writing mental illness

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, May 9-15, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to another tipsday, your opportunity to fill up on informal writerly learnings 🙂

KL Burd helps you incorporate social issues into your manuscript. Therese Walsh: spring thaws and the buzz of the muse. Then, Juliet Marillier wants you to consider your author photo. Kathryn Craft wants you to embrace unapologetic characterization. Later in the week, David Corbett recounts his experience murdering 22,000 darlings. Writer Unboxed

Shaelin guides you through the process of content and developmental editing. Reedsy

K.M. Weiland covers the mage’s shadow archetypes in part 14 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Star Wuerdemann explains how to find compelling comps for your book. Jane Friedman

Joanna Penn interviews Gail Carriger about The Heroine’s Journey. The Creative Penn

Princess Weekes looks at the literary power of manga. It’s Lit | PBS Storied

Laurence MacNaughton shares three shortcuts to character-driven stories. Then, Savannah Cordova helps you figure out which story structure is right for your novel. Fiction University

Stephanie BwaBwa explains how to use bookstagram to increase your novel’s visibility. Then, Olivia Fisher is all about short stories. Gabriela Pereira interviews Suyi Davies Okungbowa about layers of world building in epic fantasy. Later in the week, Melanie Gibson shares five tips for writing about your mental health journey. DIY MFA

How the self-aware teen movie almost killed the genre. The Take

Marissa Graff explains how to power up individual scenes with a scene tracker. Writers Helping Writers

Margie Lawson touts the power of quirky-smirky assonance and alluring alliteration. Then, Ellen Buikema explains the relationship between stress and creativity. Writers in the Storm

Kristine Kathryn Rusch starts a new series: fear-based decision-making (part one).

Chris Winkle lists five ways to incorporate dreams into your plot. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five fascinating monsters in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Kristen Lamb follows the writer’s journey from total newbie to the joy of mastery.

Vicky Qaio reports that Robert J. Sawyer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia are among the finalists for the 2021 Aurora Awards. CBC

Sagal Mohammed interviews Barry Jenkins about avoiding the exploitation of Black trauma in The Underground Railroad. Buzzfeed

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you took away 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, May 2-8, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s another full week of informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

E.J. Wenstrom explains the relationship between engagement rate and your author platform. Then, Sara Farmer says there’s an Eyre for every era, from cozy to cold-blooded. Later in the week, Leslie A. Rasmussen goes from television writing to novel writing. Then, Melissa Haas suggests five items for cats and the authors who live with them. DIY MFA

Obi-Wan vs. Stabby Crab fight analysis. Jill Bearup

Janice Hardy shares five reasons you’re struggling with your revisions (and how to fix them). Timely! Then, Jenna Harte offers some easy tips to incorporate backstory in your novel. José Pablo Iriarte explains how to punch readers in the feels (a case study). Fiction University

Shaelin shows you how to assess your manuscript. Reedsy

Greer Macallister: the responsibility of world building. Then, Sarah Penner shares 100 content ideas for every stage of your writing career. Donald Maass: it’s inevitable. Desmond Hall has a new edition of Desmond’s Drops for May. Writer Unboxed

Erica Brozovsky: can computers really talk? Otherwords | PBS Storied

K.M. Weiland examines the crone’s shadow archetypes in part 13 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Elizabeth Spann Craig explains what it means to show up as an author.

The age of fanfiction. The Take

September C. Fawkes helps you balance your cast of characters. Then, Angela Ackerman shows you how to set yourself up for success before you write a single word. Writers Helping Writers

Janice Hardy shares five ways to keep your protagonist proactive. Later in the week, John Peragine discusses Vella in part 2 of his serializing storytelling series. Writers in the Storm

Jenna Moreci hosts Iona Wayland to discuss writing mental illness.

Desiree Villena shares five tips for crafting an irresistible first line. Flogging the Quill

Kristen Lamb says that characters are the emotional touchstone readers crave.

John B. Thompson shares an excerpt from Book Wars: the new Holy Grail for traditional publishers is direct-to-reader relationships. Jane Friedman

Chris Winkle: your plot s fractal. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five baffling tech explanations in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Thank you for taking the time to visit and I hope you took away something to support your current work in progress.

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