Author: Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 23-29, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday has arrived to get your mental corn popping! Enjoy 🙂

On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, some consideration of the progress that’s been made since. Baby steps, yes. But steps, nonetheless.

Farnoush Amiri, Colleen Slevin, and Camille Fassett report that the Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban choke holds. Associated Press

Fadel Allassan: “Defund the Police” lives on as a local movement. Axios

Then again … 967 people have been shot and killed by police in the last year. The Washington Post

Two officers charged with Manuel Ellis’ murder. USA Today

Lisa Theodore-Vachon says, interracial couple representation in pop culture isn’t as progressive as we think. The Undefeated

Justin Dunnavant, Delande Justinvil, and Chip Colwell want to craft an African American graves protection and repatriation act. Nature

Grace Hauck: Jewish groups sound the alarm on the rise of anti-Semitic hate crimes amid tensions between Israel and Hamas. USA Today

The overlap of autoimmune disorders and mental health conditions. SciShow Psych

Can you be awake and asleep at the same time? Masako Tamaki. Ted-ed

Matt Egan and Alexis Benveniste report that activist investor ousts at least two ExxonMobil directors in historic win for pro-climate campaign. CNN

Related: Dutch court rules oil giant Shell must cut carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 in landmark case. Chloe Taylor for NBC.

Rupert Neate reports that airships for city hops could cut flying’s CO2 emissions by 90%. The Guardian

Matthew Wills says that solar housing is actually kind of retro! JSTOR Daily

Christi Carras announces that a new rainbow set of Lego arrives just in time for Pride Month (everything is awesome!). The Los Angeles Times

The Curiosity rover captures shining clouds on Mars. “Viewed just after sunset, their ice crystals catch the fading light, causing them to appear to glow against the darkening sky.” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Chelea Gohd wants to teach you (yes, it says your kids, but why exclude adults?) about the Super Flower Blood Moon. And, of course, it was overcast here … Space.com

Jess Romeo introduces us to Chien-Shiung Wu, the first lady of physics. JSTOR Daily

5 beautifully complex ways to fly. SciShow

Graeme Green: “huge surprise” as giant river otter feared extinct in Argentina appears. The Guardian

Charlie Campbell says that covid-19 has slashed Asia’s appetite for wild animals. Time

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be putting together my next chapter update for May 2021. Until then, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 23-29, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Tipsday is here! Fortify yourself for the week with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Laura Highcove wants you to use your writer’s intuition to solve a problem. Manuela Williams offers you a tool for your poet’s toolbox: line breaks. Later in the week, Ginnye Lynn Cubel helps you write a villain you love. Then, Disha Walia shares five tips to ace the art of retelling. DIY MFA

Janice Hardy helps you make sense of character wants and needs. Fiction University

Princess Weekes considers purity culture and fandom … issa mess. Melina Pendulum

K.M. Weiland looks more closely at the flat archetype of the child in part 16 of her archetypal character arc series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Can we be heroes again? Confronting the banality of modern evil. Like Stories of Old

Tiffany Yates Martin helps you bring your stories to life with nonverbals. Then, Lisa Hall-Wilson shares four ways movement affects deep POV. Writers in the Storm

Then, on Jane Friedman’s blog, Tiffany shows you how to deepen characterization by mining your own reactions. Joe Ponepinto says, don’t tease your reader. Get to the tension and keep it rising. Jane Friedman

Getting feedback from critique partners and beta readers. Reedsy

Gwen Hernandez helps you organize your research notes in Scrivener. Then, Diana Giovinazzo is learning to writer through grief. Heather Webb: being a good literary citizen. Liz Michalski says, right-brained revisers, unite! Writer Unboxed

Nathan Bransford says, don’t start a scene without these four essential elements.

How to write effective description and imagery. Shaelin Writes

Angela Ackerman wants to know if your character has a secret. Writers Helping Writers

Kristine Kathryn Rusch presents part three of her fear-based decision-making series: TV/film.

Chris Winkle lists five common reasons stories screech to a halt. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories that suffer from muddled atmosphere. Mythcreants

Spirited Away – Why work is toxic. The Take

James Whitlock: Netflix’s Sandman has cast Death and a whole lot more of the Dreaming. Gizmodo

Evan Narcisse interviews Ta-Nahesi Coates about saying goodbye to Black Panther. Polygon

William Deresiewicz shares a report: stages of grief (what the pandemic has done to the arts). Harper’s

Emily Wenstrom explains how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can reward authors and readers. Book Riot

Erin McCarthy introduces us to 56 delightfully unusual words for everyday things. Mental Floss

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 16-22, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Get your mental corn popping in anticipation of a lovely weekend!

