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
The Link Feast, vol. 57
Welcome to the Link Feast. I hope today’s smorgasbord is to your liking. Next Link Feast will be served on Sunday 14th of April.
If you have a topic or issue you’d like me to cover next time, please share it in the comments. Your wish is my command.
Now, onto the links.
If You Have Time For Only Thing
No, Really, Why Do You Write? By Heather Webb
On Writing
Where Do You Get Your Ideas? By Neil Gaiman
http://www.neilgaiman.com/p/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_By_Neil/Where_do_you_get_your_ideas%3F
All Books Have Genders by Neil Gaiman (he tells the story of how the idea of the book American Gods came clearer to him)
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/Essays/Essays_By_Neil/All_Books_Have_Genders
Whence Cometh Ideas? 10 Fun Idea-Generating Activities and Story Starters by Erika Hoffman
Whence Cometh Ideas? 10 Fun Idea-Generating Activities and Story Starters
10 Ways to Conquer the Inner Critic by Mike Lucas
http://storyrunner.houseoflucas.com/2019/01/10-ways-to-conquer-inner-critic.html
One Free Trick: How to Use the Writing Skills You Have to Learn the Ones You Don’t by Arkady Martine
How to Get Inspiration When Writing Erotica by Rachel Kramer Bussel
https://frolic.media/how-to-get-inspiration-when-writing-erotica/
Love the Grind by Ilona Andrews
http://www.ilona-andrews.com/love-the-grind/
Whose Character Is It Anyway? By John J. Kelley
How to Create a Compelling Character by Shirley Jump
Creating Characters Who Clash by Angela Ackerman
https://jamigold.com/2019/03/creating-characters-who-clash-guest-angela-ackerman/
Nasty, Menacing, Murderous Protagonists We Love… And Why by Donald Maass
Six Common Villain Mistakes and How to Avoid Them by Oren Ashkenazi
Representation in Fiction: How to Write Characters Whose Experiences Are Outside of Your Own by Diana M. Pho
Representation in Fiction: How to Write Characters Whose Experiences Are Outside of Your Own
Planning Super Light Stories by Chris Winkle
How J.K. Rowling Outlines Her Books (The Paperblanks Blog)
Writing to the Beat: Translating Story Beats to Any Genre by Jami Gold
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/09/writing-to-the-beat-translating-story-beats-to-any-genre/
Storyteller’s Rulebook: Have At Least 6 Difficult Decisions by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2015/03/storytellers-rulebook-have-at-least-six.html
Genre Structures: Charting the Big Dilemmas by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2015/03/genre-structures-addendum-charting-big.html
Rulebook Casefile: Big Decisions and the Midpoint Disaster by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2015/04/rulebook-casefile-big-decisions-and.html
4 Pacing Tricks to Keep Reader’s Attention by K.M Weiland (Captain Marvel examples. Squee!)
Deepening Our Story: Theme It Like You Mean It by Jami Gold
https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/03/deepening-our-story-theme-it-like-you-mean-it/
Learning to Write to Theme with Last Jedi by Bryan Young
Best Scenes From the Wheel of Time, Part 10: Nynaeve and Lan in the Borderlands by Elanda Tonil / Suze from Tarvalon.net
https://blog.tarvalon.net/?p=31
(The post features a few scenes from high fantasy epic series the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. The characters in the scenes are a married couple and they have a difficult decision to make. Then we see the aftermath. Spoiler warning if you haven’t read the series yet but intend to. If that’s not an issue, I highly recommend checking the scenes out for learning purposes.
In case you are totally confused by the strange names and who these people are, Tarmon Gai’don means the Last Battle against the Shadow, an event foretold in a prophecy. Lan is an uncrowned king like Aragorn, except that his whole country was annexed by the Blight (a tainted area) and the monsters living there when he was a baby. He has dedicated his whole life to fighting them. Borderlands like Shienar are the countries at the edge of the Blight and defend their people from the monsters. Nynaeve, his wife, is a sorceress and an Aes Sedai, a Servant of All, who are respected but who most people are wary of. Lan is her Warder, a warrior dedicated to protecting her. He is a man with two causes and that is causing the dilemma.)
