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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Links of Interest to Writers

Last chance to read about writing this year!

• The Creative Penn:  Create Something Together:  Artistic Collaboration In Action by Joanna Penn

• Teens Can Write, Too:  Writing An Antagonist by John Hansen

• The Blood Red Pencil:  Revision Is Half The Battle bu Diana Hurwitz

• Nathan Bransford:  Creative Fatigue

• Huffington Post Books:  Find Your Writer's Voice in 2014 by Theo Pauline Nestor

• Entrepreneur:  Forgetting Setting Goals, Focus on This Instead by James Clear

Links of Interest to Writers

It's almost Christmas - why not write a holiday story? Here are some writing links that might help.

• Daily Writing Tips:  Transition Words by Maeve Maddox

• Helping Writers Become Authors:  The Moral Villain by Becca Puglisi

• Brain Pickings:  The Year's Best Books on Writing & Creativity by Maria Popova

• Amanda Bumgarner:  On Setting the Mood

• Get Me Writing:  Getting into Your Writing Headspace

• Fiction Notes:  Writing Out of Sequence by Darcy Pattison

Links of Interest to Writers

Here are some writing articles full of great advice!

• W.I.P It:  8 Benefits of Writing by Lynda R. Young

• Angela Booth's Writing Blog:  Flow:  The Ideal Writing Mind State

• From the Write Angle:  A Case for "Nicer" Villains by R. C. Lewis

• Babbles from Scott Eagan:  What Makes Your Story Stand Out?

• Jamie Gold:  Using Conflict to Understand Our Characters

• Judy Lee Dunn:  Can You Name 99 Things You Love in 10 Minutes?

• Writer's First Aid:  Thinking:  First Backward and Then Forward

Links of Interest to Writers

Here's some great advice on writing!

• AuthorCulture:  Revision Decisions by Jody Bailey Day

• Kayla Currie:  My Marketing Advice for Beginning Authors

• Huff Post Books:  Why Agents Reject 96% of Author Submissions by Heather Hummel

• Writer's Fun Zone:  Give Your Characters Tough Goals by Kay Keppler

• Matthew Schuler:  Why Creative People Sometimes Make No Sense

• Reece Ryan:  5 Ways Introverts Can Succeed Without Forcing Themselves to Become Extroverts

Links of interest to Writers

Here are some writing nuggets to inspire you.

• Writer's Fun Zone:  Want To Write a Novel? (But Don't Know How To Begin?) by Beth Barany

• Writability:  Why Do Your Characters Like Each Other?

• Time to Write:  Is This The formula for Creativity?

• Word Serve Water Cooler:  5 Writing Rules I've Learned from Pixar

• Wise Ink:  Our Favorite Online Resources for Writing Mechanics

• Nathan Bransford:  Favorite Writing Tips (from readers)