Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, April 19-25, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Some of the best writing posts and podcasts came out last week. Seriously. Awesome.

Here’s part 2 of K.M. Weiland’s Scrivener series: How she uses Scrivener to draft her novels.

How symbolism and subtext improve action beats in your dialogue. Katie’s Wednesday vlog.

Roz Morris’s video chat with Christine Nolfi and David Penny from #indierecon15: How to keep writing when time is scarce.

Then Roz joined Joanna Penn on The Creative Penn podcast to talk about plot.

Jami Gold has some excellent advice on . . . advice 🙂

Dan Blank wrote my favourite post of the week on Writer Unboxed: Shame and your writing career.

Christine Frazier of The Better Novel Project interviews Jeff Goins on the importance of fairy tales.

Jordan Rosenfeld guests on Jane Friedman’s blog on the topic of balanced productivity. Here’s another book for my “to read” pile . . .

Amazon pays this self-published writer $450,000 a year (!) I couldn’t do what Mark Dawson did. Kudos to him for making it. Forbes.

MPR News presents the top ten most challenged books of the year.

TED-Ed on Shakespearean insults:

Enrich your vocabulary with some 1920’s slang:

How Tatiana Maslany is transformed into a cast of clones by Orphan Black makeup artists. Vanity Fair.

See you on thoughty Thursday!

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, April 5-11, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

A weekend of rest plus a weekend away at a convention equals slim pickings. It’s all Writerly Goodness, though 😀

“When did thrilling the reader become cheap?” Roz Morris weighs in on storytelling in literary fiction.

K.M. Weiland discusses how to ace your climactic moment.

Interaction is the key to dynamic scenes. Katie’s Wednesday vlog.

Fallacy: the primer for surprise. Blew. My. Mind. Writer Unboxed.

How dreams can lead to creative breakthroughs. Canva.

How the subconscious mind shapes creative writing. The Guardian.

Brainpickings presents Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s favourite books.

Authors Publish offers seven misattributed quotes. Oops.

Research suggests Shakespeare may have written ‘lost’ play. CNN.

Monks wrote in the margins, too. i09.

Alex Garland on being an “auteur” and his movie, Ex Machina. Grantland.

Thoughty Thursday appears to be full of YouTube this week (!)

See you then, my friends.

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, March 15-21, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 3 Comments

K.M. Weiland introduces the Story Structure Database, and excellent new resource for writers. You can contribute to it, too!

Roz Morris shares how writer’s block became an opportunity.

Anne R. Allen shares ten social marketing no-no’s.

Jamie Raintree shares her experience in finding her agent on Thinking through our fingers.

Shawn Coyne explains his second draft that is not a draft theory on Steven Pressfield’s blog.

Janice Hardy’s month-long revision workshop continues with day 15: clean up description and stage direction.

Christine Frazier offers lessons for writers from her analysis of The Dark Knight. The Better Novel Project.

Porter Anderson offers Amish Tripathi’s Shiva series for our consideration on Writer Unboxed.

The series of representation on SFF guest posts on Jim C. Hines’s blog continues with Sarah Chorn’s discussion of disability in SFF.

Need some visual inspiration? Here’s the Fantastical Women site featuring lots of fantasy art by women artists. Gorgeous!

Canva shares this list of 40 books on creativity. When I die, I suspect it will be because I was crushed by my pile of unread books (!)

18 perfect short stories. i09.

Fast Company presents an infographic on banned books and some of the reasons they were banned.

SF Signal interviews Tanya Huff.

Lightspeed interviews Patrick Rothfuss.

What happens when a fundamentalist Christian marries an atheist author? Sally McBride guest posts on WarpWorld.

Now there are some consumable readables! Nom-a-nom-a-nom . . .

See you Thursday!

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, March 8-14, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 4 Comments

Sir Terry Pratchett passed away last week.

Here’s Neil Gaiman’s very worthwhile talk at JCCSF. It basically turned into a tribute to his friend.

 

Here is BuzzFeed’s ranking of Pratchett’s Discworld novels.

Sir Terry will live on in the words of his books and in the hearts of his readers.

 

K.M. Weiland’s Sunday blog and podcast is dedicated to writers on the verge of writing spectacularly complex characters.

Why is your awesome protagonist boring readers to death? Katie’s Wednesday vlog.

Janice Hardy’s month-long novel revision workshop on Fiction University continues. Here’s day eight.

Jodie Renner guests on Anne R. Allen’s blog with this step-by-step guide to writing a prize-winning short story.

Therese Walsh explores multitasking further on Writer Unboxed. Snakes on a brain.

Veronica Sicoe posts on how to clean up your manuscript formatting in MS Word.

Kameron Hurley muses on the virtues of becoming a professional writer.

The second round of Jim C. Hines’s guest posts on representation in SFF begins with this post by LaShawn Wanak on false narratives.

Grammarly presents the strange origins of English idioms.

Grammarly (again) offers ten quotes from Winnie the Pooh that will make you smile.