Story Revisions: Keeping Track of Changes by Jami Gold
When Your Query Reveals a Story-Level Problem by Susan DeFreitas
https://www.janefriedman.com/novel-query-problems/
How to Get an Extra Novel Written In a Year by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/how-to-get-extra-novel-written-in-year.html
Exploring Three Ways to Structure Your Book Series by Kristen Kieffer
https://www.well-storied.com/blog/structure-book-series
Four Ways to Plot a Trilogy by Kristen Kieffer
https://www.well-storied.com/blog/4-ways-to-plot-a-trilogy
How to Write a Trilogy: Q&A Session by Kristen Kieffer
https://www.well-storied.com/blog/how-to-write-a-trilogy-qa-session
7 Tips for Collaborating on a Novel by Dan Brotzel, Martin Jenkins, & Alex Woolf
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/7-tips-for-collaborating-on-novel.html
App Happy: 11 Free (or Mostly Free) Mobile Apps for Writers by Jess Zafarris
Book Marketing, Blogging and Social Media
Schmoozing For Introverts: How to Network Like a Pro by Lisa Cooper Ellison
https://www.janefriedman.com/schmoozing-for-introverts/
What’s More Important: Author Websites or Social Media? By Jane Friedman (she says author website)
The Ultimate Guide to Social Media For Writers 2019 by Dave Chesson
https://kindlepreneur.com/social-media-for-writers/
(Now take a deep breath. Yes, many different social media are mentioned but that doesn’t mean you need to be on all of them. Choose one that sounds right for you – maybe one you’re already using. Great, stick to that one. But if your audience is on another platform than the one you’re using, consider at least checking that place out. For example if you write YA, younger people are not on Facebook much but many frequent Instagram instead)
Aaand then I go against my advice. Goodreads is a place where you should set up your author page even if you wouldn’t use it at all after that. Because a social media specifically created for readers? It would be silly to not have a minimum presence there. Hence the next link.
The Ultimate Guide to Goodreads For Authors by Dave Chesson
https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-use-goodreads-for-authors/
Book Marketing: 5 Ways to Stand Out As an Author on Social Media by Eevi Jones
Book Marketing: 5 Ways To Stand Out As An Author On Social Media
13 Copywriting Tips to Help You Write a Better Novel by Robert Lee Brewer (frankly, these work better for a blog post. But perhaps something to consider in the editing phase of your novel)
https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/13-copywriting-tips-help-write-better-novel
Penny Sansevieri’s Top Book Marketing Complaints by Penny Sansevieri
Changes to Amazon Advertising: What Authors Need to Know by Dave Chesson
Deep Stuff
How Inuit Parents Teach Kids to Control Their Anger by Michaeleen Doucleff (stories are powerful)
Can Inuit Moms Help Me Tame My 3-Year Old’s Anger by Michaeleen Doucleff (some repeat of the previous article but also personal stories. A really interesting read)
Life, Well Lived, Will Weep (poem) by Holly Lisle
Marvel bids farewell to the original Avengers by introducing new, vaguely similar ones by Todd VanDerWerff
https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/3/18/18266003/marvel-avengers-captain-marvel-phase-4
Fun Stuff
13 Series to Read If You Love J.D. Robb’s ‘In Death’ Series by T.A. McIagan
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/books-if-you-love-j-d-robb
(And if you don’t know what series I am talking about, go and buy the first book Naked Death. It’s futuristic police procedural with kick ass murder cop Eve Dallas who has a haunted past and who falls for Roarke, a suspect, a billionaire and mostly reformed street thief. You’re in for 40+ books of this awesomeness. J.D. Robb is an alias of Nora Roberts.)
13 Romances to Read If You Love Roarke From the ‘In Death’ Series by Chanel Cleeton
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/romances-to-read-if-you-love-roarke-from-in-death-series
Spring 2019 Books We Cannot Wait to Read by Stubby the Rocket
https://www.tor.com/2019/03/20/spring-2019-books-we-cannot-wait-to-read/
Link Feast, vol. 56
Welcome to the Link Feast. I hope you’ve had productive two weeks. The next Link Feast is coming out on Sunday 31st of March.
After you’ve checked out some links, could you please write a comment and tell me which links and topics you found most useful or interesting. What particular challenges or issues you are facing right now? Do comment.
But now, please enjoy today’s offering.
