James R. Preston

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 26-March 4, 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, Dec 1-3, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

A short week of informal writerly learnings to get back on track with curation. Enjoy!

Angela Ackerman explains how to write antagonists readers can’t help but like. Writers Helping Writers

Tiffany Yates Martin learns how Vaughn Roycroft revises by redefining success. Fox Print Editorial

Why “female entertainment” still gets written off. The Take

Grace Bialecki explains the power and necessity of sitting with your critiques. Then, Adele Annesi presents an argument for setting aside arc in story development. Jane Friedman

Liza Nash Taylor makes some notes to self on making room to move ahead. Henriette Lazaridis wants to linger, tinker, savor: taking the time to get it right. Writer Unboxed

We might never speak to aliens. Here’s why. Hello, Future Me

James R. Preston offers five tips to manage the book galley journey. Writers in the Storm

Chris Winkle shows you six places to trim slow prose. Then, Oren Ashkenazi shares what Legends and Lattes teaches us about light stories. Mythcreants

Three act structure: writing a strong first act. Reedsy

Three act structure: writing an engaging middle. Reedsy

A.H. Plotts presents show, don’t tell: your novel as a movie script. DIY MFA

Merriam-Webster’s word of the year 2022 is … gaslighting.

And that was tipsday. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to support your current work(s) in progress, whatever stage they’re at.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 27-March 5, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to tipsday, your opportunity to fill up on informal writerly learnings, every Tuesday (if you want more—moar—check out the archives). Enjoy!

Melissa Haas shares leisure learning links for February 2022. Then, Richelle Lyn shares tales of a solopreneur. Gabriela Pereira interviews Gillian McDunn about neurodiversity, family dynamics and cooking in contemporary middle grade fiction. Dana De Greff helps you open doors in your writing. DIY MFA

Tim Hickson focuses on the most important moment in any story. Hello, Future Me

Kim Bullock introduces us to the little library banned book project. Then, Tiffany Yates Martin reviews some words you’re probably using wrong. Donald Maass: theme vs. meaning. Liza Nash Taylor shares the arc of one author and two book launches in five acts: Freytag’s pandemic. Yuvi Zalkow: storytelling and the Hero’s Journey. Writer Unboxed

The myth of heroic masculine purpose. Like Stories of Old

K.M. Weiland shares five red flags that indicate you might need a break from writing. Helping Writers Become Authors

Tiffany Yates Martin wants you to dig deeper than description for more nuanced characters. Then, James R. Preston wants you to get out from behind the keyboard. Writers in the Storm

How to write your novel’s first chapter. Reedsy

Joanna Penn interviews Johnny B. Truant about pivoting on the creative journey. The Creative Penn

Lisa Poisso recommends best practices for working with an independent editor. Then, Becca Puglisi shares some tips for landing a guest-posting gig. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford wants you to show your characters getting from point a to point b.

Finding your writing process. Shaelin Writes

Jessica Conoley reveals what your writing is training you for. When you change alongside your book: Q&A with Mansi Shah. Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle explains how to write an unhappy ending. Then, Oren Ashkenazi reveals why sequels don’t erase errors in the first book. Mythcreants

Adze: the shapeshifting firefly from West Africa. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Kristen Lamb is creating dimensional characters with personality traits.

Ashawnta Jackson reveals the short but influential run of Ebony and Topaz. JSTOR Daily

Angelarium: The Book of Angels. Tale Foundry

George Saunders helps you overcome uncertainty in writing. Literary Hub

Priya Sidhar wonders, was Brandon Sanderson’s video about burnout relatable? Medium

Unreliable narrators: why we love to be lied to. The Take

Jonathan Thornton provides a readers’ guide to the Finnish weird in translation. More for my TBR list! Tor.com

Leigh Haber interviews Diana Gabaldon about season six of Outlander. Droughtlander ENDED Sunday! Yay! Oprah Daily online

Thank you 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, my writerly friends!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Dec 1-4, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Aaaaand … tipsday’s back! As December 1st fell on a Wednesday, it’s not its usual honkin’ self, but I managed to fill out the curation with some lovely videos. Enjoy!

