Alchemy Ink

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little bit of thoughty this week.

Frank T. McAndrew, PhD explains why our grief over a dog is so intense. Psychology Today

Heather Plett: what it really means to hold space for someone. Uplift

Pallab Ghosh reports on the discovery of our oldest human ancestor (and, boy, is it a beauty). BBC

John Walsh examines how doctors measure pain (and whether it’s of any help to patients). The Guardian

John Broich revisits how journalists covered the rises of Mussolini and Hitler. The Smithsonian Magazine

An open letter from the Canadian tech community: diversity is our strength. BetaKit

Rachel Browne covers Prime Minister Trudeau’s fight against fake news. Vice

Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital will provide surgeries for patients affected by the U.S. travel ban. Maclean’s

Jenny Zhang shares an amateur’s guide to activism for frustrated Canadians. Medium

Johnny Silvercloud: why isn’t anyone talking about the radicalization of whites? AfroSapiophile

Rae Paoletta reports on NASA’s twin experiment. Gizmodo

John Newsom: science illiteracy in the U.S. is a serious threat according to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Greensboro

ASAP Thought: a brief history of the fear of immigrants.

 

Detroit’s muddy bottom conceals cars, cannons, and guns. Robert Allen for the Detroit Free Press.

Hope it was enough to get your mental corn popping, ‘cause you know I want to inspire you to create great things 🙂

See you on the weekend.

Be well until then.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It was another fantabulous week of writerly goodness 🙂

K.M. Weiland helps you find the exact right story hook. Helping Writers Become Authors

Nina Munteanu helps you make your opening count.

Over on Writers Helping Writers, Angela Ackerman writes about describing your character: making every detail count.

Jessica Stawser is acting out of character. Writers in the Storm

Cathy Yardley: writer, know thyself. Writer Unboxed

Donald Maass bid us add a touch of romance to our stories. Writer Unboxed

Susan Spann explains how to evaluate a publishing contest. Writer Unboxed

Porter Anderson: “… when authors hunker together to kvetch about “writing is so hard,” they’re romancing the career in a profoundly counter-productive way.” Writer Unboxed

Jo Eberhardt: be the encouragement you want to see in the world. Writer Unboxed

Janice Hardy: how to write a teen voice. Fiction University

Fae Rowan invites us to use the energies of 2017 to jumpstart our writing careers. Writers in the Storm

Naomi Hughes returns to Jami Gold’s blog with her top three scene issues.

Becca Puglisi delves into overcoming mental illness for the character motivation thesaurus. Writers Helping Writers

Gabriela Pereira interviews Shanthi Sekaran about capturing diverse experiences on the page. DIYMFA

Bess Cozby: three questions you should ask before committing to a revise and resubmit. DIYMFA

Michelle Chalkey lists five benefits of the writer-editor relationship. DIYMFA

Brandon Taylor helps you escape the slush pile. Electric Lit

Blake Atwood launches his new column, editorially speaking, with this post: how to find a book editor you can trust. The Write Life

David Robson introduces us to the untranslatable emotions we never knew we had. BBC

Chris Saylor reminds us how to use apostrophes properly. Marcy Kennedy’s blog

Meet the 2017 Canada Reads contenders. CBC

Ursula K. Le Guin writes a letter to the editor, responding to a comparison between “alternative facts” and fiction. Oregon Live

Andrew Postman’s father, Neil, in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, posited Brave New World as our probable dystopic future as opposed to Nineteen Eighty-Four. It turns out, he was right. The Guardian

David Tennant, the eleventh Doctor himself, tells us everything will be all right.

 

Alisdair Stuart believes it’s time for Doctor Who to change television history for the better. Tor.com

And that was your informal writerly learnings for the week!

Stay strong until Thursday!

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 22-28, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Lookie, lookie, there’s a lot here to get your mental corn popping.

Chris Lonsdale reports on how Silicon Valley is teaching language to machines. Venture Beat

Jackson Landers: Harry Houdini was an ingenious inventor but didn’t want anyone to know about it. The Smithsonian Magazine

Alice Park discovers that a sedentary lifestyle can age you as many as eight years. Time

Chris Buckley and Adam Wu report on the disappearing Datang fishers. The New York Times

Medievalists.net reports on Rheged, the early medieval kingdom recently discovered in Galloway.

Hedges are the life-giving arteries of the land. Fionnuala Fallon for The Irish Times.