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
How to Write Emotions: An Experimental Study by Matt Gianni
On Writing
Self-Rejection: What It Is, Why You Do It and How to Eject It’s Ass Out of the Airlock by Chuck Wendig
Writing the “Perfect” Book by Fae Rowan
Should You Write to the Market? by Kathy Edens
https://writingcooperative.com/should-you-write-to-market-de2f29daeeec
3 Surefire Ways to Write More Consistently by Nick Maccarone
https://writingcooperative.com/3-surefire-ways-to-write-more-consistently-154c1856c961
How Do We Set Goals When Trying Something New by Jami Gold
A Glimpse at a Best-Selling Pantser’s Process. (Author Diana Gabaldon shares how she writes her stories + some chapter titles for her newest book)
http://www.dianagabaldon.com/2019/03/bees-update-with-chapter-titles/
How to Write a Book in 3 Days by Tim Dedopoulos (NaNoWrikend – How Michael Moorcock and pulp masters of yore pulled off writing 50K words in 3 days)
http://www.ghostwoods.com/2010/05/how-to-write-a-book-in-three-days-1210/
Three Ways to Use Dungeons & Dragons to Improve Your Writing by Zulie Rane https://writingcooperative.com/three-ways-to-use-dungeons-and-dragons-to-improve-your-writing-afaf62083453
(There are many other roleplaying games of various genres out there than just Dungeons & Dragons, which is a fantasy RPG. But D&D is one of the most common game, and easiest to find playing groups for if none of your friends are playing and aren’t interested in trying)
The Differences Between a Crime Novel, Mystery Novel and Thriller Novel by David Corbett
The Differences Between a Crime Novel, Mystery Novel and Thriller Novel
How Long Will Your Book Be? By David Farland
http://davidfarland.com/2019/01/how-long-will-your-book-be/
Plot, Character and Theme: The Greatest Love Triangle in Fiction by K.M. Weiland
Plot, Character, and Theme: The Greatest Love Triangle in Fiction
Create Characters In 60 Seconds by Laurence McNaughton
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/create-characters-in-60-seconds.html
The Practical Guide to Using Character Archetypes in Your Novel by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/the-practical-guide-to-using-character.html
Bonding Character and Reader by James Scott Bell
Working With the Shadow: A Writer’s Guide by Joslyn Robinson
https://the-artifice.com/shadow-writing-guide/
Can You Really Fall in Love With a Fictional Character by Noah Spud
Exploring the Hero’s Journey: The Writer’s Guide by Joslyn Robinson
https://the-artifice.com/writers-guide-hero-journey/
Creating Three Dimensional Villains: Lessons From Buffy and Firefly by Scott McCormick
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2019/02/three-dimensional-villains-lessons-from-buffy-and-firefly/
A Guide to Changing Someone Else’s Beliefs by Kate Morgan (handy information for a manipulative villain, or a character who persuades for his/her job)
https://medium.com/s/reasonable-doubt/a-guide-to-changing-someone-elses-beliefs-c08fc1cb956b
The 10 Rules of Writing a Large Cast of Characters by K.M. Weiland
Plot Twists in Fiction: Making a Story Standout by Fransesca Turauskis
https://the-artifice.com/plot-twists-in-fiction/
Watch Out! Avoiding Sneaky Plot Holes by Jami Gold
You Get One Page to Hook the Reader. Yes, Really by Janice Hardy
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/you-get-one-page-to-hook-reader-yes.html
Writing About Controversial Topics by Michael Gallant
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2019/02/tips-for-writing-about-controversial-topics/
The Last Fifty Pages Make Or Break Your Novel by James Scott Bell
https://killzoneblog.com/2019/02/the-last-fifty-pages-make-or-break-your-novel.html
More Than a Happy Ending: What Makes a Story Uplifting by Jami Gold
Writing Lessons From TV: Slang Can Help Create Your World by Scott McCormick
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2019/02/writing-lessons-from-tv-slang-can-help-create-your-world/
Story Threads: Fixing Rips In Our Story by Jami Gold
Editing For Authors: 7 Ways to Tighten Your Story and Cut Costs by Kristen Lamb
https://authorkristenlamb.com/2019/03/editing-authors-professional-edits/
Taming the Synopsis: 4 Steps for Perfecting One-Page and Long-Form Synopses by Ammi-Joan Paquette
How Saleable Are Short Stories? The Benefits of Writing Shorter by Sarah Dahl
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/03/how-saleable-are-short-stories-benefits.html
Publishing Industry & Self-Publishing
The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing in 2018 by Bea & Leah Coch (The Ripped Bodice Bookstore)
Pitching: Writing Excuses Podcast Transcript
https://wetranscripts.livejournal.com/50356.html
Why books are the length they are by Charlie Stross (he is talking about hardcover books)
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/03/cmap-5-why-books-are-the-lengt.htm
Why I don’t self-publish by Charlie Stross (what all background work traditional publishing house is doing for authors)