BuzzFeed weighed in with these 31 quotes from children’s books.

Vanity Fair analyzes the Game of Thrones season 5 trailer.

And HBO is doing a 30-day countdown. Here’s the first instalment: Who are the sand snakes?

Tor.com shares 13 fantasies that are based on myths from the British Isles.

Lessons for writers from Bavarian Fairy Tales. The Take Away.

See you Thursday!

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, March 1-7, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

I’m beginning to think that the universe is trying to tell me something 😉 Between Tipsday and Thoughty Thursday this week, you’ll see a definite theme developing. Or not . . .

K.M. Weiland continues her common writing mistakes series with part 39: referencing characters by title rather than by name.

In Katie’s Wednesday vlog, she discusses the reasons why avalanches, wolves, and lightning storms may not be the best way to begin your novel.

Roz Morris posts about resilience. I love the image she found—a bear on a trampoline 🙂

In her series on debut author lessons, Mary Robinette Kowal tackles the topic of writing full time. Important to know: as a self-employed professional, if you’re not writing, you are unemployed.

Poet Mary Oliver inspired Anna Elliott to write a post for Writer Unboxed with this line: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Steven Pressfield writes about self-doubt and what the soul knows about keeping you on the true path.

Janice Hardy has started a month-long revision workshop on Fiction University. Start here with her March 1st post and follow along. Great step-by-step analysis of every aspect of your novel.

Here’s a post outlining the principles of ergonomics for writers from the World’s Greatest Book blog.

And because it’s related, here’s the TED-ed video that explains why sitting too much is bad for us:

 

What Alice in Wonderland reveals about the brain. This could go either on Tipsday or Thoughty Thursday, but because the book is the basis for the article, I’m placing it here. BBC.

When George R. R. Martin was asked how he could write female characters so well, his answer was, “Well, they’re human beings, aren’t they?” When I saw the title of Kate Elliott’s post for Tor.com, I knew it was going to be interesting: writing women characters as human beings.

Women artists re-envision images of their favourite SFF characters. i09.

39 misused words and how to use them correctly. Time.

How Catriona Balfe nailed her audition with one line. TV Line.

Pets who’d rather you pet them than read. The Dodo.

That’s a wrap!

See you Thursday 🙂

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 22-28, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Roz Morris asks the question, can writing be taught?

In a related article . . . things Ryan Boudinot can say about MFA programs now that he no longer teaches in one. The Stranger.

Now, this started up a bit of a kerfuffle. Though the following two posts by Chuck Wendig belong to the current week, I’m offering them as a counterpoint to Boudinot’s. Some people agreed with Boudinot and some with Wendig. Some took exception to the whole conversation. You may judge for yourselves.

K.M. Weiland explores the six elements of an effective story premise in her weekly post and podcast.

And her Wednesday vlog: how to drive your readers wild with hints and hooks without frustrating them. It’s a delicate balance.

Dan Blank posts on becoming a student of your own writing process on Writer Unboxed. I love process-y stuff. This was “in my wheelhouse.”

Heather Webb explores the science of character creation (lots of resources). Writer Unboxed.

The Kobo Writing Life podcast: Mark Leslie interviews Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

This one goes along with my post on Gatekeepers, rejection, and resilience: Ten of the reasons your manuscript might be rejected. Ruth Harris on Anne R. Allen’s blog.

And . . . 12 famous authors on literary rejection. Aerogramme Writers’ Studio.

Tor.com’s Ilana C. Myer deconstructs the strong, female character in SFF.

Okay, I’m gonna link dump here, but each one of these posts on Jim C. Hines’s web site on the topic of representation is well worth the read. Expand your brains.

How to know if you’re really a writer. Authors Publish.

The ALLi watchdog examines the merits of Amazon versus Apple.

May 2, 2015 will be the first ever Canadian Authors for Indies Day. Publisher’s Weekly.

30 books that were challenged by censors. Infographic on CBC Books.

Why How to get away with murder is TV’s most progressive show. The Daily Beast. It’s great storytelling. Also, I watch TV and movies for craft. This belongs in the writing tips post. So sez me.

And that’s all the Writerly Goodness I gots for this week.

See you Thoughty Thursday!

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 15-21, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Roz Morris wrote a guest post for K.M. Weiland on Friday the 13th. Though it’s more than a week ago, I didn’t get around to sharing this gem until Sunday (!). So here you go: Four reasons you might be missing out on your best plot ideas.

Katie’s Sunday post and podcast: The crucial way you can figure out how much time your story should cover.

And her Wednesday vlog: Why a killer hook may not be enough to sustain reader interest.

Anne R. Allen offers nine considerations we should all review before we send our first novel out into the world.

Adventures in YA publishing offers this story concept worksheet to help you nail your story’s concept.

Chuck Wendig delivers another excellent post on writing strong women characters. This caused quite the discussion on the SF Canada listserv.

One of those members, Ada Hoffmann, made i09 with her Twitter mini-rant on agency. A cogent summation of the issue.