Liz Langley reports on how hummingbirds survive the winter. National Geographic

Carolanne Wright reports on the Harvard psychologist who says ADHD is largely a fraud. Wake Up World

Chitra Ramaswamy shares the secrets of people who never get sick. The Guardian

Alexandra Shimo learns first-hand about the high cost of food on First Nations Reserves. TVO

Gloria Galloway: a private donor funds Wapekeka’s suicide-prevention program. The Globe and Mail

Waking Times points out that 20 million Muslims marched in protest against ISIS, and mainstream media ignored it.

Matt Novak shares Carl Sagan’s eerie prediction. Paleofuture

You need to watch Aziz Ansari’s wonderful SNL monologue. Mother Jones

And here’s Ashley Judd’s epic rap:

 

For a little balance, Kid President explains how to disagree with someone 🙂

 

ASAP Thought: why you should never stop protesting.

 

More social consciousness raising. Prince EA: I am not black.

 

Now for some kawaii. Zoos get into epic #cuteanimaltweetoff. Bored Panda

Be well, be kind, and keep protesting!

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 22-28, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

A fair number of vids this week, just to appeal to the visual learner 😉

K.M. Weiland: six pieces of common writing advice you’re misusing. Helping Writers Become Authors

Kathryn Craft wonders whether your novel’s good enough. Writers in the Storm

Lisa Cron, the Story Genius, answers questions about backstory on Writers in the Storm.

Jami Gold: “Why?” is the most important question in storytelling.

Brunonia Barry helps you create your book talk. Writer Unboxed

Elizabeth Huergo, new contributor to Writer Unboxed, gets metaphorical: writing as tango.

Barbara O’Neal helps you recognize the signposts to your writer’s voice. Writer Unboxed

Heather Webb offers her thoughts on speaking your truth through fiction. Writer Unboxed

Becca Puglisi explores some lesser-known character archetypes. Writers Helping Writers

Sara Letourneau examines man and the natural world for DIYMFA. Later in the week, Sara is back with five things you should ask beta readers when they critique your manuscript.

Gabriela Pereira recaps her experience at this year’s Digital Book World (DBW) for DIYMFA radio.

Kimberly Brock: when the stories have all stopped. Writers in the Storm

Janice Hardy wonders, is a lack of action really the problem? Fiction University

Then, Bonnie Randall guest posts on Fiction University: juxtaposition in your story.

Chris Saylor shows up on Marcy Kennedy’s blog to advise how to format dialogue within dialogue.

Oren Ashkenazi shares some tips on how to realistically depict evil. Mythcreants

Naomi Hughes guest posts on Jami Gold’s blog: three common storytelling issues.

This is just fun! Jenna Moreci: writers do weird sh*t.

 

James McWilliams believes the physical book will endure, but will it endure for the right reason? The Millions

John Cleese on creativity. Brilliant man.

 

James Lizowski lists his top space colonization novels. OMNI

Cheryl Eddy interviews J.Y. Yang on her silkpunk series. i09

It’s the 40th anniversary of the Doctor Who episode, The Face of Evil (one of my favourites, by the way—Tom Baker was my Doctor). Watch this clip. Relevant, much? Beth Elderkin for i09.

Josephine Livingstone explains why Nineteen Eighty-Four is not the novel we need in the Trump era. New Republic

The Black Eyed Peas re-release Where’s the Love. THIS is why we must keep creating in dark times.

 

Sarah Slean: real love demo. Another sad but hopeful song that speaks to me.

 

Hope you’ve had your fill of informal writerly learnings this week.

If not, come back next week, they’ll be more 🙂

Be well until next I blog.

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 15-21, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Another small curation this week. With all those #alternatetruths out there, I guess the world isn’t feeling too thoughty 😦 Or maybe that’s just me.

Timothy B. Lee gets a bird’s eye view of Women’s Marches all over the US. Vox

Sarah Kaplan reports on the astonishing science behind fairy rings in the desert. The Washington Post

Rae Paoletta interviews Dr. Chandra Prescod-Weinstein about the importance of Hidden Figures. Gizmodo

Nunavut’s 96 year old seamstress models her clothes and advocates for traditional design. Priscilla Hwang for the CBC.

Emma Young: Iceland knows how to stop teen substance abuse, but the rest of the world isn’t listening. Mosaic

Phil Plait offered this lovely astronomical metaphor to those saddened by inauguration day: if you need strength, be like Daphnis. Slate

Katy Koontz considers fireflies: a surreal synchronized wave of light. BBC

Emily Laurence: what to do when meditation doesn’t work for you. I must admit, I’m not a good meditater. Well and Good

Samoyed sings while squeezing toy. #sammytude

 

All the best.