Laurel Wamsley: prosecutor says deputies were justified in their fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. NPR

The University of Washington reveals that almost all kinds of air pollution affect people of color hardest. Futurity

Khari Johnson: Black and queer AI groups say they’ll spurn Google funding. Wired

Fedora Abu introduces us to Britain’s first Black aristocrats. BBC

Kim Tran shows you the Asian American activism you won’t see on Instagram. Refinery 29

Geeta Pandey reports that India’s holiest river Ganges is swollen with covid victims. BBC

You can’t prove everything is true. Veritasium

Yuliya Talmazan reveals that BBC’s Martin Bashir used “deceitful” methods to secure Princess Diana interview. NBC

The neuroscience of tongue-twisters. SciShow Psych

Randy Pascal: Alex Baumann adds voice to Laurentian pool discussion. The Sudbury Star

Kayla Barron joins NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to space station. NASA

What the crater from the extinction of the dinosaurs taught us about Mars. SciShow Space

Sierra Garcia wonders what green hydrogen will mean for international relations. JSTOR Daily

Patrick Barkham introduces us to the farmers putting trees back into UK fields. The Guardian

Related: Olivia Box also touts silvopasture, or, why are there cows in the woods? JSTOR Daily

Karen Zamora explains how a fungus is making cicadas sex-crazy (side-effect, dismemberment). NPR

Richard Luscombe says that sharks use Earth’s magnetic field as guidance system. The Guardian

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 16-22, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

You’ve just survived a Tuesday-that-feels-like-a-Monday after a long weekend. Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

Vaughn Roycroft shows you how story tropes can be our friends. Dave King writes to whom it may concern. Then, Barbara Linn Probst says, there’s writing—and then there’s writing about writing. Later in the week, Anne Brown wonders, why am I like this? Writer Unboxed

Can you swordfight in a wedding dress? (Things writers want to know.) Jill Bearup

K.M. Weiland introduces us to the six flat archetypes in part 15 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

What makes up a character’s identity? Breaking up aspects of self. Mary Robinette Kowal

Kris Maze outlines the value (and the struggle) of writer meditations. Then, Barbara Linn Probst wonders how your book ends—with destination or discovery? Writers in the Storm

Shaelin covers line editing. Reedsy

Janice Hardy explains how scene titles make it easier to writer your novel. Then, Rayne Hall tells you how to keep your short story short. Bonnie Randall shows you less cliché ways the body responds to emotional states. Fiction University

Basilisk of cockatrice? The mysterious king of serpents. Dr. Emily Zarka. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Christina Delay takes the anonymous road. Writers Helping Writers

Jessica Conoley: your final responsibility to your story is creative stewardship. Then, Jane herself delivers some tough love: how much do authors earn? Here’s the answer no one likes. Jane Friedman

Jeanette the Writers is writing for readers with dyslexia. Later in the week, Crystal Swain-Bates shares five tips to finish writing your book in 2021. DIY MFA

Jenna Moreci interviews Sacha Black about creating a podcast.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her series on fear-based decision-making with part 2: fear vs. growth.

Chris Winkle does a narration makeover: giving action more immediacy. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes six stories with weak romantic attraction. Mythcreants

And that was tipsday. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 9-15, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

‘Tis time, once again, to get your mental corn popping!

Tsione Wolde-Michael: we should think differently about racist monuments. Hyperallergic

Britni de la Cretaz reports that at least four transgender women of color were killed within ten days. Them

Mary Louise Kelly, Karen Zamora, and Amy Isackson want us to meet America’s newest chess master, 10-year-old Tanitoluwa Adewumi. NPR

Joal Stein: spatial abolition and disability justice. Public Books

Nidal Al-mughrabi and Jeffery Heller: Jerusalem violence leads to rockets, air strikes. Reuters

Why do we have bright ideas in the shower? SciShow Psych

Pete Evans: Greyhound Canada shutting down all bus service permanently. CBC

Perseverance’s robotic arm begins to conduct science. NASA

Adam Mann wonders, is Mars ours? The New Yorker

Joanna Partridge reports that electric cars will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuel vehicles by 2027. The Guardian

Patrick Whittle: Vineyard Wind project key to clean energy, is approved. Associated Press

Rebecca Mead reveals the mysterious origins of the Cerne Abbas Giant. The New Yorker

Oliver Milman reports that a forest the size of France regrown worldwide over 20 years. The Guardian

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 9-15, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to another tipsday, your opportunity to fill up on informal writerly learnings 🙂

KL Burd helps you incorporate social issues into your manuscript. Therese Walsh: spring thaws and the buzz of the muse. Then, Juliet Marillier wants you to consider your author photo. Kathryn Craft wants you to embrace unapologetic characterization. Later in the week, David Corbett recounts his experience murdering 22,000 darlings. Writer Unboxed

Shaelin guides you through the process of content and developmental editing. Reedsy

