Guy Kawasaki

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, April 17-23, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping!

Ibram X. Kendi: the danger more republicans should be talking about. (Spoiler: it’s white supremacy.) The Atlantic

Whitney Bauck interviews Reverend Lennox Yearwood: culture-building as climate work. Atmos

Mariupol mayor urges residents to flee as Russia mounts eastern Ukraine offensive. CBC

Emily Zarevich introduces us to Lesya Ukrainka: Ukraine’s beloved writer and activist. JSTOR Daily

Amy Cassidy, Mostafa Salem, Caroline Faraj, Obayda Nafaa and Jack Bantock: dozens injured in Sweden in riots after Quran burning. CNN

Laurentian mess didn’t bubble up; it trickled down. Sudbury.com editorial board

Melody Wilding lists eight signs of overfunctioning that lead to burnout (and how to stop). Forbes

Sadhbh O’Sullivan says there’s a reason we procrastinate, and it isn’t laziness. Refinery 29

Deepa Purushothaman and Lisen Stromberg: leaders, stop rewarding toxic rock stars. Harvard Business Review

Clark Quinn says we’re using the wrong bucket lists. Learnlets

Harold Jarche considers writing at electric speed. Then, he looks at the power of story.

Erin Blakemore tries to explain why Easter is celebrated with bunnies and eggs. National Geographic

Doyle Rice and Dinah Voyles Pulver: UN IPCC report shows the globe is on “track toward an unlivable world.” USA Today

Solar superflares and aurora science. Physics Girl

Guy Kawasaki interviews Neil deGrasse Tyson: astrophysicist, planetary scientist, and author. The Remarkable People Podcast

Nadia Drake explains why NASA has been ignoring Uranus. That may soon change. National Geographic

Bob McDonald interviews Riley Culberg about how the ridges on the surface of Europa could mean water—and life. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Florence + the Machine – Free

Thank you for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Even though May first is Sunday, I won’t be composing my next chapter update until the first full weekend in May. That’s the May 7-8 weekend. Just so you know.

So, until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, April 3-9, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Another week, another batch of cool stuff to get your mental corn popping.

Kevin Breuninger announces that the US Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to serve as justice. CNBC

Marlene Lenthang reveals that police won’t be charged in the death of Amir Locke. NBC News

Why did it take so long to pass an anti-lynching law? The Amber Ruffin Show

Anthony Conwright: white anxiety, redefined. African American Policy Forum

Killings in Ukrainian city of Bucha are “clearly war crimes,” says Joly. CBC

And after Russia denies responsibility (the Ukraine’s murdering their own citizens? Yeah, right), Gerry Doyle reports that satellite images show dead civilians in Bucha while it was still in Russian hands. Reuters

Joshua Yaffa: prisoners in a Novyi Bykiv cellar. The New Yorker

Anna Piela: Muslim women and the politics of the head scarf. JSTOR Daily

Reshma Saujani says no one wants to go back to the office as much as white men. Time

Katie Tobin: antiwork feminism asks women to imagine a life without work. Vice

Sarah Laing wonders, have you ever been the victim of “weaponized incompetence”? The Kit

Michelle Fox reports that a four-day workweek pilot is underway in the US and Canada. CNBC

Derek Thompson explains what happens when there are too many meetings. The Atlantic

Rebecca Deczynski says employees spend more time coordinating their work than actually working. The remedy? Fewer meetings! Inc.

Clark Quinn: confidence and correctness. Learnlets

Rebecca Klar wants you to check out this report: Instagram failed to act on abusive DMs sent to three female public figures. The Hill

Guy Kawasaki interviews Susan Cain, NYT bestselling author and introvert. The Remarkable People Podcast

What is life (featuring Brian Cox)? Be Smart

Emily Atkin and Caitlin Looby explain the meaning of half a degree: a new way to think about climate change. GQ

Patrick Smith reports that Darwin’s “tree of life” notebooks mysteriously returned after 20 years. NBC News

Michael Marshall: “impossible” chemistry may reveal the origins of life on Earth. National Geographic

Fiona Harvey reveals that better use of groundwater could transform Africa, research says. The Guardian

Olivia Box wonders how cities can keep water clean now and into the future. JSTOR Daily