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/03/why-i-dont-self-publish.html
Why I do self-publish by Linda Nagata (response to the above post)
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/04/why-i-do-self-publish.html
Interview with R.K. Thorne, author of Mage Slave by A.J. Blakemont (Thorne is a self-published author and she shares her path there)
http://blakemont.com/interview-r-k-thorne/
Book Marketing, Blogging & Social Media
Opinion: What Makes Readers Buy Books by Maggie Lynch (survey results)
https://selfpublishingadvice.org/opinion-what-makes-readers-buy-books/
Dungeons and Dragons and Reader Psychology by Chris Fox
The #1 Goal For Your Book Marketing by Tim Grahl
Business Musings: Shifting Attitudes (Planning for 2019, part 7) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Being profilic is a good thing and micro influencers are better than one for all curation)
Business Musings: Shifting Attitudes (Planning For 2019 Part 7)
How to Build Your Author Brand by CJ Lyons
https://blog.bookbaby.com/2011/12/how-to-build-your-author-brand/
No More Platform Anxiety, Please by James Scott Bell
Creating Your Author Brand as a Self-Published Author by Carla King
How to Find Writing Success by Leaving Your Niche by Pat Aitcheson (mainly applies to blogging but also contains some general writing advice)
https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-find-writing-success-by-leaving-your-niche-bfaaa38e56b8
Five Things You Need as Your Begin Your Career as a Self-Published Author by Steven Spatz
Five Things You Need As You Begin A Career As A Self-Published Author
A Writer’s Opinion on 5 Social Media Platforms by Sam H. Arnold
https://writingcooperative.com/a-writers-opinion-on-5-social-media-platforms-151550c26a76
Deep Stuff
There’s an optimal way to organize your day – and it’s not the 8-hour workday by Dr. Travis Bradberry
https://qz.com/work/1561830/why-the-eight-hour-workday-doesnt-work/
Why Willpower Is Overrated by Brian Resnick
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-willpower-is-overrated
After the 30-Day Social Media Ban: What Surprised Me & What I’m Changing by Roni Loren
An Oxford researcher says there are seven moral rules that unite humanity by Jenny Anderson
See Through Words by Michael Erard (how to create metaphors consciously)
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/see-through-words
Fun Stuff
Best Harry Potter Escape Rooms by Katisha Smith (in the US and UK mainly)
https://bookriot.com/2019/03/05/best-harry-potter-escape-rooms/
11 Mythical Creatures Lurking in Finland’s Lakes and Forests by Jessica Wood
Mansa Musa: The richest man who ever lived by Naima Mohamud (he was king of the African Mali empire)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47379458
Read Harder 2019: A Book of Mythology or Folklore by Cassie Gutman
https://bookriot.com/2019/02/19/read-harder-2019-a-book-of-mythology-or-folklore/
Spring’s Big Sci-fi and Fantasy Books by Hayley at Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1518
Spring’s Most Epic YA books by Marie at Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1503
The Sweetest (and Sexiest) Romance Books of Spring by Hayley at Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1521
Hot Off the Press: 31 New Paranormal and Speculative Titles Releasing in March by Kristina at All Things UF
All the New Genre-Bending Books Coming Out in March (Tor)
Captain Marvel Movie Review
I saw Marvel’s latest superhero film Captain Marvel yesterday and was totally thrilled. I give this one 10/10 because I was enraptured the whole time and could not have wished for anything more. A perfect package with splashes of humour, female power and a unique 90s tone that made the MCU feel fresh again.
This movie is a perfect gateway to the Avengers Endgame in just few months. In the end credits we see… well, I won’t tell what we see 😉 But this is will likely be a scene in the Avengers movie itself.
I will do a quick squee of the highlights of the film to me.
– Brie Larson’s acting. She is an Oscar winner for a reason.
– the Stan Lee tribute in the beginning. And we get a cameo, yay!
– the chemistry between Vers/Carol and her mentor Yon-Rogg, played by always delicious Jude Law. Alas, it won’t come to anything but a girl can dream. Le sigh.
– Vers kicking ass with her hands tied up
– the hilarity of announcing herself as to earthen people as a space woman and them thinking she’s a total loonie
– hitting the grandma in the train (this was in the trailer) and the battle that ensues
– the cat! (will be the coolest later on but mentionted here so the next bit won’t be so confusing)
– young Nick Fury. Much less motherf*cking but still badass. And much petting the cute pussy. The cat, that is 😉 Total Save the Cat moments. And the first appearance of rookie Coulson who bucks the rules to do the right thing. We also get to see how exactly Fury lost his eye.
