Link Feast vol 66. – The Best Writing and Book Marketing Advice
IHarnessing Your Passion to Strengthen Your Stories by Chris Winkle
On Writing
Reading Challenge: Overcome the Algorithms by Jami Gold
Making Time to Write by Elaine Viets
Stretch Your Style by James Scott Bell
Writing a Genre That’s New to You by Greer Mcallister
12 Things to Do When the Words Just Won’t Come by
How to Write Faster by Shaelin Bishop
What the Last Jedi [movie] Can Teach You About Writing by Eric Pierce
https://writingcooperative.com/the-last-jedi-can-teach-you-about-writing-bba4be994879
Rolling the Dice: 5 Ways D&D and “Critical Role” Made Me a Better Storyteller by Angela Mitchell
Five Promises You Make to the Reader by Shannon Dittemore
Where Do Character Strengths Come From by Becca Puglisi
How Can We Make Our Protagonist More Proactive by Jami Gold
Let Your Characters Tell the Story by Eldred “Bob” Bird
Ten Easy Jokes For Your Dialogue by Chris Winkle
To Absent Friends by Dave King (how to balance multiple characters’ point of views into the plot)
How to Tell a Story Within a Story by Oren Ashkenazi
Hopepunk is all about weaponized optimism by Aja Romano
https://www.vox.com/2018/12/27/18137571/what-is-hopepunk-noblebright-grimdark
N.K. Jemisin’s Dream Worlds by Raffi Khatchadourian (an interview with the fantasy writer who has won 3 Hugo Awards in row, the only one ever to do so)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/27/nk-jemisins-dream-worlds
On Writing Book Series & World Building for Book Series
Why Writing In a Series Will Make You More Money As a Writer by Joanna Penn
Choosing a Follow Up Strategy For a Popular Story by Bunny at Mythcreants
Six Common Problems With Long Series by Oren Ashkenazi
Six Tips For Sequels by Oren Ashkenazi
Seven Signs a Sequel Will Be Bad by Oren Ashkenazi
Five Ridiculous Organizations From Popular Stories by Oren Ashkenazi (this is a common issue in series if the same organization remains the villain for longer than one season / over many books)
How to Build a World For Anthology Stories by Oren Ashkenazi
Book Publishing & The Writing Community
Business Musings: Fear and Publishing by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (What expectations are barriers to you self-publishing your book? Might some of them be myths?)
The Decline of Mainstream Fiction by Anne R. Allen
Business Musings: The Future of Audio 2019 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The RWA Implosion: How Could the Problems Be Fixed by Jami Gold
Lack of DEI and the RITAs by Kharma Kelley (how RWA ended up here)
https://medium.com/@kharmakelley/how-a-dei-advocate-case-studies-the-ritas-7a8faa9a1079
Book Marketing
Don’t Advertise, PADvertise: Catch Readers With Their Pants Down by Kristen Lamb
No one knows what will work by Dan Blank
https://wegrowmedia.com/no-one-knows-what-will-work/
Business Musings: Book Birth Days by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (the Myth of a Book Launch making or breaking a book)
5 Adjectives That Don’t Sell a Book To Me by Nicola Alter
5 Adjectives That Sell a Book To Me by Nicola Alter
7 Expert Tricks to Improve Your Author Newsletter by David Gaughran
Things That Happen When You Stop Chasing Social Media by Alythia Brown
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2020/01/things-that-happen-when-you-stop.html
How to Market a Book on Amazon: 7 Easy Steps by Penny Sansevieri
Deep Stuff
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm by Mary Roach (TED Talk)
We Expect Too Much From Our Romantic Partners by Olga Khazan
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/we-expect-too-much-from-our-romantic-partners
How to help a friend through a tough time, according to a clinical psychologist by Kathryn Gordon
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/12/10/21003228/how-to-help-a-friend
Three Theories For Why You Have No Time by Derek Thompson
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/why-you-never-have-time/603937/
Fun Stuff
The Best “Toss a Coin To Your Witcher” Song Covers by Zoe Rosensweig
https://screenrant.com/witcher-toss-coin-song-covers-best/
40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World by The Shifter
Clever Life Hacks to Simplify Your World by The Shifter
The 25 Most Anticipated Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2020 by Stubby the Rocket
Movies We’re Looking Forward to in 2020 by Stubby the Rocket
Link Feast vol. 65 – Writing & Book Marketing Tips
IEpisode 80: Workshop: Setting Writing Goals for the New Year by Holly Lisle and Rebecca Galardo
(The episode is over an hour long so you might not have time to listen to it right now. In that case, take a look at the worksheet. You can grog it even without listening to the episode. The episode is really worth listening too.)
The link to the worksheet (click)
On Writing
Writer Resolution 2020: Write With a Knife to Your Black, the Cliff’s Edge at Your Feet by Chuck Wendig
Happy New Year! Welcome to a Blank Page by Jami Gold
Five Tactics to Battle Impostor Syndrome by Helen J. Darling
Un-Con Redux: Operation Phoenix by Donald Maass (how to reinvent yourself as a writer)
Pre-Publishing: Developing the 5 P’s by Janet Grant
Business Musings: Habits (A Process Blog) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (how our false beliefs and invisible scripts about our capabilities can limit us)
What Can Our Reading Choices Tell About Our Writing by Jami Gold
How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day by Rachel Aaron
http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html
How to Develop High Concept Book Ideas to Find More Success With Your Writing by Robert Lee Brewer
Six Ways to Add Novelty to Your Story by Chris Winkle
How to Choose the Right Antagonist For Any Type of Story by K.M. Weiland
Rian Johnson’s Looper and the Art of the Supervillain by Leah Schnelbach
SFF Needs More Incompetent Autocrats By James Davis Nicholl
The Best Employees Are Not the Agreeable Ones, According to Adam Grant by Oliver Staley (Is your character a giver or a taker? Is he/she agreeable or disagreeable?)