True facts: Sea stars. Ze Frank

Linda Geddes explains how mushrooms communicate with each other using up to 50 “words,” according to scientist. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until Next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Feb 27-March 5, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Fuel the thoughty moving into the weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

Daniella silva reveals that three former officers on federal charges in George Floyd’s killing. NBC News

People should cheat on their taxes. Every “How did we get here,” part 4. The Amber Ruffin Show

Marycarmen Lara Villanueva: in Mexico, erasing Black history fuels anti-Black racism. The Conversation

Liz Tracey annotates Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I have a Dream” speech. JSTOR Daily

Rina Torchinsky reports that in Texas, an unrelenting assault on trans rights takes mental toll. NPR

Yuras Karmanau, Jim Heintz, Vladimir Isachenkov and Dasha Litvinova report that Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert, escalating tensions. Associated Press

The editors provide a background reading list on Ukraine, Russia, and the West. If you want to distract yourselves from the news to get some perspective. JSTOR Daily

Ukrainians won’t be separated from beloved pets as residents shelter from Russian attack with cats and dogs. The Independent

Morgan Godvin: crime wave or moral panic? JSTOR Daily

Crappy hiring practices that have to die, and some new ones we need to adopt. Non-profit AF

Robert R. Raymond says that it’s time to shorten the American workweek. Truthout

Andrew Pulrang highlights ableist narratives that poison disability policy and disabled peoples’ lives. Forbes

Guy Kawasaki interviews Deepa Purushothaman, author of The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America. The Remarkable People podcast

Clark Quinn touts the value of examples before practice. Learnlets

Joe finds out what’s actually on the other side of the mirror. Be Smart

James Somers takes a journey to the center of our cells. The New Yorker

Corryn Wetzel: brain scans reveal that our life does flash before our eyes when we die. The Smithsonian Magazine

John Geddie and Joe Brock announce the “biggest green deal since Paris:” UN agrees on plastic treaty roadmap. Reuters

Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Thoughty Thursday: popping your mental corn. www.melaniemarttila.ca

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Jan 2-8, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Another week, another batch of informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

LA Bourgeois explains why you should stop using the word “should.” Then, Jeanette the Writer wonders how much you should pay an editor? DIY MFA

Ellen Brock provides her writing guide for intuitive plotters. This one feels spot on for me 🙂

Greer Macallister expounds on your novel’s two beginnings. Only begin. Therese Walsh: recovery from (something that tastes an awful lot like) shame. Donald Maass: gods, monsters, and murderbots. Julie Duffy lists the five Fs you should give while writing. Beth Havey: the power of place. Writer Unboxed

Bad writing habits to drop in 2022. Reedsy

Karen DeBonis says that in medias res is a very good place to start your novel. Then, Joseph Lallo offers some advice about worldbuilding for sci-fi authors: terraforming. Lori Brown is embracing the mystery of deep POV. Writers in the Storm

Elizabeth Spann Craig talks about making mini-plans and mini-goals for the year.

Princess Weekes discusses the women of Jane Austen. It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Jane Friedman says that BookTok is a safe haven for young, female readers. Jane Friedman

Colleen M. Story shares four strategies to help writers focus in a world of distractions. Writers Helping Writers

Sympathy for the #pickmegirl The Take

Chris Winkle explains how writing instructors forgo the most vital fiction lesson. Oren Ashkenazi: Way of Kings shows us the damage meta-mysteries can do. Mythcreants

Guy Kawasaki interviews Julia Cameron, queen of change, creative inspiration, and prolific writer. The Remarkable People Podcast

Is Trinity the “real” one? The Take

Jami Attenberg: rejection gave me a fresh start, a new year. “Writing is holy, as my friend Patricia Lockwood says. It is true that it is hard to make it as a writer, or any kind of artist, for that matter. But if you love to write, you should write forever.” The Guardian

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 19-25, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s New Year’s Eve eve! Get your mental corn popping for the last time in 2021.

