Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Sept 3-9, 2017

September 12, 2017September 10, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Here are your informal writerly learnings for the first full week of September (!)

K.M. Weiland continues her most common writing mistakes with part 62: head-hopping POV. Helping Writers Become Authors

Colleen M. Story explains how your time personality influences your writing productivity. Writers in the Storm

Susan Spann explains the law (and ethics) of conference blogging. Writers in the Storm

James Scott Bell stops by the Writers Helping Writers coaches’ corner: using the novel journal to make writing breakthroughs.

Vaughn Roycroft is fortified by gratitude. Writer Unboxed

Donald Maass muses on what makes a journey. Writer Unboxed

Here’s the second part of my exploration of The Hero’s Journey on DIY MFA.

Crash Course Mythology – The Hero’s Journey and the Monomyth. They do a really good job of illustrating how some of the stages of The Hero’s Journey are optional, or can be shifted 🙂

Leanne Sowul: it’s back to school time at DIY MFA—what do you want to learn?

Kristen Lamb explains why suffering is essential for great fiction.

Jeff Lyons returns to Jami Gold’s blog to bust the rest of the top ten writing myths.

Rachel Chaney is Dan Koboldt’s equine expert for this article: matching horses to use, climate, and characters in fiction.

And then, Judith Tarr contributed in praise of the hard-working fantasy horse to the Tor.com blog. What do these ladies have against Friesians, anyway?

Rebecca Solnit: if I were a man. The Guardian

Isabella Biedenharn: Libba Bray has some thoughts on this all-female Lord of the Flies remake. Entertainment Weekly

What growing up in the sulphur city taught me about beauty. Christine Schrum on the Latitude 46 blog.

Cat Rambo announces that games writers will be eligible for an award in the 2018 Nebulas. Geekwire podcast.

Tor.com presents Ursula K. Le Guin’s introduction to the Library of America’s The Hainish Novels & Stories, volume one.

OMG. Droughtlander’s almost over! Actually, the first ep will have aired by the time I post this. Still. OUTLANDER!

Ever think Gandalf was a dick? Well, so does Emily Asher-Perrin: five things Gandalf should have admitted instead of being a jerk. (ROFL-hilarious) Tor.com

So I went to WorldCon in August, eh? This happened. The Tea & Jeopardy live podcast taping with George R.R. (Really Really) Martin!

Enjoy, and be well until Thoughty Thursday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Aug 27-Sept 2, 2017

September 7, 2017September 4, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get the mental corn popping, people!

Alfredo Corchado: Mexico offers to help Harvey-soaked Texas. The Dallas News

Charles P. Pierce reports that we are not prepared for the ecological disaster Harvey is creating. Esquire

And Harvey isn’t the only system making news. Chloe Farand reveals that monsoons have killed 1,200 and left millions homeless in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The Independent

Murray Sinclair says we’re focused on the wrong thing when it comes to reconciliation. CBC’s “As it happens.”

Brandi Morin: First Nations students face continued funding shortfalls. CBC

David Kadavy explains how to be a creativity machine. Medium

Hannah Nichols wonders, what happens to the brain as we age? Medical Health News

What science tells us about good and evil. Yudhijit Battacharjee and Lynn Johnson for National Geographic.

Tom Chivers explains how to spot a psychopath. The Telegraph

The latest Cassini images of Saturn and its moons are breathtaking. Sci-Tech Universe

Phil Plait shares what he discovered standing under the shadow of the moon. SyFy

Jaymi Heimbuch shares seven things you never knew about dragonflies. Cause I loves the dragonflies 🙂 Mother Nature Network

Chris Ketonen reports on the Northwestern Ontario man who nursed an injured eagle back to health. CBC

Be well until the weekend!

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Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Aug 27-Sept 2, 2017

September 5, 2017September 4, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Here are your informal writerly learnings for the week 🙂

Kathryn Craft offers four tips for translating critique-speak 🙂 Writers in the Storm

Janice Hardy visits Writers in the Storm: six ways your setting can create conflict.

Julia Monroe Martin shares seven things she learned from wrecking her novel. Writer Unboxed

Tracy Hahn-Burkett gives a primer in outlining for pantsers. Writer Unboxed

James Scott Bell offers some tips on how to weave backstory into frontstory. Writer Unboxed

Steven James talks about telling the truth in fiction. Writer Unboxed

Natalia Sylvester explains how white writers can be better allies to writers of colour. Writer Unboxed

Jo Eberhardt compares authentic female characters to Hollywood’s passion for gender-swaps. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shows us seven ways to write thematically-pertinent antagonists. Helping Writers Become Authors

Later in the week, Kate explains why doubt is the key to flat character arcs.