– alien autopsy
– the wonderful relationship between Carol, Marie Rambeau and Marie’s daughter Monica. Who in the comics became a superhero called Spectrum (or even Captain Marvel herself after Carol). Definately passes the Bechdel test. I loved the daughter calling out on mom wanting to stay back and stay with her as showing a bad rolemodel to her daughter.
– the cool 90s soundtrack. I jammed to the sound of Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage, Waterfalls by TLC and Just a Girl by No Doubt.
– the hilarity of bad 90s tech. The loading times and crappy internet were pain indeed. And no Google yet.
– the twist with the skrulls. Nope, my lips are sealed on this one. You need to see it yourself. But I’d totally become a ping pong master in that time too.
– the montage of Carol being pushed down by men. Grrr. But of course she prevailed, got back on her two feet and kept on fighting.
– Carol p0wning in the end and Ronan the Accuser being totally impressed with her
So yeah, it rocked. Go see it already.
Are you a fan of superhero movies? If so, what has been your favourite one? And what do you think of 90s music? Any favourite songs (they don’t have to be 90s ones)? Post a comment below.
Link Feast vol. 55
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
Creating Your Own Personal Commandments (Plus, I’m Sharing Mine!) by Roni Loren
https://roniloren.com/blog/2019/2/5/making-your-own-personal-commandments
And a bonus, since this is creating the commandments for your writing life
A Writer’s Manifesto by Julie Duffy
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/02/04/a-writers-manifesto/
On Writing
Business Musings: Priorities by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (seriously, read this post. Majorly important topic. And relates to the 2 above must read posts….)
https://kriswrites.com/2019/02/27/business-musings-priorities/
Creativity: 3 Ways to Cultivate Discipline in Your Writing Life by Nathan Wade
Creativity, Symbolism and Writing With the Tarot With Caroline Donahue by Joanna Penn
Creativity, Symbolism And Writing With The Tarot With Caroline Donahue
Staying Interested In Your Work by Chris Winkle
https://mythcreants.com/blog/staying-interested-in-your-work/
Getting Unstuck and Avoiding Writer’s Block by Tiffany Yates-Martin
Mining Reader Reviews For Story Gold by Nancy Johnson (every 1 star review is a failed reader expectation)
Do You Have a Story Concept, or Just a Cool Idea? by Cathy Yardley
Story Tropes: How Do We Twist the Cliche by Jami Gold
The Dual Plot Structure That Makes Stories a Success by Chris Winkle
https://mythcreants.com/blog/the-dual-plot-structure-that-makes-stories-a-success/
Six Stories That Covered Up Major Plot Holes by Oren Ashkenazi
https://mythcreants.com/blog/six-stories-that-covered-up-major-plot-holes/
The Ordinary World: How Much and How Ordinary? by Donald Maass
https://writerunboxed.com/2019/02/06/the-ordinary-world-how-much-and-how-ordinary/
How to Make Dominant Female Characters Like-Able by Lisa Hall-Wilson
Jaime Lannister and Sympathetic Monsters: A Look At a Master by Dave King
https://writerunboxed.com/2016/06/21/jaime-lannister-and-sympathetic-monsters-a-look-at-a-master/
Writing What You Don’t Believe by David Corbett
What’s the Matter With Superheroes: The Villain Problem by Matt Bird
http://www.secretsofstory.com/2015/05/whats-matter-with-superheroes-part-3.html
How to Realistically Depict Evil by Oren Ashkenazi
Making Sympathetic Antagonists and Why Thanos Wasn’t One by Mira Singer
https://mythcreants.com/blog/making-sympathetic-antagonists-and-why-thanos-wasnt-one/
How to Raise the Stakes in a Novel by Nathan Bransford
7 Ways to Bring Characters Together by Chris Winkle
Constructing a Compelling Romance by Chris Winkle
Five Characters Who Got Too Powerful by Oren Ashkenazi (how to deal with the power creep, especially relevant for book series)
https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-characters-that-are-too-powerful/
Making a Case For Poetry (And For Pillows, Lampposts and Subway Seats That Speak) by Sarah Callender
Making the Case for Poetry (and for Pillows, Lampposts, and Subways Seats that Speak)
Five Tips For Telling Stories of Resistance by Oren Ashkenazi
https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-tips-for-telling-stories-of-resistance/
Five Reasons to Not Write a Persecution Flip Story by Dave Lerner
https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-reasons-not-to-write-a-persecution-flip-story/
A Quiet Hero’s Journey: Processing Trauma in Fantasy by Leah Schnelbach
5 Sci-fi, Fantasy and Dystopian Tests That Aren’t What They Seem by Stubby the Rocket
https://www.tor.com/2019/02/05/book-list-tests-sci-fi-fantasy-speculative-fiction/
Holidays in Hell and Other Delights: A Worldbuilding Workshop by Holly Lisle (how to create unique holidays for your stories)
Fudging History: Is It Ever OK? By Juliet Marillier
Blind Spots and Obsessions in Historical Fiction: What Were They Thinking? By Dave King
Blind Spots and Obsessions in Historical Fiction: What Were They Thinking?
