Link Feast vol. 54

It has been a long time since the last update. The Link Feasts are back and will be a bi-weekly thing. I will post the next one on Sunday 3rd of March.

 

If You Have Time For Only One Thing

 

For the Love of the Process: 6 Questions to Hone Your Creative Workflow by Bob Mayer

How to Fall in Love with the Writing Process: 6 Questions to Hone Your Creative Workflow

 

And a bonus, since these questions are really useful:

 

Four Questions to Ask When a Character Is Clever by Oren Ashkenazi

https://mythcreants.com/blog/four-questions-to-ask-when-a-character-is-clever/

 

Writing

 

The Story That Holds You Back by Kathryn Craft

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2019/01/the-story-that-holds-you-back/

 

Make the Ordinary Come Alive by Kristan Hoffman

https://writerunboxed.com/2019/01/31/make-the-ordinary-come-alive/

 

Are You Tethered to the Wrong Story? by Harper Glenn

Are You Tethered to the Wrong Story?

 

The Ultimate Writer Productivity Guide by Tim Grahl

https://booklaunch.com/writer-productivity/

 

This Handy Chart Automatically Generates a Pitch For Your Next Novel by Electric Literature

https://electricliterature.com/how-to-write-elevator-pitch-novel-publicity-infographic-a8ec74ecf7ce

 

The 10 Step Checklist to Writing an Above Average Novel by K.M. Weiland

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/the-10-step-checklist-to-writing-a-better-than-average-novel/#

 

Want to Improve Your Writing? Change Your Thinking by Janice Hardy

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/12/want-to-improve-your-writing-change.html

 

Putting Your Worst Foot Forward: Why You Should Play to Your Weaknesses As an Author by Charlie Jane Anders

Putting Your Worst Foot Forward: Why You Should Play to Your Weaknesses as an Author

 

The 10 Urges That Stories Can Satisfy by Matt Bird

http://www.secretsofstory.com/2018/12/the-ten-urges-that-stories-can-satisfy.html

 

What If Somebody Steals Your High Concept Book Idea? by Anne R. Allen

What if Somebody Steals Your High Concept Book Idea?

 

An Easy Tip For Tightening Your Novel’s Plot by Janice Hardy

blog.janicehardy.com/2019/01/an-easy-tip-for-tightening-your-novels.html

 

4 Things Every Romance Writer Needs to Know About Plot by Sarah Younger (agent)

https://soyouwannawritearomance.com/episode-details/f/4-things-every-romance-author-needs-to-know-about-plot

 

How to Study Plot and Character by K.M. Weiland

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-study-plot-and-character/

 

How Do Pantsers Develop Characters by Jami Gold

How Do Pantsers Develop Characters?

 

Six Reasons Why the Fire Nation Is Such a Good Villain by Oren Ashkenazi (the series in question is Avatar the Airbender)

https://mythcreants.com/blog/six-reasons-the-fire-nation-is-such-a-good-villain/

 

Taking Character Relationships to the Next Level by Angela Ackerman

Taking Character Relationships to the Next Level

 

Five Character Archetypes Who Can Steal the Hero’s Spotlight by Oren Ashkenazi

https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-archetypes-that-can-steal-the-heros-spotlight/

 

Five Common Romance Mistakes by Oren Ashkenazi

https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-common-romance-mistakes/

 

Seven Great Sources of Conflict For Romances

Seven Great Sources of Conflict for Romances

 

Removing the Creeps From Romance by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/removing-the-creeps-from-romance/

 

Pulling Your Hero Into the Magical Realm by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/pulling-your-hero-into-the-magical-realm/

 

All Is Lost: Four Kind of Deaths by Janice Hardy

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2019/01/all-is-lost-four-kinds-of-death-in.html

 

Begin From the Middle: How to Start Your Story In Medias Res by Paul Buchanan

https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/writing-fiction-online-editor/begin-from-the-middle-how-to-start-your-story-in-medias-res

 

Our Story’s Essence: What’s the Story We Want to Tell by Jami Gold

https://jamigold.com/2019/01/our-storys-essence-whats-the-story-we-want-to-tell/

 

How to Write Unique Themes by K.M. Weiland

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-unique-themes/

 

Theme = Good vs. Good by Matt Bird

http://www.secretsofstory.com/2011/10/storytellers-rulebook-100-theme-good-vs.html

 

Great Genre Stories Must Be Metaphors by Matt Bird

http://www.secretsofstory.com/2012/01/storytellers-rulebook-119-great-genre.html

 

Five Dualities That Can Replace Good and Evil by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-dualities-that-can-replace-good-and-evil/

 

Why Social Justice Is Intrinsic to Storytelling by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/why-social-justice-is-intrinsic-to-storytelling/

 

5 Common Storytelling Mistakes in the Pursuit of Social Justice by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/five-common-storytelling-mistakes-in-the-pursuit-of-social-justice/

 

6 Hugely Popular Books That Accidentally Screwed the World by Jacopo della Quercia

http://www.cracked.com/article_19135_6-hugely-popular-books-that-accidentally-screwed-world.html

 

How to Keep Your Book Relevant After It’s Release by Gary McPherson

How to Keep Your Book Relevant After Its Release

 

From YA to YEAH: 4 Ways to Keep Teen & Young Adult Readers Hooked by Lorena Koppel

https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/young-adult-childrens/four-ways-to-keep-teen-readers-hooked-ya-novel

 

6 Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing LGBTQI+ Characters In Teen Fiction by Lisa Freeman

https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/guest-columns/6-pitfalls-writing-lgbtqi-characters-teen-fiction

 

Firearms: Know Your Weapon! by Piper Bayard & Jay Holmes

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/12/firearms-know-your-weapon/

 