Janice Hardy stops by Writers Helping Writers: why characters need choices in fiction.

Sara Letourneau continues her series on developing themes in your stories with part 12: the setting. DIY MFA

Ghenet Myrthil: five lessons I learned writing my first middle grade novel. DIY MFA

Tamara Linden presents five myths to plunder for ideas and inspiration. DIY MFA

Jeff Lyons guest posts on Jami Gold’s blog: don’t believe these writing myths, part 1.

What psychology says about the first page of your novel. Tamar Sloan for The Write Life.

Chris Winkle: when dark and gritty is just exploitation. Mythcreants

More Wordstock 2017 news from The Sudbury Star.

Peter Robb interviews Kate Heartfield for Artsfile.

Gear Bear says that in the genre’s new “golden age,” science fiction has won the war. Geekwire podcast.

Tolkien’s plant passion moves botanist to write Flora of Middle-Earth. David Fuchs for NPR.

Ursula K. Le Guin: on power, oppression, and freedom. Vox Populi

Robin Kirk explores epic fantasy and breaking the rules of infrastructure in the interest of speed. Tor.com

I hope you gleaned some writerly goodness from this curation.

Be well until Thursday, my friends!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, August 20-26, 2017

August 31, 2017August 27, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Some clicks to get that mental corn popping!

The best photos of the 2017 eclipse. Bored Panda

El Jones interviews several neurodiverse people for CBC’s “Tapestry.” If you didn’t catch this, listen to the podcast.

Kai Cole explains what really went down during her marriage to Joss Whedon. The Wrap

Madeleine Raynor shares a re-enactment of a wealthy woman getting dressed in 18th century England. Slate

Newsner reviews the amazing, though short, life of Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, better known as journalist Nellie Bly.

Elyane Youssef says we are here to awaken each other. The Elephant Journal

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols reveals what being near water does to your brain. Hack Spirit

Judah Pollack and Olivia Fox Cabane explain what synaptic pruning is and why it’s important. Fast Company

A girl and her robot travel through an alternate 90s wasteland in these illustrations. Bored Panda

Andy Coghlan reveals the secret life of the dodo. New Scientist

Cara Giaimo shares lessons from a Victorian-era cat dictionary. Altas Obscura

Beck – Dear life

Terra Lightfoot – Paradise

And that was your edutainment for the week.

Be well until the weekend.

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Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, August 20-26, 2017

August 29, 2017August 27, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Here are your informal writerly learnings for the week, my peeps 🙂

Vaughn Roycroft delves into the trouble with action. Writer Unboxed

Sarah McCoy: friends, countrymen, take up your words! Writer Unboxed

Elissa Field dissects The Martian on Writer Unboxed.

If you catch yourself asking these questions about your book … just don’t. There are better questions to ask. K.M. Weiland, Helping Writers Become Authors.

Later in the week, Janice Hardy guest posts on Kate’s blog: how to create meaningful obstacles via conflict.

Jennifer Probst stops by Jane Friedman’s blog: writing secondary characters that pop—and sell more books.

Janice Hardy guest posts on Marcy Kennedy’s blog: the difference between conflict and tension.

Chuck Wendig has a simple solution for when your story hits the wall. Terribleminds

Terri Frank goes beyond John Grisham in her guide to legal fiction. DIY MFA

Audrey Kalman shares five tips to keep your writing fresh. DIY MFA

James Preston shares his novel launch experience. Writers in the Storm

Laura Drake knows self-belief is hard—how to do it anyway. Writers in the Storm

Wordstock 2017 organizers reveal literary line up. The Sudbury Star

Kayleigh Donaldson explores the mystery of how this book was bought onto the NYT bestseller list. Pajiba

English translations of obscure medieval texts go online. Allison Meier for Hyperallergic.

Nina Munteanu: resonating with the universe.

Buffy’s legacy does not belong to Joss Whedon. Karen Walsh, Geek Mom.

Sarah Bond: what Game of Thrones gets right and wrong about eunuchs and masculinity. Forbes

Be well until thoughty Thursday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, August 13-19, 2017

August 24, 2017August 20, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday starts off a bit dark this week.

As we become more effective at keeping guns and bomb-making materials out of the hands of extremists and terrorists, they turn to more accessible weapons like knives and vehicles. Fewer people may die, but even one death is too many.

Jack Holmes shares the Vice documentary on Charlottesville. Esquire

Karen Attiah covers Charlottesville the way Western media covers other nations. The Washington Post

How to make fun of Nazis: an alternative to meeting violence with violence. Moises Velasquez-Manoff for The New York Times.