Joshua Adams: Martin Luther King Jr. did not dream about banning critical race theory. Color Lines

Alexander Quon: Ottawa announces $700K in funding to support Cowessess First Nation’s efforts at former residential school site. CBC

Aliyah Chavez: solstice is a time to reflect and replenish. While solstice was last Tuesday, I think the whole holiday season shares this theme. Indian Country Today

Britt Julious wonders, who are Christmas movies for? On diversity and gender equity in romantic holiday movies. Harper’s Bazaar

Do CIS boys just wanna have fun, too? Gender policing. Khadija Mbowe

Kim Fahner shares her experience with breakthrough covid on Morning North. And here’s the print version. She’s not brave and strong because she shared her story. She shared her story because she’s brave and strong. CBC

Monica Kidd reveals that the fear of losing freedom common thread behind vaccine hesitancy, according to cross-cultural survey. Healthy Debate

Krissy Holmes and Ramraajh Sharvendiran cover barriers to physician recruitment and employment in Newfoundland. CBC

Why do we dream? It’s okay to be smart

Guy Kawasaki interviews Catherine Price: author, speaker, and creator. The Remarkable People podcast

Christin Bohnke: the disappearance of Japan’s third gender. JSTOR Daily

Diana talks to Katie Mack about our expanding universe. Physics Girl

Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the James Webb Space Telescope. Star Talk

Watch the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (Christmas Day!). NASA Space Flight

Thanks for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

I should be posting my December update and 2021 year in review post on the weekend.

Until then be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Oct 24-30, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

This will be the last tipsday until December 7th! Yup, it’s NaNo again. So, stock up for the month and feel free to peruse past weeks’ posts as well. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but this tipsday is jam packed full of writerly goodness. Enjoy!

Kim Bullock faces a fork in the writerly road. KL Burd: “The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.” Elizabeth Huergo discusses genre and its discontents. Then, Milo Todd is losing the magic of writing: The Sweatbox. Heather Webb: Halloween is all about fear; turns out, so is publishing. Writer Unboxed

Racism and horror | Khadija Mbowe

K.M. Weiland poses six questions to help you avoid repetitive scenes. Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Cooper Ellison says that structure isn’t the Holy Grail you’re looking for. Jane Friedman

Vivek Hariharan shares six tips for expanding a novel into a series. Live, Write, Thrive

Princess Weekes reveals what the f—k happened behind the scenes of Justice League. Melina Pendulum

Kris Maze offers a worry-free approach to double down on your writing goals. Then, Laurie Schnebly Campbell asks, how deep should you go into your POV? Kathleen Baldwin makes the case for “was” and the much maligned passive voice. Writers in the Storm

Shaelin explains how to write a horror novel. Reedsy

Then she follows up with the best and worst horror tropes. Reedsy

Sue Coletta: what are pinch points and where do they go? Then, Colleen M. Story explains how to tell if you’ve found the best book marketing niche. Lisa Hall-Wilson lists five ways trauma makes your character an unreliable narrator. Writers Helping Writers

Kris Hill is creating characters using collaborative storytelling. Then, Manuela Williams explains how to organize a collection of poetry. Gabriela Pereira interviews Debbie Macomber about writing and publishing a Christmas novel. Then, Alison Stine explains how to write a cli-fi novel. Sarah Van Arsdale shares five ways to resist the inexorable forces pulling you from your writing. DIY MFA

On her own channel, Shaelin shares 20 NaNoWriMo tips. Shaelin Writes

Chuck Wendig reviews the worldbuilding in Villeneuve’s Dune. Emmie Mears shares five things she learned building a writing career the wrong way. Terribleminds

Chris Winkle lists five important ways episodic stories are different. Then, Oren Ahskenazi analyzes To Sleep in a Sea of Stars: how Paolini undercooked his setting. Mythcreants

Princess Weekes shares everything you didn’t know about the father of science fiction. It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Patricia A. Jackson shares a pantser’s tale: follow the white rabbit. Fiction University

Emily Zarka presents the werewolf’s modern metamorphosis. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Kristen Lamb explains how horror can improve your writing in any genre.

Guy Kawasaki interviews Seth Godin: marketing god, blogger, and author. The Remarkable People Podcast

“Queerbaiting” is a tricky term. Don’t abuse it. The Take

Alan Garner: “You don’t want to have a brilliant idea for a novel at the age of 87.” The Guardian

Ena Alvarado reveals the science and slavery in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko. JSTOR Daily

Hanna Flint says that Dune is an accomplished escape into the realm of cinematic Arab appropriation. The New Arab

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Oct 3-9, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

The weekend is in sight! It’s time to pull your head out of work and get your mental corn popping 🙂

Kimberly Brown Pellum reveals how Maryrose Reeves Allen taught Black women’s self-care during Jim Crow. JSTOR Daily

Renée Lilley reports that residential school day scholars may be able to start claims process in December. Students who went home at night suffered the same abuses but weren’t included in the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CBC

Literacy program launched for Indigenous elders, residential school, and day school survivors. CBC

Amar Chebib (film) and Dan Greene (text) present the story of how Cree skateboarding legend Joe Buffalo grapples with the trauma of Canada’s residential schools. The New Yorker

University of Sudbury transfers online Indigenous studies courses to Kenjgewin Teg. CBC

Joe can’t believe he’s making another Covid video. It’s okay to be smart

Lizzy Davies reports that the WHO endorses use of first malaria vaccine in Africa. The Guardian

True facts: the mosquito. Ze Frank

Key findings from the Pandora Papers. The Washington Post

Our first glimpse of the dark side of the moon. SciShow Space

Stuart Campbell, Elizabeth Healey, Yaroslav Kuzmin, and Michael D. Glascock reflect on John Dee’s obsidian mirror: the mirror, the magus, and more. Yes. An actual scholarly paper 🙂 Cambridge University Press

Guy Kawasaki interviews Olympia Yarger: entrepreneur and maggot evangelist. The Remarkable People podcast

Olivia Box: what does a tree see? On the importance of “witness” trees. JSTOR Daily

Robby Berman says, crows are self-aware, just like us. Big Think

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Sept 12-18, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to fall! It’s thoughty Thursday, your opportunity to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend!

Jelani Cobb: the man behind critical race theory. The New Yorker

Matt Lavietes reports that the Department of Justice limits use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Axios

Patty Nieberg: police in Elijah McClain’s hometown racially biased, officials say. Associated Press

Alysia Harris: “We have to evaluate the motives of health care institutions.” Scalawag

Curtis Bunn: digital records from 19th century give Black families a glimpse of their ancestry. NBC News

Ashawnta Jackson explains how Eyes on the Prize, one of the most influential historical documentaries of all time, almost didn’t get made. JSTOR Daily

Sagamok Anishnawbek, Mississauga, and Serpent River First Nations to host ceremony before searching residential school site. CBC

Kelly Hayes reports that Line 3 resisters light the way in a battle for life on Earth. TruthOut

Lindsey Bark reports that Lawrence Panther teaches first Cherokee language class at University of Arkansas. Cherokee Phoenix

Leila Fadel: for many American Muslims, the legacy of 9/11 is the fight for civil rights. NPR

1,000 Dreams shares the stories of refugees. Compelling.

Livia Gershon: evading abortion bans with mutual aid. JSTOR Daily

Brian Naylor: Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Maggie Nichols blast the FBI’s mishandling of their allegations about Larry Nassar. NPR

Joe Friessen and Molly Hayes: Western University reels as student dies from assault; social media sparks investigation into sexual violence. The Globe and Mail

Avis Favaro, Elizabeth St. Philip, and Alexandra Mae Jones take us inside an Ontario ICU where all the covid-19 patients are largely young, and all unvaccinated. CTV News

Guy Kawasaki interviews Juliet Funt (daughter of Alan, of Candid Camera fame) about how you can really be productive at work (spoiler: it’s not do more with less). The Remarkable People Podcast

The entire SpaceX Inspiration4 launch. The exciting part is in the last 30 minutes or so, but if you have the time, the commentary throughout is fascinating. NASA Spaceflight

Frank Jacobs: did dark magic conjure up the British Empire? Big Think

Alice Albina reviews history from Boudicca to modern Britain: the dream of island utopias ruled by women. The Guardian

Olivia Box explains how wind energy could affect marine ecosystems. JSTOR Daily

Jessica Steward shares Albert Dros’ enchanting photos of Madeira’s ancient Fanal Forest filled with 500-year-old trees. My Modern Met

The mystery of Earth’s disappearing giants. In our nature | It’s okay to be smart

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, July 25-31, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