The Editor’s Clinic: The Limits of Editing by Dave King

The Editor’s Clinic: The Limits of Editing

 

A Novella Approach: 5 Tips For Writing Short Stories by Suleikha Snyder

https://frolic.media/a-novella-approach-five-tips-for-writing-short/

 

There’s a Weird, Sexist Problem in Fantasy That We Need to Talk About by Mya Nunnally (female authors’ books are being classified as YA even though their content is mature)

https://bookriot.com/2019/01/21/sexist-problem-in-fantasy/

 

Meet The Women Who Are Building a Better Romance Industry by Bim Adewumni (the topic is diversity)

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bimadewunmi/meet-the-black-women-upending-the-romance-novel-industry

 

A Harvardian in a Romancelandia by Caroline Linden

https://frolic.media/a-harvardian-in-romancelandia-what-are-the-odds-pretty-good/

 

The Origin of the Clinch Covers on Romance Novels by Jessica Avery (think Fabio)

https://bookriot.com/2018/12/13/clinch-covers-on-romance-novels/

 

15 of the Best Online Writing Communities For Authors (Reedsy.com)

https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-community/

 

Agents, Querying & Publishing Industry

 

Truths About Publishing You Can Only Learn in the Trenches by Heather Webb

Truths about Publishing You Can Only Learn in the Trenches

 

Writer’s 101: Literary Agent Sarah Younger Shares Tips For New Authors by Frolic Media

Writer’s 101: Literary Agent Sarah Younger Shares Her Tips For New Authors

 

Writer’s 101: An Anonymous Editor Spills How To Get Your [Romance] Manuscript Picked Up by Frolic Media

https://frolic.media/writers-101-an-anonymous-editor-spills-on-how-to-get-your-manuscript-picked-up/

 

Choosing the Perfect Comparative Titles by Sam Brody

https://blog.reedsy.com/live/choosing-perfect-comp-titles/

 

Comp Titles – An Elevator Pitch for Your Book by Andrea Bachofen

http://authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/comp-titles-an-elevator-pitch-for-your-book/

 

The Disastrous Decline in Author Incomes Isn’t Just Amazon’s Fault by Carrie V. Mullins

https://electricliterature.com/the-disastrous-decline-in-author-incomes-isnt-just-amazon-s-fault-c58468492b17

 

Business Musings: The Current State of Disruption (Planning For 2019, part 1) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

https://kriswrites.com/2018/12/26/business-musings-the-current-state-of-disruption-planning-for-2019-part-1/

 

Business Musings: Sales (Planning For 2019, part 2) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

https://kriswrites.com/2019/01/02/business-musings-sales-planning-for-2019-part-2/

 

Business Musings: Bookstores and Libraries (Planning For 2019, part 3) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

https://kriswrites.com/2019/01/09/business-musings-bookstores-and-libraries-planning-for-2019-part-3/

 

Business Musings: Audio (Planning For 2019, part 5) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

https://kriswrites.com/2019/01/16/business-musings-audio-planning-for-2019-part-4/

 

Business Musings: Tidbits (Planning For 2019, part 4) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Big 5 mergers and closing of imprints and focus on diversity)

Business Musings: Tidbits (Planning for 2019 Part 5)

 

Trends in Publishing by Stephen Spatz

Trends In Publishing

 

Wattpad Books: The Next Stage In the Platform’s Content Development by Porter Anderson

https://publishingperspectives.com/2019/01/wattpad-books-new-publishing-division-opened-canada/

 

The ‘Future Book’ Is Here But It’s Not What We Expected by Craig Mod

https://www.wired.com/story/future-book-is-here-but-not-what-we-expected/

 

Self Publishing

 

Traditional vs. Self-Publishing by Tim Grahl

Traditional vs Self Publishing: The Last Decision Guide You’ll Need

 

What a Year of Self Publishing Taught Me by Talia Hibbert

https://frolic.media/what-a-year-of-self-publishing-taught-me/

 

How a Writing Website [Wattpad] Changed My Life and Could Change Yours Too by Jordan Lynde

https://frolic.media/how-a-writing-site-changed-my-life/

 

Book Marketing

 

The Story About the Story: Or, How Writers Talk About Their Books by Chuck Wendig

The Story About The Story: Or, How Writers Talk About Their Books

 

Book Marketing Plan: The Definitive Checklist by Tim Grahl

Book Marketing Plan The Definitive Checklist

 

Author Website: Examples, Templates and How to Build One by Tim Grahl

https://booklaunch.com/author-website/

 

Consider These 8 Marketing Tips in 2019 by Ann-Marie Nieves

Consider these 8 Marketing Tips in 2019

 

How to Calendarize Your Book Marketing Approach by Dawn Reno Langley

https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/marketing-your-work/calendarize-your-book-marketing-approach

 

Which Readers Would Also Read Your Books: Finding Comp Titles by Amy Alessio

Which Readers Would Also Read Your Books? Finding Comp Titles by Amy Alessio

 

The secret to writing emails your audience will love? Serve, don’t sell by Katie Parrott

https://growthlab.com/when-you-focus-on-writing-emails-your-audience-is-actively-excited-to-open-selling-becomes-the-easy-part/

 

The Connection System: Book Marketing 101 by Tim Grahl

https://booklaunch.com/connection-system/

 

Want Authorly Superpowers? Build a Street Team by Angela Ackerman

Want Authorly Superpowers? Build a Street Team!