K.M. Weiland covers the mage’s shadow archetypes in part 14 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Star Wuerdemann explains how to find compelling comps for your book. Jane Friedman

Joanna Penn interviews Gail Carriger about The Heroine’s Journey. The Creative Penn

Princess Weekes looks at the literary power of manga. It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Laurence MacNaughton shares three shortcuts to character-driven stories. Then, Savannah Cordova helps you figure out which story structure is right for your novel. Fiction University

Stephanie BwaBwa explains how to use bookstagram to increase your novel’s visibility. Then, Olivia Fisher is all about short stories. Gabriela Pereira interviews Suyi Davies Okungbowa about layers of world building in epic fantasy. Later in the week, Melanie Gibson shares five tips for writing about your mental health journey. DIY MFA

How the self-aware teen movie almost killed the genre. The Take

Marissa Graff explains how to power up individual scenes with a scene tracker. Writers Helping Writers

Margie Lawson touts the power of quirky-smirky assonance and alluring alliteration. Then, Ellen Buikema explains the relationship between stress and creativity. Writers in the Storm

Kristine Kathryn Rusch starts a new series: fear-based decision-making (part one).

Chris Winkle lists five ways to incorporate dreams into your plot. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five fascinating monsters in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb follows the writer’s journey from total newbie to the joy of mastery.

Vicky Qaio reports that Robert J. Sawyer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia are among the finalists for the 2021 Aurora Awards. CBC

Sagal Mohammed interviews Barry Jenkins about avoiding the exploitation of Black trauma in The Underground Railroad. Buzzfeed

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 2-8, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Let’s get your mental corn popping people!

Becky Sullivan: family and civil rights leaders mourn Andrew Brown Jr. at funeral. NPR

Emily Shapiro and Marlene Lenthang: Atlanta officer fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks has been reinstated. CBS News

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor considers the emerging movement for police and prison abolition. The New Yorker

Mohammed Elnaiem: the “deviant” African genders that colonialism condemned. JSTOR Daily

Paulina Cachero and Olivia B. Waxman compile 11 moments from Asian American history you should know. Time

Lam Thuy Vo: when their community suffered, these Asian Americans stepped up (where the government didn’t). Documented

Krystal Vasquez says, a disability shouldn’t be a death sentence during a natural disaster. Environmental Health News

Dhruv Khullar takes us inside India’s covid-19 surge. The New Yorker

Erica X Eisen reveals Georgian Britain’s anti-vaxxer movement: “The mark of the beast.” The Public Domain Review

Richard A Friedman says, you might be depressed now, but don’t underestimate your resilience. The New York Times

Why the Millennial vs. GenZ war needs to end. The Take

Kim Fahner: Laurentian is in pieces—those pieces need to be put back together with care. Sudbury.com

More Ingenuity. This time with sound! NASA JPL

Morgan McFall-Johnsen reports that SpaceX has safely landed four astronauts in the ocean for NASA, completing the US’s longest human spaceflight. Insider

Taylor Lorenz: what is cheugy? You’ll know it when you see it. The New York Times

Dorothy Woodend: “Mother Trees” are real. They model sharing and generosity. The Tyee

Why are we warm blooded? It’s okay to be smart

GDT nature photographer of the year 2021. The Guardian

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 2-8, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s another full week of informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

E.J. Wenstrom explains the relationship between engagement rate and your author platform. Then, Sara Farmer says there’s an Eyre for every era, from cozy to cold-blooded. Later in the week, Leslie A. Rasmussen goes from television writing to novel writing. Then, Melissa Haas suggests five items for cats and the authors who live with them. DIY MFA

Obi-Wan vs. Stabby Crab fight analysis. Jill Bearup

Janice Hardy shares five reasons you’re struggling with your revisions (and how to fix them). Timely! Then, Jenna Harte offers some easy tips to incorporate backstory in your novel. José Pablo Iriarte explains how to punch readers in the feels (a case study). Fiction University

Shaelin shows you how to assess your manuscript. Reedsy

Greer Macallister: the responsibility of world building. Then, Sarah Penner shares 100 content ideas for every stage of your writing career. Donald Maass: it’s inevitable. Desmond Hall has a new edition of Desmond’s Drops for May. Writer Unboxed

Erica Brozovsky: can computers really talk? Otherwords | PBS Storied

K.M. Weiland examines the crone’s shadow archetypes in part 13 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Elizabeth Spann Craig explains what it means to show up as an author.

The age of fanfiction. The Take

September C. Fawkes helps you balance your cast of characters. Then, Angela Ackerman shows you how to set yourself up for success before you write a single word. Writers Helping Writers

Janice Hardy shares five ways to keep your protagonist proactive. Later in the week, John Peragine discusses Vella in part 2 of his serializing storytelling series. Writers in the Storm

Jenna Moreci hosts Iona Wayland to discuss writing mental illness.

Desiree Villena shares five tips for crafting an irresistible first line. Flogging the Quill

Kristen Lamb says that characters are the emotional touchstone readers crave.

John B. Thompson shares an excerpt from Book Wars: the new Holy Grail for traditional publishers is direct-to-reader relationships. Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle: your plot s fractal. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five baffling tech explanations in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Thank you for taking the time to visit and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 25-May 1, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Let’s get your mental corn popping, shall we?

Alanna Durkin Richer and Lindsay Whitehurst: 1 verdict, and then 6 police killings across America in 24 hours. Associated Press

Ibram X. Kendi: compliance will not save me. The Atlantic

Judas and the Black Messiah, Explained – Self-Preservation Won’t Save You. The Take

Chi Luu: how being polite with the police can backfire. JSTOR Daily

Mimi Fox Melton and Karla Monterosso: if you want a truly equitable workplace, get over your fear of conflict. Fast Company

Michael Luo relates the forgotten history of the purging of Chinese from America. The New Yorker

Ryan Lenora Brown: Séverine Autesserre has seen peacekeeping fail. Here’s her advice on getting it right. Christian Science Monitor

I Kissed a Girl: the messy legacy of a queerbait hit. Melina Pendulum

Matthew Wills: eighteenth-century spies in the European silk industry. JSTOR Daily

Rachael Stephen shares some tools for soothing and survival.

Oliver Burkeman explores the idea of the clockwork universe: is free will an illusion? The Guardian

Gordon Johnston highlights the pink supermoon April 26 and celestial events over the next month. NASA Solar System Exploration

April’s “pink” supermoon around the world—in pictures. The Guardian

Calla Cofield: astronomers release new all-sky map of the Milky Way. NASA

Nina Munteanu wants you to watch Borealis.

Kate Kellaway interviews tree whisperer, Suzanne Simard: “They get along, they listen—they’re attuned.” The Guardian

Guy Kawasaki has a conversation about conservation with Dr. Jane Goodall. Remarkable People Podcast

Sophia Quaglia reports that scientists find a way to remove polluting micro-plastics with bacteria. The Guardian

Royce Kurmelov explains how solar power continues to shock the world. The Guardian

Communication while dreaming. SciShow Psych

Tessa Vikander: beavers chew through a 4.5-inch-thick tube, disrupting power to 900 BC customers. CTV

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, April 25-May 1, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to the first tipsday of May 🙂 Get your informal writerly learnings while they last (just kidding, the archives are always accessible)!

Kim Bullock: what your protagonist’s Spotify playlist might reveal. Elizabeth Huergo recommends Kathleen Acalá and the extraordinary. Then, Sophie Masson shares her experience writing an exclusive audio novel. With apologies for the earworm, Lisa Janice Cohen says she’s “losing my ambition.” Milo Todd wants you to read outside your lane. Writer Unboxed

Tim Hickson: on writing great character descriptions (and he shares one of Shaelin’s). Hello, Future Me

K.M. Weiland delves into the king’s shadow archetypes in part 12 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Shaelin Bishop shares three great writing tips that no one ever talks about. Reedsy

Janice Hardy explains why you should know who your narrator is speaking to. Fiction University

David Kadavy promotes mind management, not time management. The Creative Penn

On her own channel, Shaelin shares her short fiction writing process. Shaelin Writes

Tasha Seegmiller shows you how to build your own MFA experience. Then, Eldred Bird lists five writing tips we love to hate. Later in the week, John Peragine discusses serialized storytelling (part 1). Writers in the Storm

Yara-ma-yha-who: Australia’s Regurgitating, Blood-Sucking Monster. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Susan DeFreitas shares three key tactics for crafting powerful scenes. Then, Catherine Baab-Maguira wonders, what if it takes 12 years to get an agent? Jane Friedman

The paradox of cottagecore. The Take

Richelle Lyn helps you create your own virtual writers sabbatical. Then, Amanda Polick explains how to ignite tension in your story with food and natural disaster. Gabriela Pereira interviews Rena Rossner about weaving together history, folklore, and fairy tale. Later in the week, Finola Austin lists traps to avoid when writing in first person. Then, Angyne Smith shares five tips to make your writers’ circle sing. DIY MFA

Jenna Moreci shares ten self-care tips for when you’re busy AF.

Angela Ackerman explains how to write emotion well: know your character. Writers Helping Writers

Bunny and Svend Phillips collaborate on this list of five tired tropes about teenagers. Then, Oren Ashkenazi explains how Revenger fails at technology. Mythcreants

Kristin Nelson is not a fan of publishing house mergers: a non-love story. Pub Rants

Ashawnta Jackson introduces us to the haiku of Richard Wright. JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends 🙂