Alchemy Ink

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 23-29, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It was a news-heavy week. Take some time to get your mental corn popping.

Catharine Tunney: OPP arrest ten protestors at the Tyendinaga blockade site. CBC

Maria Cervantes reports on how Peruvian indigenous group wins suit to block oil exploration in Amazonian region. Reuters

SciShow Psych considers why we can’t remember our dreams.

Josh K. Elliott: Dagmar Turner plays the violin during brain surgery to retain her musical skills. Global

Lauren Smith: Leah Reddell creates “henna crowns” for women with cancer. HealthiNation

Elisha Fieldstadt reports that Katherine Johnson, the “computer” depicted in Hidden Figures has died at 101. NBC

Roy Allela invents gloves that turn sign language into audible speech. Black Business

Francky Knapp: the first man to reach the North Pole was an African American desk clerk the world forgot. Messy Nessy Chic

Ed Pilkington covers Harvey Weinstein’s conviction on two of five rape charges. The Guardian

Dr. Becky looks into the mystery of where all the antimatter has gone.

This solar-powered barge collects up to 50 tonnes of plastic waste a day. Return to Now

Greg Rosalsky explains why America is losing the toilet race. (I didn’t even know there was one …) NPR

Physics girl looks at the science of rainbows, fogbows, sun dogs, and glories …

James Burch: if dragons don’t exist, why are they everywhere? All Things Interesting

Max Knoblauch shares a video of a humpback whale breaching like some kind of hotshot dolphin. Mashable

Lisa Cinelli explains that your cat has a legitimate reason for getting hyper at bedtime. PopSugar

This is an old one, but funny. Bored Panda shares 30 pictures of animals that look like they’re about to drop the hottest albums of the year.

And that was a fairly full thoughty Thursday. Thank you for visiting and I hope you take away some ideas to inspire your next creative project.

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

ThoughtyThursday2019

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 23-29, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

March first was lamb-like. I’m hoping for a gentle month. How about you?

Now, it’s time to get your fill of informal writerly learnings.

Tiffany Yates Martin lists ten specific ways to encourage your reader to like your protagonist. Kris Maze shares five steps to becoming a superstar self-editor. Writers in the Storm

Julia Munroe Martin is not above spying … again. Barbara Linn Probst is taking it scene by scene: the “middle level” of writing. Heather Webb tackles the social media meltdown and burnout. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shares the professional resources she uses for all aspects of writing and publishing processes. Helping Writers Become Authors

Do you need to outline your book? Reedsy

Then, Shaelin recommends how to develop your best writing process. Reedsy

Joanna Penn interviews Barbara Poelle about finding and pitching a literary agent. The Creative Penn

Sarah Chauncey lists five flashback mistakes. Jane Friedman

Nathan Bransford: don’t release the tension.

Manuela Williams shares five tips for writing an author bio that stands out. DIY MFA

Jami Gold explains how to get advice from an editor. Later in the week, she wonders, do our stories have deeper meanings?

Chris Winkle lists the four essentials of an effective character arc. Then, Oren Ashkenazi explains how to use failure in your story. Mythcreants

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something tasty that will support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well!

Tipsday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 16-22, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

I’m back, and it’s time to get your mental corn popping.

Juhyundred examines colonialism in Parasite. Amazing analysis. Tropics of Meta

SciShow investigates a possible cure for cancer (that was discovered by accident).

How unprocessed trauma is stored in the body. Medium

David Keys: a treasure trove of fine textiles reveals the importance of fashion to Bronze Age Britons. The Independent

Catherine Boeckmann shares the meanings of flowers. The Old Farmer’s Almanac

Sarah Barnes introduces us to Matt Burgess, the photographer who captures the moods of waves. My Modern Met

Madeleine Stone reports that the Antarctic peninsula is setting heat records, but they won’t stand for long. National Geographic

Does consciousness influence quantum mechanics? PBS Space Time

Lori Dorn shares an amazing video of an industrious mouse tidying up a retire electrician’s tool shed each night. Laughing Squid

The mating dance of the peacock spider. Ze Frank (who else?)

And that is your edutainment for the week. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’re taking away something to inspire your next creative project.

I might get my next chapter update out on the weekend.

Until then, be well, my writerly friends 🙂

ThoughtyThursday2019

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 16-22, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Here we are in the final week of February. Winter is crawling to its end, the light returns, and so does the hope of spring. Celebrate with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Tasha Seegmiller: writer, you are separate from your craft. Barbara Linn Probst considers likeable and relatable: why (and how) do they matter? Writers in the Storm

Vaughn Roycroft has a new take on readership. Dave King: the web of writing. Kathleen McCleary has answers to questions about writing. Porter Anderson analyzes the Authors Guild’s 2020 Report. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland has some thoughts on how to be critical of stories in a way that makes a difference. Helping Writers Become Authors

Joanna Penn interviews Aiki Flinthart about writing fight scenes with female characters. The Creative Penn

Christina Delay wants you to fall in love with your second act. Angela Ackerman explains how to build powerful character relationships. Writers Helping Writers

Janice Hardy considers whether to stop and revise or keep writing the first draft. Fiction University

Brenda Joyce Patterson takes a deep dive into libretti. DIY MFA

Nathan Bransford helps you clear out the clutter around your verbs.