Raphael Minder and Patrick Kingsley report on the latest from Barcelona. The New York Times

Philip Oltermann covers the fatal stabbing in Turku, Finland. The Guardian

Gina Kolata: researchers track an unlikely culprit in weight gain. The New York Times

Samantha Leal looks at warrior women throughout history. Marie Claire

Mandy Oaklander introduces us to the new hope for depression. Time Magazine

Lily Carollo interviews Julie Rehmeyer about the loneliness of having an illness science doesn’t understand. The Science of Us

Why loneliness can be as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. CBC

And for balance, and because alone doesn’t have to mean lonely, check out these illustrations by Yaoyao Ma Van As that capture the happiness of living alone. Bored Panda

Trees with “crown shyness” mysteriously avoid touching each other. Kelly Richman-Abdou for My Modern Met.

David Baron: you owe it to yourself to see a full solar eclipse before you die. Ted Talks

Hilary Mitchell shares 19 facts about Elizabethan England that will blow your mind. Buzzfeed

Alexa Tanney lists 21 memes you need to send to your coworkers ASAP. Buzzfeed

I hope something got the mental corn popping.

Be well until the weekend.

thoughtythursday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, August 13-19, 2017

August 22, 2017August 20, 2017 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

The triumphant return of Tipsday includes lots of informal writerly learning for you 🙂

K.M. Weiland shares four ways to write a thought-provoking mentor character. Helping Writers Become Authors

Later in the week, Alida Winternheimer helps you choose the right POV. Helping Writers Become Authors

Sara Letourneau visits the Writers Helping Writers coaching corner: struggling with (and regaining) confidence in your writing.

Dave King explores unspoken dialogue. Writer Unboxed

Kathleen McCleary: non-advice for writers. Writer Unboxed

Sorry I’ve missed a couple, but I’m picking up Janice Hardy’s birth of a book series with this instalment: writing the first draft. Fiction University

Monica Alvarado Frazier: when you need a kick in the writing butt.

Abigail K. Perry discusses the merits of writing back cover copy. DIY MFA

Irina Brignull shares five tips for creating characters readers will connect with. DIY MFA

Chris Winkle outlines the five essentials of omniscient narration. Mythcreants

Suzanne Purvis helps you get your fabulous characters into your synopsis. Writers in the Storm

Tasha Seegmiller: so you want to write an outline … Writers in the Storm

I’m so excited about this, I can’t even. Laurie Schnebly Campbell unpacks Kim Hudson’s heroine’s journey. Writers in the Storm

And, related: Rachael Stephen digs in and explains how Harmon’s plot embryo can be used to plot novels 🙂

Oren Ashkenazi lists six signs your story may be queerphobic. Mythcreants

Lynne M. Thomas visits Terribleminds to talk about Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction: fight on, space unicorns!

Elsa Sjunneson-Henry: I built my own goddamn castle. Tor.com

And though this is older, it’s still thought-provoking: a year of diverse authors (cue literary frenzy) (February 2015). Chris Brecheen

Nate Hoffelder guest posts on Jane Friedman’s blog: six common sense steps to securing a WordPress website.

Tim Ferriss visits Nathan Bransford’s blog: the definitive guide to SEO for authors.

E Ce Miller lists 23 words that every booklover (ahem, bibliophile) should incorporate into their vocabulary. Bustle

Amanda Morris reports on how fused imaging has revealed sixth-century writing hidden in a book’s binding. Northwestern University

Where did English come from? Claire Bowern for Ted-Ed.

Kristopher Jansma says, now, more than ever, we wish we had these lost Octavia Butler novels. Electric Lit

Dominic Patten: Ava DuVernay is part of the creative team bringing Octavia Butler’s Dawn to television. Deadline Hollywood

Ursula Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” defies genre. Gabrielle Bellot for Tor.com.

And that’s it until next Tipsday.

Be well. Good words at y’all 😉

tipsday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 16-22, 2017

July 27, 2017July 23, 2017 / Melanie Marttila

At this moment, I’m somewhere over the Atlantic (I hope) on my way to Hamburg via Reykjavik. And so , yes, this will be your last dose of thoughty for a few weeks.

The CBC takes a look at how the Phoenix debacle has affected Sudbury’s public servants.

Melanie Lefebvre: it’s not my job to teach you about Indigenous people. The Walrus

Yvette Brend explains how Indigenous fire wisdom is the key to megafire prevention. CBC

Willie Drye reports that Blackbeard’s ship is now confirmed to be off North Carolina’s coast. National Geographic

Tom Spender: teleportation of photons today, humans tomorrow? BBC

SciShow: CERN’s new particle and the oldest form of (animal) life.