You made it through Monday (and a Tuesday-that-feels-like-a-Monday for my Canadian readers)! Time to reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

Janice Hardy helps you write better descriptions: describe what your readers won’t assume. Then, she warns of the dangers of infodumps (and how to avoid them). Rochelle Melander: what my literary heroes taught me about writing. Then Spencer Ellsworth explains that word count isn’t the only metric of productivity. Fiction University

It’s a Shaelin bonanza, this week 🙂 How to write the midpoint. Reedsy

Tiffany Yates Martin explains why writing is like pie. Then, Elizabeth Huergo offers some readings for writers: Judith Ortiz Cofer and the will to write. Milo Todd wants you to know your invisible narrator. KL Burd tackles the topic of writing as restoration. Then, Desmond Hall drops some writing wisdom. Later in the week, Tonia Harris helps you keep a light burning. Writer Unboxed

How to write the rising action. Reedsy

K.M. Weiland: should you edit as you go? Helping Writers Become Authors

Bella Mahaya Carter lists five common mistakes writers make that sabotage their success. Live, Write, Thrive

Kris Maze shares three steps to make time to write. Then, Lisa Hall-Wilson peels back the four important layers of deep point of view. Margie Lawson lists ten “not absurd” rules for writing fiction. Writers in the Storm

10 writing tips I don’t agree with. Shaelin Writes

Joanna Penn interviews Roz Morris about writing and publishing literary fiction. The Creative Penn

Nathan Bransford lists three ways “show, don’t tell” can lead you astray.

Stephanie BwaBwa offers some tips about using Instagram to grow your author business. Then, Gabriela Pereira interviews Veronica G. Henry about intention, agency, choice, and how to write three-dimensional characters. Olivia Fisher helps you revitalize your writing resolve. Later in the week, Brandie June wants you the use the magical reverse outline.  Then, Urszula Bunting shares five yoga poses to boost creativity. DIY MFA

Words invented by authors. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Susan DeFreitas lists three strengths and three challenges of starting your novel with plot. Jane Friedman

The redhead on screen. The Take

Chris Winkle and Fay Onyx draw some lessons from the edgy writing of Blindsight. Mythcreants

Lisa Hall-Wilson unpacks writing trauma in fiction: anniversaries.

Guy Kawasaki interviews Hugh Howey: author, storyteller, dreamer. The Remarkable People podcast

Joanna Lilley’s lyrical and devastating poetry collection, Endlings wins the Canadian Authors Association Fred Kerner Book Award. CBC Books

Tasia Bass introduces us to 11 lesser-known fairy tales. Mental Floss

Thank you for visiting. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

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

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 18-24, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday is here to prepare you for the weekend by getting your mental corn popping. You know you need a bit of a boost this time of the week.

Jessica Chia reports that the lack of representation in dermatology can be deadly for people of color. Elle

Alaina Leary: disabled people have worked from home for years. Why did it take a pandemic for everyone else to start? Refinery 29

Nick Pearce: ground-penetrating radar search of Delmas residential school property to begin. Saskatoon Star Phoenix

The tragedy of the influencer. The Take

David Leadbeater: Laurentian University insolvency reflects a structural crisis in Ontario’s neoliberal university system. Academic Matters

Nadia Drake: Jeff Bezos reaches [for] space—a small step for big spaceflight dreams. National Geographic

Relive the Blue Origin “New Shepard” launch with space.com. Last week it was Branson, this week it’s Bezos (and Wally Funk—she’s the best part!). Who’s next?

Jess Romeo: space medicine for the inexperienced astronaut. JSTOR Daily

Katie Hunt reports that the Hubble Space Telescope is operational again after almost a month offline. CNN

Guy Kawasaki interviews Jodi Kantor, the prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times and a best-selling author who broke the Harvey Weinstein story with Megan Twohey and Ronan Farrow. Remarkable People podcast

Madeline K. Sofia, Berly McCoy, and Brit Hanson: building a shark science community for women of color. NPR

Are humans the only animals with culture? It’s okay to be smart

Shi En Kim reveals Carla Rhodes’ beautiful moth photographs. [Still think they’re creepy Muppets, but to each their own.] The Smithsonian Magazine

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be posting my next chapter update.

Until then, be well and stay safe!