The Editor’s Clinic: Brave New World by Dave King
How Writing Short Stories Can Help You Hone Your Novel-Writing Skills by Julie Duffy
Outline a Short Story in Seven Steps by Chris Winkle
https://mythcreants.com/blog/outline-a-short-story-in-seven-steps/
Publishing Gossip & Having a Long Term Writing Career
Business Musings: Ghostwriting, Plagiarism and the Latest Scandal by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2019/02/20/business-musings-ghostwriting-plagiarism-and-the-latest-scandal/
Business Musings: Getting to the Stories You Love by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
https://kriswrites.com/2018/11/07/business-musings-getting-to-the-stories-you-love/
And if you haven’t yet read the 3 first articles linked to in this post, I highly recommend that you do so when you have a free moment. They cover topics crucial to sustaining a long term writing career.
Finding Your Perfect Niche in Fiction by Edwin McRae (suitable especially for self-publishing authors but useful for anyone who ponders which genre story to tackle first, or considers a genre change)
Book Marketing, Blogging & Social Media
How Do You Find New Readers by Tim Grahl
https://booklaunch.com/how-do-you-find-new-readers/
The Author’s Guide to Tribes by Tim Grahl
How to Write a Blog: 10 Tips For Writing Strong Web Content by Anne R. Allen
https://annerallen.com/2019/03/how-to-write-web-content/
Should You Have a Webpage by Ilona Andrews (if you intend to blog and share your writing journey before getting published, the answer is yes)
http://www.ilona-andrews.com/should-you-have-a-webpage/
10 Reasons to Start an Author Blog: And Why It Is Easier Than You Think by Anne R. Allen
https://annerallen.com/2017/08/10-reasons-author-blog/
How to Use Your Book Cover to Sell More Books by A.D. Starrling
Everything You Need to Know About Pinterest SEO by Cathrin Manning
http://thecontentbug.com/2017/07/25/pinterest-seo/
How to Crush Tailwind (App) for Pinterest: Ultimate Guide by Louise Myers
https://louisem.com/264209/tailwind-pinterest
(Tailwind is an analytics & Pin scheduling tool, kind of like Hootsuite for Twitter. I started using this one and am really loving it. You can schedule 100 Pins for free, after that it costs 15$/month)
Deep Stuff
What Marie Kondo Says About Our New Ear of Self-Help by Claire Turrell (each decade has it’s own guru who catches the zeitgeist of that era, and Marie Kondo is it for 2010s)
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20190222-what-marie-kondo-says-about-our-new-era-of-self-help
Introverted? Here Are the Jobs For You by Nick Clayton (really fascinating stories)
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160919-hate-people-here-are-the-jobs-for-you
The Secrets of the World’s Greatest Art Thief by Michael Finkel
https://www.gq.com/story/secrets-of-the-worlds-greatest-art-thief
21 Women Get Brutally Real About What Men Need to Know About Raising Daughters by Mike Spohr
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/21-women-get-brutally-real-about-what-men-need-to-know
Teenagers and Sex in Books by Ilona Andrews
Fun Stuff
What’s the Best April Fool’s Prank You’ve Ever Pulled Off by Krista Torres (there’s some gold in the comments)
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/whats-the-best-april-fools-prank-youve-ever-pulled-off
39 Amazing New Scifi and Fantasy Books to Check Out in March by Cheryl Eddy
https://io9.gizmodo.com/39-amazing-new-sci-fi-and-fantasy-books-to-check-out-in-1832819961
Five Genre Bending Young Adult Books by Astrid Scholte
https://www.tor.com/2019/02/27/five-genre-bending-young-adult-books/
Thirty Erotic Novels That Are Actually Erotic by Suleikha Snyder
https://frolic.media/thirty-erotic-novels-that-are-actually-erotic/
About Reetta
I'm a Finnish fantasy / urban fantasy writer who loves reading, roleplaying and all things medieval. 
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