 

The Book Launch Framework: How I Keep Launching Bestselling Books by Tim Grahl

https://booklaunch.com/book-launch-bestseller/

 

Starting Over But Not From a Scratch: Book Marketing Insights From a Third-Career Debut Novelist by Rita Dragonette

https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/marketing-your-work/starting-over-but-not-from-scratch-book-marketing-insights-from-a-third-career-debut-novelist

 

Guest Blogging is the Best Free Publicity for Writers: 12 Tips For Landing Effective Guest Blog Spots by Anne R. Allen

https://annerallen.com/2019/01/guest-blogging-12-tips/

 

Putting the “Social” in Social Media by Jenny Hansen (collection of great links about the topic + tips)

WITS Throwdown: Putting the “Social” in Social Media

 

Using Pinterest to Visualize Your Author Brand by Neda Dallal http://authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/using-pinterest-to-visualize-your-author-brand/

 

(Pinterest is fun, I promise you. It’s a social media where you don’t actually have to be social. Perfect for introverted authors)

 

7 Tips To Writing Stellar (& Stress-Free) Book Reviews by Cici Ford

https://frolic.media/writing-stellar-reviews/

 

Deep Stuff

 

The curse of “busy-ness”: How to take control of your life by Stephanie Lee

https://growthlab.com/how-to-take-control-of-your-life/

 

5 strategies to find more time by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

https://www.fastcompany.com/90280742/how-to-redesign-your-days-to-give-you-back-a-few-extra-hours-every-week

 

My 2019 Planner and Journal Line Up by Roni Loren (Planners and making them pretty is Roni’s hobby and they also help her to be more productive – and her writing career is a proof of that)

https://roniloren.com/blog/2018/12/29/my-2019-planner-and-journal-line-up

 

The Read Wide Challenge 2019 by Roni Loren (Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort reading zone)

https://roniloren.com/blog/2018/12/18/the-read-wide-challenge-2019

 

How to Fight Your Way Out of a Reading Slump by Sumaiyya Naseem

https://frolic.media/how-to-fight-your-way-out-of-a-reading-slump/

 

Reading Goals: 2018 vs 2019 by Elizabeth Sagan (some great recommendations and tips on how to read more and keep a track of your reading)

https://frolic.media/reading-goals-2018-vs-2019/

 

Whose Story (and Country) Is This? by Rebecca Solnit

https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-the-myth-of-real-america-just-wont-go-away/

 

Into the Dark by Sharon Gormley (the Thai cave rescue heroes)

https://www.macleans.ca/thai-cave-rescue-heroes/

 

Learning Chess at Forty by Tom Vanderbilt (he is learning with his daughter – and she is beating him)

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/learning-chess-at-forty

 

A firm whose staff are all autistic by Jane Wakefield

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46538125

 

Tidying Up With Marie Kondo Isn’t Really a Makeover by Sarah Archer (I binged this series during the holidays. Highly recommended)

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/01/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo-netflix-show-kon-mari-review/579400/

 

Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter by Arielle Bernstein

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/03/marie-kondo-and-the-privilege-of-clutter/475266/

 

The inside story of Bandersnatch, the weirdest Black Mirror tale yet by Matt Reynolds (this episode is a Choose Your Own Adventure thing and here’s a glimpse to how it was created)

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/bandersnatch-black-mirror-episode-explained

 

The Philosopher Redefining Equality (Elizabeth Anderson) by Nathan Heller (this is academic  but super interesting, IMO. Maybe you’ll find it fascinating too)

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/07/the-philosopher-redefining-equality

 

Fun Stuff

 

The Evolution of Jason Momoa’s Hotness by Martin Aguilera

https://frolic.media/the-evolution-of-jason-momoas-hotness/

 

Is Chris Evans the Hottest Chris? There’s Mathematical Proof by Katee Robert

https://frolic.media/chris-evans-the-hottest-chris-theres-mathematical-proof/

 

7 Epic Fan Romance Battles by Chris Winkle

https://mythcreants.com/blog/seven-epic-fan-romance-battles/

 

The 5 Best Romantic Movies of All Time by Caden Armstrong

https://frolic.media/five-best-romantic-movies-of-all-time/

 

Trope Rec: Retellings

https://frolic.media/trope-rec-tuesday-retellings/

 

The Books We’re Looking Forward to in 2019 by Stubby the Rocket (Tor) (24 delicious SF books coming out this year)

https://www.tor.com/2018/12/26/the-books-were-looking-forward-to-in-2019/

 

All the Genre Television We’re Looking Forward to in 2019 by Stubby the Rocket (Tor)

https://www.tor.com/2018/12/27/all-the-genre-television-were-looking-forward-to-in-2019/

 

Nine Must-have Book Sequels For 2019 by Suleikha Snyder (plus of course the previous book(s) of the series if you haven’t read them yet)

Nine Must-have Book Sequels for 2019

Thor de Finland: Channeling the God of Thunder

Thor God of Thunder

Unboxing Thor

Light at last. After days of darkness and jostling in a cardboard sarcophagus, I was free again.

Oh times, oh manners. Isn’t this the age of aeroplanes and first class flights? If this is how people treat honored guests, I don’t want to know how they treat their enemies.

I am Thor, the God of Thunder. This time my world tour had brought me to Finland, the land of the fabled weather witches. If you haven’t been following my journey, the stories of the previous stops are really worth reading.

My gracious hostess was Reetta (what a tongue twister of a name), her husband and two children.

After polite greetings, I inquired if they had anyone named Barbie living in the house. To my relief, wanna-be Mrs. Thor had no relations here.

Dinner went well. Remembering the human ways of asking for another filling, I refrained from smashing any mugs and plates.

Thor baking

Thor baking

Dessert was a do-it-yourself thing. We baked gingerbreads. Even a god can experience new things.

Piglets, bears and various feminine shapes demanded a manly counterpart. Hammertime.

Thor baking Mjölnir

Mjölnir cookie

I haven’t done much crafting since divine pre-school. It was actually really fun. And this wasn’t the last of it. Father’s Day was coming and the children made cards for their daddy dear.

