The Internet is a great thing. It's just full of writers who are willing to share their advice, knowledge, and tips. Today's short post is all about some of my favorite blogs for writers.
Chuck Wendig: Terrible Minds
I love his voice and I love his style. His "25 Things" lists are neat, well-organized, interesting presentations of information all writers can use (or discard at will, because that's what you do with advice).
Words By Stella Deleuze
Stella is an editor in addition to being a writer and so she offers tips from both perspectives. My favorite posts of hers so far have been Tip of the Week posts, which go up on Sundays.
Sirra
Like Stella, Sirra is an editor and a writer. Sirra uses the #stabbylove hashtag on Twitter and her advice tends toward the brutally honest and sometimes even the small things that are easy to overlook.
Only True Magic
The self-publishing tips and tricks posts on this blog are particularly useful. A recent article on the KDP Select program really examined the pros and cons of placing Kindle books into the Select lending program.
Rob On Writing
With articles on everything from specific advice and tips to suggested writing exercises, this is a must-have on my blogroll. The humor that touches every post certainly doesn't hurt, either.
Aimee Salter: Seeking the Write Life
Advice, tips, and editorializing from a writer who "never gave up." I appreciate the message of persistence.
The Bookshelf Muse
Specific elements of storytelling are identified, explained, and examples from the "bookshelf" are discussed. This is a really great blog, particularly if you're stuck on how to "show" something rather than tell it.
What about you? Do you have a blog for writers? Do you have any favorites?
Showing posts with label blog rec. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog rec. Show all posts
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Blog Roundup: August 1 - 7, 2011
Struggling with POV? Sirra's post on the different types of third person point-of-view can help.
Joelle Charbonneau's post at Do Some Damage about the proper care and feeding of a writer has some no-brainer advice, but it always helps to remind yourself to do things like sleep, eat more than coffee and granola, and take time off.
Rik Davnall talks about book prices, the marketplace, and business sense. For what it's worth, I don't think the $0.99 price puts us in the ghetto, either; I fully intend to make use of that price when I finally start to publish. Like Rik, though, I am thinking of using it as more of a promotional tool in certain cases, and to me, that just makes sense.
I like this post about the celebrity of authors. I would recognize some of my favorites, but for the most part, authors are kind of a faceless bunch. (I have an anecdote about being recognized in fanfiction and not being recognized that I'll save or my What I Learned From Fanfiction post.)
Desirae Jeffers posted about choosing a penname this week, and I think it's worth reading. I know that I struggled with choice of penname. As my husband advances in his career, he becomes more of a public figure within his units, and the military spouse community can be... trying at times. I don't necessarily want everyone to know that I write and what I write, so I chose a version of my maiden name as my primary penname, and I chose a second penname that is a play on the first in order to separate my young adult work from my adult work.
There was a post over at The Bookshelf Muse about charisma as a character trait, and another about conflict versus tension. That whole blog is just a gem of information.
I discovered this blog this week, and it's so packed with good advice, neat tips, and excellent writing that it's hard not to get lost over there.
Joelle Charbonneau's post at Do Some Damage about the proper care and feeding of a writer has some no-brainer advice, but it always helps to remind yourself to do things like sleep, eat more than coffee and granola, and take time off.
Rik Davnall talks about book prices, the marketplace, and business sense. For what it's worth, I don't think the $0.99 price puts us in the ghetto, either; I fully intend to make use of that price when I finally start to publish. Like Rik, though, I am thinking of using it as more of a promotional tool in certain cases, and to me, that just makes sense.
I like this post about the celebrity of authors. I would recognize some of my favorites, but for the most part, authors are kind of a faceless bunch. (I have an anecdote about being recognized in fanfiction and not being recognized that I'll save or my What I Learned From Fanfiction post.)
Desirae Jeffers posted about choosing a penname this week, and I think it's worth reading. I know that I struggled with choice of penname. As my husband advances in his career, he becomes more of a public figure within his units, and the military spouse community can be... trying at times. I don't necessarily want everyone to know that I write and what I write, so I chose a version of my maiden name as my primary penname, and I chose a second penname that is a play on the first in order to separate my young adult work from my adult work.
There was a post over at The Bookshelf Muse about charisma as a character trait, and another about conflict versus tension. That whole blog is just a gem of information.
