Links of Interest to Writers

There's no such thing as a nothing scene, but if you think you have one, here's how to turn it into an Invisible Movement!

The Art of Invisible Movement by Maggie Stiefvater @mstiefvater 

Links of Interest to Writers

Having trouble with your setting? Here are some tips from The Book Professor.

The Importance of Setting in Your Story
by Nancy L. Erickson on the BookBaby Blog. @BookBaby

Links of Interest to Writers

You can't get to "Once Upon a Time" without "What If?"  by Jane Friedman @JaneFriedman refers to an essay at Glimmer Train by Danielle Lazarin called "Question Everything" 

Links of Interest to Writers

Do you love fractured fairy tales?

Why do we love fractured fairy tales?   by Brydie Wright at Children's Book Academy

Links of Interest to Writers

There are some amazing resources at this website!

Top 100 Children's Book Blogs and Websites for Parents, Teachers and Kids 

Links of Interest to Writers

Having trouble with voice in your novel? Here's some helpful advice.

Using Writing Vocabulary to Streamline Voice  by Mary Kole  @Kid_Lit

Links of Interest to Writers

Do you use a journal to increase your creativity? If not, this article may change your mind!

My Journal: A Cauldron of Creativity by Carol Ohmart-Behan at CreateWriteNow

Links of Interest to Writers

Advice for choosing where to place your characters!

Location, Location, Location by Deborah Dee Harper at AuthorCulture

Links of Interest to Writers

Check out Jon Gibbs' blog post filled with lots of links that writers will find helpful!

Interesting blog posts about writing – January 26^th, 2018 from An Englishman in New Jersey @JonGibbs

Links of Interest to Writers

Here are a couple of articles that I've found of interest this week!

The 2 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Characters by Victoria Mixon @Victoria Mixon (Posted on WritetoDone @WritetoDone)

More Common Writing Mistakes at All Write Fiction Advice by AJ Humpage @AJHumpage

Links of Interest to Writers

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

Here are three articles I found interesting:

• Using Google's "My Maps" to Keep Track of All the Locations in Your Novel Aliventures @aliventures 

• Dazzling Dialogue:  The 9 No's You Must Avoid  Jerry B. Jenkins, @jerrybjenkins

• Should Main Characters be Flawless?  A. J. Humpage  @AJHumpage

Links of Interest to Writers

Looking for ways to enrich your writing life? Here are some articles that might help!

• Write to Done:  How to Get Your Life Back: 17 Crucial Tips for Bloggers by Janice Wald @MrsPazananski @WritetoDone

• The Write Life:  10 Fun Writing Ideas to Help You Get Creative This Summer by Jessica Lawlor @jesslaw @thewritelife

• Kristen Lamb's Blog:  Are you Botching Your Dialogue? @KristenLambTx

Links of Interest to Writers

Great writing advice in these articles!

• GalleyCat:  Boys Raised as Readers Earn More Money by Dianna Dilworth @GalleyCat  

• Just Write a Book:  Write a Book: Your 5-Minute Plan by Angela Booth @angee

• Positive Writer:  Be Ambitious! Here's How to Go After Your Dream by Bryan Hutchinson @ADDerWORLD

Links of Interest to Writers

If you write, check put these articles for motivation.

• Jamie Gold:  10 Tips for Making Tumblr Work for Writers - Guest: Davonne Burns @JamieGold

• Helping Writers Become Authors:  How to Write the Perfect Plot (in 2 Easy Steps) @KMWEILAND

• Elizabeth Spann Craig:  Twitterific Writing Links @elisabethscraig

• Now Novel:  How to Write  Book Series: 10 Tips for Smash Hits  @nownovel

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