Chris Winkle

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Mar 10-16, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

Another week, another bunch of informal writerly learnings 🙂

There’s not as much as usual, because last week’s Facebook outage sacrificed a whole day’s worth of curation. Sorry, but it’s still the easiest way for me to track my online reading.

Nina Munteanu explains how to stoke the scintillation of inspiration.

Julianna Baggott offers three clues that you may be a more productive writer. Kathryn Craft tells you when to let go of your original inspiration. Writer Unboxed

Christina Delay wants you to invite creativity through meditation. Writers in the Storm

K.M. Weiland says that plot, character, and theme are the greatest love triangle of all time. Helping Writers Become Authors

Elisabeth Kauffman answers a question about character description and POV. Stephanie Jo Harris shares five tips for fearless writing. DIY MFA

Chris Winkle answers a writing question: how do I keep my non-productive immortal race from becoming problematic? Then, Chris teams up with Oren Ashkenazi: five ways your characters can acquire magic. Finally, Oren tackles five more underpowered antagonists. Mythcreants

Jami Gold talks about story threads and fixing the rips in our stories. Victoria Mixon explains how to layer character for believable fiction. Writers Helping Writers

Alexa Donne tries to help you figure out if you’re a good writer.

 

Mary Hynes: when hope is “punk” and grudge is forgiveness. “Tapestry” on CBC.

Ben H. Winters wonders what the make-believe bureaucracies of science fiction say about us? The New York Times

And that was Tipsday. Come back on Thursday for some fuel for your thoughts.

Until then, be well, my friends!

tipsday2016

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Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 24-Mar 2, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

All rightie, then! It’s time for some informal writerly learnings.

Lisa Hall-Wilson: how to make dominant female characters likeable. Then, Tiffany Yates-Martin helps you get unblocked and avoid writer’s block. Later still, Orly Konig shares the secrets to turning a lemon into a book. Writers in the Storm

Julia Munroe Martin advises on the care and feeding of the weary writer. Barbara O’Neal is a writer seeking experiences (it’s called filling the well). Then, Jeanne Kisacky asks, what keeps your characters up at night? Writer Unboxed

Jenna Moreci offers her top tips on writing healthy relationships.

 

K.M. Weiland examines her difficulties with writing: seven things to try when writing is hard. Helping Writers Become Authors

Janice Hardy explains the difference between archetypes, tropes, and clichés. Later in the week, Janice explores one common way writers weaken their descriptions. Fiction University

Emily Wenstrom shares her tips for decluttering your social media accounts.  My latest column came out on Tuesday. How to build an alien: extremophiles. Then, Gabriela Pereira interviews Glynn Stewart about twisting the tropes of military science fiction. DIY MFA

Jerry B. Jenkins stops by Writers Helping Writers to help you write backstory through dialogue.

Chris Winkle wants you to plan super light stories. Mythcreants

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you found something to help you progress in your creative endeavours.

Be well until next time!

tipsday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 10-16, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

Here we are. How is it already the third week of February? Console yourself with some informal writerly learnings *hugs*

Louise Tondeur guest posts on Jane Friedman’s blog: the myth of plan first and write later (or, you never only write one way).

Rheea Mukherjee joins Writer Unboxed: writing characters who are “smarter” than you.

Kathryn Craft: your story’s valentine to the world (AKA, your query, synopsis, and pages). Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland critiques a brave writer’s work to show how paragraph breaks guide the reader’s experience. Helping Writers Become Authors

September C. Fawkes says, look forward, not backward, to pull your reader in. Writers Helping Writers

Margie Lawson stops by Writers in the Storm to help you put fresh faces on the page.

Sara Letourneau offers some further reading on the theme of family. DIY MFA

Becca Puglisi visits DIY MFA: five vehicles for showing emotion.

Chris Winkle: optimizing your story ideas for stronger engagement. Then, Oren Ashkenazi reveals six mistakes that can kill a great plot. Mythcreants

Chuck Wendig says, your ideas aren’t that interesting. This is less about making you feel bad than about making sure your ideas don’t take the place of, like, actual writing. Terribleminds

In honour of Valentines, Jenna Moreci offers her top ten tips for writing sex scenes. [Features discussion of sex and sexuality. Yeah. Even so, had to be said.]

 

Krista D. Ball rants: why is AUTHOR NAME taking so long to write their next book? This made me wonder if these impatient readers think they own writers? At the cost of $10 to $20 per book? Really? Gear down, people. Reddit

Later in the week, an 11:45 pm amber alert (and subsequent rescind after midnight) in Ontario resulted in a strange outcry of people who didn’t want their sleep disturbed, even after they learned that the child featured in the alert had been murdered. Seriously? Disturb me all night, every night, if it saves a life.

On that boggling note, I leave you until Thursday, when you can come back for some thoughty.

