Victoria Strauss

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 19-25, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila / Leave a comment

We’re almost at the end of February. Prepare to welcome March with some informal writerly learnings!

Rachel Teferet offers a social media survival guide for writers. Then, JJ Graham helps you find a writing community as an introvert. Grace Bialecki: location, location, location. Next, Neil Chase lists his top five types of villains in literature. DIY MFA

Why apocalypse stories feel different now. Like Stories of Old

Porter Anderson’s hearing a lot of cyber rattling: when the bot chats. Then, Dave King writes the epilogue on prologues. Thomas Richards explains how to bring your characters to life by writing in three dimensions. Next, Heather Webb suggests some body and mind fitness for writers. Victoria Strauss points out some clauses to watch for: when your publishing contract raises a red flag. Writer Unboxed

Is R a vowel? Otherwords | PBS Storied

K.M. Weiland offers more genre writing tips: how to write historical fiction. Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Norman says creating a powerful author website will get the results you want. Then, Kris Maze poses this puzzle: retiring to write, or writing to retire (part 1). Ellen Buikema offers some more tips on writing science fiction (part 2). Writers in the Storm

The politics of loving the bad guy. Princess Weekes

Hank Quense explains book marketing in plain English. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Michelle Barker is getting back into the writing flow. Then, Marissa Graff lists four reasons your action-based scene is failing (and how to avoid it). Writers Helping Writers

Jane explains how authors can build relationships with independent bookstores. Jane Friedman

How to edit a novel. Reedsy

Jami Gold helps you figure out what point of view is best for you.

Tiffany Yates Martin wonders, are you “just”-ifying your writing? Fox Print Editorial

Dan Koboldt considers luck vs. talent vs. perseverance in publishing.

Chris Winkle helps you choose scenes to cover the right information. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes Star Trek’s seven worst antagonistic species. Mythcreants

Lavelle Porter presents an ode to Samuel Delaney. JSTOR Daily

Thanks for stopping by, and 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, Oct 23-29, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to November! This will be the last tipsday until December 13th (!) That’s right, I’m NaNoing again and foregoing curation until December. Get your fill of informal writerly learnings now!

You could always peruse the archives if you miss tipsday too much 😉

Vaughn Roycroft presents Murphy’s Law—the unboxed writer’s version. Elizabeth Havey: what was that phrase about authenticity? Kelsey Allagood shares what horror teaches us. Then, Sarah Penner is making the most of Canva with these seven design ideas for writers. Victoria Strauss explains when new isn’t better: the value of experience. Writer Unboxed

Clive Barker’s weirdest monster. Tale Foundry

C.S. Lakin stops by K.M. Weiland’s site: how writers can infuse mood in story settings. Helping Writers Become Authors

Over on her own site, Susanne discusses writing about difficult emotional experiences. Live, Write, Thrive

Then, Susanne explains how to quickly establish the setting in scenes. Elizabeth Spann Craig

How school makes you a bad writer. Answer in Progress

Kris Maze offers the ABCs of school author talks: how to engage kids. Eldred Bird: writing horror vs. writing terror. J. Alexander Greenwood is making a podcast love connection. Writers in the Storm

Why the Bechdel test isn’t enough. The Take

Manuela Williams suggests some revision strategies for your poet’s toolbox. Then, Dominique Richardson wonders, should you write a YA series today? John Matthew Fox lists five ways movies sabotage your writing skills. DIY MFA

Don’t force your characters to ask leading questions just so you can deliver exposition. Nathan Bransford

Ann-Marie MacDonald on her new novel Fayne and the stage adaptation of Fall on Your Knees. CBC’s Q

Elizabeth Sims lists 20 reasons everybody should write short stories. Then, Michael Mohr reveals the secret sauce to being a good writer. Jane Friedman

Rayne Hall explains how to write a spooky ghost story. Fiction University

Why ASL was banned in America. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Tiffany Yates Martin discusses peopling your stories (and your world) with individuals. Fox Print Editorial

Colleen M. Story shows you how to tell if you’re self-publishing your book for the right reasons. Writers Helping Writers

What makes a good story idea? Shaelin Writes

Chris Winkle shares lessons from the entitled writing of Yarnsworld. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories that fail at human resources. Mythcreants

Sir Salman Rushdie has lost sight in one eye, agent Andrew Wylie. BBC

Thank you for spending some time with me. I hope you took away something to support your current work(s) in progress.

Until Thursday, keep staying safe and well.

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, June 19-25, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to the final tipsday of June! Fill up on informal writerly learnings for the last time this month.

Sara Farmer lists more of her favourite Sherlock Holmsian mystery series. Then, Abigail K. Perry analyzes the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Angela Yeh explains why all writers should play with poetry. Then Angela unlocks writer’s block sideways. Later in the week, Lewis Jorstad lists five reasons your novel’s premise is a powerful writing tool. DIY MFA

Nathan Bransford provides a novel revision checklist.

How to write a non-fiction book proposal. Reedsy

Matthew Norman explains how his career in advertising helped shape him as a novelist. Dave King: when worlds collide. Kelsey Allagood wants you to let your words grow wild. Then, Deanna Cabinian wonders, when is obsession a good thing? Victoria Strauss warn about the predatory contracts of serial reading/writing apps. Writer Unboxed

K.M. Weiland helps you understand the new normal world of a story’s resolution. Helping Writers Become Authors

Erica Brosovsky suggests some foreign words we need in English. Otherwords | PBS Storied

Lisa Norman explains why you want people to hate your website. Then, Megan Ganesh promotes diversity and inclusion in writing. Eldred Bird says Chekov’s gun is a double-edged writing sword. Writers in the Storm

Nina Amir reveals how to quickly develop a writing habit. Live, Write, Thrive

Elizabeth Spann Craig points out yet another use for outlines.

Allison K. Williams reveals why agents don’t give feedback—and where to get it instead. Jane Friedman

The curse of creativity. Tale Foundry

Becca Puglisi wants you to go beyond the superficial character talents and skills. Jami Gold

Cheryl Rainfield helps you avoid writing mental health stereotypes. Writers Helping Writers

Tiffany Yates Martin asks, are you writing safe or risking your readers? Fox Print Editorial

Chris Winkle explains how to make your character novel. Then, Oren Ashkenazi says that the three-act structure is a mirage. (!) Very insightful and something that’s been bothering me about most story “structures.” Mythcreants

Workplace dystopias aren’t fiction. They’re here. The Take

Angie Hodapp talks rhetorical story development. Then, Kristin Nelson asks, can a writer set out to write a bestselling novel? Pub Rants

Kristen Lamb explains why we play “follow the reader.”

Terry Nguyen says we need rituals, not routines. Vox

Cassie Josephs: Murderbot is an autistic-coded robot done right. Did I not nail this in my last next chapter update? Oh, yeah. I did. Tor.com

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

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, Feb 20-26, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to March! Celebrate the coming of spring (and daylight savings? Maybe?) by filling up on informal writerly learnings.

K.M. Weiland shares nine ways to approach relationship dynamics in fiction. Helping Writers Become Authors

Lisa Norman lists five tips for social media detox. Kris Maze suggests some steps to avoid the dreaded burnout, and then she follows up with this: what causes burnout? Writers in the Storm

What is the first quarter debate? Plot structure, pt. 2. Ellen Brock

Elizabeth Spann Craig considers when to stop a series.

