Sandy Vaile

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

/ Melanie Marttila

Hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine’s Day. It’s time to nourish your creative self with some informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

Janice Hardy shows you how to fix pacing problems: move along. Fiction University

Greer Macallister says your book is always new. Then, David Corbett interviews Damyanti Biswas about transitioning from literary to genre fiction. Kathleen McCleary notes the things that define us. Next, Kathryn Craft shares four ways to organize your third person POVs. Tracy Hahn-Burkett explains how to come back to your writing practice after you’ve been called away. Later in the week, Erma Clare says, friend or foe, ChatGPT has pushed language AI into the spotlight. Writer Unboxed

Six signs your book is ready to query. Reedsy

Diana Stout talks critiques—how to get them and how to receive them. Then, Sandy Vaile wonders, are you writing a shiny idea or a robust story? Stefan Emunds talks about the importance of desires, goals, motivation, and needs in storytelling. Writers in the Storm

K.M. Weiland offers some genre tips on how to write fantasy. Helping Writers Become Authors

Is Yuki-Ona the most terrifying snow monster? Monstrum | PBS Storied

C.S. Lakin helps you understand the intersection of premise and protagonist. Live, Write, Thrive

L. Diane Wolfe is rapid releasing a series. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Nathan Bransford says, if you think writing is easy, you’re probably not very good at it.

How to create subtext. Shaelin Writes

Casey Cooper answers the question, why do speculative things matter? Then, Adam Burgess considers the triumph of Two Boys Kissing. Lori Walker interviews Jenna Miller about her debut author’s journey. Next, JD wonders, why write a palate cleanser? DIY MFA

Tiffany Yates Martin answers the question, should I include a prologue in a query? And other prologue FAQs. Fox Print Editorial

The craft of writing effectively. Though in the academic context and eight years old, it’s applicable to all kinds of writing. University of Chicago Social Sciences

Becca Puglisi considers the moral villain. Writers Helping Writers

Chris Winkle says that managing exposition starts with simplifying the story. Then, Oren Ashkenazi explains why Sauron works and Arawn doesn’t. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb: ‘twas the night before Valentine’s.

Thank you for spending some time with me. 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, Aug 14-20, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Week four of August is here along with your weekly batch of informal writerly learnings! Enjoy!

K.M. Weiland explains how to write emotional scenes (without making them cringey). Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Norman reveals how to painlessly generate dozens of blog ideas. Then, Sandy Vaile digs into research: how far will fiction authors go for facts? Laurie Schnebly Campbell wonders how much does genre matter? Writers in the Storm

Joanna Penn interviews Becca Puglisi about writing conflict. The Creative Penn

How to write a plot summary and a synopsis. Reedsy

Roz Morris considers using real people in historical fiction—how much can you invent? Nail Your Novel

Barbara Linn Probst wonders what does “award-winning author” mean—and does it matter? Then, Marcie Geffner discusses aphantasia and writing fiction with no “mind’s eye.” Writer Unboxed

AJ Harper helps you get in front of your readers’ doubts and objections. Jane Friedman

Good characters are overrated. Tale Foundry

Christina Delay: small focus. Big creativity. Becca Puglisi wants you to use your character’s career to support your story’s theme. Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford says don’t outsource your agent search.

Kris Hill considers fairy tales and once upon a time. Manuela Williams: what is the poetry of witness? Then, Daria White proposes an alternative to traditional time management for writers.  Abigail Cutter suggests five ways to get inside your historical characters’ heads. DIY MFA

This fight changed everything … Jill Bearup

Angela Ackerman: does conflict really belong on every page? Jami Gold

Tiffany Yates Martin explains how to write a query letter (without losing your mind). Fox Print Editorial

Kristen Lamb examines the priority parallax: what’s truly important?

Chris Winkle lists ten reasons your characters might stop communicating. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories with well-written families. Mythcreants

How to write your first novel. Reedsy

Chris Martin discusses poetry, autism, and the joy of working with neurodiverse writers. Literary Hub

Peter Kafka: the newsletter boom is over. What’s next? Vox

S.L. Huang investigates the ghost of workshops past: how communism, conservatism, and the Cold War still mold our paths to SFF writing. Outstanding essay! Tor.com

Thank you for spending some time with me. I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, May 15-21, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

The penultimate tipsday of May, marked by the serenade of spring peepers and red-wing blackbirds; the scents of crab apple blossoms and lilacs and poplar sap; and thunderstorms that spark and roll overhead. Refill your well with some informal writerly learnings.

Disha Walia wants you to find your motivation for writing speculative fiction. Then, E.J. Wenstrom explains what to do about author platforming when you’re burned out. Sara Farmer lists more of her auto-buy mystery authors. Later in the week, Brittany Capozzi lists five answers we get from writing letters to ourselves. DIY MFA

The psychology of Zuko. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Hello, Future Me

K.M. Weiland recommends six ways to find your best ideas before you start writing. Helping Writers Become Authors

Sandy Vaile shares four essential elements you need to create a workable novel. Then, Holly Lasky asks you to guess who’s in the driver’s seat of your creativity? Lynette M. Burroughs explains how the forces of antagonism frame your story. Writers in the Storm

Darn it, you made me care. Jill Bearup

Susan Defreitas wonders, why write when the world is on fire? Jane Friedman

C.S. Lakin: outlining your novel for success. Live, Write, Thrive

Seven character development exercises. Reedsy

Elizabeth Spann Craig: stress and writing.

Dave King is getting to know evil. Then, Barbara Linn Probst gives us three writing exercises for three different points in the writing process. Kristina Stevens wonders how you adapt real life into fiction. Writer Unboxed

How sun mythologies are universal (featuring PBS Space Time). Fate & Fabled | PBS Storied

Christina Delay explains what to do when you feel like a hack. Then, Marissa Graff shares four ways your protagonist is sabotaging you (and how to fight back). Writers Helping Writers

Nathan Bransford: breaks, permission, and writing.

Olaseni Ajibade explores mental health in fiction: the monster you feed. Dan Koboldt

This story will save your imagination. Tale Foundry

Tiffany Yates Martin: high praise, big promises … and crickets. Fox Print Editorial

Kristen Lamb says weakness is blood in the water for narcissist sharks.

How the tech villain became the most hated character. The Take

Chris Winkle shares lessons from the summary writing of Illuminae. Then, Oren Ashkenazi critiques the second half of Pixar’s rules of storytelling. Mythcreants

Angie hodapp explains what to do when your entire manuscript turns out to be a prologue. Pub Rants

Guy Gavriel Kay wonders what we lose—and gain—as book tours move online? Literary Hub

Thank you for spending some time with me, and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress, whatever stage it’s at.

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