I have to say, I’m not very pleased with my old man for sending me on this earthly humble pie journey but you have to respect yer elders. So here you go All-Father.

Odin runes

Happy Father’s Day, Odin

This Reetta woman had a strange gleam in her eyes when she told me that she wasn’t going to take me to work with her. I heard some muttering of “mine, all mine.” Scary.

After frolicking outside in the snow, I discovered the Portal. Utterly fascinating, a whole new dimension I had never heard of. It wasn’t any of the Nine Realms, that’s for sure.

Thor Skylanders portal

Thor and the Portal

I was guided in the art of Playstation by a friendly giantess named Ninjini. I have been known to have a soft spot for exotic ladies but I swear I stayed true to Mum, err, Debra.

Thor Ninjini

Thor and Ninjini

The day passed in a whirl of new found digital addiction. When the children got home, they demanded their game back. Selfish brats.

Lets just say that put me into a mood. Luckily there was a worthy target for my wrath, Orcus, a demon prince and Lord of the Undead. Pretty fancy title, huh?

Thor vs. Orcus

Thor vs. Orcus

The little spoilsports had to foil that too. No fighting?! How in Hel do these humans have fun?

I… I almost can’t speak of what came next. Naughty spot. Curfew. *sob*

The humiliation. Bested by two little brats. I, Thor, who have not been bested by anyone but crone Elli, the Old Age herself. And well, Lara. And Sheila. And the previous human child…. But who’s counting. This globe tour better be worth the throne of Asgard.

I just can’t take it anymore in this household. Farewell Finland, it’s been an experience.

The first available plane flies to Malta… I sense an adventure waiting.

But alas, so we won’t part in too somber mood, lets end it with a song.

And this video made me like children again.

The End.

Now I want to hear from you. If Thor came to visit you, what would you show him? And do you have a favorite superhero?

Link Feast For Writers, vol 52

Hello dear readers, this Link Feast’s alive. It’s alive!

I’m sorry for neglecting you. Work has been crazy since I shifted departments. Excuses, schmexcuses but I will get bi-weekly steady again.

I’ve been sitting on these links for a while so it’s time to push this baby out into the world. Luckily the best writing advice and good blog posts in general don’t have an expiration date.

But if you want the freshest writing tips, I recommend you to check out the other link mash-ups in the Collected Wisdom section.

Next Link Feast coming up in two weeks on Sunday. Wrote that down to my calendar even. Or I will when I find it under all the crap 😛 House work hasn’t exactly been steady either.

Anyway, enjoy the links. And please leave a comment 🙂

 

If You Have Time For Only One Thing

How to Create a Three-Phase Writing Ritual by Debra Eve

 

On Writing

Learning From the Masters by Gabriela Pereira (the 4 types of books writers should read)

168 Hours: Time and Productivity #1 by Gene Lempp

Time Managament Tip: “Yes Makes Less” by Jenny Hansen

What’s on Your “Why To Do It” List? by Carleen Brice

Dreaming Big by Sharon Bially

10 Steps to Finding Your Writing Voice by Jeff Goins

When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left by Robin LaFevers

Fear: The Uninvited Guest by Robin LaFevers

Writing Is Magic by Kristan Hoffman

How to Be an Author 24/7 by Bill Ferris

Fifty Lessons From Fifty Shades of Grey – Part I (Writer Unboxed)

Fifty Lessons From Fifty Shades of Grey – Part II (Writer Unboxed)

Fifty Lessons From Fifty Shades of Grey – Part III (Writer Unboxed)

Drive, Don’t Chase by Jael McHenry (On following writing trends)

Levels of Conflict by John Vorhaus

4 Big Pitfalls in Story Opening by K.M. Weiland

The First Ten Pages of a Sceenplay by Erik Bork (totally applicable to the first chapter of a novel)

Adapting Screenplay Structure to Genre Novels by James Preston

Avoiding Boring Character Biographies by David Corbett

5 Reasons Why Han Solo Is the Most Realistic Person in Star Wars by Ryan Britt and Emily Asher-Perrin

Clothing Your Characters by Liz Michalski

Letting Your Characters Go by Juliet Marillier

Baby Got Back…. Story by Tiffany Reisz

Doing Research by D.B. Jackson

4 Steps to Successful Revisions by Cathy Yardley

Self-Editing For Everyone, Part 4: The Weakeners by Bridget McKenna

Cliffhangers and Book Series by Kristi Cook

Blind Spots and Obsessions in Historical Fiction: What Were They Thinking? by Dave King

 

Book Marketing & Blogging

5 ways to write a blow-your-mind manifesto by Alexandra Franzen

What are you about? What’s the theme of your life? Make me care. Nay, inspire me.

Marketing: Finding and Selling to Non-Book Book Audiences by Peter McCarthy

The Importance of Knowing Our Audience by Elizabeth S. Craig

Release Activities For the Reluctant Promoter by Elizabeth S. Craig

Don’t know what to blog about? 88 pieces of fill-in-the-blank inspiration by Alexandra Franzen

The Shy Writer’s Cocktail Party Survival Guide by Anne Greenwood Brown

 

Traditional Publishing

5 Reasons to Turn to Traditional Publishers Rather Than Self-Publish by Meg Waite Clayton

5 Essential Elements For Pitching Romance by Marcy Kennedy

How to Maintain a Healthy Author/Agent Relationship by Elizabeth Weed

 

Social Media

Twitter: A Dangerous Sense of Entitlement by Annie Neugebauer

3 Tips on Cleaning Up Your Twitter Account by Jenny Hansen

What If You Hate Facebook? Are You DOOMED? by Lisa Hall-Wilson

The B.A.R.F. Score: How To Know if Social Media is Working For You by Dan Blank

 

