From The "Little Engine That Could!" Tips to Move Forward ... by Jennifer Brown Banks

• The Seekers:  On Deadline:  How To Make Your Writing Deadlines Work for YOU by Sarah Ladd

• Positive Writer:  Use Discipline to Cultivate the Creative Flow by Stacy Claflin

• My Book Therapy:  Ten Things I Learned On My Writers Retreat by Rachel Hauck

• Pub(lishing) Crawl:  Making The Most of Social Networks As a Writer by Erin Bowman

Links of Interest to Writers

How is that writing going?

• The Other Side of the Story:  Real Life Diagnostics:  Would You Read on? A Look at a Science Fiction Opening  by Janice Hardy

• Blogging Funk:  Tips For Writing Picture Books:  Picture Book Length by Joe Funk

• Writer's Digest:  7 Ways to Create a Killer Opening Line for Your Novel by Jacob M. Appel 

• Author Jody Hedlund:  5 Top Ways To Rivet a Reader

• Winning Edits:  Author MBA Podcasts    (Conversations about the business of books)

• Moody Writing:  The Long and Short of Writing The Middle

Links of Interest to Writers

More great writing advice!

• Stavros Halvatzis:  How Conflict Leads To Character Growth

• Pretentious Title:  FAQ:  To Blog Or Not To Blog 

• The Business of Being an Author:  Simple Tactics To Grow Your Author Platform by Marquita Herald

• Susan Uhlig:  175 Proof  (Are you watering down your stories and articles by not proofing carefully?)

• All Write - Fiction Advice:  The Art of Layering - Part 1 by A. J. Humpage

• The Creativity Post:  Daring To Push The Boundaries of Creativity by Carla Woolf

Links of Interest to Writers

What will you write today?

• My Book Therapy:  Getting Past Stuck by Reba J. Hoffman

• The Daring Novelist:  Story Game:  Plot Structure & Finding The Wow by Camille LaGuire

• Novel Matters:  Hunting Adjectives With Elephant Guns by Patti Hill

• Scribbles from Jenn:  Top Ten Tips How to Survive a Relationship With a Writer

• Positive Writer:  Why You're Not Finishing The Writing You Started by Shanan Haislip

• Moody Writing:  What a Story Needs to Begin

Links of Interest to Writers

If you're a writer, you're going to love these blog posts!

• Thup:  Keeping Track by Erin Brown Conway (Have you ever lost track of a character?)

• Just Write a Book Blog:  Writing Short Stories For Fun & Profit:  How Fast Can You Write? by Angela Booth

• The Season Blog:  The Self-Publishing Survey Results - It's a Brave New World by Beverley Kendall

• Writer's First Aid:  The Vicious Procrastination Cycle by Kristi Holl

• Molly Greene, Writer:  Query Letters:  What Agents Love and Loathe

• The Creative Penn:  Stories That Kill - 7 Tips For Writing Crime by Luke Preston

Links of Interest to Writers

Write because you love it!

• Writer's Digest/Brian Klems:  A 12-Day Plan of Simple Writing Exercises

• Artzicarol Ramblings:  Ordering Your Words by Carol Riggs

• Seize The Day:  Novel Craft:  5 Common Scene Problems by Molly Blaisdell

• The Write Practice:  Make The Most of Your Writing Time

• A. Victoria Mixon, Editor:  3 Reasons Description Is Important; 3 Reasons It's Not

• Live, Write, Thrive:  Novel Construction Begins With Concept by C. S. Lakin

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's to reading about good writing!

• GalleyCat:  George R. R. Martin's Writing Tips by Dianna Dilworth

• TED:  How to Build a Fictional World by Kate Messner

• Writing.ie:  Ten Truths About Being a Writer by Hazel Gaynor

• Brain Pickings:  John Green's Superb Advice to Aspiring Writers & Creators in the Digital Age by Maria Popova

• Write To Done:  How to Start a Novel by Mary Jaksch

• The Write Now! Coach:  A Quick Way to Create a Business Plan (For Writers) by Rochelle Melander

Links of Interest to Writers

Did you write today?

• W.I.P. It:  How Writers Can Balance Time Spent Online by Lynda R. Young

• Aliventures:  How to Create a Writing, Publishing, & Marketing Plan For The Year [Includes Template]

• Omnivoracious:  Beyond Orcs & Elves:  Stacy Whitman on Writing Cross-Culturally by Susan J. Morris

• All Write - Fiction Advice:  Common Writing "Myths" by A.J. Humpage

• Just Write a Book:  Book Editing:  How To Turn a Mess Into a Book by Angela Booth

• Project Eve:  10 Tips To How To Stop Procrastinating by Danielle Boulton

Links of Interest to Writers

For your reading pleasure...

• Writer's Digest - Brian Klem's Blog: Important Writing Lessons From First-Time Novelists 

• DBW - Digital Book World:  6 Degrees of Agent Evolution by Jason Allen Ashlock

• Huffington Post Books:  Writing Tips:  How To Breathe New Life Into Your Short Stories

• Writers Helping Writers:  How to Cure a Cardboard Villain by Angela Ackerman

• Writer Unboxed:  The Power of Renewal a.k.a. Character Arc by Heather Webb

• The Blue Rose Girls:  Keeping Your Mouth Shut by Grace Lin

Links of Interest to Writers

Writing today? Why not read some inspiration first?

• Charlotte Rains Dixon:  The Creative Trance

• How To Plan, Write, & Develop a Book:  Patterns of Change -- How Do You Create Strong Conflict in Your Fiction or Memoir? by Mary Carroll Moore

• Writer's Digest:  7 Ways To Create a Killer Opening Line for Your Novel by Jacob M. Appel

• Marcy Kennedy:  What To do When Your Loved Ones Want You To Quit Your Dream

• Positive Writer:  How To Motivate Yourself Right Now! by Bryan Hutchinson

• Wordserve Water Cooler:  Ten (Plus) Tips on Humor Writing by Dena Dyer

Links of Interest to Writers

Enjoy the adventure of writing!

• Sandy Appleyard:  How Do You Create Memorable Secondary Characters?

• Cassandra Page:  The Dream Journal - One Writer's Inspiration

• Writers in the Storm:  5 Steps for Surviving a Revise & Resubmit by Orly Konig-Lopez

• Jody Hedlund:  9 Lessons I've Learned So Far About Writing & Publication

• Write Hook:  4 Impossibly Simple Ideas for Better Writing by Scott Morgan

• BookBaby:  7 Life Lessons From Einstein You Can Apply To Your Writing

Links of Interest to Writers

Happy writing!

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  Is Writing a Hobby or a Profession for You? Why Either Path Can Be a Good Choice

• Fiction Notes:  If You Only Do One Revision, Do This by Darci Pattison

• The Write Now Coach:  Set your Writing Goals for 2014 by Rochelle Melander (That's right - it's not too late!)

• Jane Friedman:  What Do You Want From Your Writing in 2014 -- And Beyond? by Dan Holloway

• QueryTracker:  11 Tips for Making a Book Trailer by Stina Lindenblatt

• Pretentious Title:  FAQ:  To Blog or Not to Blog by Rachel Aaron

Links of Interest to Writers

How are you doing on those resolutions? Stop worrying about it and read!

• G5:  The ONE Thing All Successful People Do by Stephanie Carter

• The Creative Penn:  Writing Fiction:  Creating Friction With Clashing Personalities by Angela Ackerman

• QueryTracker:  Five Query Mistakes That Make You Look Like An Amateur by Ash Krafton

• The Write Practice:  3 Writing Tips You Can Steal From Animators by Joe Bunting

• Romance University:  Taking Control of Your Writing Career with a Business Plan with Amy Denim

• The Seekers:  Creating Characters One Layer at a Time - Layer Three - Is it American Idol? Nope, it's The Voice by Mary Connealy

Links of Interest to Writers

Some vital reading for all writers:

• The New York Times:  Newbery Winner to Promote Her Genre:  Kate DiCamillo to Be Ambassador of Young People's Literature by Julie Bosman

• Glass Cases:  2013:  A Year in Queries by Sarah LaPolla

• Writers Helping Writers:  Using Colloquial Speech To Spice Up Dialogue by Eli Dahle
• Writers Helping Writers:  Writing Tools

• Daily Writing Tips:  The New, Delightful Use of Because by Maeve Maddox

• Writers In The Storm:  Query Letter Pet Peeves - Agents Speak by Chuck Sambuchino

• Brain Pickings:  How Long It Takes To Form A New Habit by Maria Popova

Links of Interest to Writers

What are you waiting for? Start reading!

• The Cybils Finalists (Children's & Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) 

• Goins, Writer:  500 Words a Day:  The Secret to Developing a Regular Writing Habit by Jeff Goins

• BookBaby:  How To Write Your Book's First Draft Like a Professional

• The Write Practice:  3 Dialogue Terms You Probably Didn't Know (But Should!) by Liz Bureman

• The Nitty Gritty of Children's Writing:  He Thought to Himself and Other Excesses by Susan Uhlig

• Write to Done:  How to Be a Writer:  Do You Use These 3 Vital Keys to Success? by Mary Jaksch

Links of Interest to Writers

Have you gotten your writing off to a good start in 2014? Here's some reading to motivate you!

• The Write Practice:  Three Life-Tips That Will Make You a Better Writer by Katie Axelson

• Jessica Spotswood:  2013:  A Learning Year:  Managing Expectations (An honest look at publishing a debut novel.)

• Entrepreneur:  8 Steps to Having Wildly Productive Mornings by James Clear

• Writer's Fun Zone:  Draw Your Readers In:  The Game of Contrasts by Wyatt Bessing

• Matthew Schuler:  Why Creative People Sometimes Make No Sense

• Adventures in YA Publishing:  Craft of Writing:  Downsizing Your Novel:  What to Keep & What to Throw Away by Carolyn Meyer

Links of Interest to Writers

It's a new year! Vow to read more about writing. Here's a start.

• Mind Openerz:  21 Habits of Happy People (A happy writer is a productive writer. Why not start off the year being happy?)

• Mythic Scribes:  6 Tips for Writing a Knockout Fight Scene by Codey Amprim

• BuzzFeed:  How to Write a Picture Book by Max Barnett & Taylor Norman

• We Grow Media:  The Small Moments by Dan Blank (When setting your big goals, it's important to also think about the small moments that can mean a lot to your progress.)

• StoryFix:  The Key to Writing an Inherently Episodic Story ... Effectively by Larry Brooks

• Institute of Children's Literature:  Wishing Up Good Goals by Jan Fields

Links of Interest to Writers

Read, write, revise - the three keys to great stories. Here's some other great advice.

• Anne R. Allen's Blog:  6 Writing Dragons & How to Slay Them in 2014 by Ruth Harris

• How to Plan, Write, & Develop a Book:  How'd You Do?  Reviewing Your Year's Writing Goals -- A Sure Way to Encourage Your Creative Spirit by Mary Carroll Moore

• Charlotte Rains Dixon:  Reviewing Your 2013 Writing Life

• Beyond the Margins:  Writing Outside Your Generation by Dell Smith

• Writer's First Aid:  A Writer's happy New Year by Kristi Holl (Do you have at least one fun thing on your list of resolutions?)

• Book Riot:  The 10 Best Top 100 Book Lists by Greg Zimmerman