How to write character voices. Reedsy

Oren Ashkenazi explains why “but men are objectified, too” doesn’t hold up. Then, Oren lists ten ways to keep the authorities out of your plot. Mythcreants

Jami Gold wonders, what do you do with disappointment?

Robert Lee Brewer explains the difference between metaphor and personification. Writer’s Digest

Kate Knibbs says, the hottest new genre is doomer lit (formerly known as cli-fi). Wired

Charlie Jane Anders believes that to write about the future is to represent the past. Tor.com

Thank you for visiting and I hope you take away something to support your current work in progress.

Until next time, be well!

Tipsday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 9-15, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

And now, it’s time to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Shiri Pasternak: No, those who defend the Wet’suwet’en territory are not criminals. The Globe and Mail

First Peoples Law publishes an explainer on The Wet’suwet’en, Aboriginal Title, and the Rule of Law.

Lori Teresa Yearwood interviews people living on the streets of Koreatown, LA. Slate

Kate Murphy says, you’re not listening and here’s why. The New York Times

Shana Lebowitz: 12 things people decide within moments of meeting you. The Ladders

When uterine tissue goes rogue. SciShow

Kelly Dawson explains how many towels you really need to own. Food 52

Ed Regis: no one can explain why planes stay in the air. Well, they can, but they can’t agree, and it can’t be proven … Scientific American

Open Culture shares 42 hours of ambient sound from Blade Runner, Star Trek, Alien, and Doctor Who that will help you relax and sleep.

SciShow Space news covers new ways to analyze moon rocks and the power of Pluto’s heart.

Emily Watlington reports on how museums are making art accessible to the visually impaired online. Art News

Can trees really help fight climate change? It’s okay to be smart

Tom Vanderbilt explains how Denmark took a mountain of trash and made a ski hill. Outside Online

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

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

ThoughtyThursday2019

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 9-15, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s that time of the week again, time for informal writerly learnings!

Melinda VanLone offers a quick guide to image copyright issues. On Valentine’s Day, Julie Glover helps you love your writer self. Writers in the Storm

Rheea Mukherjee is writing in a time of global trauma. Jim Dempsey wants to help you create conflict in your characters. Kathryn Craft lists seven ways to overcome story implausibility. David Corbett: if not love … Writer Unboxed

Something just for fun 🙂 Shaelin shares five false writer stereotypes. Reedsy

And then, she shares five true writer stereotypes. Reedsy

Christina Kaye guest posts on Helping Writers Become Authors: four research tips for writing legal fiction.

Laurence MacMaughton offers three rules for raising story stakes. Fiction University

September C. Fawkes explains how premise plays into theme. Brandon Cornett helps you figure out when situational writing works better than plotting. Writers Helping Writers

Jeanette the Writer answers this knotty question: will an editor steal my ideas? Bess McAllister explains how to make your own writer luck. Then, Gabriela Pereira interviews K.S. Villoso about world building in epic fantasy. Anna Thu Nguyenova shares five tips for writing great short stories. DIY MFA

How to write heartbreak. Jenna Moreci

Nathan Bransford suggests you start with the problems before leaping to the solutions in editing.

Chris Winkle shares lessons from the purple prose of The Witcher. Mythcreants

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you’re taking away something that will help you progress in your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well!

Tipsday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 2-8, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! It’s time to get your mental corn popping to see you through to the weekend.

Philip Moscovitch believes that people with mental illness don’t need more talk. While this is a year old, the message bears repeating. Bell Let’s Talk days is great, but what about the other 364 days of the year? And what about actual change? The Globe and Mail

Jorge Barrera reports that the Robinson-Huron Treaty First Nations demand that Ottawa and Ontario cease land claim talks that affect their rights. CBC

Māori water rights case aims to stop water bottling. RNZ

Zöe Ettinger introduces us to 20 inspiring black women making history in 2020. Insider

Max Read presents five theories about conspiracy theories. Intelligencer

Why did the Vikings have “Allah” embroidered into their clothes? BBC

James Urquhart reveals how yarn made from human skin can be knit into your body. New Scientist

Mary Robinette Kowal: Christina Koch lands on Earth and crosses a threshold for women in space. The New York Times

Rebecca Hill introduces us to the outer space sailing captain. Ozy

Nadia Drake says, the sun is still a burning mystery, but that may be about to change. National Geographic

Are there infinite versions of you? (Mind bendy stuff) PBS Space time

Kristine Mitchell presents the Golden Ratio Colouring Book. My Modern Met

Mayukh Saha: photographer captures the beauty of looking up at trees. Truth Theory

Nina Pullano: first squid MRI study shows brain complexity similar to dogs. Inverse

Truly Mind visits Nepal, where an annual festival thanking dogs for being our friends takes place.