How to Navigate Editorial Feedback and Revise Your WIP by Tiffany Yates Martin
The Craft of the Short Story by Anthea Lawson Sharp
12 Lessons Learned From Writing Short by John Peragine
On Tackling Controversial Topics
Why Social Justice Is Intrinsic to Storytelling by Chris Winkle
Five Tips For Telling Stories of Resistance by Oren Ashkenazi
Sex Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them by Chris Winkle
Understanding Appropriative Worldbuilding by Chris Winkle
Six Tips For Taking Inspiration From History by Oren Ashkenazi
Publishing Paths & Book Marketing
What Path Should a Writer Take in 2020 by James Scott Bell
The Key to Long Term Success As a Writer With Kevin J. Anderson by Joanna Penn
Be the Gateway by Dan Blank
Are You Working On the Right Thing? By Tim Grahl
How to Promote Your Book Before It’s Published by Julia Hansen
Which Paid Marketing Works (and Doesn’t Work) For Books by Rachel Aaron
http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2017/01/which-paid-marketing-works-and-doesnt.html
The Writing World
Why Does the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Implosion Matter to All Writers by Jami Gold
Where Does RWA Go From Here? By Sarah at Smart Bitches Trashy Books (she asks the important question of who the organization really serves)
Romance Wranglers of America by Chuck Tingle (a humorous take on the RWA mess): https://www.romancewritersofamerica.com/#
Deep Stuff
How to Recover From Reader’s Block by James Davis Nicoll (a serious problem in my books)
Glass half full: how I learned to be an optimist in a week by Tim Dowling
The Lie of Little Women by Sophie Gilbert (the real life of Louisa May Alcott, what she really thought of this book, also stuff about the movie adaptations)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-lie-of-little-women
How to Break Up With Your Bad Habits by Judson Brewer
https://hbr.org/2019/12/how-to-break-up-with-your-bad-habits
Fun Stuff
Hot Dudes Reading at Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hotdudesreading/
No easy mark: Female bodybuilder, 82, clobbers intruder (Boston.com crime news)
https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2019/11/25/no-easy-mark-female-bodybuilder-82-clobbers-intruder
7 Quirky and Whimsical Books Like Good Omens by Andy Winder
https://bookriot.com/2019/08/14/books-like-good-omens/
16 Fantasy Authors Like Neil Gaiman by Annika Barranti Klein
https://bookriot.com/2019/11/20/authors-like-neil-gaiman/
Tor.com Reviewers’ Choice: The Best Books of 2019
Some of Our Favourite Movies of 2019 by Stubby the Rocket
26 Nerdy Things That Brought Us Joy in 2019 by Stubby the Rocket
10 Great Monsters of the Week Episodes From Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Kiersten White
(Almost) Every Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Adaptation In the Works Right Now by Stubby the Rocket
(I was most excited about Kushiel’s Dart fantasy series being optioned. Holding my fingers crossed that it will end up in the screen as a movie or in the TV. Is there a book you want to see as a movie or TV series? Do share in the comments.)
Link Feast vol 64 – Helpful Writing Tips
NIf You Have Time For Only One Link
How to Know Which Parts of Your Story Readers Will Like Best (It Isn’t Always What You Think) by K.M. Weiland
On Writing Partners, Teams and Big Casts
How to Create Powerful Character Combos by Chris Winkle
18 Ways for Protagonists to Contribute by Chris Winkle
Five Underused Character Archetypes by Chris Winkle
Head, Heart, Gut (aka How to Create a Polarized Ensemble) – a collection of posts by Matt Bird, really worth checking out
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2017/05/head-heart-gut-aka-how-to-create.html
Creating a Polarized Ensemble, Part 1: The Pros and Cons of Polarization by Matt Bird (the first post of the series)
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2012/10/creating-polarized-ensemble-part-1-pros.html
On Writing
What Keeps You From Success? Are You a Prisoner of Unexamined Beliefs? by Anne R. Allen
How to Find Your Writing Purpose by Leanne Sowul
Resistance Wakes Up With Me by Steven Pressfield
Writing Tips: 6 Ways to Give Perfectionism the Boot by T. Thorn Coyle
A Prayer to the Muse by Steven Pressfield
For National Novel Writing Month, Two Vital Reminders by Chuck Wendig
3 Ways to Keep Writing When Times Are Tough by Chandler Bolt
When Your Writing Dreams Change by Julie Glover
The Benefits of Writing a Novel “Just For Fun” by Janice Hardy
How to Build a Long Term Writing Career by James Scott Bell
NaNoWriMo is coming… Are You Ready? By Jami Gold (how much do we need to prep for NaNo + resource links)
How Predictable Should a Story Be? By Chris Winkle
Five Archetypes That Can Steal the Hero’s Spotlight by Oren Ashkenazi
The Villain Has No Empathy by Steven Pressfield
The Villain Never Says He’s Sorry by Steven Pressfied
Six Ways to Make Your Villains Likable by Chris Winkle (what if the villain said he’s sorry. Or is he just sorry [not sorry]…)
Scene Layering With an Example by Rebecca Zanetti
Wow Your Fantasy Reader – 10 Tips For Writing Wonder by Yours Truly
Representing People of Color in Fantasy When Their Country/Continent Doesn’t Exist by Mod Lesya
10 Steps to Writing a Novella by Delilah S. Dawson
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2013/04/guest-author-delilah-s-dawson-10-steps.html
Book Marketing
Do I Need a Platform and If So, How High? by Anne Greenwood Brown
Book Blog Reviews and Bookstagram: How Influencers Help Authors Reach Agents, Publishers and Readers by Julie Valerie
Authors! Refresh, Rehab, Repair and Renovate: How to Rejuvenate Your Backlist by Ruth Harris
Deep Stuff
We Are the Weirdos, Mister: Power, Rage and Teenage Witches by Kate Racculia
If You Master This Listening Technique, You’ll Hear What People Don’t Say Out Loud by Cathy Salit
Fun Stuff
Episode 70: 2nd Annual Halloween Special Listener Edition – Part One (30 Halloween themed 500 word Flash Fiction stories read out loud)
Episode 71: 2nd Annual Halloween Special Listener Edition – Part Two (30 more Halloween themed 500 word Flash Fiction stories read out loud. My story, The Midnight Gamble, is read starting at 2:02:17)
Why I’m a horrible person by Ristay (a hilarious webcomic)
All the New Fantasy Books Coming Out in November at Tor.com
All the New YA SFF Books Coming Out in November at Tor.com
November’s New Releases by Amanda at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (mostly romance book recs)
The Midnight Gamble – A Halloween Flash Fiction Story
“Ten minutes to midnight”, the dealer reminds me.