Until then, be well, my friends.

tipsday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 27-Feb 2, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

And here I am, back with your weekly dose of informal writerly learnings.

Kathryn Craft: the story that holds you back. Hint: it’s the one you tell yourself. Writers in the Storm

Kim Bullock advises you to vanquish emotional overwhelm to increase productivity. Writer Unboxed

Elizabeth Huergo honors Mary Oliver on Writer Unboxed: walk slowly and bow often.

Cathy Yardley guides you from cool idea to premise. Writer Unboxed

Jo Eberhardt mines her (misspent/not misspent) RPG youth: when your characters have minds of their own. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shares her nine writing goals for 2019. Helping Writers Become Authors

Manuela Williams shares five simple SEO tips for authors. DIY MFA

Pamela Taylor explains how to create authentic details: keeping secrets. DIY MFA

Bess Cozby shares her experience going for six weeks without social media. DIY MFA

Sofia Ashdown shares her top ten editing tips. The Creative Penn

Chuck Wendig explains the story about the story, or, how writers talk about their books. Terribleminds

Becca Puglisi guest posts on Jerry Jenkins’ blog. Got subtext? Writing better dialogue.

Janice Hardy explains what writers need to know about hooks. Fiction University

Chris Winkle shares lessons from The Maze Runner’s point of view disaster. Then, Oren Ashkenazi tackles the problem with oppressed mages. Mythcreants

I post about writer’s grief. WarpWorld

Sangeeta Mehta lists 19 diversity-focused writing conferences and events in 2019. Writer’s Digest

I hope you found something you need to fuel your creative efforts this week.

Come back on Thursday to get your weekly batch of thoughty.

Until then, be well.

tipsday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 13-19, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

And here we are with another wee of informal writerly learnings 🙂

Roz Morris: are you bored? The one writing rule you really need. Nail Your Novel

But I won’t do that. What do sex and revisions have in common? Bryn Greenwood explains on Writer Unboxed.

Brad Frazer explains why 2019 is a big year for the public domain. Jane Friedman

Lisa Cron explains how to get emotion onto the page. Writers Helping Writers

Janice Hardy presents three ways moral dilemmas can strengthen your novel. Later in the week, Janice provides alternative ways to describe character reactions. Fiction University

Phoebe Wood points out a plotting error that most writers make:

 

Andrea J. Johnson shares five cutthroat tips for writing killer action. DIY MFA

Elisabeth Kaufmann recommends beat sheets for the win! DIY MFA

Goal setting for people who actually want to get stuff done – Jenna Moreci

 

Chuck Wendig: in writing, progress doesn’t always look like progress. Terribleminds

Chris Winkle asks (and answers) the question, should you give non-human groups marginalized traits? (Spoiler: NO.) Mythcreants

Merriam-Webster explores the anatomy of a book in 17 words.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope something here provided the advice or guidance you need to take the next step(s) in your creative project.

Come back on Thursday for some research-y inspiration.

Until then, be well!

tipsday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 6-12, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila

Are you looking for your informal writerly learnings? Why, here they are!

Lisa Hall-Wilson shares nine tips for creating successful antagonists in any genre. Writers in the Storm

Janice Hardy wonders, is structure strangling your writing? Later in the week, she offers an easy tip for tightening you novel’s plot. Fiction University

Jim Dempsey: the different types of editing explained (and how to determine which one you need!). Writer Unboxed

Juliet Marillier: is fudging history ever ok? Writer Unboxed

David Corbett examines truth in fiction: writing what you don’t believe. Writer Unboxed

Kathryn Magendie muses on the mathematical equations of perfection in nature. Writer Unboxed

Sacha Black says, if you want your readers to fall in love with your hero, you have to create the perfect hero lens. Later in the week, C.S. Lakin stops by to share some all-important considerations when crafting a scene. Writers Helping Writers

Abigail K. Perry looks at the midpoint in her latest column of signpost scenes: the mirror moment. DIY MFA

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

Gabriela Pereira interviews David Corbett: a masterclass on character. DIY MFA

Chris Winkle delves into six common wordcraft mistakes in manuscripts. Then, Oren Ashkenazi looks at six reasons the Fire Nation is such a good villain. Mythcreants

Creative Principles takes a quick tour of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types with examples from life and screen.

 

Charlie Jane Anders: Play to your strengths? Hell, no. Why you should play to your weaknesses as an author. Tor.com

And that was tipsday for this week.

Come back on Thursday for your weekly dose of thoughty.

Until then, be well, my writerly friends 🙂

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

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy holidays (whatever you celebrate, or don’t)! It’s time to open your present of informal writerly learnings!

present

Tiffany Yates Martin says, NaNoWriMo was the easy part and shows you how to see your story across the finish line. Writers in the Storm

Vaughn Roycroft considers the gifts of the writing life. Writer Unboxed

Kathleen McCleary explains how to navigate families in fiction. Writer Unboxed

Porter Anderson offers a provocation: “The New Year’s Eve of time.” Writer Unboxed

Chris Winkle drops by Writers Helping Writers to discuss attachment, the first element of goal-oriented storytelling.

