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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing is best served with a bit of reading.

• Jami Gold:  NaNo Wrap-Up:  Beat Sheets 101

• The Write Practice:  How to Draw an Image With Your Words by Monica M. Clark

• Moody Writer:  Using Deadlines To Get That Story Finished

• Writer's Digest:  5 Tools for Building Conflict in Your Novel by James Scott Bell

• Susan Kaye Quinn:  Do You Know Your Character's Primary Trait? by Becca Puglisi

• Bestseller Labs:  5 Rules For Conquering Chaos That Every Writer Should Know by Claudette Young

• C. Hope Clark:  Build Your Own Story Pizza by Raazia S. Ali

Links of Interest to Writers

For those in the United States, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here are a few articles to read while digesting all that food! (Those living outside the U.S. can just eat a lot of food and enjoy the articles without having to put up with all those family members.)

• The Business of Being an Author:  How Hard Will You Work to Fulfill Your Dream? by Marquita Herald

• The Narrative Breakdown (Podcast):  Storytelling in Front of a Live Audience with Melanie Hamlett

• The Write Conversation : Tips to Adjust Your Writing Schedule and Enjoy the Holidays 

• WUSF:  What Children's Authors Make of Common Core & Education Policy by Sammy Mack
• Book Riot:  Common Core:  What it Means for Fiction in Schools by Josh Corman

• Flavorwire:  The Greatest Monsters in Children's Literature by Alison Nastasi

• The New York Times Sunday Book Review:  100 Notable Books of 2013

Links of Interest to Writers

It's NaNoWriMo time! Write like a house on fire!

• Marion Dane Bauer:  Creating Characters

• YALSA - The Hub:  Dealing with Death in YA Lit

• Writer Unboxed:  Newton's Law for Novelists by Donald Maass

• Terrible Minds:  NaNoWriMo Dialogues:  "I Think I Suck and I'm Not a Real Writer" (A great flow chart to help you determine if you're a "real" writer!)

• Positive Writer:  Shattering the Myths about the Midas Touch and Success by Brian Hutchinson

• Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers:  NaNoWriMo Plot and Writing Schedule & Resources for 11/13

• Paulo Coelho's Blog:  Ideal Conditions Don't Exist

Links of Interest to Writers

A toast to writers everywhere!

• The Write Practice:  How Original Are You? by Sophie Novak

• The Character Therapist:  Helping NonWriting Partners "Get" Your Passion

• Jamie Gold:  How to Avoid a Sagging Middle in Our Stories

• A Writer's Journey:  Eliminate Unnecessary Stage Directions

• Kristen Lamb's Blog:  Novels & The "Knockout" Ending

• All Write - Fiction Advice:  Why You Should Back Your Characters into Corners

• Jody Hedlund:  Having Self-Discipline All Year (Not Just During NaNo)

Links of Interest to Writers

Hope you find one of these articles helpful in motivating your writing!

• i09:  10 Ways to Make Everyone Root for Your Amoral Protagonist by Charlie Jane Anders

• The Atlantic:  The 8 Habits of Highly Successful Young-Adult Fiction Authors by Nolan Feeney

• dwiFilms:  How to Speed Read (YouTube)

• Project Eve:  Amateur Blogging:  Getting Started

• Live, Write, Thrive:  Use Camera Angles to Supercharge Your Novel by C. S. Laken

• YARN:  Commit to Your Writing Now...And Later.

• HootSource:  5 Authors Using Social Media to Reach Readers & Sell Books by Alyssa Kritsch

Links of Interest to Writers

Write, write, and then write some more!

• The Other Side of the Story:  The Alchemy of Inspiration - How to Turn Ordinary Ideas Into Gold by Tiffany Reisz

• Prolific Living:  9 Mistakes that Rob You from Living Your Dream Life 

• A Writer's Journey: Killing Your Darlings by Nat Russo

• Pink Tea & Paper:  Time Management:  Working Full-Time & Writing by Ellen Brickley

• Daily Infographic:  The Psychology of Book Abandonment [infographic]

• Author, Jody Hedlund:  Plotting:  How to Know Which Scenes to Include in Your Book

• A List Blogging:  What Exactly Makes a Blog Fail? by Mary Jaksch (Some great info in the comments on this post!)

Links of Interest to Writers

Here they are - some tips to help your writing!

