Diana Giovinazzo

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Jan 15-21, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

You survived Monday! Reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

And a picture of a cloud that looks like a phoenix. Do you see it?

Jan O’Hara says, if you’re not writing, you may have ego-trapped yourself. Dave King: is prologue past? Desmond Hall drops some writing wisdom on pacing this month. Then, Diana Giovinazzo is learning to love the synopsis—Honey, I shrunk the plot! Writer Unboxed

Angela Ackerman explains how to write a book from start to finish in 13 steps. Then, Lynette M. Burrows helps you make flat characters genuine in eight (sort of) easy steps. Eldred Brid: do you have a story? Answer these six questions to find out! Writers in the Storm

Bad writing habits to stop in 2023. Reedsy

K.M. Weiland shares six lessons from four years of writer’s block. Helping Writers Become Authors

Elizabeth Spann Craig: when you’re stuck as a writer. Anyone see a theme here? Anyone? Bueller?

What critics don’t recognize about Avatar: The Way of Water. Like Stories of Old

Marissa Graff shares five ways to approach your novel like a trial lawyer. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford wants you to infuse your character’s desires into their observations.

Popular writing methods I don’t use and alternatives to try. Shaelin Writes

Tiffany Yates Martin explains why we can’t look away from White Lotus. Fox Print Editorial

Lori Walker interviews Kendare Blake about rebooting a beloved series. Then, Regina Meyer shares five tips on running your own book public relations and marketing. Amy Wallen lists 12 steps to get your book written. DIY MFA

Chris Winkle explains how to describe characters. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories with strong ensemble casts. Mythcreants

Thank you for spending some time with me, and I hope you took away something to support your current work(s) in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well.

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Dec 18-24, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

I hope your holidays were merry and bright, filled with the love of family and friends.

It’s time to fill up on informal writerly learnings for the last time in 2022 (!) Enjoy.

Stephanie BwaBwa shares six self-publishing principles for a fulfilling authorial career. Then, Olivia Fisher offers six things to focus on when editing the first draft of your kid lit story. Carol Van Den Hende takes a look at book cover trends heading into 2023. Then, A.H. Plotts provides fives steps for turning your story into a film. DIY MFA

Sherlock Holmes isn’t who you think he is. Tale Foundry

Vaughn Roycroft wishes joy to the (writerly) world—post-pub edition. Then, Natalie Hart wants you to be strong like a sphincter. Porter Anderson discusses another diversity. Then, Diana Giovinazzo muses on taking a pause and reconnecting with our creativity. Writer Unboxed

Lisa Norman: welcome to the future, part 3. Then, Lynette M. Burrows helps you put ground under their feet. Ellen Buikema gathers some tips for writing magical realism. Writers in the Storm

Tiffany Yates Martin says give it a rest. Fox Print Editorial

Chris Winkle discovers how Brandon Sanderson’s debut novel holds up. Then, Oren Ashkenazi asks five plot questions that will help you revise your manuscript. Mythcreants

Thank you for spending some time with me, and I hope you took away something to support your current work(s) in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, April 24-30, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to May! Start off the month right with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Vaughn Roycroft: the applicability of … zombies? Elizabeth Huergo discusses social psychology and the novel. Then, Kelsey Allagood explains why you should embrace the fallow times. Diana Giovinazzo wants us to embrace our literary influences. Kristan Hoffman: revising the stories we tell ourselves. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland lists ten pros and cons to writing every day. Do you have to? (Hint: maybe not.) Helping Writers Become Authors

Princess Weekes discusses Beloved, Toni Morrison’s magnum opus about confronting a terrible past. It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Kris Maze shares six ways to fix manuscript problems with an outline. Then, Laura Baker is discovering story magic: the x-factor. Eldred Bird poses ten questions to ask your characters. Writers in the Storm

Jim Denney shares the fast-writing secrets of C.S. Lewis. Live, Write, Thrive

Andrea A. Firth explains how the literary journal landscape is and isn’t changing. Allison K. Williams: writers, stop using social media (like that). Anne Carley wonders is journaling a waste of writing time? Jane Friedman

The hungry goddess. Tale Foundry

Melissa Haas offers some leisure learning for April 2022. Then, Colice Sanders is unpacking racism and colorism in character descriptions. Disha Walia shows you how to create your world with six questions. Then, Krystal N. Craiker provides a copyediting checklist: a recipe for clean, clear writing. Finally, Jeneva Rose goes through the five stages of dealing with rejection. DIY MFA

Becca Puglisi wants to know what’s your character hiding? Angela Ackerman: you wrote a killer love story … but did you romance the reader? Writers Helping Writers

The one thing every antihero fears … The Take

Tiffany Yates Martin explains how to transition into a flashback. Fox Print Editorial

The style genre: set the experience for the reader. The reality genre: realism or science fiction/fantasy. The time genre: how the reader experiences time in your story. Story Grid

The ten worst magic tropes. Jenna Moreci

Chris Winkle provides five tips for avoiding disorientation in your opening hook. Then, Oren Ashkenazi hosts a head-to-head-to-head competition between Antz, A Bug’s Life, and Ant-Man. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb says that lies, deception, and betrayal are the deepest wounds.