Collected Wisdom

Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig

Writing Resources by Gene Lempp

Must-Read Monday by Yesenia Vargas

 

Deep Stuff

100 Questions to Inspire Rapid Self-Discovery by Alexandra Franzen

I Did Not Marry My One True Love by Lisa Hall-Wilson

Insomnia, Wizard Vans, and Why Modern Women Read “50 Shades of Grey” by Kristen Lamb

 

Fun Stuff

10 Funniest Lines in all of Star Wars (According to me) by Ryan Britt

He’s That Bad and That Likeable: Pitch Black by Theresa Delucci

The Chronicles of Riddick: What Happens When You Let Vin Diesel Be Your Dungeon Master by Theresa Delucci

Weird Reality: Reality TV Aimed At Your Inner Geek by Shoshana Kessock

Link Feast For Writers, vol. 50

Writing blogs are a great way to learn about writing and marketing our books. Here are some of the best links I’ve found in the past weeks. Enjoy!
If You Have Time For Only One Thing

How to Get a Book Published: A Step-by-Step Guide by Anne R. Allen

On Writing

10 Ways for an ADD Writer to be OOH! SHINY!…Productive by Kristen Lamb

Career Lessons From Susan Boyle’s Success by Penelope Trunk

Daniel Day-Lewis’ 4 Tips for Writers Who Aspire to Greatness by Jon Morrow

Organization: Why Scrivener Is a Great Writing Tool by Randy Ingermansson (scroll down a bit for the good stuff)

The Three Phases of the Storytelling Process by Larry Brooks

8 Promises You’re Making To Readers – And Then Breaking by K.M. Weiland

The Stuff of Legends – Creating a Character Apocalypse by Kristen Lamb

How to Base a Character On Someone Else’s by Victoria Grefer

How to Write Better Heroes and Villains: Archetypes by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

9 Tips For Creating a Great Antagonist by Debra Vega

Writers, Know Your Archetypes: The Trickster by Debra Vega

The Single Largest Cause of Writer’s Block – Might Not Be What You Believe by Kristen Lamb

It’s Not “What.” It’s “How” by Larry Brooks

A Pantser’s Guide to Beat Sheets by Jami Gold

8 Things You Need to Know About Character Arcs by Debra Vega

Pacing by Ann Voss Peterson

How to Include the Five Senses Without Falling into the Telling Trap by Marcy Kennedy

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Editing Experience by Cressida Downing

Most Common Mistakes: Do’s and Dont’s Of Dialects by K.M. Weiland

The Fantasy Novelist’s Exam by David J. Parker

5 1/2 Steps For Making Feedback Work For Us by Jami Gold

Book Marketing

Seeking the Perfect Book Title by Debra Vega

Book Series: Should We Include a Teaser Excerpt? by Jami Gold

Maven, Connector, or Salesperson: What’s Your Archetype? by Charlie Gilkey

Indie Life: Taking Advantage of the Impulse Purchase by Laura Pauling (why do readers buy your book?)

101 Quick Actions You Can Take Today to Build the Writer Platform of Your Dreams by Kimberley Grabas

11 Must Have Elements For Your Author Website by Kimberley Grabas

How to Launch a Book in 3 Steps by Nick Thacker

How to Market a Book and Strengthen Your Author Platform with Goodreads by Kimberley Grabas

How an Introvert Became a Promoter by Kourtney Heintz

The Introvert’s Guide to Making Great Connections by Les McKeown

(Self-)Publishing

Fearless Pitching, Part 1 by Laura Drake

Fearless Pitching, Part 2 by Laura Drake

The Business Rusch: Dreams and Bestsellers by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Does Free Still Work? by C.J. Lyons

An Interview With ‘the Sluts’ by Larry Brooks (collaboration can really pay off)

Blogging

Does Google Know Your Wrote That? by Randy Ingermansson (scroll down a bit to get to this piece of gold article)

Why Authors Should Be “Selfish” Bloggers: And How To Be One by Victoria Grefer

Fix a Mess of a Multi-Topic Blog by Natalie Webb

5 Signs You’re Having a Blog Identity Crisis and 8 Ways to Fix It by Roni Loren

8 Under-Used Blog Post Structures to Try Today – And 24 Inspiring Examples by Ali Luke

Content Marketing Zen: The 5-Step Process to Creating Remarkable Content by Gregory Ciotti

13 Blog Post Blunders You Should Avoid (And What to Do Instead) by Kimberley Grabas

8 Steps to Create Visually Appealing Blog Posts by Rebecca Belliston

Should We Use a Blog Commenting System? by Jami Gold

Social Media

Facing a Social Media Apocalypse? Sometimes We Need to Mend the Hearts We Hurt by Kristen Lamb

Social Media Strategies and Decisions by Laura Pauling

Slack, Fake and Egocentric Followers: How to Spot Them by Cate Russell-Cole

Collected Wisdom

Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig

Writing Resources by Gene Lempp

Monday Must Reads by Yesenia Vargas

Deep Stuff

Build a Small Fire and Sit Close To It by Charlie Gilkey

What’s The Best Advice Your Elders Ever Gave You? by Jenny Hansen

50+ Better Questions To Ask Than How To Be More Productive by Charlie Gilkey

Fun Stuff

10 Sources That Inspired Game of Thrones’ Dark Storytelling by Katharine Trendacosta and Charlie Jane Anders

What if The Simpsons was invaded by characters from Game of Thrones? by Meredith Woerner

All the Books Getting Turned Into Movies and TV Shows Over the Next Year by Meredith Woerner

15 Book Series To Read If You Enjoyed “The Hunger Games” by Arielle Calderon and Natalie Morin

30 Most Hilarious Auto Correct Struggles Ever by Jessica Misener

Nerd Nirvana: Top 10 Nerdiest Cities in America by Amanda Kooser

Link Feast For Writers, vol. 49 – Setting Special

Here’s your round of writing, book marketing and other interesting links. My apologies for missing weeks. I’ve been really busy with work and family.