• Imran Writes:  From Plotting to Writing to Editing to Submitting

• Worddreams:  5 Ways to Write Like Your Hair's on Fire by Jacqui Murray

• Kristen Lamb's Blog:  "Write What You Know" - Paying Attention to the Character's Journey 

• Molly Greene:  Business Plan Basics for Authors & Bloggers

• Marcy Kennedy:  Are You Writing in the POV You Think You're Writing In?

• School Library Journal:  Horror in YA Lit is a Staple, Not a Trend

• The Picture Book Academy Blogateers:  Setting Up for Success by Lori Mortensen

Links of Interest to Writers

Read, Write, Publish!

• Time to Write:  How Not to Write the Right Novel or Screenplay by Jurgen Wolff

• Bad Language:  20 Must-Read Blogs for Writers by Clare Dodd

• YA Muses:  Inspiration Days:  Six Ideas for Writers by Joni Kendall

• Children's Book Blog:  Everything You Wanted to Know About Children's Writing (But Were Afraid to Ask) by Rebecca Davies

• Gail Carson Levine:  You, The Narrator, The Character

• HuffPost-The Third Metric:  How Daydreaming Can Actually Make You Smarter by Carolyn Gregoire

• Write to Done:  The 7 People Who Will Help You Fire Up Your Writing by Nicolas Gremion

• ScreenwritingStandard.com:  10 Dead Simple Ways to Make Readers Love Your Characters by Paul Peditto

Links of Interest to Writers

The writing part is the fun part - the revision, not so much! Maybe these articles will help ease the pain.

• Mystery Writing is Murder:  Novel Revision: Twenty-page Sessions by Jack Smith

• Positive Writer:  Are You Unwittingly Sabotaging Yourself by talking About Your Writing? by Ali Luke

• Novel Matters:  Protecting the Quiet by Kathleen Popa

• Shelli Johnson:  My Favorite Writing Advice - Make a Writer's Contract

• Write to Done:  This is What Blocks Your Writing (And How to Bust Through)

• MiG Writers:  My Love-Hate (Ok, Mostly Hate) Relationship with Rejections, Plus What I've learned Along the Way by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

• LucReid.com:  Tools for Naming Characters

• The Writer's Alley:  How to Write a Novel While Standing on Your Head Backwards, Chewing Gum, and Texting at the Same Time by Krista Phillips

Links of Interest to Writers

Articles for the discerning writer.

• Catherine, Caffeinated: How Much Time Do You Need to Write? by Catherine Howard

• Writer's Digest:  13 Quirky Workplaces of Famous Writers by Zachary Petit

• Worddreams:  19 Tips for Children's Writers by Jacqui Murray

• Worddreams:  59 Tips for Fantasy Writers by Jacqui Murray

• Jami Gold:  Being a Writer:  Commitment vs. Self-Doubt

• Writer's First Aid:  Rituals: Jump-Start Your Writing by Kristi Holl

• Laura Sapala:  How Your Grand Vision is Holding You Back

• Moody Writing:  Inside Inner Conflict

     

Links of Interest to Writers

Read, Write, Repeat!

• The Write Practice:  What Do You Do When Your Muse Is On Vacation?  by Debra Elramey

• Write to Done:  Overcome the Limitations of First Person POV:  5 Ways by John Yeoman

• The Creative Penn:  Lessons Learned From 2 Years As a Fulltime Author Entrepreneur

• Project Eve:  Tips on Working from Home by Whitney Weiss

• Angela Booth's Writing Blog:  Pacemaker (Free) Helps You Achieve Your Writing Goals

• California Department of Education:  Characteristics of Middle Grade Students

• Jody Hedlund:  One of the Best Ways to Find Writing Ideas

• Beyond the Margins:  To Establish a Writing Routine or Not, That is the Question

Links of Interest to Writers

Are you a reading/writing addict? This will feed your need!

• QueryTracker:  Break It Up:  How To Reduce Reader Fatigue by Ash Krafton

• Mad Woman in The Forest:  Revision Roadmap by Laurie Halse Anderson

• A. Victoria Mixon:  7 Reasons Fiction Needs a Washing Machine

• Project Eve:  How to Stay Motivated...Even When It's Really, Really Hard by Rhonda Hale Warren

• All Write:  Does There Have to be a Moral to Every Story?

• HuffPost:  Everything You Thought You Knew About Creativity Is Wrong 

• Daily Writing Tips:  Lay vs. Lie:  What's so Hard? by Maeve Maddox

• An Awfully Big Blog Adventure:  Who Are You Today? by Penny Dolan (Showtime Author vs. Working Author)