Tajja Isen explains how the book industry turns its racism into a marketable product. Literary Hub

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

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

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Aug 22-28, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

And here it is, the last day of August (!) How did that happen? Get your informal writerly learnings now, before summer disappears!

Susan DeFreitas lists the three strengths and three challenges of starting your novel with theme. Then, Carol J. Michel explains how to market your book without social media. Jane Friedman

Tiffany Yates Martin shares the one tool that transforms your writing. Then, Tasha Seegmiller composes a letter to a writer: keep learning. Laurie Schnebly Campbell is tremendous, terrible, triumphant. Writers in the Storm

Elizabeth S. Craig is regaining confidence.

C.S. Lakin lists seven sensory elements that writers ignore. Live, Write, Thrive

To kill … To Kill a Mockingbird? It’s Lit | PBS Storied

C.S. Lakin explains how to nail the purpose of your novel’s scenes. Then, Lisa Hall-Wilson shows you how to use trauma strategically to create an emotional arc. Writers Helping Writers

David Corbett: the people we think we know (and the characters they inspire). Then, Diana Giovinazzo helps you utilize video games in your writing. Heather Webb says, if you want to be a career author, you have to avoid pitfalls (and a few trips, too). Then, Natalie Hart touts the gift of hunger. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland shares the main reason your story’s premise is important. Helping Writers Become Authors

Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo: a love letter to the natural world. The Take

Savannah Cordova provides an honest appraisal of Amazon exclusivity for first-time authors. Then, Marina Barakatt considers the merits of The Wicked + the Divine. Leora Krygier considers multigenerational trauma in memoir. DIY MFA

Ann Harth offers a layered method for creating consistent characters. Fiction University

Kristen Lamb considers writer’s block: is it laziness, or a critical part of being a long-time author?

Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories that neglect tension. Mythcreants

Why super heroine movies don’t empower us all. The Take

K.W. Colyard explains why authors can’t get enough of this little-known fairy tale. Bustle

Vida Cruz declares, we are the mountain: a look at the inactive protagonist. Fantasy Magazine

Clive Thompson explains how data science pinpointed the creepiest word in Macbeth. OneZero

Steve Edwards is misunderstanding Thoreau: reading neurodiversity in literature and in life. Literary Hub

Sebastian Leck reports that a unique literary festival focuses solely on Haudenosaunee storytelling and publishing. CBC

Peter Knegt: the first piece of queer Mauritian literature ever published is by Montreal’s Kama La Mackerel. CBC

Thanks for taking the time to visit. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 23-29, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Tipsday is here! Fortify yourself for the week with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Laura Highcove wants you to use your writer’s intuition to solve a problem. Manuela Williams offers you a tool for your poet’s toolbox: line breaks. Later in the week, Ginnye Lynn Cubel helps you write a villain you love. Then, Disha Walia shares five tips to ace the art of retelling. DIY MFA

Janice Hardy helps you make sense of character wants and needs. Fiction University

Princess Weekes considers purity culture and fandom … issa mess. Melina Pendulum

K.M. Weiland looks more closely at the flat archetype of the child in part 16 of her archetypal character arc series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Can we be heroes again? Confronting the banality of modern evil. Like Stories of Old

Tiffany Yates Martin helps you bring your stories to life with nonverbals. Then, Lisa Hall-Wilson shares four ways movement affects deep POV. Writers in the Storm

Then, on Jane Friedman’s blog, Tiffany shows you how to deepen characterization by mining your own reactions. Joe Ponepinto says, don’t tease your reader. Get to the tension and keep it rising. Jane Friedman

Getting feedback from critique partners and beta readers. Reedsy

Gwen Hernandez helps you organize your research notes in Scrivener. Then, Diana Giovinazzo is learning to writer through grief. Heather Webb: being a good literary citizen. Liz Michalski says, right-brained revisers, unite! Writer Unboxed

Nathan Bransford says, don’t start a scene without these four essential elements.

How to write effective description and imagery. Shaelin Writes

Angela Ackerman wants to know if your character has a secret. Writers Helping Writers

Kristine Kathryn Rusch presents part three of her fear-based decision-making series: TV/film.

Chris Winkle lists five common reasons stories screech to a halt. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories that suffer from muddled atmosphere. Mythcreants

Spirited Away – Why work is toxic. The Take

James Whitlock: Netflix’s Sandman has cast Death and a whole lot more of the Dreaming. Gizmodo

Evan Narcisse interviews Ta-Nahesi Coates about saying goodbye to Black Panther. Polygon

William Deresiewicz shares a report: stages of grief (what the pandemic has done to the arts). Harper’s

Emily Wenstrom explains how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can reward authors and readers. Book Riot

Erin McCarthy introduces us to 56 delightfully unusual words for everyday things. Mental Floss

Thanks for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!