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 For Writers, vol. 45: Antagonist Special
Blog posts are a fun and fast way to learn about writing and marketing our books.
Here’s a smorgasbord of links for you. The chef recommends this week’s special, the dark and conflicting section of the menu. Bon appetit!
On Writing
3 Writer’s Commandments and the Dreaded “S” Word by Jenny Hansen
Three Phases of Becoming a Master Author by Kristen Lamb
6 Ways to Write Every Day by Karen Woodward
5 Unexpected Lessons From Inside the Iowa Writer’s Workshop by Dina Nayeri
Being Profilic by David Farland
Changing the World One Story At a Time, Part 1 by David Farland
Changing the World One Story At a Time, Part 2 by David Farland
Idea vs. Concept by Larry Brooks
How to Develop Any Idea Into a Great Story by Elizabeth Sims
Character Development Tricks by Sheldon at Dramaticapedia
Creating Emotional Frustration In Your Characters by Rachel Scheller
Different Kind of Story Openings: Shock and Seduction by Karen Woodward
7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter by Livia Blackburne
Storyteller’s Rulebook: Beware of Instant Conflict by Matt Bird
How to Organize Time For a Dramatic Story by Michael Rabiger & Mick Hurbis Cherrier
5 Ways to Practice the Art of Double Duty Writing by Susan Squires
Don’t Be an Information Dumper by Don McNair
Storyteller’s Rulebook: Add an OMFG Scene by Matt Bird
Jawing About Writing and Writing About Jaws by Sharla Rae
Series vs. Stand-Alone: What Should We Work On Next? by Jami Gold
The Rules of Romantic Comedy by Karen Woodward
What Is Urban Fantasy Anyway? by Emma Newman
Do You Make These 5 Surprising Short Story Mistakes? (Writer’s Relief)
Writing the Antagonist
Structure Part 3: Introducing the Opposition by Kristen Lamb
Scene Antagonists and Big Boss Troublemakers by Kristen Lamb
What Makes a Great Villain? by Alexandra Sokoloff
Villains: The Forces of Antagonism by Alexandra Sokoloff
Make Your Antagonist a Force For Good by Jami Gold
12 Tips On How To Write Antagonists Your Readers Will Love To Hate by Karen Woodward
Not All Villains Are the Heroes of Their Own Stories by Matt Bird
The Language of the Corrupted by Matt Bird
Book Marketing
Platform Is Craft by Dan Blank
The Dirty Secret of Author Platform (Hint: It’s Difficult) by Dan Blank
Mark Coker, Founder Of Smashwords: Six Ways To Increase Book Sales by Karen Woodward
12 Ideas For Email Updates You’ll Actually Enjoy Writing by Toni at DuoLit
Before Publishing Your eBook: A 3 Month Checklist by Laura Pepper Wu
(Note: This is a product plug. This ebook sounds really useful, and the previous books of Laura have been high quality. But make up your own mind.)
Book Marketing: 9 Activities to Boost Your Author Career by Dana Sitar
Where Can Authors Advertise for the B&N, Apple, and Kobo Stores? by Lindsay Buroker
(Self-)Publishing
Four Steps To a Winning Query by Gabriela Pereira
Amazon KDP Select: Is It Worthwhile For Authors? by C.J. Lyons
Amazon Buys Goodreads: What Does It Mean for Authors and Readers? by Dan Blank
Business Rusch: The Logic Behind Self Publishing by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The New World of Publishing: The Assumption of Agents by Dean Wesley Smith
Self-Publishing in 30 Minutes and 50 Seconds by Joel Friedlander
Blogging
The Changing Nature of Blogging For Fiction Writers by Jody Hedlund
5 Ways to Improve Your Blog Today by Dino Dogan
21 Critical Tasks to Perform As Soon As You Start a Blog by Ramsay at Blog Tyrant
How to Blog Like You Mean to Change the World by Justine Musk
Don’t Let the Well Run Dry: Content Strategy and Your Blog by Liz Bauman
The Art of Keeping Your Audience Coming Back For More by Robert Bruce
Recycle Your Blog Content: 3 Ways to Re-Feature Popular Articles on Your Site by Chris Robley
3 SEO Myths That Scare Writers (And How You Can Use Them to Your Advantage) by Alexis Grant
Google Reader Alternatives by Amy Lynn Andrews
When Should We Upgrade to a Paid Site? by Jami Gold
WordPress.COM vs. WordPress.ORG — Which Is Better for Writers? by Jami Gold
Is Your Site Secure? Tips From a Tech Guy by Jay Donovan
Does Your Site Welcome Disabled Readers? by Linda Adams
Social Media
What To Do When Social Media Bums You Out by Abby Kerr
But Do You *Like* Like a Facebook Page? by Talli Roland
4 Compelling Reasons For Creative People to Start Using Google+ by Mark McGuinness
Pinterest for Authors: How to Promote Your Writing on the Fastest Growing Website Ever by Chris Robley
How Novelist Justine Musk Builds a Fictional World on Pinterest by Lauren Rae Orsini
Directory of Book Bloggers on Pinterest by Mandy at The Well-Read Wife
Collected Wisdom
Writer Resources by Gene Lempp
Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig
Friday Features by Yesenia Vargas
Deep Stuff
The Grass Is Greener When You Water It by Lisa Hall-Wilson
The Not Knowing Path of Being an Entrepreneur by Leo Baubata
What We Lack in a Hyperconnected World by Leo Baubata
The Green Beret Survival Guide by Bob Mayer (some really useful questions to ponder if you live in an earthquake area – or write Post-Apocalyptic novels)
Fun Stuff
The Blacksmith Duel by Jim Paw-Paw Wilson
10 Dinosaur Myths That Need to Go Extinct by Brian Switek
Immortal Monday: Hades, God of the Underworld by Debra Kristi
The Day Thor Came To Visit by Kristy K. James
Fiction Affliction: April Releases In Urban Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson
Fiction Affliction: Genre Benders For April by Suzanne Johnson
Fiction Affliction: April Releases in Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson
Link Feast For Writers, vol. 44
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
The Art of Asking: For Creative Writers and Storytellers by Chuck Wendig
(This is worth your 15 minutes. I promise. Watch the talk.)
On Writing
What Lights Your Creative Spirit on Fire? by Jenny Hansen
Inspiration Hunting in the Publishing World by Sonali Dev
What Kind of an Author Do You Want to Be? by David Farland
How to Write Better, Faster & Easier by Matching Your Writing Process With the Way You Think by Don Fry
Why Some Books Are Harder to Write Than Others by Janice Hardy
The Faster I Write, the Better the Book? by Roni Loren
Be a Copycat by Keith Cronin
The Play’s the Thing by Robin LaFevers
Setting – The First, Most Crucial Choice for your Career AND your Character by Blythe Gifford
How to Use Your Logline, Tagline and Pitch to Write a Stronger Story by Marcy Kennedy
Characters
Creating Characters – What You Really Need by David Farland
Creating Characters – What You Really Need, Part 2 by David Farland
What Your Character Really Needs – The Central Question by David Farland
How to Create a Compelling Character: Contrast Their Outer and Inner Lives by Matt Bird
Know More Than You Show, Part 1: Characters by Matt Bird
Writing From an Authentic Teen Viewpoint by Lydia Sharp
The Hero’s Journey – My Pros and Cons by Veronica Sicoe
Rich Relationships by Donald Maass
Choose Wisely: Metaphors In Character by Jael McHenry
Plotting etc.
Know More Than You Show, Part 2: Plot by Matt Bird
Every Scene Needs It’s Own Hero by Matt Bird
Where Should a Second Chapter Start? by Beth Hill
Stressed-Out Characters – Just the Way We Want Them by Diane Krause
Why Serious Books Need Humor and Levity to Work by Sarah Skilton
Handling Cliffhanger Endings With Multiple POVs by Janice Hardy
The Clock Is Ticking – 5 Tips For Tighter, Cleaner Writing by Kristen Lamb
Know More Than You Show, Conclusion: Theme by Matt Bird
When You Really, Really Care by Dave King
The Battle of Science and Magic, Part One – Particles and Pixie Dust by Victoria Hooper
Be Your Own Book Doctor by Janice Hardy
The 7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing by Janice Gable Bashman & Kathryn Craft
Cynicism Is Never Romantic With Handsome Hansel
Playing the Short Game: Why Short Fiction? by Douglas Smith
Book Marketing
Focusing on the Writing First by Elizabeth S. Craig
Measure Your (Self-)Publishing Competence by Joel Friedlander
(Awesome breakdown of 6 Core Skills all writers need)
Tactics vs. Strategy by C.J. Lyons
The ABCs of Voice Values: Part 2 (H-P) by Abby Kerr
The ABCs of Voice Values, Part 3 (Q-Z) by Abby Kerr
8 Book Marketing Tasks To Tackle BEFORE Your Book Is Published by Toni at DuoLit
3 Ways to Build Meaningful Connections to Move Your Writing Career Forward by Monica Carter Tagore
It’s Write O’Clock: Do You Know Who Your Contacts Are? by Susan Spann
Book Promotion Advice From Popular Indie Fantasy Author Joseph Lallo
Why I Cut My Email List In Half by C.J. Lyons
How to Book Your Own Virtual Book Tour by Chris Robley
When Visibility Doesn’t Lead to Book Sales by Genevieve Pearson
(Self-)Publishing
The #1 Reason for #QueryFails – How to Avoid Automatic Rejection from a Reviewer, Agent, Editor or Blogger by Anne R. Allen
Querying? Think Outside the Box to Get Noticed by LynDee Walker
Turn One Agent’s No Into Another Agent’s Yes by Wendy Burt-Thomas
The Business Rusch: The Bad Book by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (reader & editor preferences)
What Does the Future Look Like For Traditional Publishers and What Does That Mean For Self-Published Authors? by D.D. Scott
Go-To List for Helpful Indie Resources (The Writer’s Guide to Publishing)
The Business Rusch: Binge Reading by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The Frontiers of Publishing by Jason Dyck
Book Promotion – What’s Working at Amazon in 2013 by Lindsay Buroker
Blogging
Do Authors Need a Website and Blog? by Jami Gold
To Blog Or Not To Blog, That Is Jane Friedman’s Question by Karen Woodward
What Should an Author Website Include by Jami Gold
Which Content-Marketing Tasks Can Wait Until After Your Site Launches? by Amy Harrison
How to Build an Online Marketing Audience of People You Don’t Know by Manon Eileen
How Authors Can Survive the Death of Google Reader by Caitlin Muir
5 Lessons Cat Videos Can Teach Us About Blissfully Mindless Content by Marie Rotter
3 Criticial Thigs to Remember About Guest Posting by Danny Iny
Social Media
Wonder Twin Powers…ACTIVATE! Introverts & Extroverts Unite by Kristen Lamb
7 Ways Buffer Will Change Your (Social Media) Life by Shannon at DuoLit
Can Social Media Tools Make Us a Social Tool? by Kristen Lamb
Twitter: My 5 Unshakable Beliefs by Ann Neugebauer
Collected Wisdom
Writing Resources by Gene Lempp
Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig
Friday Features by Yesenia Vargas
Deep Stuff
How to Tell if You’re Really Overloaded (and What to Do About It) by Mark McGuinness
Is It Better to Be a Good Person or a Great One? by Mary Kennedy
Enough Feisty Princesses: Disney Needs an Introverted Heroine by Lindsay Lowe
Will Old People Take Over the World by George Dvorsky
Fun Stuff
The Funniest Amazon Review I’ve Seen This Month by Jenny Hansen
5 Shockingly Advanced Ancient Buildings That Shouldn’t Exist by Eric Yosomono
The 21 Happiest Objects of All Time by Jessica Misener
Fiction Affliction: March Releases in Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson
Fiction Affliction: March Releases in Urban Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson
Fiction Affliction: Genre Benders For March by Suzanne Johnson
Link Feast For Writers, vol. 43
This week’s Link Feast got a tad bloated since I wanted to make this one to be special. It will be the last Link Feast for a while.
I got a full time job. So until I get used to the vastly diminished free time and balancing work and family, my blogging is pretty much on hold. I might be able to whip up some partially written posts but I make no promises when.
Meanwhile, enjoy the link collections of Elizabeth S. Craig, Gene Lempp and Yesenia Vargas. And write. And then write some more 🙂
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
Be the Gatekeeper of Your Mind by Rachelle Gardner
On Writing
How To Push Past The Bullshit And Write That Goddamn Novel: A Very Simple No-Fuckery Writing Plan To Get Shit Done by Chuck Wendig
The Forrest Gump Guide to Writing That Bites Readers in the Buttocks by Jon Morrow
How Badly Do You Want the Dream? by Kristen Lamb
7 Things Confident Writers Don’t Do by Kristen Lamb
Enemies of the Art, Part 8 – Being a Starter, Not a Finisher by Kristen Lamb
To Find Success, Learn to Embrace the Meantime by Kristen Lamb
Defining Yourself as a Writer by David Farland
The Appeal to “Intellect” in Fiction by David Farland
How to Work on More Than One Book At a Time by James Scott Bell
8 Books For Writers by Raima Larter
A 12-Step Checklist For a “Sexy” Synopsis by Shannon Donnelly
Concept
Good to Great: Nail a Better Concept to Empower Your Story by Larry Brooks
“Side Effects” (Deconstruction 1) – The True Concept by Larry Brooks
“Side Effects” (Deconstruction #2) – Putting Concept to Work In the Narrative… Even Before You Write It by Larry Brooks
Characters
Three Questions to Get to the Heart of Your Story by Janice Hardy
Dig Deep Into Character by Kathy Steffen
Why Character Arcs (and Growth) Make Readers Care by Janice Hardy
Strong Character Voices by David Farland
Cultural Guilt by David Farland
How to Get Out of Your Character’s Way by Amy Sue Nathan
Dealing With a Large Cast of Characters by David Farland
Plotting
Plot, Story and Tension by Karen Woodward
Writing and the Monomyth, Part 1 by Karen Woodward
Writing and the Monomyth, Part 2 by Karen Woodward
4 Steps of Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel by Jody Hedlund
Visual Methods of Writing by Robert Ferrigno
Worksheets For the Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass
Storyteller’s Rulebook: Move Up the Timeline by Matt Bird
Putting Emotional Twists In Your Tales by David Farland
How to Write a Scene in 11 Steps [Infographic] by Jason Boog
Compelling Writing
Making the Pages Cry by Becca Puglisi
Immerse the Reader in Your World and Never Let Them Up For Air by Kristen Lamb
Those So-Called Clichés by David Farland
Revising
How To Karate Your Novel And Edit That Motherfucker Hard: A No-Foolin’ Fix-That-Shit Editing Plan To Finish The Goddamn Job by Chuck Wendig
Edit Your Shit: Editing For Content by Chuck Wendig
Self-Editing 101 – 13 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Opening Chapter by Anne R. Allen
Avoid Reader Confusion by Elizabeth S. Craig
Telling Yourself to Show: How to Identify Flat Scenes by Janice Hardy
What Is Your Stylistic Device? by Patience Bloom
10 Proofreading Tips For Self-Publishers by Anna Lewis
Genres
Sleeps With Monsters: Epic Fantasy Is Crushingly Conservative? by Liz Bourke
What Is Gaslight Fantasy? by Terri Windling
Dystopian Round Table: The Appeal of Dystopian Fiction by John Joseph Adams
Teens and Dystopias by Scott Westerfield
Book Marketing
What’s Going On with Readers Today? Goodreads Finds Out
5 Essential Skills For Today’s Online Marketer by Chris Brogan
Building an Author Brand by Ali Cross (IndieReCon)
The ABCs of Voice Values: Learn to “Read” Your Brand & Your Right People (Part 1, A-G) by Abby Kerr
Marketing Plans Made Easy by S.R. Johannes (IndieReCon)
Insert Brilliant Category Romance Title Here! by Patience Bloom
10 Ways to Make Your Cover Stand Out in the Crowd by Alicia Kat Dillman (IndieReCon)
Creative Book Launches That Command Attention by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (IndieReCon)
Money Matters Most in Book Marketing by Rob Eagar
Top 10 Tips: How to Create an Effective Author Website by Malle Vallik
E.C. Myers: Reading Between the Lines (this is one of the juiciest bios & author introductions I’ve ever seen)
12 Steps to Blog Tour Success by Joel Friedlander (IndieReCon)
Why Non-Fiction Books Are the New Ultimate Business Card by Ryan Holiday
(Self-)Publishing
The Financial Reality of a (Trad Published) Genre Novelist by Jason Boog
The Death of Publishing by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
How Have Things Changed In the Last 3 Years in Indie Publishing by Bob Mayer
Interview with Jane Friedman (The State of Publishing and All Kind of Great Writing Tips) by Jerry Waxler
Lessons Learned and Tips From Indie Authors by Ali Cross (IndieReCon)
Top 10 Tips For Successful Self-Publishing by Barbara Freethy (IndieReCon)
Measuring Success by Susan Kaye Quinn (IndieReCon)
Partnering With an Agent by Steena Holmes (IndieReCon)
Amazon’s Bestselling Author Theresa Ragan Treats You to the Steps She Took to Self-Publish
Building a Best-Selling Publishing Team by Miral Sattar of BiblioCrunch (IndieReCon)
The Recipe For Indie Success: Advice From 4 Successful Authors by Shannon at DuoLit
Joe Konrath Talks About How to Sell Books on Amazon by Karen Woodward
Breaking Into International Markets by Orna Ross of ALLi (IndieReCon)
Amazon’s Recommendation Engine Trumps the Competition by David Gaughran
The Shocking Truth: Book Buyers Have Minds of Their Own Chris McVeigh
Here’s the Problem With Book Publishers’ Discovery Problem by Laura Hazard Owen
(Fascinating insight on how super readers – most writers, I suspect – can understand how the average readers discover and select books. An average reader being someone who only reads 6 books / year)
What Aren’t Bookstores Doing? by Jenn Northington
Blogging
Why Do We Blog? by Molly Greene
Is Blogging Still Essential to a Fiction Writer’s Platform by Mike Duran
What the Heck Do I Blog About? Blogging Ideas For Fiction Authors Stuck In a Rut by Laura Pepper Wu
Make Your Blog the Event of the Year (And Have People Clamor to Attend) by Tea Silvestre
Get It Done: 7 Tips for Writing When You Don’t Have Enough Time by Tea Silvestre
Social Media
9 Tips For Making Online Friends by Jami Gold
Build Your Online Writing Community by Gabriela Pereira
Resolve to Tweet Better in 2013 by Nina Badzin
How I Got a Six-Figure Twitter Following (and Why It Doesn’t Matter) by Jane Friedman
0 – 4000 In a Snap – How to Build a Quality Twitter Following Fast by Molly Greene
Twitter Basics – The Proper Care and Feeding of Hashtags by Marcy Kennedy
Facebook: Should We Use a Profile Or a Page by Lisa Hall-Wilson
Facebook Tricks For Better Engagement by Lisa Hall-Wilson
Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make On Facebook and How to Avoid Them by Lisa Hall-Wilson
The Weird Thing About Facebook: Status Updates Are the Most Memorable Writing You Do by Jennifer Miller
It’s Not You Facebook, It’s Me — Okay, It’s Partly You: Why I Unfriended Almost Everyone by Matthew Ingram
Collected Wisdom
Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig
Writing Resources by Gene Lempp
Friday Features by Yesenia Vargas
Deep Stuff
Must Read Monday: The Happiness Project by Roni Loren
15 Ways to Rock Your Sister’s World by Jenny Hansen
Women in Media: Why Our Stories Count by August McLaughlin
2 Critical Myths That Separate Top Performers From Ordinary People by Ramit Sethi (This is a sales page. But you can ignore that and focus on the meat, the myths. And yet, if you have sales pages, are yours this convincing?)
Fun Stuff
How Game of Thrones Season 3 Will Split A Storm of Swords by Chris Lough
‘Hunger Games’ Success Proves Dystopia Is the New Supernatural by Brooke Tarnoff
F*ck Year Warrior Women Picture Blog
Are You Ready to Have Kids? This Quiz Should Tell You by Little White Lion (thanks for this funny link, Jenny Hansen)
Writer Horoscopes Monopoly Style by Donna Gambale
Link Feast For Writers, vol. 35
Happy New Year! I hope these links help to make year 2013 kickass for you. Enjoy.