Over on Mythcreants, Rachel Meyer shares the five essentials of an opening scene. Later in the week, Oren Ashkenazi considers eight terrain features for fantasy kingdoms to fight over.

Janice Hardy takes a first look a first draft: how to revise your manuscript. Then, she shares a goal-checking trick for plotting your novel. Fiction University

Sara Letourneau explores why the theme of family is important. DIY MFA

Becca Puglisi stops by Writers in the Storm to share nine tension-building elements for character dialogue.

Kitty the Retro-Writer visits Jami Gold’s blog: if you have a complex story, use a crime wall.

And that was Tipsday.

Enjoy your seasonal celebrations with family and friends.

Until next time, be well, my friends.

tipsday2016

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

/ Melanie Marttila

Looking for your informal writerly learnings? Here they are:

Piper Bayard and Jay Holmes stop by Writers in the Storm: Know your firearms! Magazine or clip? A frequent error of less experienced contemporary authors, and a repeated question asked of the experts. Get the low-down from Bayard & Holmes.

Susan Spann shares some holiday copyright tips. Writer Unboxed

Sarah Callender explores how fiction challenges us to ask the tough questions. Writer Unboxed

Kathryn Craft wants you to welcome the darkest hour. Writer Unboxed

Robin LaFevers goes on an unexpected journey: creativity’s ebb and flow. “It is not unlike religion in that by engaging in it, we are forced to interact with the world on a deeper, more intimate level than we might otherwise choose to.” Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shares her ten-step checklist to writing an above average novel. Helping Writers Become Authors

Jenna Moreci offers her top ten tips for pacing.

 

Jess Zafaris lists Writer’s Digest’s top ten sites with literary agents and resources. ‘Tis the season!

Chris Winkle answers a writerly question: when is it appropriate to dispel the mystery? Later in the week, she profiles five surprisingly successful characters and why they work. Mythcreants

Jami Gold visits Writers Helping Writers: we don’t need no stinkin’ rules.

Roz Morris has some strategies to keep in touch with your book when your writing routine is disrupted. Nail Your Novel

Beyond Crazy Rich Asians: a look at humorous fiction. Terri Frank on DIY MFA.

Gabriela Pereira interview Orson Scott Card for DIY MFA radio.

K.T. Lynn shares five reasons to love all writing feedback. DIY MFA

Caroline Donahue: how the tarot cards point the way to your story. The Creative Penn

And that was Tipsday for the second week of December.

Come back on Thursday for a dose of thoughty.

Until then, be well.

tipsday2016

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Oct 21-27, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

This will be the last Tipsday before #NaNoWriMo! Once again, where did the time go?!

Just to be clear, for the month of November, I will be desperately attempting to write 50,000 words of a new novel project. There will be no curation. I have, however, decided to do quick check in posts, once a week, so the blog will not be totally inactive. More on that in this weekend’s next chapter update.

In the meantime, enjoy some informal writerly learnings!

Harrison Demchick stops by Helping Writers Become Authors: four things writers can learn from making a movie.

Kim Bullock wonders, is resurrecting a shelved manuscript a good idea or a waste of time? Writer Unboxed

Barbara O’Neal wants you to identify your core story and values. Writer Unboxed

Kathryn Craft shares some thoughts on originality in fiction. Writers in the Storm

Amy Shojai shares seven steps to publishing success from an accidental writer. Writers in the Storm

Joanna Penn interviews Sherrilyn Kenyon: tips for long-term author success. The Creative Penn

Jami Gold helps you take your readers on a journey with storytelling.

Jenna Moreci shares her top ten fantasy tropes.

 

Aliette de Bodard stops by Terribleminds to discuss cannibalizing a draft (or, the art of rewriting).

Gabriela Pereira interviews Melanie Moyer for DIY MFA radio: the imaginary friend as narrator.

Manuela Williams offers five tips for writing a helpful critique. DIY MFA

Chris Winkle shares six ways you can bluff killing your protagonist. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb: why you (actually) don’t suck and what to do when the abyss stares back.

Sarah Laskow explains how writers map their imaginary worlds. Atlas Obscura

RL Goldberg plots our steps toward creating a trans literary canon. The Paris Review

The new Outlander season 4 trailer—eeeeee!

 

And that was Tipsday. I know, I’ll be in withdrawal, too, but I’ll have enough NaNo to distract me 🙂

Don’t miss out on the final thoughty Thursday until December. I’m going out (just on a break) with a bang!

Until then, be well, my writerly friends.

tipsday2016