Chuck Wendig has done it again, this time with a post on the 25 things writers should know about theme. Are you following his blog yet? At least checking it regularly? You should be. Also, he made this post on self-doubt. I particularly liked the line about the "rogue gallery of nemeses."
I think we all realize that I officially have a Thing for Greta van der Rol and her wonderful writing. Well. Now I have one more reason to love her. No, this post doesn't strictly fit in with my "writing help" theme, but it's worth reading because I believe it illustrates very well how one simple thing can turn us on to something and inspire us and then we can do something great. (The moment I fell in love with Star Wars, by the way, happened at the end of A New Hope, when Red Leader says "Lock S-foils in attack position," and the X-wings opened up. As for when I fell in love with science fiction, I couldn't possibly say. It has been part of my entertainment for as long as I can remember.)
I missed this post in my last roundup, but it's worth reading. Imran Siddiq asks, "Do I need an editor?" and the answer is a resounding "Yes!" I'm in the process of starting to research good editing tips right now because, coming the second or third week of October, we will have an All About Editing week here on the blog. I have one guest post from a brilliant editor lined up and I hope to work out details with a second editor for another guest post. I also plan to write a couple of posts on beta-reading and self-editing.
James Killick posted ten questions to ask your characters, something I found fascinating and useful. I think that a lot of new writers have difficulty with characterization. I don't exactly consider myself a new writer, but I do recognize that characterization is something I need to work on.
Keystrokes & Word Counts is such a great blog. This post on backing up your files, this post on reviews, and this post on playing nice are all worth reading.
The Lindsay's Ramblings blog has had a series of defining "-punk" posts lately. If you're curious about things like steampunk and splatterpunk and anything that ends in, well, punk, then I suggest checking her out.
Two blogs worth following: Pub Rants and Slush Pile Hell. Even if you self-publish, I believe you should be educated about the publishing industry and I think you should seek out whatever information you can from agents and editors. You know that whole "Knowledge is power, power corrupts; study hard, be evil" thing? I mean, just the "knowledge is power" part. Anyway, I'm still learning about the publishing industry, and reading blogs from agents and editors--even the humorous, ranty one like Slush Pile Hell--is incredibly useful.
Aimee Salter offered this #1 blogging tip. I completely agree. I allow anonymous comments. Sure, you get some spam and some nastiness, maybe, but in the end, it's worth it.
If you're interested in traditional publication, read this post at Sirra's blog on the dos and don'ts in query letter writing. Seriously, follow her blog. She may be stabby, but she's smart and genuinely wants to help.
Your Cover Uncovered reviewed another book cover!
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