If You Have Time For Only One Thing
Suicide, Shame and the Painful Truth About Accomplishing Your Goals by Jon Morrow
On Writing
How to Keep Production Going All Year by Dean Wesley Smith
Writing Five Minutes a Day by Alexandra Sokoloff
Should A Writer Let Her Reader’s Expectations Influence Her Artistic Judgement? by Karen Woodward
Logline Library (hundreds of movie loglines)
Losing My Religion: Misconceptions About Tone by Matt Bird
13 Ways to Create Compelling Characters by Justine Musk
Dangerously Genre Savvy Villains (TV Tropes, check out some of the examples)
Name That Character: Top 10 Tips (The Script Lab)
The Paradox by Donald Maass
Stephen King’s Magic: How To Write Compelling Characters & Great Openings by Karen Woodward
A Simple Way to Create Suspense by Lee Child
Act and Sequence Bridges by Alexandra Sokoloff
The Past Is a Foreign Country, So Learn the Language by Matt Bird
The Importance of Setting by Meredith Bond
Four Tips For Fixing the Infamous Info Dump by Jami Gold
How Many Drafts Does It Take to Write a Novel by Karen Woodward
10 Things I Know About How Writers Read by Jenny Hansen
YA Authors Are Creating a New Steamy Genre by Leslie Kaufman
Download and Study Award Nominated Screenplays
Book Marketing
Do You Have a Personal Platform Plan for 2013? by Michael Hyatt
Why Authors Must Build Direct Channels to Readers (Kindle Review)
Your Author Business Plan: Compare, Contrast and Conquer by Susan Spann
Feel Like You’re Running in Place? 4 Simple Ways to Track Your Book Marketing Process by Toni at DuoLit
25 Things I Learned From Doing Business in 2012 by Abby Kerr
Your Story Is Your Marketing Strategy by Vanessa Merit Nornberg
(Self-)Publishing
Writing and Publishing in 2013: How to Survive and Thrive, Part One by Karen Woodward
Writing and Publishing in 2013: How to Survive and Thrive, Part Two by Karen Woodward
What’s Ahead in 2013–Predictions for the Future of Publishing and Authors of the Digital Age by Kristen Lamb
Konrath’s Resolutions For Writers by J.A. Konrath (damn inspiring)
Kindleboards: How to Add Your Signature to Your Profile, Network and Other Tips by Laura Pepper Wu
Blogging
A Rant on Why I Disagree With So Many Blogging and Marketing Experts by Marcus Sheridan
How to Make Your Site the Destination For Your Market by Chris Garrett
7 Ways to Fascinate Your Readers and Build a Hugely Loyal Following by Henneke Duistermaat
How to Quit Publishing Bad Content by Sonia Simone
4 Tips For Writing a Blog Post Opening That Turns Heads by Tara Horner
How a Quick Analysis of Your Top Posts Can Improve Your Blogging Results Next Year by Michael Hyatt
8 Incredibly Simple Ways to to Get More People to Read Your Content by Pamela Wilson
How to Get 40 000 Readers Without Guest Blogging by Gregory Ciotti
Reblogging Etiquette by Marcy Kennedy
‘Tis the Season to Be Chaotic, Is Reblogging the Answer? by Jami Gold
How to Improve Your Website Trust Factor by Chris Garrett
Social Media
A Simple Cheat Sheet for Using Pinterest for Marketing [Infographic] by Pamela Vaughan
Pinterest Could Be the Ultimate Tool for Curating Content by Tami Smith
Collected Wisdom
Twitterific by Elizabeth S. Craig
Friday Features by Yesenia Vargas
Deep Stuff
Everyday Deeds That Keep the Darkness At Bay by Lisa Hall-Wilson
Mommy Quandrary: Teaching Faith When You’re Not Sure Where You Stand by Roni Loren
Urgency: The Natural Way to Prioritize by Mark Forster
50+ Better Questions To Ask Than How To Be More Productive by Charles Gilkey
Checklist of Rationality Habits by Anna Salamon (Myers-Briggs TJs do this naturally, we FPs need some help)
The Busy Trap by Tim Kreider
Fun Stuff
The Evil Overlord List (TV Tropes)
2012 Fiction Wrap Up From Tor.com (few dozen SFF short stories)
About Reetta
I'm a Finnish fantasy / urban fantasy writer who loves reading, roleplaying and all things medieval. 
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