Don Maass: the static hiss. Grace Wynter gets up close with Vijaya Bodach—Play. Dream. Believe. Liza Taylor Nash explains how to get your work noticed: street cred. Writer Unboxed

Tim Hickson on writing: subtext (and how to use it!). Hello, Future Me

Lisa Hall-Wilson explains how to go deeper into a character’s emotions. Then, James R. Preston shows us why story is important. Writers in the Storm

Not your hero. Khadija Mbowe

Chris Winkle asks, does your villain twirl their mustache? Then, Oren Ashkenazi looks at how Max Gladstone writes magic law in Three Parts Dead. Mythcreants

Princess Weekes considers the magical negroes of Stephen King. Melina Pendulum

LA Bourgeois offers strategies for reframing rejection. Then, J.L. Doucette shares five ways to silence your inner critic. DIY MFA

Should all writers begin with short stories? Reedsy

Ben Pearson: here’s why movie dialogue has gotten more difficult to understand (and three ways to fix it). Slash Film

Why you have no motivation (and how to fix it). Shaelin Writes

Ena Alvarado explains how social upheaval gave rise to the picaresque novel. JSTOR Daily

Stop worrying about female characters being likeable. The Take

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

Until Thursday (which is a bit of a runt, this week, I’ll be honest), be well and stay safe!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Aug 29-Sept 4, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to another week of informal writerly learnings! Notice the change in the title of this curation. After years of writerly goodness found on the interwebz, I thought it was time for a change.

Yuvi Zalkow writes his acknowledgements. Then, Tom Bentley considers purple prose and the word surgeon’s scalpel. Donald Maass is creating character safety zones. Then, Grace Wynter interviews Yasmin Angoe—just one more thing. Liza Nash Taylor shares some event tips ‘n’ tricks for the vain, shallow, and/or insecure. Writer Unboxed

Loki, the MCU, and narcissism. Lindsay Ellis

K.M. Weiland indicates the six archetypal antagonists for each of the six archetypal character arcs. Helping Writers Become Authors

Savannah Cordova explains why reading short fiction is the best thing you can do for your writing. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Main character syndrome: why you should be self-centred. The Take

September C. Fawkes takes a closer look at person vs. fate conflict. Then, Angela Ackerman recommends you tap this powerful source if your story needs more conflict. Writers Helping Writers

Anita Ramirez has a finished manuscript—now what? Angela Yeh: chasing my muse. Cheryl Grey Bostrom says that tone of voice is more than personality. Then, Kim Catanzarite shares five ways to turn your plot into a page-turner. DIY MFA

Janice Hardy lists five ways your story hurts your novel. Then, James R. Preston shares his thoughts about point of view: myth vs. reality. Writers in the Storm

Shaelin Bishop shows you how to structure your book without an outline. Shaelin Writes

Chris Winkle wonders, how can writers make description evocative? Then, Oren Ashkenazi looks at five villains with contrived wins. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb challenges you to pitch your entire story in one sentence with a log line.

Shanna Swendson wants you to try these tricks if you’re struggling with writer burnout. Fiction University

Black Swan: a cautionary tale about perfectionism. The Take

Jane Friedman likes Substack, but the PR is getting ridiculous.

Jessica Singer: BookTok’s novel approach to books is helping Canadian authors and retailers reach new audiences. CBC Books

Thank you 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, my writerly friends!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Apr 7-13, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Tuesday! Time to reward your hard work this week with some informal writerly learnings.

Rheea Mukherjee explains what it’s like to be the bi-cultural writer. Jim Dempsey helps you discover your characters’ goals. Sarah Callender asks, so you think you can write? Kathryn Craft encourages you to use short story collections as novel prompts. Writer Unboxed

James R. Preston has a conversation about pushing the envelope of first person. Becca Puglisi discusses first pages and character emotion. Julie Glover shares ten things she learned from ten years of writing. Writers in the Storm

K.M. Weiland: what is the relationship between plot and theme? Helping Writers Become Authors

Sara Letourneau provides some exercises for exploring the theme of family in your writing. Later in the week, Jeanette the Writer looks at five famously rewritten novels. DIY MFA

Jami Gold is worldbuilding a series but writing without a plan.

Oren Ashkenazi analyses six unsatisfying character arcs. Mythcreants

Nina Munteanu explains how walking in nature helps her write.

Jenna Moreci updates her list of the top ten worst romance tropes.

 

For balance, Jenna also shares her ten favourite villain tropes.

 

Jessica Leigh Hester: for centuries, know-it-alls carried beautiful, miniature almanacs wherever they went. Atlas Obscura

Nicola Davis reports on the latest research indicating that Beowulf was the work of a single poet. The Guardian

Alison Flood: “extraordinary” 500-year-old library catalogue reveals works lost to time. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you found something to feed your creative process or craft.

I invite you to return on Thursday for some thoughty inspiration.

Until then, be well!

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