A warning. At midnight the doors will close and if I’m still here, I will be trapped in this cursed place until next Halloween.
A calculated risk. Now is the time for the game I came here to win. “Deal me one more hand.”
“Sir, you have already lost your soul and your firstborn. What more do you have to offer to the house?”
“Call me Michael.”
“Michael”, she agrees with impatience. My heart sings at hearing my name again from her lips. “Your bet, please.”
“My creativity, my Muse. I’m a writer.”
She closes her eyes and seems to confer with the house through the twisted connection I’m here to end.
“The house accepts. And your prize?”
“You, Miriel, with your memories intact. And all the claims of this place and all connections to it severed.”
She blinks in surprise and opens her mouth but no sound comes out. Then the power takes her over again, and she shivers and whispers. “The house accepts.”
“Then deal.”
And she does. Her hands are steady even though she refuses to meet my eyes.
She reveals her hand, one card at a time. Ten of Hearts, Knight of Hearts, Queen of Hearts, King of Hearts. Sweat beads on my forehead and my hands tremble. Her last card, Three of Spades.
And I have a pair of Nines.
I won. I fucking won.
“Mikey”, she breathes and finally looks at me. A smile blooms on her face, and she is radiant, more beautiful than ever. She remembers. She’s my Miri again.
A deep gong sounds. And again at steady intervals. Fuck. It’s almost midnight. I grab her hand and we run for the door like our lives depend on it. The house trembles like the earth is shaking but our momentum keeps us upright.
We rush through the door and halfway to the gate. Only then I dare to look behind me. The house is there one moment, then it blinks away. It’s over. We’re safe.
Miri stops us and pulls my head down for a desperate kiss. I crush her to me and never intend to let go.
I hold and hold until she finally pulls away.
“I love an idiot”, she groans. “Your soul, Mikey. You should have left me there.”
“Never. I love you, baby.”
“You promised away our firstborn”, her voice breaks. “The whole reason why…”
“I’m so sorry”, I say quietly. “We will find a way.”
“No! No. It isn’t meant to be. We get your soul back, and that’s it.”
“New try next year?”, I ask, only half joking.
She gives me a withering glare. “Don’t be a total dumbass. But we’ll find a way.”
I take her hand. We walk away, together, and right this moment all is well in the world.
Thank you for reading. And Happy Halloween!
If you want to hear the story read out loud, listen to Rebecca Galardo’s and Holly Lisle’s Halloween episode for their podcast Alone In the Room With Invisible People. My story starts at 2:02:17. I highly recommend you to listen the other stories too. They’re stellar.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments. What did you think of the story? And how are you spending your Halloween? Do you dress up? What has been your favourite Halloween costume?
Link Feast vol 63 – Writing Links
C
Cersei, Voldemort, Hannibal Lecter, Saruman, Joker… We love to hate a good villain.
Since it’s almost Halloween, this Link Feast has a special section about writing villains and monsters.
Drop a comment below and share who are your favourite bad guys and critters from books, films and TV.
If You Have Time For Only One Link
The Bodies of the Girls Who Made Me: On Fanfic and Storytelling by Seanan McGuire
On Writing Villains & Monsters
The Brain Behind the Story: The Big Boss Troublemaker (BBT) by Kristen Lamb
Scaredy-Pants! 4 Breeches – er – BREACHES That Elicit Fear in Your Characters by Bonnie Randall
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/10/scaredy-pants-4-breeches-er-breaches.html
Five Tropes That Make a Villain Look Incompetent by Oren Ashkenazi
How to Plot a Mystery, Part 5: Figure Out What Went Wrong by Matt Bird
www.secretsofstory.com/2017/02/how-to-plot-mystery-part-5-figure-out.html
Storyteller’s Rulebook: The Mastermind Exception by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2011/01/storytellers-rulebook-63-but-there-are.html
When to Narrate a Villain’s Point of View by Chris Winkle
Writing Monsters: What Makes a Monster Scary? by Philip Athans
5 Frankenstein Inspired Stories That Recontextualize the Monster by Natalie Zutter
The Evolution of Dragons in Western Literature: A History by Yvonne Shiau
On Writing
Author Mindset: 4 Practices For Overcoming Self-Doubt by Philip Kenney
Writing Boldly, Without Fear by Heather Webb
Writers: How to Ditch Distraction and Focus by Rochelle Melander
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/10/writers-how-to-ditch-distraction-and.html
The Books That Get People Talking by Kathleen McCleary
Confession of a Lapsed Reader by Sarah McCoy
How Is Our Protagonist Challenged to Improve? (& a Worksheet) by Jami Gold
Analysis: Carnival Row Shows Us the Damage a Reveal Can Do by Chris Winkle
Five Reasons Stories Have Slow Openings and How to Fix Them by Oren Ashkenazi
Romance Beats vs. 12 Stages of Intimacy by Jami Gold
How to Describe Your Main Character by James Scott Bell
Seven Common Causes of Reader Confusion by Chris Winkle
How to Train Your Editor Brain by Tiffany Yates Martin
Professional Romance Novelists Can Write 3000 Words a Day. Here’s How They Do It by Thu-Huong Ha
Caveat 1: Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. If you just bought your first running shoes, you should not compare your output to authors who have been at it for years. Set a writing goal you can fairly easily beat so you are always writing to success. When hitting that goal gets easy, slowly increase your aim.
