It’s the last tipsday of July? Where the hell has the time gone? And so fast? Ah well, console yourselves with some informal writerly learnings.
Jan O’Hara shares what an unnatural book marketer learned while Marie Kondo-ing her house. Then, Dave King exposes the dangers of editing. Barbara Linn Probst explains what to do when you take a break from your work in progress. Heather Webb says, when the going gets tough, the though get going (in publishing). Late in the week, John J. Kelley offers some tips for when characters meet: close encounters of he initial kind. Writer Unboxed
What is Toph’s character arc? Hello, Future Me
K.M. Weiland: why everyone should write (even if you think you stink). Helping Writers Become Authors
Angela Ackerman promotes writing character descriptions that hook readers. Then, Sudha Balagopal encourages you to flavor your fiction with foreign expressions. Later in the week, Ellen Buikema encourages you to think about why you’ve chosen the road to writing. Writers in the Storm
Copyediting vs. proofreading. Reedsy
Bonnie Randall helps you access deep point of view via description (and a writing exercise). Fiction University
Nathan Brandford wants you to try to separate process from product (outcomes).
Is your book ready for an editor? Reedsy
E.J. Wenstrom shows you how to plan an online book launch. Then, Sara Farmer considers classic girl detectives. Gabriela Pereira interviews Brandie June about character dynamics in a fairy tale retelling. Later in the week, Kim Catanzarite shares five copyediting mistakes you’re probably making (and how to eradicate them). DIY MFA
El Silbón: The Deadly Whistler of the South American Grasslands. Monstrum | PBS Storied
Angie Hodapp shares four ways to create inter-character conflict. Pub Rants
Becca Puglisi helps you figure out whether fight, flight, or freeze is your character’s default response. Writers Helping Writers
Chris Winkle explains how to make large conflicts exciting. Mythcreants
Chimera: mythology’s magical multi-species monster. Tale Foundry
Kathleen Newman-Bremang: it isn’t just Gossip Girl—TV has a major colorism problem. Refinery 29
35 Canadian books to check out this summer. CBC Books
Phil Pirello introduces us to the version of Aliens we never saw. SyFy
Kim Stanley Robinson considers the novel solutions of utopian fiction. The Nation
Davide Tristan: one megahit later, we check in with the creator of Enola Holmes. ABC27
Vicky Qaio reports that Canadian authors C.L. Polk and Silvia Moreno-Garcia among World Fantasy Award finalists. CBC books
Neda Ulaby: when your book publishes in a pandemic. NPR
And that was tipsday. 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, my writerly friends!
Always Looking Up 