Next Link Feast is due in two weeks, on Friday 21st of July. Because of work schedules I’m moving Link Feasts permanently for later weekday.

Enjoy the links. And please leave a comment. I’d love to hear what kind of links would be most useful to you right now 🙂

 

On Writing

Why Good Writers Sometimes Give Bad Advice? by Lisa Cron

To get the answers we need, we must ask the Right Questions by Jennette M. Powell

Authors: How Are You Backing Up Your Manuscripts and Business Files? by D.D. Scott

The Weirdest Story Ideas Come From Your Own Obsessions by Kelly Link

Pinterest: The Ultimate Writing Excercise by Shannon at DuoLit

Write Your Novel Step by Step by Melanie Anne Phillips

10 Traits of Great Protagonists by Janice Hardy

How to Prevent Predictable Plots by Noelle Sterne

Families: Google+ Worldbuilding Hangout by Juliette Wade

Why the Hero’s Journey Is a Tourist Trap by Lisa Cron

Figuring Out Your Story’s Turning Points by Jenny Hansen

How to Structure Your Story, Part 11: The Spiritual Crisis by Matt Bird

How to Structure Your Story, Part 12: Proactive Pursuit of the True Goal by Matt Bird

How to Structure Your Story, Part 13: The Timeline Is Unexpectedly Moved Up by Matt Bird

Setpiece Scenes: The Unlimited Production Budget by Alexandra Sokoloff

The 7 Essential Questions of Plot – Do You Ask Them? by Jenny Hansen

10 Things Your Opening Chapter Should Do:  A Check-List for Self-Editing by Anne R. Allen

Once More With Feeling by Shannon Donnelly

“Deepening” In to a Scene of Oppression by Juliette Wade

Make It Stick: The Art of Chapter Ending by Tiffany Reisz

Different Voices In Your Narrative by Juliette Wade

How to Write Characters Who Don’t Sound Like You by Janice Hardy

4 Most Common Mistakes Fiction Editors See by Victoria Mixon

How I Self-Edit My Novels: 15 Steps From First Draft to Publication by K.M. Weiland

Using a Critique Checklist, or, How Not To Look Like a Twit by Becca Puglisi

Create a Style Sheet For Your Manuscript by Rachelle Gardner

Should Authors Write Bad Book Reviews by Kristen Lamb

Is It Fair For Authors to Review Other Authors: Do We Ruin the Magic? by Kristen Lamb

 

Settings and World Building

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Setting by Janice Hardy

Setting Your Tale – Part 1 by David Farland

Persistent World, Persistent Characters by David Farland

How Real Do You Want Your World to Be? by David Farland

Your Setting as a Petri Dish by David Farland

Resonance in Settings by David Farland

World Building Tips Learned at Louvre by Janice Hardy

Tips For Shared Worlds and Collaboration Between Independent Authors by Charlotte E. English

 

Book Marketing & Social Media

Writers: 5 Tips on How to Identify Your Target Audience by Colby Marshall

Tweeting Is Not a Marketing Strategy by Dan Blank

10 Free (or Mostly Free) Book Launch Strategies by Chris Robley

Reach New Readers With The Magic Of Audiobooks by Wolf Pascoe

7 Ways Authors Waste Time “Building Platform” on Social Media by Anne R. Allen

What Is Your Strategy For Social Media Intimacy? by Srinivas Rao

25 Tweet Ideas To Help Authors Fight Follower Fatigue by Toni at DuoLit

5 Ways to Use Pinterest For Book Promotion by Shannon at DuoLit

Getting the Most Out of Triberr as Authors by Kenra Daniels

 

(Self-)Publishing

Murder Most Foul by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The New World of Publishing: Stop Submitting Manuscripts to Traditional Publishers by Dean Wesley Smith

The Stages of an Indie Writer by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

How to Survive and Thrive as an Indie Author by Karen Woodward

Writing on the Ether: Faster, Authors, Faster! by Porter Anderson

 

Blogging

8 Ways Blog Writing Is Unique by Mark Schaefer

Six Steps to a Stress-Free Blogging Habit by Skellie at DailyBloggingTips

3 Ways to Blogging Success by Joel Friedlander

How to Write Your Best Post Ever, Part 1: Planning by Vinita Zutshi

How to Write Your Best Post Ever, Part 3: Editing by Vinita Zutshi

The Brain-Dead Simple But Effective Way To Become a Better Writer by Greg Digneo

5 Ways to Bond With Your Audience by Henneke Duistermaat

Why You Shouldn’t Create a Newsletter (and What to Do Instead) by Jon Morrow

How to Add a Click to Tweet to Your Blog Posts by Caitlin Muir

5 New Ways to Think About Guest Posting by Annabel Candy

How to Use Google+ To Easily Record a Video Blog by Marcy Kennedy

How to Read More Blogs In Less Time by Rachelle Gardner

 

Collected Wisdom

Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig

Writer Resources by Gene Lempp

Monday Must Reads by Yesenia Vargas

 

Deep Stuff

5 Life-Saving Facts About Blood Clots by Jenny Hansen

5 Simple Behaviours That Help Prevent Blood Clots by Jenny Hansen

Do You Need a Judgement Day Bucket List? by Jenny Hansen

The Truth About Why You Aren’t Learning Anything in Your Online Classes by Tea Silvestre

