Welcome to March! Celebrate the coming of spring (and daylight savings? Maybe?) by filling up on informal writerly learnings.
K.M. Weiland shares nine ways to approach relationship dynamics in fiction. Helping Writers Become Authors
Lisa Norman lists five tips for social media detox. Kris Maze suggests some steps to avoid the dreaded burnout, and then she follows up with this: what causes burnout? Writers in the Storm
What is the first quarter debate? Plot structure, pt. 2. Ellen Brock
Elizabeth Spann Craig considers when to stop a series.
Gwen Hernandez shares some Scrivener skills: tag, colour code, and organize with metadata. Then, Kelsey Allagood explains how context influences craft: the rebirth of the author. Deanna Cabinian is letting go of rejection, literally. Then, Victoria Strauss says that if it’s out of the blue, it’s too good to be true: beware solicitation scams. Writer Unboxed
How to write third person limited point of view. Reedsy
Lisa Cooper Ellison: you are not your traumas, but here’s how to write about them. Then, Sangeeta Mehta interviews Laura Zats and T.S. Ferguson: how important is genre when pitching and promoting your book? Catherine Baab-Maguira says that if you can’t stand the sight of your own blood, don’t step into the ring. Jane Friedman
Flashback hack: connecting backstory to the present. Shaelin Writes
Angela Ackerman helps you figure out when to kill a character. Then, E.C. Ambrose explains how to craft a plot out of your historical obsession: spinning a yarn out of history. Writers Helping Writers
Delila S. Dawson lists ten ways to torture people (in fiction). Then, Rob Hart shows us his research toolbox. Terribleminds
How do clichés evolve into memes? Otherwords | PBS Storied
Nathan Branfsord explains how to craft a great mystery in your novel.
Lauren J. Sharkey reveals what MFAs miss about the editing process. Then, Adam W. Burgess reads writer to writer: William di Canzio and E.M. Forster. Gracie Bialecki wants you to learn how to celebrate your manuscript: draft day. Later in the week, Grace Pelley recommends five things to remove from your TBR list. DIY MFA
The imperfect mom onscreen: ending the “selfless mother trope.” The Take
Joanna Penn shares lessons learned for rewriting her first novel over a decade later. The Creative Penn
Chris Winkle explains how to write three types of relationship arcs. Then, Oren Ashkenazi lists five common weapon mistakes in speculative fiction. Mythcreants
Rasha Ali explains how Octavia Butler’s legacy was born out of a bad science fiction movie. USA Today
Carol Saler explains when to capitalize after a colon. CMOS Shop Talk
Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.
Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!