See you on the weekend for more WorldCon reportage!

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 15-21, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

And here it is, your informal writerly learnings for the week!

K.M. Weiland offers her insight into how to outline a series of bestselling books. Helping Writers Become Authors

Janice Hardy starts a two part series about finding your voice. First up: how to find your character’s voice. Fiction University

Are you revising? Then check out April Bradley’s tips on pacing and momentum. Writers Helping Writers

Dianna Gunn shares her experience with resistance: letting your story end at the end. DIYMFA

Sloan Tamar: five things psychology can teach writers. Writers Helping Writers

Dave King revisits the power of words. Writer Unboxed

Annie Neugebauer muses on the challenge of finding the balance between dreaming and working. Writer Unboxed

Writer Unboxed obtained permission to reprint this fabulous post by Christie Aschwanden: stop trying to be creative.

Jamie Raintree gives us a productive two-for this week: a different kind of writing productivity and the importance of knowing your priorities and sticking to them.

Jami Gold: what if I can’t find beta readers?

Kristen Lamb says, never tell me the odds—how to get your head right for success.

Jenny Hansen shares Maya Angelou’s writerly wisdom on Writers in the Storm.

A moment of tangency. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (apparently soon to be out in book form!). This guy’s a poet.

 

Charles Chu looks back at Frank Herbert and his definition of success. You don’t write for fame and fortune. You write so you can have more time to write. Medium

Fiona Macdonald peeks at the racy side of Jane Austin. BBC

Punny. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog … after a few tries 😉

 

Alexandra Alter reports on an unfinished Mark Twain fairytale that will soon see the light of day. The New York Times

Swapna Krishna looks at the time travel in Timeless. Is it possible? Tor.com

Spencer Kornhaber interviews Brit Marling about The OA and the dark side of science. As I said when I posted this to FB, I enjoyed the series … until the last episode. Though I called it, that couldn’t compensate for the deep dissatisfaction I felt in the wake of the final episode. Still, it’s nice to find out more about what inspired the series. The Atlantic

Looking forward to this, because Emma. The full set of Beauty and the Beast trailers.

 

Hope this curation gives you what you need to keep creating. The world needs your stories!

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 8-14, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s like, wow (it’s like right now)! Sorry, I have a Beck ear worm 😉

The Kounotori electrodynamic tether hopes to displace space debris and clear the upper atmosphere. Bill Chappell for NPR.

Matt Novak replays an interview with David Bowie in which he argues the point about the subversive nature of the internet. I miss starman 😦 Paleofuture

Imogen Heap’s Mi.Mu gloves.

 

Dan Nosowitz discovers why Canadians say “eh.” Altas Obscura

ASAP Thought debates early birds vs. night owls.

 

Timothy Joseph Elzinga captures an amazing photograph of light pillars. Marina von Stackleberg for the CBC.

Listen closely to what this crow says 😉 Best Source of Fun

Bernese Mountain pup vs. lemon.

 

Here’s hoping that something in this selection popped your mental corn. Get those creative connections going.

And let me know if anything comes of it.

Be well until the weekend.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 8-14, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

I even have a video in the informal writerly learnings mix this week. W00t!

K.M. Weiland offers her top ten ways to rivet readers with plot reveals. Helping Writers Become Authors

Later in the week Dave Chesson guest posts on Kate’s blog with Boba Fett’s guide to writing cool characters.

Jordan Rosenfeld guest posts on Writer Unboxed: perception and how to identify POV leaps.

Bess Cozby offers five tips for mastering multiple points of view. DIYMFA

Oren Ashkenazi explains how to craft a character-driven story. Mythcreants

Becca Puglisi guest posts on Writers in the Storm: crafting a powerful set up.

Sophie Masson helps you craft the perfect back cover blurb. Writer Unboxed

David Corbett explores the topic of reading while writing. Writer Unboxed

Roz Morris joins the awesome line up of writing coaches on Writers Helping Writers: read more fiction.

Jami Gold explains how writing goals are really about finding out what works for you. Later in the week, she offers some insight into how to make your story meaningful.