25 Things to Know About Sexism and Misogyny in Writing & Publishing by Chuck Wendig

Boudicca: An Archetype For the Ages by C.P.D. Harris

Introduction to the Green Beret Survival Guide and Why You Need It by Bob Mayer (a must read for anyone interested in Post Apocalyptic books)

 

Fun Stuff

An Earnest Attempt to Make You Feel Good Avout Game of Thrones Again by Leah Schnelbach

Movie Review: Man of Steel by Melinda VanLone

No, Man of Steel’s Superman Is Not Your Superman. And That’s Okay by Emily Asher-Perrin

The Great Fantasy Novel Nomination: The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett by Myke Cole (having just read the first three books of the series, I had to share this. Impressive fantasy)

Fiction Affliction: June Releases in Urban Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson

Fiction Affliction: Genre Benders For June by Suzanne Johnson

Fiction Affliction: June Releases in Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson

Link Feast For Writers, vol. 48

Writing blogs are a great way to learn about the craft and marketing our work. Enjoy the posts I’ve hoarded, some older, some recent.

And tune in for the next Link Feast, coming out in two weeks.

 

If You Have Time For Only One Thing

What’s Your Excuse For Not Writing? by Monica Bhide

 

On Writing

What Are the Odds of Success? … Really? by Kristen Lamb

Dare To Suck (great video, 3:56 min) by Jenny Hansen

Getting Organized by Karen Woodward

Creative People Say No by Kevin Ashton

Don’t Talk About It – Drive the Flaw to the Surface for Great Fiction by Kristen Lamb

How to Push Your Character to Their Limits by David Corbett

Does Your Novel Have Too Many Characters? by Janice Hardy

Genre Structure, Part 2: Thriller, Conspiracy and Action by Matt Bird

Specific Genre Structures, Part 3: Horror by Matt Bird

Specific Genre Structures, Part 4: Drama and Tragedy by Matt Bird

The 7 Basic Plots: Voyage and Return by Liz Bureman

How Convenient – Plot Contrivance by Elizabeth S. Craig

How to Build a Scene: Do You Have Surface Conflict and a Suppressed Conflict? by Matt Bird

A Psychological Self-Help Tool For Fiction Writers by Joseph Burgo

Hooks, Lines – And Sinkers by Shannon Donnelly

WriterStrong: Getting Fresh Emotion on the Page by Laura Drake

What’s the Visual? Adding Power to Your Writing by Margie Lawson

Three Great Tips From An Old Crime Writer by John Yeoman

Revision Tips by Angie Smibert

Writing a Book: What Happens After the First Draft by Joanna Penn

Ask Jami: Can This Story Be Saved? by Jami Gold

5 Ways to Find the Right Freelance Editor by Stacy Ennis

What Should We Expect From a Freelancer Editor? (A Timely Debate) by Therese Walsh

How to Serve and Swallow Criticism by Kristan Hoffman

7 Ways to Write a Stand Alone Book With Series Potential by Kurtis Scaletta

10 Things to Remember About Sequels by Janice Hardy

Three Ways Serials Can Improve Your Writing by Susan Kaye Quinn

4 Tips For Beta Reading In Other Genres by Jami Gold

Seven Ideas For Crafting Creative Book Reviews by Jody Hedlund

 

Book Marketing

The Business Rusch: Word of Mouth by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Entropy Is Real and Author Careers Need Feeding Daily by Kristen Lamb

5 Reasons Relationships Are the Core of Your Author Platform by Dan Blank

Ideal Reader Excercises and Why You Should Do One (New Free Resource) by Laura Pepper Wu

A Checklist of Basic Promotion Materials For Indie Authors by Chris Robley

New Author Series: How Do You Build a Fan Base Anyway? by Lindsay Buroker

How Sue London’s First Novel Became an Amazon Success in a Couple of Weeks by Lindsay Buroker

Book Marketing Tips For Fiction And Non-Fiction Authors by Joanna Penn (17:41 min video)

Marketing Sweat Equity in Book Publishing by Susan Kaye Quinn

How to Write a Back Blurb For Your Book by Joanna Penn (5:02 min video)

Selling Your Book – Hook, Line and Sinker by Susan Kaye Quinn

Street Teams: Why You Need One and How to Create One by Steena Holmes

How to Launch a Bestselling Book by Michael Hyatt

If You Write Two Different Kind of Books, Do You Need Two Different Websites? by Liz Higgs

Lessons Learned Froma a Magazine Launch – Use Them In Your Book Promotions by Laura Pepper Wu

Does This Bio Make Me Look Fat? 8 Tips For Enchanting Your Author Bio by Laura Pepper Wu

 

(Self-)Publishing

The Secret Way to Find a Literary Agent by John Yeoman

Mark Coker, Founder of Smashwords, Shares Survey Results: 5 Ways To Sell More eBooks by Karen Woodward

Lets Get Visible: Cracking The Amazon Algorithms With David Gaughran by Joanna Penn

Why I’m Totally Okay With Giving My Book Away Free by Dana Sitar

The Business Rusch: Shifting Sands by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Amazon’s New Scifi, Fantasy and Romance Sub-Categories by India Drummond

eBook Pricing Strategies: Pulsing and Pacing by D.D. Scott

Amazon Fan Fiction Model: Is It a Good Idea? by Jami Gold

 

Blogging

Why You Should Blog to Build Your Writing Career by Justine Musk

How to Create a Blog Purpose Statement in 3 Simple Steps by Darren Rowse

7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Bring Clarity to Your Blogging by Darren Rowse

On Hamburgers and Hooks: How to Effortlessly FIND (Not Write) Your Compelling First Line by Kelly Diels-Rostant

How to Write Your Best Post Ever, Part 2: Writing by Vinita Zutshi

Pixabay – A great blog photo source (free to use quality photos)