Caveat 2: Romance novels tend to have very clear story beats and structures. If you are writing something longer and a genre not so clearly defined, do expect more meandering and need to pause and figure out where your story is going.
Caveat 3: Many of the most recent super productive self-pub wonders reach their astonishing word counts by dictating their stories instead of writing them.
How Publishing Business Works, Being a Business-Minded Author & Book Marketing
Current Trends in Book Publishing by Jane Friedman
Business Musings: The Three Kinds of Writers (Rethinking the Writing Business Part 14) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Business Musings: But I Can’t Afford…. (Rethinking the Writing Business Part 15) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
(How to make sure your author business stays healthy, and to not overspend on business ventures that you don’t crucially need. How to analyse the costs and benefits.)
From Indie Author to Creative Empire With Michael Anderle by Joanna Penn
(Michael has been doing for years the kind of licensing Kris Rusch is talking about in her blog series)
He Has Come to Solve Your Plot Problems by James Scott Bell (now here’s how you puff your own book in an entertaining way)
Influencer Outreach 101: How to Get Other People to Promote Your Book by Tim Grahl
Deep Stuff
How to Automate a Habit and Never Think About It Again by James Clear
These Poverty Fighting Startups Are Slaying Silicon Valley’s Sacred Cows by Ciara Byrne
Japan’s most remote onsen (hot spring) by Lily Crossley-Baxter
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20191015-japans-most-remote-onsen
Fun Stuff
The Rec League: Books For Your Inner Goth by Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Beyond Frankenstein: 7 Contemporary Monster Books Written by Women by Mallory O’Meara
Link Feast, vol 62 – Writing Advice For Authors
IThe Seductive Power of a New Book Idea: When to Give in to the Romance? by Ruth Harris
On Writing
Adulthood 2.0: After Your Dream Comes True by Bryn Greenwood
The Blank Page Is Not Neutral by Steven Pressfield
Writers, Remember. The Wand Chooses the Wizard by Michelle Barker (Always sound like yourself. Only you can be you. When you try to be someone else, you are only a weak copy.)
On Getting Feedback by Elizabeth S. Craig
Lessons Learned From a Decade in Publishing by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/10/lessons-learned-from-decade-in.html
Stories vs Situations: How to Tell If a Story Will Work by Jeff Lyons
Story Development Tools & Techniques: The Whistles and Bells Test by Jeff Lyons
How to Tell If Your Story Has Too Much Plot, Not Enough Character by K.M. Weiland
Pulp Heroes by Steven Pressfield
The Secret to Writing Fascinating Villains by Laurence MacNaughton
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/10/the-secret-to-writing-fascinating.html
12 Signs You’re Afraid of Your WIP by Kathryn Craft
Writing Tips: Unforgettable Endings With James Scott Bell by Joanna Penn
Endings Are Not Stoppings: On Game Of Thrones and How We Conclude Our Stories by Chuck Wending (warning: language and spoilers of the final episode of the series)
Tearing Down the Throne: Interrogating Power Structures in Western Epic Fantasy by Jenn Lyons
Writing a Future in Which You Choose Your Own Nation by Ada Palmer
Manuscript Evaluations: What They Are and What to Expect by Sarah Chauncey
Collaborative Writing In a Shared World by David Mark Brown
Jerry Seinfeld’s 5 Step Comedy Writing Process by Jess Zafarris
The Publishing World
How Reese Witherspoon became the new high priestess of book clubs by Constance Grady
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/13/20802579/reese-witherspoon-reeses-book-club-oprah
7 ways book publishing will change over the next few years by Mike Shatzkin
People In Publishing I Learn From by Jane Friedman (The Who is Who in the Publishing news and blogging world)
Book Marketing & Blogging
To Sell More Books, Change the Story You Tell to Yourself About Marketing by Sue Campbell
Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – August 2019 by Amy Collins
Please shut up: Why self promotion as an author doesn’t work by Delilah S. Dawson
https://www.whimsydark.com/blog/2015/4/13/please-shut-up-why-self-promotion-as-an-author-doesnt-work
How to Improve Your Amazon Book Descriptions by Penny Sansevieri
5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang by Brian Clark
Deep Stuff
The Benefits of Optimism Are Real by Emily Esfahani Smith
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-benefits-of-optimism-are-real
The Inuit don’t shout at their children – so why do we? By Will Coldwell
Why Routines Are So Important to INFPs (Even Though We Hate Them) by Darcy Ritt (you can replace INFPs with Creatives or Spontaneous People)
How to Create a Chain Reaction of Good Habits by James Clear
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/how-to-create-a-chain-reaction-of-good-habits
The biggest lie tech people tell themselves – and the rest of us by Rose Eveleth
Fun Stuff
Watch the First Trailer For Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doolittle Reboot by Stubby the Rocket
7 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Curl Up With This Fall by S.W. Sondheimer
https://bookriot.com/2019/10/04/fall-sci-fi-fantasy-books-2019/
Hot Girl Summer Is Over, Long Live Hot Nerd Fall by Stubby the Rocket (The Doctor, Q, Joan Watson, Aziraphale, Henry Jones Sr., Rupert Giles… so many cool ones)
12 Popular Movies With Introverted Main Characters by Savanna Roberts
Link Feast, vol 61 – A Buffet of Juicy Writing Advice
IThe Anti-Arc by Donald Maass
On Writing
Writing’s Secret Formula: How to Write Stories That Matter by Daryl Rothman
