Alchemy Ink

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Sept 16-22, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Looking for some informal writerly learnings? Don’t worry. I’ve found them:

Vaughn Roycroft is writing through uncertainty (with a writerly life jacket). Writer Unboxed

Dave King: wait, what? The power of ambiguity. Writer Unboxed

Annie Neugebauer explains how to process and filter feedback. Writer Unboxed

Julie Duffy: self-doubt is not good. Writer Unboxed

Laura Drake proposes a writer’s resolution anyone can keep. Writers in the Storm

From Beyoncé to the X-files: allusion power on the page. Margie Lawson guest posts on Writers in the Storm.

Angela Ackerman visits Writers in the Storm. What’s stronger than your character’s worst fear? Their unmet need …

A.K. Perry explores another of James Scott Bell’s signpost scenes: doorway of no return #1. DIY MFA

Brenda Joyce Patterson shares some practical magic: voice in character creation. DIY MFA

Jenn Walton presents five conversations you should have with your protagonist. DIY MFA

Chuck Wendig says that a writing career is a series of cliff-mitigation exercises. Terribleminds

Faith Okamoto shares five tips for characters who go against the flow. Then, Oren Ashkenazi presents six sources of conflict for your world. Mythcreants

Jami Gold wants you to proactively avoid issues with a brainstorming check.

Jenna Moreci lists the top ten she looks for in a book (for personal reading enjoyment).

 

Erik Kwakkel tells the tale of two medieval selfies: me, myself, and I. Medieval Books

The Captain Marvel trailer (looks awesome!)

 

And that was tipsday. Come back on Thursday for your weeky dose of thoughty.

Until then, be well!

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 9-15, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

And now … it’s time to get your mental corn popping.

Sharon Cohen for the Associated Press: why are native American women vanishing?

Thee lesser-known symptoms of depression. SciShow Psych

 

Zarria Gorvett exposes the strange truth about the pill. I was on various birth control pills for maybe five years combined, and this disconcerts me. BBC

Frank Martela recommends that you exercise, eat well, and help other because altruism has a surprisingly strong impact on your health. It’s what my sign-off is all about (be well, be kind, and stay strong). Scientific American

Bret Stetka reports how the infectious theory of Alzheimer’s Disease draws fresh interest. NPR

Lucy V. Justice, Martin Conway, and Shazia Akhtar: your earliest childhood memory is probably fake. Quartz

Simon Parkin asks, is there finally a cure for insomnia? The Guardian

The oldest planet ever discovered. SciShow Space

 

Katherine Lackey explores why Yellowstone’s ecosystem hasn’t been restored by the return of its wolves. USA Today

The Verge: we met the world’s first domesticated foxes.

 

And that was Thoughty Thursday.

Be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Sept 9-15, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Another awesome week of informal writerly learnings.

Rochelle Deans covers for K.M. Weiland while she’s on hiatus: three tips for writing a story that’s better than its flaws. Helping Writers Become Authors

Jenny Hansen wonders, have you lost touch with your inner avid reader? Writers in the Storm

Julie Glover suggests four easy edits to make your story flow better. Writers in the Storm

David Corbett is gearing up for getting out: the conference experience. Writer Unboxed

Jami Gold drops by Writers Helping Writers to apply lessons from TV to chapter hooks: and … action!

Over on her own blog, Jami wonders, what do you want to write that you haven’t yet?

Kristen Lamb discusses time as a literary device: flashbacks vs. non-linear structure.

Laurence MacNaughton offers five tips for writing group success. Fiction University

Kristen Lamb helps you decipher the log line: can you pitch your entire story in one sentence?

Ellen Brock offers a two-part series on writing a query letter. Here’s part one:

 

And part two:

 

Here’s my latest DIY MFA column: world building with the celestial objects of our Solar System.

On episode 217 of DIY MFA Radio, Gabriela Pereira interviews Yang Huang: write dangerously. Later in the week, Gabriela presents the opposite is possible theory of character development. DIY MFA

Chuck Wendig says, you gotta trust in the process. Terribleminds

Jim C. Hines explains what to do when you’re called out on something problematic …

Chris Winkle explains why English needs singular they. Then, Oren Ashkenazi discusses six pieces of misunderstood storytelling advice. Mythcreants

So looking forward to Outlander season 4.

 

Be well until Thursday, when you can visit again to pick up some thoughty 😉

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 2-8, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

The thoughty is a little more substantial this week.

Jim C. Hines considers all that “pro-life” encompasses, or what it should.

Darius Foroux says, the purpose of life is not happiness, but usefulness. Medium

Emily J. Smith: the art of being completely alone. Medium

Christopher D. Connors lists the ten qualities of an emotionally intelligent person. Medium

Brian Handwerk reveals that the benefits of probiotics might not be so clear cut. The Smithsonian Magazine

Sarah Chodosh explains how much your food waste harms the environment. Popular Science

Jane C. Hu goes inside the all-female trek to the north pole. Wired

New Evidence of Water on Jupiter! SciShow Space

 

Eric Mack celebrates NASA’s 60th anniversary: all about the space agency’s past, present, and future. CNet

True Facts: Bobbit Worm and Polychaete Pals – Ze Frank

 

I hope something in this modest curation got your mental corn popping.

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

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Sept 2-8, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s been a tasty week for informal writerly learnings 🙂

Donna Galanti explains how to build suspense: meet your readers in the middle and they will come. Writers in the Storm

It’s been a while, but Fae Rowan is back with part three of her series on five conflict-making choices your characters can make. Writers in the Storm

Anna Elliott: heartbeats. Writer Unboxed

Kathryn Magendie is letting go of the negative dark cycle. Writer Unboxed

Greer Macallister offers 25 truths about the work of writing. Writer Unboxed

Therese Walsh: that time Jane Friedman’s advice saved my novel. Writer Unboxed

Donald Maass has some suggestions in case you’re feeling stuck. Stories don’t get stuck; only writers do. Writer Unboxed

Related: Kristen Lamb wonders if your story is stuck and offers five reasons your novel is breaking down.

And another perspective: sometimes it’s okay to quit the thing you’re writing. Sometimes you have to quit writing a thing. As long as you don’t quit writing all the things. Chuck Wendig @Terribleminds.

Rachael Stephen: Solve any writing problem (with brainstorming!)

 

Then, she argues that you have to define your theme before you write (and dares you to fight her):

 

If you have sloppy writing habits, K.M. Weiland shares four strategies to deal with it. Helping Writers Become Authors

Merilyn Simonds drops by Jane Friedman’s blog: how long should it take to write a book?

James Scott Bell takes his turn in the Writers Helping Writers coaching corner: where’s your edge?

Leanne Sowul shares seven lessons learned from tracking her time. DIY MFA

Sera Fiana recommends five self-care tips to improve your writing process. DIY MFA

Jami Gold: what does it mean to write layered characters? Later in the week, she reflects on how goals, needs, and false beliefs create character conflict.

Ellen Brock shows you how to plot your novel fast.

 

Fay Onyx examines five common harmful representations of disability. Mythcreants

And that was Tipsday.

Come back for your weekly dose of Thoughty on Thursday!

Until then, be well, my writerly friends.

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Aug 26-Sept 1, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a bit of thoughty again, but I hope it’s enough to get your mental corn popping.

Abigail Jones: this is the suicide story you’re not hearing. Cosmopolitan

Dina Sachan says, stop pushing your sadness away; negative emotions can be good for you. Fast Company

Kate Knibbs: What’s your type? The Myers-Briggs test and the rise of the personality quiz. The Ringer

98.6 degrees is a normal body temperature, right? Not quite. Michele Cohen Marill for Wired.

Bryan Nelson reports on the giant deep-sea coral reef discovered off the South Carolina coast. Mother Nature News

Bianca Bosker delves into the nastiest feud in science. That is: what really killed the dinosaurs? The Atlantic/Medium

Waffles, the sidecar dog. The vid with her and friend, Biscuit, is only on Facebook, so this will have to do for now.

 

Be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Aug 26-Sept 1, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Ah, September. Did you have to come so soon? Now we say our fond farewells to summer and get back to work and school. Shore yourself up with some informal writerly learnings.

Shannon Baker and Jess Lourey want you to write what you fear: why, how, and a lifesaving bonus tip. Writer Unboxed

Julia Munroe Martin: confessions of a weary writer. Speaks to me in many ways. I, too, will never give up. Writer Unboxed

Jo Eberhardt explores writing, politics, and the fuzzy grey line between. In the end, all writing is political. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shares five ways to use the enneagram to write better characters. Helping Writers Become Authors

Piper Bayard says, hacking isn’t just for thrillers anymore. Writers in the Storm

Laurie Schnebly Campbell: plot, character, and … what? Writers in the Storm

Roz Morris takes us on a virtual tour of her writing space. The rescued desk—where do you write? Nail Your Novel

Chuck Wendig explains why writing a series (especially as a new author) is really goddamned hard. Terribleminds

Sara Letourneau shares three ways of revising (or avoiding) preachy themes. DIY MFA

Damon Suede stops by Fiction University to talk about comp lit: claiming your place on the shelf.

Lizzie Shane drops by Jami Gold’s blog: how important is talent?

Chris Winkle wants you to account for character identification. Mythcreants

Oren Ashkenazi: five ways gods and the afterlife change a fantasy setting. Mythcreants

And that was tipsday for this week. Come back on Thursday for your weekly done of thoughty.

Be well until then!

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Aug 19-25, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little thoughty this week.

Alexandra Hansen: is it possible to catch up on sleep? Yes and no. Quartzy

What if solar energy was as easy as pressing “print”? PBS Reinventors

 

Mary Halton interviews Farah Alibay: when flying to Mars is your day job. BBC

Green Porno: the mantis with Isabella Rossellini (!)

 

True facts about the aye aye. Ze Frank

 

Hope something in this odd mix popped your mental corn.

Be well until the weekend and my next chapter update for August.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Aug 19-25, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s the last week of August (!) Where did the summer go? Ah well, console yourself with some informal writing learnings.

K.M. Weiland offers three thoughts on what to do about writer’s jealousy. Helping Writers Become Authors

Julianna Baggott: the every-novel-is-wildly-different guide to revision. Favourite bit – “Here’s a hard truth: Each novel teaches the writer how to write it.” Writer Unboxed

Barbara O’Neal uncovers the mysteries of creativity and meditation. Writer Unboxed

Sara Letourneau expounds on the art of writing out of sequence. Writers Helping Writers

Three videos from Ellen Brock. First: how to write chapter openings

 

How to write chapter endings

 

And … how to use chapter titles

 

Cait Reynolds offers a field guide to the North American beta reader. Kristen Lamb

Jami Gold gives us a reminder to enjoy the journey. Later in the week, she applies writing lessons to life.

Chuck Wendig: originality is overrated in authorland. Terribleminds

Janice Hardy says, a well-written novel can still stink. Fiction University

And here are two videos from Jenna Moreci. First, her top ten writing mistakes.

 

And then, her top ten pieces of writing advice.

 

Dave Lerner lists five reasons not to write a persecution flip story. Mythcreants

Movie Mama watches The Princess Bride for the first time. Funny or Die

 

Be well until Thursday.

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Aug 12-18, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday is more video than not, this week. Still, let’s see if we can’t get your mental corn popping.

Annakeara Stinson says, hacks for overthinking aren’t as complex as you think. Elite Daily

Rob Harvilla eulogizes Aretha Franklin, a pop star who could make you see God. The Ringer

Chasing asteroids: dual missions sniff out clues to the solar system’s past. Eva Botkin-Kowacki for the Christian Science Monitor.

Tilly the river otter teaches her kit, Mo, how to swim. Oregon Zoo

 

Liz Langley wonders how jellyfish rule the seas … without brains. National Geographic

This dog LURVES the new ball-popper 🙂

 

True facts about the land snail. Ze Frank

 

And true facts about the mantis.

 

I hope you were edutained 🙂

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

thoughtythursday2016