Janice Hardy shares some outlining tips. Fiction University

Chuck Wendig tell you how to finish revising, you filthy animal. Terribleminds

Should you submit your work to agents or editors? Jane Friedman

New contributor Kathryn Magendie writes about giving up and giving in. Writer Unboxed

Susan Spann educates us on negotiating options in publishing deals. Writer in the Storm

Gabriela Pereira and Manjula Martin talk money on DIYMFA radio.

Joanna Penn and CJ Lyons talk about the dream of quitting the day job to write full time. The Creative Penn

Indigenous readers recommend books. 49th Shelf

Danielle Dutton lists her top ten books about wild women. The Guardian

Terri Windling: old stories made new. Myth & Moor

John Yorke: all stories are the same. The Atlantic

Liz Bourke reviews Certain Dark Things and Sparrow Falling. Tor.com

Man Booker prize winner, Marlon James, is writing an epic fantasy trilogy drawn from African mythology. Natalie Zutter for Tor.com.

Foz Meadows muses on Westworld: (de)humanizing the other. shattersnipe

Heather Wolfe, the “Sherlock of the library” cracked the case of Shakespeare’s identity. Robert McCrum for The Guardian.

A Writer’s Life. Two men have words.

 

Leah Schnelbach looks back at Princess Mononoke after 20 years. Tor.com

I hope you found something to enrich your skill set.

Come on back on Thursday for some inspiration 🙂

Be well until then.

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 1-7, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s quality over quantity this week.

Charles Foran wonders if Canada is the world’s first post-national country. The Guardian

Wab Kinew: there is room in our circle for Joseph Boyden. The Globe and Mail

Matt Ayton asks, why don’t we stand with Turkey like we did with Orlando and Paris? The Independent

William Deresiewicz: how to learn how to think. Farnham Street

Medievalists.net explores the sleeping habits of the Middle Ages.

Jo Marchant digs into this 3,500 year old Mycenae tomb and how it changes what we know about history. The Smithsonian Magazine

George Dvorsky reports on the discovery of a stunning new type of galaxy. Gizmodo

Maddie Stone shares the most detailed view of black holes in the universe. Gizmodo

Lauren Jarvis-Gibson lists eleven things people don’t realize you do because of your anxiety. Thought Catalog

On the Hearty Soul: how complaining rewires your brain to be anxious and depressed.

Daily Health Records lists fifteen things you’ll notice when you’re in the presence of an empath.

Here’s hoping something got your mental corn popping 🙂

On Saturday, I return to WorldCon 2016 reporting.

Be well until then!

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 1-7, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to your informal writely learnings of the week 🙂

K.M. Weiland continues her common writing mistakes series with part 55: beginning your story too late. Helping Writers Become Authors

Immerse yourself in POV with Donald Maass. Writer Unboxed

Chris Winkle helps you choose your perspective. Mythcreants

Do you work on your stories character first, or worldbuilding first? Jo Eberhardt says it really doesn’t matter. Writer Unboxed

Zara Quentin guest posts on Fiction University: how to build a world (and why), an evolutionary approach.

Chuck Wendig encourages us to write despite. Terribleminds

Kristen Lamb gives ‘em hell: NYC gooood, self-pub baaaaad. It’s an author animal farm out there!

Janice Hardy guest posts on Writers in the Storm: how bad times and new starts affect our writing.

Writing coach C.S. Lakin offers some tips for weaving romance into your novel. Writers Helping Writers

Blake Atwood shares ten easy ways to self-edit your novel. The Write Life

Gabriela Pereira interviews Alexia Vernon on the art of public speaking for DIYMFA radio.

Joe Fassler compiles the best writing advice of 2016. The Atlantic

Glenn Leibowitz recommends the one book you must read to become a better writer. Inc.

Terri Windling muses upon a parliament of owls. Myth & Moor

Jessica Stillman lists the most misused words according to Daniel Pinker. Inc.

Libby Coleman examines Ken Liu’s body of work so far. Ozy

Cheryl Eddy shares a list of January’s must-read science fiction and fantasy. i09

I’m so excited! James Whitbrook gives us a first look at the live action Fullmetal Alchemist movie (!) i09

Connie Verzak has some fun with the animals of Outlander for her 2017 resolutions. The Daily Record

Beth Elderkin (I lurve her name, don’t you?) shares The Handmaid’s Tale teaser on i09.

I sincerely hope you found something you wanted to learn about among this week’s offerings.

If you’re interested in writerly inspiration, come back on thoughty Thursday to get your mental corn a-poppin’!

Be well until then!

tipsday2016