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-stories-that-matter/#
Business Musings: Expect Failure by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (You fail by not trying and failing. We fail forward to success, and learn along the way)
In Six Words, These Writers Tell You an Entire Story by Sara Roncero-Menendez
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/six-word-story_n_5332833
How Do You Visualize Stories by Emily Asher-Perrin
A Practical Way to Overcome Imposter Syndrome by Darious Foroux
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/a-practical-way-to-overcome-imposter-syndrome
A Pessimist’s Collection of (Inspiring) Writing Quotes by Julie Glover
Displeasure Reading by Dave King
Narratology, Or Why We Need Stories to Make Sense by Arkady Martine (a bit academic but has an important message that explains why people have wildly different beliefs that fit their personal experiences and world views)
How to Develop High-Concept Book Ideas to Find More Success With Your Writing by Robert Lee Brewer
Write Better: The 7 Qualities of High Concept Stories by Jeff Lyons
The Making of a Hero or Heroine by Donald Maass
Characters: Audiences Read Stories, but Great Stories Read the Audience by Kristen Lamb
Motive: The Key to Writing Stories Readers Can’t Put Down by Kristen Lamb
Why Your Character (And You) Should Be Expert In Something by Alyssa Hollingsworth
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/09/why-your-character-and-you-should-be.html
Are You the One? Exploring the Chosen One Trope in SFF by Katy Rose Pool
9 Characters I Love Because They Are Hurting (And So Am I) by Emily Asher-Perrin
The Good Guy/Bad Guy Myth by Catherine Nichols
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-good-guy-bad-guy-myth
When the Ends Justify the Means: Five Villains Who See Themselves as Heroes by Jeff Lyons
Finding Your Story’s Theme by Jenny Hansen
Fate Versus Free-Will: Using Theme to Leverage Revision by Vaughn Roycroft
The Challenge of Sensational Story Openings by Peter Selgin
Don’t Be Afraid to Go There In Your Writing by James Scott Bell
Maybe No One Will Notice by Julie Carrick Dalton
“Showing” Through Exposition: A Study by Kathryn Craft
Effective Repetition In Writing As Demonstrated by A Song of Fire and Ice by Gavin Hurley
How and Why I Use Online Alpha Readers While Writing Novels by Mary Robinette Kowal (She shares her super simple ABCD feedback format)
How to Give Useful Criticism by Jim Dempsey
Tolkien’s Elves: Married with Eldar Children by Jeff LaSala (explores one aspect of the culture building of THE master, Tolkien)
Could Multimedia Storytelling Work For You? by Anna Thu Nguyenova (shorter format, especially works for YA audiences)
Book Marketing & Your Publishing Path
The Business Rusch: What Is Discoverability? by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2014/08/07/business-musings-what-is-discoverability-discoverability-part-oooops-i-left-this-out/
The Business Rusch: Word of Mouth by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2013/05/22/the-business-rusch-word-of-mouth/
The Business Rusch: The Helpful Reader (Discoverability 2) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (more advice about Word of Mouth)
https://kriswrites.com/2013/11/27/the-business-rusch-the-helpful-reader-discoverability-part-two/
The Business Rusch: Marketing and Readers by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (the different kind of reader types)
https://kriswrites.com/2014/01/29/the-business-rusch-marketing-and-readers-discoverability-part-who-knows/
The Business Rusch: Surprise! by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (and how it relates to discoverability and book marketing)
https://kriswrites.com/2014/03/31/the-business-rusch-surprise-discoverability-part-what-the/
The Business Rusch: What Kind of Writer Are You? by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (and how does this affect your marketing)
https://kriswrites.com/2014/08/09/business-musings-what-kind-of-writer-are-you/#sthash.N4jpOdPn.dpbs
The Business Rusch: Branding (Discoverability 6) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2014/01/08/the-business-rusch-branding-discoverability-part-6-2/
I Hate Self-Promotion by Tim Grahl
https://booklaunch.com/authors-and-self-promotion/
How to Be a Professional Author And Not Die Screaming and Starving In a Lightless Abyss by Chuck Wendig (Survival guide for a Traditionally Published Author and how the biz works)
Here’s the Pitch – It’s a Hit! Crafting Your Novel’s Pitch Line by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/10/heres-pitchits-hit-crafting-your-novels.html
(Even if you self-publish, this is handy knowledge. You can use the pitch as your back cover blurb. And when you have a pitchline, you never draw a blank and give a boring or rambling answer when someone asks you what your book is about)
How Literary Agents Agree and Differ: Lessons From the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference by Robert Lee Brewer
How to Write Successful Query Letters For Any Genre of Writing by Robert Lee Brewer
How to Hook a Literary Agent to Represent Your Writing and Get Published by Robert Lee Brewer
Evan Winter Explains How His Self-Published Book Was Picked Up by Orbit Books by Stubby the Rocket
Writers on Show: Publicity and the Introvert by Juliet Marillier
Deep Stuff
The Problem With the Hack Culture by Brad Stulberg
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-problem-with-hack-culture
“It’s not that some of these ideas aren’t important. Diets. Routines. Habits. Exercises. They all matter, but the context is what we miss. We are seeking the silver bullet when the reality is we need to nail the basics before we even consider the final 2 percent.”
“The only shortcut is hacking it every day.” -Ryan Holiday
The Scientist Persuading Terrorists to Spill Their Secrets by Ian Leslie
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-scientists-persuading-terrorists-to-spill-their-secrets
(Rapport is the key. Put your own ego aside. A must read for every mystery writer, gives great insight on how police interviews really work. A useful read for anyone on how to get your message through in a conversation with a person you really disagree with… like your teenager who comes home late)
Fun Stuff
“That’s My Secret Cap. I’m Always Angry” Why I Love Prickly Heroines by Adele Buck
Dive Into October’s Harvest of New Sci-fi and Fantasy Books by Cheryl Eddy
https://io9.gizmodo.com/dive-into-octobers-harvest-of-new-sci-fi-and-fantasy-bo-1838191367
The Crack Squad of Librarians Who Track Down Half Forgotten Books by Jessica Leigh Hester
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-crack-squad-of-librarians-who-track-down-half-forgotten-books
Link Feast, vol. 60
IThings I Forget to Remember: Writing a Novel Is an Act of Faith by Sarah Callender
On Writing
The Door by Elizabeth McCleary (a cool Flash Fiction story, less than 1000 words long)
Did You Know That Writing Books Is Hard by Chuck Wendig
4 Challenges of Writing For a Modern Audience by K.M. Weiland
12 Quotes on the Craft and Business of Writing From the 2019 Writer’s Digest Annual Conference by Robert Lee Brewer
Resolutions Don’t Work. How to Set Goals and Follow Through by Elizabeth McCleary
How to Get Out of Writing Doldrums by Mathina Calliope
6 Tips For Reading Like a Writer by Mark Beaver
5 Ways to Ensure Readers Don’t Abandon Your Book by H.R. D’Costa (about story stakes)
Tips For Writing a Great Love Story by Heather Webb
(Important Notice: if you are writing a romance and don’t give your readers a HEA, your reviews will be shitty because you broke an essential promise of that genre. THAT is the difference between Romance and a Love Story, a HEA ending, Happy Ever After, or at least HFN, Happy For Now)
What Makes You Love Your Main Character by Julia Monroe Martin
The Values of Good Fiction by Kathleen McCleary
Persuation by Donald Maass (about moral antagonists)
The Wonders of Your Character’s World View by Jim Dempsey
Focus On the Heart of Writing by Tasha Seegmiller (and the heart is our characters)
Good Story Endings: Happy or Sad, or Something Else? By Vaughn Roycroft
Writing Emotional Truth – What Gets Us There? By Bonnie Randall
Masterful Wordsmithing with Metaphor and Imagery by C.S. Lakin
Give Your Reader an Experience by Kathryn Craft
Negotiating Social Priviledge as a Writer by Rheea Mukherjee
The Editor’s Clinic: Take a Break by Dave King
Get and Interpret a Reader’s “Thought Map” of Your Book by Dawn Field (lots of good editing tips and techniques in this post)
How Hollywood is Rekindling the Rom Com – With the Help of Romance Novels by Maureen Lee Lenker
https://ew.com/books/2018/08/16/how-hollywood-is-rekindling-the-rom-com/
Anna Smith Spark Talks Grimdark In Her Fantasy AMA by Stubby the Rocket (how the misogyny in grimdark can be political and other topics)
Trad Publiblishing, Self-publishing, Book Marketing, Pitching, & Making Our Stories the Product (not just our books)
Establishing a Long Term [Trad] Writing Career: Insight From Two Literary Agents by Sangeeta Mehta
Becoming a Rogue Planet (When You Lose Your Publisher) by Kathryn Magendie
Branding 101: Defining Our Brand by Jami Gold
Pitching Our Story: Insights From Movie Trailers by Jami Gold
10 Things I Learned Indie Publishing My First Book by Tari Lynn Jewett
Business Musings: The Decision Tree (Rethinking the Writing Business Part 8) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch [if you haven’t read the previous parts of this series, I highly recommend you to do so]
Business Musings: Time Management Again (Rethinking the Writing Business Part 9) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Deep Stuff
People Don’t Know Themselves Very Well by Adam Grant (others can see things about us more easily than we do)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/people-don-t-actually-know-themselves-very-well
Good News at Last: The World Isn’t as Horrific as You Think by Hans Rosling
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/good-news-at-last-the-world-isn-t-as-horrific-as-you-think
Opinion: What ‘Good’ Dads Get Away With by Darcy Lockman
The History of Boredom by Linda Rodriquez McRobbie
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-history-of-boredom-138176427/
(Curious fact: Word boredom didn’t even exist until 1852. Before that, the term used was the French word for boredom, ennui. Ennui was first used in the 1660s and nativized by 1758.)
Love isn’t what it was By Sophus Helle (Disney is subverting its own romantic ideals)
https://aeon.co/essays/how-disney-took-to-subverting-its-own-romantic-ideals
Fun Stuff
How to Sell Your Friends and Family on Genre Fiction by Drew Williams
Fall Movie Guide: 49 Horror, Scifi and Fantasy Movies to Look Out For by Germain Lussier (lots of trailers)
https://io9.gizmodo.com/fall-movie-guide-49-horror-sci-fi-and-fantasy-movies-1837185287
All the New and Returning Scifi, Fantasy and Superhero, and Otherwise Geeky TV Shows Coming This Fall by Cheryl Eddy and Beth Elderkin
https://io9.gizmodo.com/all-the-new-and-returning-sci-fi-fantasy-superhero-a-1837384823
Link Feast vol. 59
Welcome to Link Feast. Hopefully this week’s offering nourishes your mind and endless curiosity. Next Link Feast shall be posted on Sunday 26th of May (in 3 weeks).
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
Business Musings: Critical Voice by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
On Writing
Business Musings: Fun by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2019/04/10/business-musings-fun/
Look After Yourself: Self-Care For Writers by Ellen Bard
Writing Prompts: Helpful? Or a Waste of Time? by Savannah Gordova
https://jamigold.com/2019/04/writing-prompts-helpful-or-a-waste-of-time-guest-savannah-cordova/
Revise vs. Start New: Which Is Better For the Learning Curve by Jami Gold
50 Romance Plot Ideas by Bryn Donovan
Hobbies For Romance Heroines by Laura Diaz de Arce
https://bookriot.com/2019/04/22/hobbies-for-romance-heroines/
Writing Realistic Teenagers in YA by Jodi Turchin
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/04/writing-realistic-teenagers-in-ya.html
How to Write a Travel Story by Chris Winkle
Six Types of Turning Points For Climaxes by Chris Winkle
Five Tricks to Invigorate Your Ending by Chris Winkle
https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-tricks-to-invigorate-your-ending/
The Legacy of Character in Avenger’s Endgame by Chuck Wendig (beware the spoilers if you haven’t seen the movie yet)
6 Tips on Making Similar Scenes Feel Different by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/01/6-tips-on-making-similar-scenes-feel.html
Let’s Talk About Sex Scenes in Fiction, Baby by Dana Staves
https://bookriot.com/2019/04/24/sex-scenes-in-fiction/
How to Pitch Your Book For TV and Film with DJ Williams by Joanna Penn
Ritas So White… Again by Jessica Pryde (Ritas are the yearly Romance genre Awards)
https://bookriot.com/2019/03/25/ritas-so-white-again/
On Writing Flash Fiction (500 -1500 word long short stories)
Why write flash fiction?
- You can practice quickly beginnings, middles and endings – lots of them and different variations
- You can test story ideas, different styles, genres and voices
- You learn how to write lean and to edit ruthlessly
- You can put together an anthology of short stories fast (and self-publish it)
- Flash fiction is fun content to share with your readers on your blog or newsletter
13 Tips For Writing Flash Fiction by Denise Ganley
http://flashfictiononline.com/main/2015/04/thirteen-tips-for-writing-flash-fiction/
21 Flash Fiction Stories to Read While You Wait Anywhere by Corin Balkovek
https://bookriot.com/2018/06/18/flash-fiction-stories/
Words in your pocket: How to write flash fiction by David Gaffney
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/14/how-to-write-flash-fiction
3 Things You Need to Know to Write Great Flash Fiction by Ben Wolf
How to Write Flash Fiction: 15 Short Story Cliches That Need to Die
How to Write Flash Fiction: 15 Short Story Cliches That Need To Die
Free flash fiction stories to read
https://flashfictionmagazine.com/
Book Marketing, Agents & Blogging
5 Unfair Advantages of an Author Platform by Tim Grahl (what book marketing can do at it’s best for your book’s success)
11 Authors Discuss the Road to Getting a Literary Agent by Stephanie Elliot
What’s Your Non-Fiction Voice by Jami Gold
25 Ideas For Your Author Blog by Bryn Donovan
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/25-ideas-for-your-author-blog.html
Deep Stuff
From Gloom to Gratitude: 8 Skills to Cultivate Joy by Allison Aubrey
Here’s a way better question to ask yourself than “What do I want” by Mark Manson
Four Ways to Figure Out What You Really Want to Do With Your Life by Thorin Klosowski
https://lifehacker.com/four-ways-to-figure-out-what-you-really-want-to-do-with-513095544
The Art of Blooming Late by Kevin Evers
https://hbr.org/2019/05/the-art-of-blooming-late
10 Practical Answers to 10 Powerful Questions by Darius Foroux
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/10-practical-answers-to-10-powerful-questions
The History of the Influencer From Shakespeare to Instagram by Laurence Scott
There Are No True Rebels by JoAnn Greco
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/there-are-no-true-rebels
Fun Stuff
Game of Phones hotline (hilarious video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4-R3JvGdJs&feature=youtu.be
The Most Marvelous Moments in the MCU by Stubby the Rocket
https://www.tor.com/2019/04/25/the-most-marvelous-moments-in-the-mcu/
Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor!) Insult Each Others For 5 Minutes Straight by ToolFab Staff
https://toofab.com/2019/04/25/chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-playground-insults-endgame/
Scifi & Fantasy Recommendations Based on Your Favourite SFF Heroine by Jessie Mihalik
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Recommendations Based on Your Favorite SFF Heroine
Spring 2019’s Must Read Scifi & Fantasy Reads by Myfanwy Collins
https://www.bookish.com/articles/must-read-sci-fi-fantasy-spring-2019/
Spring 2019’s Must Read Romance Novels According to Romance Authors by The Bookish Editors
2019’s Must-Read Romance Novels According to Romance Authors
5 Witchy Books For Fans of Baba Yaga by Ann Foster
https://bookriot.com/2019/03/28/baba-yaga-books/
Since all of those 5 recommendations above are from a white, Western point of view, here are some more diverse fantasy recommendations:
Literal Black Girl Magic: Books With Witches, Orisha and More by Mya Nunnally
https://bookriot.com/2018/09/20/black-girl-magic-books/
And then some cheery book recommendations, dystopias 😀
The World Is Falling Apart: Timely Dystopias That Reflect Our Fears by Steph Auteri
https://bookriot.com/2019/04/18/timely-dystopias/
Crime Fiction’s New Favourite Private Eyes by Matthew Turbeville
https://bookriot.com/2019/04/24/crime-fictions-new-favorite-private-eyes/
Diplomats and Aliens: Why You Should Pair Spy Novels With Science Fiction by Arkady Martine
https://www.bookish.com/articles/arkady-martine-diplomats-and-aliens/
Seeing Like a State: Arkady Martine’s Favourite Books About the Mechanisms of Government by Arkady Martine
Seeing Like A State: Arkady Martine’s Favorite Books About the Mechanisms of Government
Link Feast vol. 58
Welcome to Link Feast. I hope you’ll find something that sparks interest and eureka for you. Next Link Feast will be served on Sunday 28th of April.
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
So You Think You Can Write? by Sarah Callender
On Writing
The Myth of the Natural Writer by Jane Friedman
Wired For Display by Jan O´Hara
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/04/15/wired-for-display/
How Do You Find the Time to Write by Joanna Penn
New Research Discovers a Formula For Creativity by Ruth Harris
Writing Rules: Should You Always “Write What You Know”? By E.J. Runyon
How Writing Faster Can Vastly Improve Your Storytelling by Kristen Lamb
Get Organized: The Art of a Flow Board by Dawn Field
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2019/03/the-art-of-a-flow-board/
In Defense of “Unlikable” Heroines: A Case Study of Three Heroines From Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling Series by Aarya Marsden
Discover Your Character’s Goals by Jim Dempsey
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/04/09/discover-your-characters-goals/
What’s the Problem? The Four Classic Conflict Types by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/07/enemy-mine.html
Why Is Conflict So Hard to Create in Romance? by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/04/why-conflict-is-so-hard-to-create-in.html
How to Write a Memoir: Have a Skewed Point of View by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2019/04/how-to-write-memoir-have-skewed-point.html
*points above* This post is really about how to write a fascinating character with a unique way to look at a world and a unique voice. So the it’s applicable to any genre, not just memoirs
5 Ways to Use Theme to Create Character Arc (And Vice Versa) by K.M. Weiland
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/use-theme-to-create-character-arc/
What Is the Relationship Between Plot and Theme by K.M. Weiland
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/what-is-the-relationship-between-plot-and-theme/
How to Use Your Outline When Writing Your First Draft by K.M. Weiland
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-use-your-outline-when-writing-your-first-draft/
Smell Your Story by James Scott Bell
https://killzoneblog.com/2019/04/smell-your-story.html
The Bi-Cultural Writer by Rheea Mukherjee
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/04/08/the-bi-cultural-writer/
World Building: Why Writers Need to Be Sneaky When Building Worlds by William L. Hahn
https://annerallen.com/2019/03/world-building-sneaky/
Worldbuilding: Your Story World’s 101 History by Jami Gold
https://jamigold.com/2019/04/worldbuilding-your-worlds-101/
Worldbuilding a Series: Writing Without a Plan by Jami Gold
https://jamigold.com/2019/04/worldbuilding-a-series-writing-without-a-plan/
What Are Your Readers Thinking by Dawn Field
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2019/03/what-are-your-readers-thinking/
First Page Critique: The Secret of Thieves by Elaine Viets
https://killzoneblog.com/2019/04/first-page-critique-the-secret-of-thieves.html
First Page Critique: Unearthed by Clare Langley-Hawthorne
https://killzoneblog.com/2019/04/first-page-critique-unearthed.html
Take Five: Susan Spann and Claws of the Cat: a Hiro Hattori Mystery
A 16th century Japanese Ninja and a Portugese Jesuit as historical Sherlock and Holmes. Sold! A fascinating story about a fascinating story
Book Marketing
How to Build an Author Platform by Daniel Gaughran
Saying No to Twitter by Daniel Berkowitz
https://www.janefriedman.com/saying-no-to-twitter/
Juggling Two Author Platforms, Is It Worth It? by Charity Bradford
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/04/juggling-two-author-platforms-is-it.html
Why Don’t Publishers Believe in Author Websites by Jane Friedman
https://www.janefriedman.com/publishers-author-websites/
This is an old blog post (from 2013) but it highlights the potential problems of an author website. The question asked is: is it better to have no author website at all than a bad author website?
Of course the best thing is to have a GOOD author website that is regularly updated. But not all authors are tech people and can’t maintain their own sites, or pay for someone else to do it. What should they do then? That question the article doesn’t answer but it’s something to ponder about your own website (or if you don’t have one, whether to have one). For example my website needs a new WordPress theme and I need to figure out how to switch to it.
Why Authors Should Believe in Their Websites by Darcy Pattison
http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/why-authors-should-believe-in-their-websites/
Author Website Content: First Blog Posts by Darcy Pattison
http://www.darcypattison.com/marketing/author-website-content-first-posts/
20 Ways to Generate Article Ideas in 20 Minutes or Less by Mridu Krullar Relph
(Totally applicable to blog posts)
Deep Stuff
I trained myself to be less busy – and it dramatically improved my life by David Sbarra
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/1/25/14362156/busy-overwhelmed-values
Who Wins in the Name Game by Cody C. Delistraty
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/who-wins-in-the-name-game
The Sea Was Never Blue by Maria Michela Sassi (how the Ancient Greek saw the colours of the world)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-sea-was-never-blue
The Moral Peril of Meritocracy by David Brooks (He talks about how people can find a higher cause and become committed to it and serving others)
This Is How Human Extinction Could Play Out by Bill McKibben
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/bill-mckibben-falter-climate-change-817310/
Fun Stuff
Shazam! Review: Shameless mining of Spielberg, Big pays off for DC comics by Sam Machkovech (I saw the movie and it was really fun. I highly recommend it if you like superhero movies that don’t take themselves too seriously)
How the Dragon Prince Replaced Game of Thrones as My Favourite Fantasy Show by Ilana C. Myer
‘Game of Thrones’ Returned – and Returned to Its Roots by Alison Herman
https://www.theringer.com/game-of-thrones/2019/4/14/18310986/game-of-thrones-season-8-premiere-recap
The ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 Premiere Exit Survey by The Ringer Staff (7 people share their squee moments and feelings)
Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 2 Trailer by Krystie Lee Yandoli
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/krystieyandoli/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-2-trailer
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