True facts about the skeleton shrimp. Ze Frank

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you’re taking away something to inspire your next creative project.

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

ThoughtyThursday2019

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 2-8, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

You’ve survived Monday! Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

Janice Hardy says, author, we have a problem: four plotting tips. Later in the week, Janice is poking dead scenes with a stick. Fiction University

K.M. Weiland shares six steps to create realistic and powerful scene dilemmas. Helping Writers Become Authors

Jami Gold uses an, ahem, moving metaphor to discover what matters in our stories. Then, she wonders, where do you want your story (or career) to go?

Jenna Moreci explains how to tell if you should write a series (and when you shouldn’t).

Abigail K. Perry covers James Scott Bell’s final signpost scene: transformation. As one series ends, another begins. The first of my three-part series on the tarot as a tool for mythic storytelling: an introduction to the tarot. DIY MFA

Donald Maass revisits the uncon again: world building for non-SFF writers. Cathy Yardley: your subconscious speaks a different language. ‘Cause tarot (see above)! Writer Unboxed

Meg LaTorre explains how to find critique partners and beta readers. Writers Helping Writers

Kris Spisak advises you to look at these four problem areas when revising. Jane Friedman

Joanna Penn interviews Jennie Nash: would you make a good book coach? The Creative Penn

Chris Winkle explains how storytellers use reactivity and proactivity for effect. Then, Oren Ashkenazi shares seven tricks to improve your minions. Mythcreants

Etuaptmumk: two-eyed seeing. Rebecca Thomas TEDxNSCCWaterfront

Brit Marling: I don’t want to be the strong female lead. The New York Times

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’re taking away something to help with your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well, my writerly friends 🙂

Tipsday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 26-Feb 1, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping, that is, to get you thinking and to get those ideas and creative connections ping-ponging off the inside of your skull 🙂

Suzanne Yost says, because I’m an introvert, you won’t see the real me right away. I still remember when I got to know one of my boyfriend’s friends better, they said they thought I was a snob … but that I was really rather fun. Thanks? Introvert, Dear

Nikki Sanchez: decolonization is for everyone. TEDxSFU

Erin Blakemore presents seven mysterious sounds that science has yet to solve. Popular Science

Neel V. Patel shares the highest resolution picture of the sun ever taken. MIT Technology Review

Alex Pasternack: this amazing new planetarium show is like Google Earth for the universe. Fast Comapny

Andrew Daniels: we spent all day arguing about this triangle brain teaser. Can you solve it? Popular Mechanics

How a simple equation will change the way you see the world. Veritasium

The oldest pool of water on Earth is in Ontario. Curiocity

Judith Lavoie reports that a government investigation reveals BC timber sales violating old-growth logging rules. The Narwhale

Bryan Nelson: the world’s largest honeybee makes rare, hallucinogenic honey. Mother Nature Network

Appalachian Magazine introduces us to the witch bottle.

Delaney Strunk presents a mother’s letter, written moments before her death at Auschwitz. Insider

Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

Until next time, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

ThoughtyThursday2019

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 26-Feb 1, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Welcome February, Imbolc, Groundhog Day, and the return of the light! We’ve made it through the better part of winter. Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

Janice Hardy: things to consider when adding a point of view character. Fiction University

Jenny Hansen shares tips for Word’s track changes features, her favourite editing lifesaver. Kris Maze: when rejection becomes connection. Writers in the Storm

Kim Bullock: the benefits of sensory deprivation for writers. Ann Marie Nieves says, we need more of that. Writer Unboxed

The Take examines the smart girl trope.

Jami Gold helps you build a bridge from story beginning to main conflict. Writers Helping Writers

Over on her own site, Jami Gold wonders what calls for diversity mean for our writing.

Ellen Brock shares her theory of four types of writers (across two spectra). Very intriguing. I’m looking forward to the next videos in the series.

Nathan Bransford shares his plot framework. Then, he explains why protagonists need to be active.

Emily Wenstrom lists her top 2020 social media trends for authors. DIY MFA

Jane Friedman offers her guide to getting the most out of a writing conference.

Juliette Dunn lists six things writers should know about autistic people. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes six overpowered characters and explains how to fix them. Mythcreants

The Lost Words Blessing – The Lost Words. Don’t think this belongs in tipsday? Listen. Just listen. You’ll understand.

Caught up in the details? Stop overthinking and just write. CBC Books

Thank you for visiting. I hope you take away some great supports for your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well!

Tipsday2019