I discovered this blog this week, and it's so packed with good advice, neat tips, and excellent writing that it's hard not to get lost over there.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Blog Roundup: July 25 - 31, 2011
From Sirra's blog this week, there was a third installment of her #writetip tweets. (You can find the first and second installments here and here, respectively.) They're all very good tips, but I like the personal touches she adds with the #stabby and #StrokeJob hashtags.
Heather Adkins posted this week at her blog about formatting your ebook for Smashwords. It's in five parts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) but seems to be well worth it. At the very least, it's one more resource at your disposal.
Chuck Wendig posted on writers and rock stars. It, like pretty much everything else the man seems to have ever written, is NSFW, and, of course, worth it. Just don't drink anything while you read his blog. I mean it. You should also probably read the most recent installment of his "25 Things" series.
Imran Siddiq posted Twitter tips! They're pretty good tips. The "tweet regularly" and "interact" tips apply to any social networking, I think. I also think there's some merit in his "follow selectively" tip. I do follow what, for me, is a really high number of people. And I will continue to follow more, I'm sure, when I find people who interest me or who offer something I find useful. Twitter is a great place to get information and meet fellow indie authors.
Victoria Schwab is so adorable that sometimes it hurts. Her first book comes out in a couple of weeks, and she's doing a giveaway on her blog to celebrate. I love her enthusiasm. It's hard not to be completely thrilled for her (and to really want her book!) when I read one of her posts or tweets.
I slacked on my reading this week since I've been spending so much time editing the stories for Cass. When I wasn't editing, I was working on drafting blog posts. Excuses, excuses. Still, the above posts are the ones that stuck out for me.
Heather Adkins posted this week at her blog about formatting your ebook for Smashwords. It's in five parts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) but seems to be well worth it. At the very least, it's one more resource at your disposal.
Chuck Wendig posted on writers and rock stars. It, like pretty much everything else the man seems to have ever written, is NSFW, and, of course, worth it. Just don't drink anything while you read his blog. I mean it. You should also probably read the most recent installment of his "25 Things" series.
Imran Siddiq posted Twitter tips! They're pretty good tips. The "tweet regularly" and "interact" tips apply to any social networking, I think. I also think there's some merit in his "follow selectively" tip. I do follow what, for me, is a really high number of people. And I will continue to follow more, I'm sure, when I find people who interest me or who offer something I find useful. Twitter is a great place to get information and meet fellow indie authors.
Victoria Schwab is so adorable that sometimes it hurts. Her first book comes out in a couple of weeks, and she's doing a giveaway on her blog to celebrate. I love her enthusiasm. It's hard not to be completely thrilled for her (and to really want her book!) when I read one of her posts or tweets.
I slacked on my reading this week since I've been spending so much time editing the stories for Cass. When I wasn't editing, I was working on drafting blog posts. Excuses, excuses. Still, the above posts are the ones that stuck out for me.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday Miscellany
There is a blog post on homophones in the works. It might be too big for one post (I have kind of a short attention span) so it might end up as two, but it is in the works. It should be up tomorrow or Wednesday... I hope.
I am almost done editing the third of five pages of "Galena." It. Is. Taking. Forever. I'm the sort of writer who hates sending anything to a beta unless I feel like it's ready to be public. While this particular neurosis has served me very well in the past by making the work of my beta readers and editors relatively easy, the actual work that goes into it can get pretty stressful and intense. I know it will all be worth it.
Quick blogroll: Sirra the Editor posted Fundamental Advice For Every Writer and it should probably be required reading for anyone who hopes to make a living with their words; she also has this post about How Not To React To Negative Reviews and while I can't be certain that she was referring to the incident at BigAl's Books and Pals blog when he reviewed Jacqueline Howett's The Greek Seaman, it does exemplify her point; Stella Deleuze has this post on dialogue and this post on her policy of giving reviews, the first of which is very useful advice (especially if you're like me and hate dialogue) and the second of which is thought-provoking; and, finally, Chuck Wendig (who you may or may not realize I kind of have a writer's crush on) posted a new Search Term Bingo entry, and it's funny enough to make you shoot your drink out of your nose, so I suggest not drinking anything that might hurt.
While researching the romance and erotica market, I came across this site which has a ton of information on publishers, the market in general, and sales. I also came across this site, which hurts my eyes to read and has some posts I didn't really "get" but seemed kind of useful nonetheless. If you're looking for romance/erotica-specific stock photography, Razzle Dazzle Stock has a pretty decent collection and reasonable prices. They even have premade covers!
