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Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 19-25, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila

We’re almost at the end of February. Prepare to welcome March with some informal writerly learnings!

Rachel Teferet offers a social media survival guide for writers. Then, JJ Graham helps you find a writing community as an introvert. Grace Bialecki: location, location, location. Next, Neil Chase lists his top five types of villains in literature. DIY MFA

Why apocalypse stories feel different now. Like Stories of Old

Porter Anderson’s hearing a lot of cyber rattling: when the bot chats. Then, Dave King writes the epilogue on prologues. Thomas Richards explains how to bring your characters to life by writing in three dimensions. Next, Heather Webb suggests some body and mind fitness for writers. Victoria Strauss points out some clauses to watch for: when your publishing contract raises a red flag. Writer Unboxed

Is R a vowel? Otherwords | PBS Storied

K.M. Weiland offers more genre writing tips: how to write historical fiction. Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Norman says creating a powerful author website will get the results you want. Then, Kris Maze poses this puzzle: retiring to write, or writing to retire (part 1). Ellen Buikema offers some more tips on writing science fiction (part 2). Writers in the Storm

The politics of loving the bad guy. Princess Weekes

Hank Quense explains book marketing in plain English. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Michelle Barker is getting back into the writing flow. Then, Marissa Graff lists four reasons your action-based scene is failing (and how to avoid it). Writers Helping Writers

Jane explains how authors can build relationships with independent bookstores. Jane Friedman

How to edit a novel. Reedsy

Jami Gold helps you figure out what point of view is best for you.

Tiffany Yates Martin wonders, are you “just”-ifying your writing? Fox Print Editorial

Dan Koboldt considers luck vs. talent vs. perseverance in publishing.

Chris Winkle helps you choose scenes to cover the right information. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes Star Trek’s seven worst antagonistic species. Mythcreants

Lavelle Porter presents an ode to Samuel Delaney. JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found something to support your current work(s) in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well, my writerly friends.

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Aug 15-21, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

You’ve made it through Monday! Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Vaughn Roycroft is living with unpublished characters. Then, Barbara O’Neal is finding the particular. Barbara Linn Probst considers writing: is it an art, identity, or profession? Why not all three? Later in the week, Porter Anderson gets provocative about flights of self-censorship. Then, Kelsey Allagood explains how creation myths affect character motivation. Writer Unboxed

Princess Weekes explains how true crime reveals the corruption and failures of the legal system. Melina Pendulum

K.M. Weiland explains why you should always identify your characters, pronto. Helping Writers Become Authors

Jane (herself) says, the value of book distribution is often misunderstood by authors. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin shares the secret to a tight, propulsive plot: the want, the action, the shift. Sangeeta Mehta interviews agents Michelle Brower and Jennifer Chen Tran about whether you should publish with a small press. Jane Friedman

Related: E.J. Wenstrom shares what she’s learned in six years of small press publishing. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Story structures: In medias res. Reedsy

Melinda VanLone offers some advice for branding a series. Then, Lisa Norman lists seven things every author website needs. Miffie Seideman offers some helpful advice on writing about drugs: Fentanyl 101. Writers in the Storm

Andrea Turrentine shares two key factors in successfully outlining stories. Live, Write, Thrive

Rayne Hall lists 11 reasons you should submit your short stories to anthologies. Then, Janice Hardy wonders, why ask why? Because your readers will. Bonnie Randall considers the risks and rewards of uncommon narrative structures. Fiction University

Nathan Bransford advises what to cut when your book is too long. Nathan Bransford

Seven-point story structure. Reedsy

Ambre Dawn Lefler wants you to be a conference guru. Then, Susan Francis Morris explains how writing helped her live life after trauma. Later in the week, LA Bourgeois offers five ways to trick yourself into writing. DIY MFA

E.J. Wenstrom explains why we need ADHD representation in fiction. Terribleminds

Christina Delay is breaking free. Writers Helping Writers

Chris Winkle: what do writers need to describe? Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five characters with the wrong skill set. Mythcreants

Why it’s time to write out the nag. The Take

Angie Hodapp introduces us to the trinity of premise, plot, and prose. What happens when one is missing? Then, Kristin Nelson shares 14 reasons why agenting is harder now than it was 20 years ago. Pub Rants

Nina Munteanu: to boldly go where no human has gone before ….

Rebecca Thomas explores Mi’kmaw language in poetry collection: I Place you into the Fire. CBC’s The Next Chapter

Vicky Qiao reports that Ojibway journalist and author Tanya Talaga to write three new nonfiction books. The first will be published in 2023. CBC

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

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