3 Things I’ve Learned From Blogging Every Day For a Year by Karen Woodward

Author Blogging 101: Blog Analytics by Joel Friedlander

Adding Google Analytics Tracking Code to WordPress by Joel Friedlander

Direct Marketing, Scottsdale Arizona, and Why a $10 Ebook Can Change Your Life by Joel Friedland (Turn your most popular blog posts into eBooks)

 

Social Media

Finding Your Authentic Social Media Voice by Abby Kerr

Get the Most Out of Facebook in the Least Amount of Time: A 10 Tip Guide by Anne Chaconas

The Ultimate Guide To Goodreads For Authors by Joanna Penn

29 Tips From the Top Google Plus Geeks by Ramsay at Blog Tyrant

Pinterested Explained By Someone Who Doesn’t Get It by Drew Hoolhorst

 

Collected Wisdom

Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig

Monday Must Reads by Yesenia Vargas

 

Deep Stuff

Personal Growth: The Right – And Wrong – Way to Share It With Others by Marie Forleo

We Have Always Fought: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle and Slaves’ Narrative by Kameron Hurley

Living In Dystopia by Eugene Myers

Why Superheroes Are an Awesome Allegory For Real Teen Life by Leigh Anne Kopans

 

Fun Stuff

Relationships: The Male vs. Female Perspective In Under 2 Minutes by Jenny Hansen

Shall We Begin? Star Trek Into Darkness Spoiler Review by Keith DeCandido

Nitpicks and Not Being a Know-It-All: Talking To Your Friends About the Game of Thrones (When They Haven’t Read the Books) by Bridget McGovern

Who Actually Deserves to Win the Game of Thrones by Chris Lough

Nebula Award 2012 Winners

News Events I Shouldn’t Laugh At (But Do) — Michael Douglas, By The Tweets… by Jenny Hansen

If Margaret Mitchell Submitted Gone With the Wind Today by Leigh Michaels

A Day Made of Glass (5:29 min video with cool futuristic tech)

5 Tips To Get Book Endorsements and Reviews

The best time to start promoting your book is 3 years ago. The second best a year ago. If that’s not possible, start now.”

That book promotion advice is especially true when it comes to endorsements and reviews. You’re more likely to get praising blurbs from people who know you, like you and whose backs you’ve rubbed.

But if you don’t have those connections yet, don’t despair. You can get endorsements and reviews with a kick ass book, thorough research, well crafted emails, determination and follow-up. Have faith in you and your book.

Here are my top 4 tips for getting endorsements and reviews:

1. Lay the foundation.

Join a reader/writer community of your own genre at least 4 months before your book comes out. It can be a fan forum, Kindle author forum or Twitter hashtag group or what ever medium suits you and your Ideal Readers. Dedicate 10 minutes a day to getting to know some people there. If they have blogs, read them and comment.

I recommend the wonderful WANA community (We Are Not Alone). Our Twitter hashtag is #MyWANA. Twitter is a great way to discover the blogs of WANAs and frequent them.

Also, make your book as gorgeous as it can be. You need a pretty cover and top notch blurb. Having a clear website with all the information readers and book bloggers might need is a big plus.

2. Call in favors.

When you have blogging buddies who read your genre, ask them to blog a review and/or post a short review to Goodreads or Amazon. Return the favor when their book is out.

And don’t forget to pimp your book to your flesh space friends who read. Pester… er, cajole them to post reviews to Goodreads and Amazon. If they loved your book, they’ll do it gladly.

3. Know your field and give before you ask.

Follow a few book blogs of your genre that review books you enjoy. Leave comments and share their links – book bloggers appreciate the love as much as any blogger. If you’ve given first, they’ll remember you and might be more willing to review your book if they have time.

For endorsements for indie authors, it might be smart to focus on succesful self-published authors in your genre. Another great option is writers whose workshops or courses you have taken. You can also use snippets of reviews as endorsements.

To get 2 reviews/endorsements, you might have to ask as many as 10 people. Authors and book reviewers are busy, and reviewers have To Read Lists as long as your arm. Make it as easy as possible for them to review your book. Give them all the information in your email and have a clear and informative website. Maybe even create a specific section there for reviewers.

4. Do book giveaways like crazy.

Give em away on your blog, your friends’ blogs (bribe them with guest posts) and on blog tours. The more books out there, the more likely they’re read and reviewed by readers. Rafflecopter is your friend. Goodreads is another great place to get your book baby on the hands on readers.

5. Keep gathering reviews after the book release.

Reviews are important even after the launch. Book blogger reviews give you visibility and reader reviews give you credibility. Once you’ve established an email list, you can ask readers to post their reviews in Goodreads and Amazon. The more reviews there are, the easier it is to get more. It’s a snowball effect.

 

Last but not least, check out these links with more specific advice:

Reviews and Endorsements: Do They Matter? by Darcy Helle

Quotes For Your Book – How and Why to Get Them by Sue Collier

The Discoverability Challenge: With More Authors Self-Publishing Each Year, How Will Your Book Get Noticed? by Jessica Bennett

8 Step Plan For Landing Book Promotion Endoresements by Dana Lynn Smith

Gutsy Book Buzz: How to Get Endorsements by Sonia Marsh

7 Ways to Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith

Indie Book Reviewer – A Listing of Bloggers Who Review Indie Books

How to Get Reviewed at The Kindle Book Review

Getting Reviewed – The Indie Author Condundrum by Eric Dontigney

How to Get Books Reviewed by Giacomo Giammatteo (Giveaways are they key to getting reader reviews)

How to Write an Email That Will Win You A Book Review by Catherine Ryan Howard.

Getting Book Reviews: 10 Things Reviewers Hate by Alexander Tate

Requesting Book Reviews by the Bookish Babe

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers