The penultimate tipsday of May, marked by the serenade of spring peepers and red-wing blackbirds; the scents of crab apple blossoms and lilacs and poplar sap; and thunderstorms that spark and roll overhead. Refill your well with some informal writerly learnings.
Disha Walia wants you to find your motivation for writing speculative fiction. Then, E.J. Wenstrom explains what to do about author platforming when you’re burned out. Sara Farmer lists more of her auto-buy mystery authors. Later in the week, Brittany Capozzi lists five answers we get from writing letters to ourselves. DIY MFA
The psychology of Zuko. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hello, Future Me
K.M. Weiland recommends six ways to find your best ideas before you start writing. Helping Writers Become Authors
Sandy Vaile shares four essential elements you need to create a workable novel. Then, Holly Lasky asks you to guess who’s in the driver’s seat of your creativity? Lynette M. Burroughs explains how the forces of antagonism frame your story. Writers in the Storm
Darn it, you made me care. Jill Bearup
Susan Defreitas wonders, why write when the world is on fire? Jane Friedman
C.S. Lakin: outlining your novel for success. Live, Write, Thrive
Seven character development exercises. Reedsy
Elizabeth Spann Craig: stress and writing.
Dave King is getting to know evil. Then, Barbara Linn Probst gives us three writing exercises for three different points in the writing process. Kristina Stevens wonders how you adapt real life into fiction. Writer Unboxed
How sun mythologies are universal (featuring PBS Space Time). Fate & Fabled | PBS Storied
Christina Delay explains what to do when you feel like a hack. Then, Marissa Graff shares four ways your protagonist is sabotaging you (and how to fight back). Writers Helping Writers
Nathan Bransford: breaks, permission, and writing.
Olaseni Ajibade explores mental health in fiction: the monster you feed. Dan Koboldt
This story will save your imagination. Tale Foundry
Tiffany Yates Martin: high praise, big promises … and crickets. Fox Print Editorial
Kristen Lamb says weakness is blood in the water for narcissist sharks.
How the tech villain became the most hated character. The Take
Chris Winkle shares lessons from the summary writing of Illuminae. Then, Oren Ashkenazi critiques the second half of Pixar’s rules of storytelling. Mythcreants
Angie hodapp explains what to do when your entire manuscript turns out to be a prologue. Pub Rants
Guy Gavriel Kay wonders what we lose—and gain—as book tours move online? Literary Hub
Thank you for spending some time with me, and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress, whatever stage it’s at.
Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!
Always Looking Up 