Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, March 19-25, 2023

It’s the last tipsday of March! Prepare to “go out like a lion” with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Amy Christine Parker shares four powerful tools for creating dread in your fiction. Then, Constance Emmett discusses finding her writing tribe. Carol Van Den Hende offers three ideas to inspire Instagram-worthy book posts. Next, Lori Walker interviews Jinwoo Chong about exploring themes of grief and loneliness in a neo-noir speculative novel. Sara Gentry lists five ways numerical data can improve your novel. DIY MFA

How to write strong openings: action-driven vs. voice-driven. Mary Robinette Kowal

Susan DeFreitas: your story is amazing, but does it make sense? Dave King warns of critter danger. Then, Sophie Masson has the last word on epilogues. John J. Kelley discusses using social occasions to elevate your story. Writer Unboxed

Story Structure 101. Reedsy

K.M. Weiland presents two ways to write organic themes. Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Norman tells you all you need to know about how to write with AIs. Then, Ellen Buikema explains how to kill a character without enraging readers. Writers in the Storm

Where alcoholic drinks got their names. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Sarah Elizabeth Sawyer answers seven questions on writing about Native Americans. Then, Susanne Dunlap explains what memoirists can learn from historical novelists. Katie Bannon shares five reasons to write your taboo stories. Jane Friedman

Lucy V. Hay explains the importance of a great opening to a novel. Then, Becca Puglisi has some creative ways to brainstorm story ideas. Angela Ackerman wonders how much time do you waste as a writer? Writers Helping Writers

The best outlining tools for writers. Reedsy

Nathan Bransford explains how to edit someone’s novel.

Tiffany Yates Martin says don’t build your network. Fox Print Editorial

Chris Winkle shares lessons learned from the clichéd writing of Pendergast. Then, she explains the why and how of foreshadowing. Mythcreants

Gene Maddaus reports that the Writers Guild of America would allow AI in scriptwriting as long as writers maintain credit. Variety

Thank you so much for spending some time with me. I hope you found something to support your current work(s) in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well, my writerly friends.