Gwen Hernandez shares some Scrivener skills: tag, colour code, and organize with metadata. Then, Kelsey Allagood explains how context influences craft: the rebirth of the author. Deanna Cabinian is letting go of rejection, literally. Then, Victoria Strauss says that if it’s out of the blue, it’s too good to be true: beware solicitation scams. Writer Unboxed

How to write third person limited point of view. Reedsy

Lisa Cooper Ellison: you are not your traumas, but here’s how to write about them. Then, Sangeeta Mehta interviews Laura Zats and T.S. Ferguson: how important is genre when pitching and promoting your book? Catherine Baab-Maguira says that if you can’t stand the sight of your own blood, don’t step into the ring. Jane Friedman

Flashback hack: connecting backstory to the present. Shaelin Writes

Angela Ackerman helps you figure out when to kill a character. Then, E.C. Ambrose explains how to craft a plot out of your historical obsession: spinning a yarn out of history. Writers Helping Writers

Delila S. Dawson lists ten ways to torture people (in fiction). Then, Rob Hart shows us his research toolbox. Terribleminds

How do clichés evolve into memes? Otherwords | PBS Storied

Nathan Branfsord explains how to craft a great mystery in your novel.

Lauren J. Sharkey reveals what MFAs miss about the editing process. Then, Adam W. Burgess reads writer to writer: William di Canzio and E.M. Forster. Gracie Bialecki wants you to learn how to celebrate your manuscript: draft day. Later in the week, Grace Pelley recommends five things to remove from your TBR list. DIY MFA

The imperfect mom onscreen: ending the “selfless mother trope.” The Take

Joanna Penn shares lessons learned for rewriting her first novel over a decade later. The Creative Penn

Chris Winkle explains how to write three types of relationship arcs. Then, Oren Ashkenazi lists five common weapon mistakes in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Rasha Ali explains how Octavia Butler’s legacy was born out of a bad science fiction movie. USA Today

Carol Saler explains when to capitalize after a colon. CMOS Shop Talk

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and 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, Feb 28-March 5, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Fun stuff this week 🙂

C.S. Lakin tells us what we might not know about scene middles. Live, write, thrive. Later in the week, she asks, are your scene endings inevitable, or predictable?

K.M. Weiland shows us how to create awesome scene arcs that surprise readers. Helping writers become authors.

Nils Ödlund offers a primer in Kishōtenketsu, or Japanese four-part story structure. Mythic Scribes.

Donald Maass rethinks the mentor archetype for Writer Unboxed.

High concept vs. deep theme. Vaughn Roycroft asks, are you reaching or digging? Writer Unboxed.

Angela Ackerman explores how your character’s failures can map a route to growth. Writers helping writers.

Orly Konig Lopez shares the secret to balancing writing and life. Writers in the Storm.

Jofie Ferrari-Adler interviews four young, literary agents for Poets & Writers.

A&M Publishers have been all over SoMe this week. They got a feature from Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware. Chuck Wendig also voiced his displeasure with this post: How much should writers pay to be published? Terribleminds.

If I may use some of it: Simon Chandler writes about expanding your vocabulary. Full Stop.

Bustle lists fifteen literary heroines you wanted to be when you grew up.

Karen Swollow Prior explores Jane Eyre and the invention of the self. The Atlantic.

The only thing I envy men, by Rivka Galchen, for The New Yorker.

Hanya Yanagihara wonders what it means to be a brave author. The Guardian.

Molly Templeton looks at Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland series. Tor.com

Liz Bourke tackles the topic of SFF television and female mentorship. Tor.com

Have you ever wondered what wizarding money might be worth in the real world? Look no further. Jacob Stollworthy converts galleons to pounds in this article. [Mel’s note: the Tri-Wizard cup prize money is actually worth £425,000.] The Independent.

I’m putting this video in Tipsday, because it’s a fairy/riddle song that tells a sad and lovely story. Mike Masse and Sterling Cottam cover Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.”

 

Someone shared these whimsical fantasy felines by artist Kyoung Hwan Kim and I just had to pass along the awesome. Fiercely kawaii!

Are you looking forward to the new Ghostbusters as much as I am? Here’s a little teaser:

 

Come on back Thursday, you hear?

Tipsday