Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, March 5-11, 2023

March 14, 2023March 13, 2023 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Did you survive Monday after daylight saving? I almost didn’t. Recuperate with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

My favourite DST meme:

Greer Macallister shares five ways to rediscover your writing joy. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin is assuaging the pain of punctuation. Juliet Marillier considers writing home. Next, Kathryn Craft discusses navigating the road from journalist to novelist. Writer Unboxed

Heroes don’t have to be boring. Hello, Future Me

Piper Bayard offers help with writing about recruitment for the intelligence community. Then, Colleen M. Story shares some quick tips to help you avoid five types of writing-related pain. Penny C. Sansevieri reveals five reasons your Amazon ads aren’t drawing in readers. Writers in the Storm

K.M. Weiland explains how to write literary fiction. Helping Writers Become Authors

What is creative writing? Reedsy

Elizabeth Spann Craig discusses newsletters, even if they’re just sent for releases.

The mentor archetype: definition, ten examples, and hot to write. The ally archetype. The hero archetype. Story Grid

A.H. Plotts shares what her DIY writing retreat taught her about her writing practice. Then, Dominique Richardson offers advice on finding alternatives to ableist language. Alison Schaffir wants you to evoke your inner teen. Next, Julie Slaughter suggests five ways to reduce writer anxiety. DIY MFA

How Bloody Mary turns fear into fun. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Kim Catanzarite declaims, to give it away, or not to give it away. Then, Gemma Whelan explains how bad publishers hurt authors. Jane Friedman

Lisa Poisso explains the difference between an editor and a book coach. Thin, Liz Alterman shows you how to ask for book reviews (and why you should). Writers Helping Writers

Create a daily writing practice. Reedsy

Nathan Bransford says, don’t worry about spoilers in a query letter.

Tiffany Yates Martin composes a letter: dear author …. It’s the writerly hug you didn’t know you needed! Fox Print Editorial

Chris Winkle suggests seven easy conflicts for light stories. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes Star Trek’s best antagonistic species. Mythcreants

Thank you for spending some time with me, 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: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 26-March 4, 2023

March 7, 2023March 6, 2023 / Melanie Marttila

Monday is just a memory and tonight’s the full moon. Get ready to howl with some informal writerly learnings 🙂

Vaughn Roycroft discusses magic and spirituality in story. Then, Donald Maass asks you to consider Jack, in the box. Sarah Callender is trusting the process. And Liza Nash Taylor is hanging out with Honey Boo-Boo. Writer Unboxed

Is H.P. Lovecraft bad at writing? Tale Foundry

K.M. Weiland explains how to write a mystery. Helping Writers Become Authors

C.S. Lakin encourages getting “slick” with your novel’s theme. Live, Write, Thrive

Lisa Hall-Wilson provides ten examples of author intrusion in deep point of view and how to fix them. Then, Margie Lawson shares some writing rules to make you shine, not whine. James R. Preston: the boss fight, sherpas, and the devil’s in the details. Writers in the Storm

Why everyone hates the chosen one. Tale Foundry

Elizabeth Spann Craig discusses the differences between beta readers, ARC readers, and critique partners.

Stuart Horowitz explains the nuts and bolts of becoming and independent editor. Then, Grace Bialecki says, always read the acknowledgements page! Susan DeFreitas shares the two most critical tactics for getting emotion on the page. Jane Friedman

The surprising centuries-old origins of the unicorn. Fate & Fabled

Kristina Stanley and Lucy Cooke show you where to start a story edit. Then, P.A. Cornell lists ten things Lego has taught her about story building. Writers Helping Writers

Richelle Lyn offers a book coaching 101. Then, Sara Farmer shares more of her favourite mystery shows. Lori Walker interviews Dominique Richardson and Sorboni Banerjee about collaborating on a fairy tale-inspired YA series. Next, Stacy Frazer points out three common revision mistakes, and what to do instead. Monica Cox lists five tips for staying accountable during revision. DIY MFA

Tiffany Yates Martin discovers how Sherry Thomas revises: concentrating on the work. Fox Print Editorial

The trickster archetype: definition, examples, and how-to. The herald archetype. The shapeshifter archetype. The threshold guardian archetype. The villain archetype. Story Grid

Chris Winkle discusses doling out information during a scene. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes Star Trek’s mediocre antagonistic species. Mythcreants

Thanks for visiting. I hope you took away something to support your current work(s) in progress.

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

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Oct 23-29, 2022

November 1, 2022October 30, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to November! This will be the last tipsday until December 13^th (!) That’s right, I’m NaNoing again and foregoing curation until December. Get your fill of informal writerly learnings now!

You could always peruse the archives if you miss tipsday too much 😉

Vaughn Roycroft presents Murphy’s Law—the unboxed writer’s version. Elizabeth Havey: what was that phrase about authenticity? Kelsey Allagood shares what horror teaches us. Then, Sarah Penner is making the most of Canva with these seven design ideas for writers. Victoria Strauss explains when new isn’t better: the value of experience. Writer Unboxed

Clive Barker’s weirdest monster. Tale Foundry

C.S. Lakin stops by K.M. Weiland’s site: how writers can infuse mood in story settings. Helping Writers Become Authors

Over on her own site, Susanne discusses writing about difficult emotional experiences. Live, Write, Thrive

Then, Susanne explains how to quickly establish the setting in scenes. Elizabeth Spann Craig

How school makes you a bad writer. Answer in Progress

Kris Maze offers the ABCs of school author talks: how to engage kids. Eldred Bird: writing horror vs. writing terror. J. Alexander Greenwood is making a podcast love connection. Writers in the Storm

Why the Bechdel test isn’t enough. The Take

Manuela Williams suggests some revision strategies for your poet’s toolbox. Then, Dominique Richardson wonders, should you write a YA series today? John Matthew Fox lists five ways movies sabotage your writing skills. DIY MFA

Don’t force your characters to ask leading questions just so you can deliver exposition. Nathan Bransford

Ann-Marie MacDonald on her new novel Fayne and the stage adaptation of Fall on Your Knees. CBC’s Q

Elizabeth Sims lists 20 reasons everybody should write short stories. Then, Michael Mohr reveals the secret sauce to being a good writer. Jane Friedman

Rayne Hall explains how to write a spooky ghost story. Fiction University

Why ASL was banned in America. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Tiffany Yates Martin discusses peopling your stories (and your world) with individuals. Fox Print Editorial

Colleen M. Story shows you how to tell if you’re self-publishing your book for the right reasons. Writers Helping Writers

What makes a good story idea? Shaelin Writes

Chris Winkle shares lessons from the entitled writing of Yarnsworld. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories that fail at human resources. Mythcreants

Sir Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye, agent Andrew Wylie. BBC

Thank you for spending some time with me. 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, Aug 7-13, 2022

August 16, 2022August 14, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to another week filled with informal writerly learnings. Enjoy them on your porch or deck with some iced tea or lemonade as you soak in the summer!

Richelle Lyn is acquiring a virtual mentor. Then, Jeanette the Writer is applying the scientific method to writing and editing. Lori Walker interviews Sarah Adlakha about time travel and alternate timelines in historical fiction. Later in the week, Dominique Richardson explores the ins and outs of writing a young adult novel. Finally, Helen Scheuerer shares five tips for writing a successful series. DIY MFA

A procrastinator’s guide to finishing things. Struthless