The second of Nina Munteanu’s posts on rejection. This time: how rejection can help you as a writer.

Dan Blank wrote this wonderful piece for the National Endowment for the Arts on risk in writing. Everyone needs to read this. It’s awesomesauce.

And on the sad side, here’s Oliver Sacks’s piece for The New York Times about what he’s decided to do now that he knows he doesn’t have much time remaining.

Jamie Raintree shares her experience with Storyist on Thinking through our fingers.

Chuck Sambuchino’s definitive guide to manuscript lengths.

Ten authors who took themselves way too seriously. ListVerse.

The writing habits of famous authors, an infographic shared by BookBaby blogs.

The three roles of the shapeshifter archetype. The Better Novel Project.

Buzzfeed shares 21 reasons why the Harry Potter series was the cleverest ever.

So, this priest decided to adapt Leonard Cohen’s “Allelujah” for a wedding:

 

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 8-14, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

K.M. Weiland offers advice regarding your climax’s place, not structurally, but setting-wise 🙂

How to achieve originality in your fiction. Katie’s Wednesday vlog.

Roz Morris exposes four dialogue crimes.

How to tell your critique partners exactly what you need. The Write Practice.

Jamie Raintree shares her strategy for scheduling breaks to avoid burnout.

Kurt Vonnegut maps out the shapes of stories. The Washington Post.

Sylvia Plath on life, death, hope, and happiness. Braipickings.

Seven women in the book industry who champion diversity. Quill & Quire.

Is the science in your science fiction accurate? Plausible? Why it matters. Charlie Jane Anders of i09.

Nina Munteanu presents lessons from a linguist. Reverse engineering with Steven Pinker.

Want to add some colour to your diverse characters? Idiom from other languages. TED blog.

Tyler Cowan asks us to be suspicious of simple stories. TEDx Mid-Atlantic.

 

New Outlander footage from E! online. For the anguish of droughtlander. It will be over soon (ish).

And that’s a wrap for this week.

See you Thoughty Thursday when I have more to contribute to your inspiration files.

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 1-7, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 4 Comments

Most common writing mistakes, number 38: Irrelevant endings. K.M. Weiland. Helping Writers Become Authors.

Katie helps you create a more compelling backstory in three minutes 🙂

Roz Morris posts about what to do when feedback leads you astray.

Then Roz visited Jane Friedman’s blog to offer tips on how to recognize when backstory is sabotaging your novel.

Chuck Wendig shares the emotional milestones of writing a novel. Don’t think I ever left the sphincter-clenching panic stage 😛

How and why Marie Bilodeau made the leap to full time writer.

How Kameron Hurley hacked her writing process with 10,000 word-a-day marathons. I don’t think I could do this, but I find process to be endlessly fascinating.

Kameron, again, on how we can build a more pragmatic SF&F dialogue.

Why J.J. Marsh doesn’t want your free book.

Open Minds Quarterly answers the question, what makes a writing contest legitimate?

How Harper Lee’s long-lost sequel was found. The Atlantic.

15 thought-provoking SF films that are worth your time. Taste of cinema.

George R.R. Martin explains why The Winds of War isn’t on HarperCollins’ 2015 list (yet). The Daily Dot.

And here is the season 5 trailer for Game of Thrones:

 

I’m putting this in Tipsday because. My favourite song from the Fifth Element soundtrack. I had no idea it could be sung without electronic assistance O.O

 

See you on Thoughty Thursday!

Tipsday

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Jan 25-31, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 5 Comments

February already? What the heck happened to January? 2014? Holy cow!

Publishers Weekly analyzed book sales by category for 2014. Interesting stuff (says the SF&F writer whose eyes popped at those numbers . . .).

K.M. Weiland’s podcast and post combo covers ways for lazy writers to identify and overcome their weaknesses. Lazy? I say smart 😉

With all the stuff you have to do in your opening pages, don’t forget to begin with your protagonist. Katie’s weekly vlog. I must admit, openings still kick my ass.

David Corbett discusses types, archetypes, and the occasional real person on Writer Unboxed.

Janice Hardy tackles the tricky topic of internal questions. When should your characters ask them and when shouldn’t they?

Kameron Hurley discloses her earnings and explains why she hasn’t quit her day job. True, but demoralizing for those of us aiming for that loft goal. I think it helps if you like your day job.

Gabriela Pereira interviews Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick for DIYMFA on social media for writers.

A.V. Club interviews Amber Benson (listed here because, among other things, she’s written the Calliope Reaper-Jones series).

This ticked me off: the Colleen McCullough obituary debacle. Back-handed compliment? Damning with faint praise? The Guardian.

I don’t know what you want to call it, but this response by The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri certainly hit the spot.

Too fond of exclamation points? Here’s a handy infographic from Hubspot that will help you identify whether you really need one or not.

There. Now you can’t say I’ve never given you anything . . .

Hugs from Writerly Goodness.

Tipsday