I am almost done editing the third of five pages of "Galena." It. Is. Taking. Forever. I'm the sort of writer who hates sending anything to a beta unless I feel like it's ready to be public. While this particular neurosis has served me very well in the past by making the work of my beta readers and editors relatively easy, the actual work that goes into it can get pretty stressful and intense. I know it will all be worth it.
Quick blogroll: Sirra the Editor posted Fundamental Advice For Every Writer and it should probably be required reading for anyone who hopes to make a living with their words; she also has this post about How Not To React To Negative Reviews and while I can't be certain that she was referring to the incident at BigAl's Books and Pals blog when he reviewed Jacqueline Howett's The Greek Seaman, it does exemplify her point; Stella Deleuze has this post on dialogue and this post on her policy of giving reviews, the first of which is very useful advice (especially if you're like me and hate dialogue) and the second of which is thought-provoking; and, finally, Chuck Wendig (who you may or may not realize I kind of have a writer's crush on) posted a new Search Term Bingo entry, and it's funny enough to make you shoot your drink out of your nose, so I suggest not drinking anything that might hurt.
While researching the romance and erotica market, I came across this site which has a ton of information on publishers, the market in general, and sales. I also came across this site, which hurts my eyes to read and has some posts I didn't really "get" but seemed kind of useful nonetheless. If you're looking for romance/erotica-specific stock photography, Razzle Dazzle Stock has a pretty decent collection and reasonable prices. They even have premade covers!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Web Wednesday: Blogs
You have probably seen me mention that I am addicted to Chuck Wendig's blog. (Embarrassing or lol-worthy typo alert: I wrote his last name as "Wendigo" the first few times.) What's not to love? It's funny, well-written and immensely informative. His post "25 Things You Should Know About Writing A Novel" really helped me settle things when it came to Strawberry Moon, and his most recent 25 Things post--"25 Things You Should Know About Dialogue"--tackles my second least favorite thing in writing. I check this blog daily, because there's always something new and interesting to learn.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a science-fiction, fantasy, romance, and mystery writer. She's prolific, she's intelligent, and she has remarkable insight. Her blog, Business Rusch, is very good. She touches frequently on how self-publishing is affecting the publishing industry and she has a lot of interesting things to say. "A Lawsuit Waiting to Happen" is one of my favorites, but that's mostly because I currently live in Germany and I've noticed the differences she uses to illustrate her point, and I find them hilarious.
Sirra is a freelance editor/translator based in Hawaii. I discovered her blog entirely by accident the other day on Twitter; someone retweeted her. I liked reading her take on what kind of work goes into translating the written word, and her post on the #writetip tag made me smile. She's an editor, and she isn't afraid to share her opinion, so her words seem incredibly valuable to me.
Rik Davnall is kind of in the same place I am. He's going the self-publishing route and he's blogging about it. It's the Future, Stupid is chronicling his journey. He even has posts on outlining (I am a plotter writer, rarely a pantser, so it's always interesting for me to see how other writers write) and on Amazon vs. Other Sellers and how his marketing strategy is shaping up.
I am always on the lookout for blogs, articles, and even tweets to learn as much about self-publishing and self-marketing as possible. It may be because I'm a writer, but I don't find writers talking about writing the least bit dreary. Everyone has a different approach, different techniques, and I feel like I can benefit from knowing as much as possible. Reading about other writers and their process has cut my writer's block back to a mere rare occurrence, and it has given me so many ideas and so many tips about how to accomplish my goals.
To be frank, I'm approaching self-publishing in the way I have approached joining a new fandom in the past: I'm watching and I'm listening, and sometimes, I ask questions discreetly. By the time I feel comfortable with my knowledge, I will be ready to jump in. And if I do my research right, well, I shouldn't make too much of a splash if I don't want to.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a science-fiction, fantasy, romance, and mystery writer. She's prolific, she's intelligent, and she has remarkable insight. Her blog, Business Rusch, is very good. She touches frequently on how self-publishing is affecting the publishing industry and she has a lot of interesting things to say. "A Lawsuit Waiting to Happen" is one of my favorites, but that's mostly because I currently live in Germany and I've noticed the differences she uses to illustrate her point, and I find them hilarious.
Sirra is a freelance editor/translator based in Hawaii. I discovered her blog entirely by accident the other day on Twitter; someone retweeted her. I liked reading her take on what kind of work goes into translating the written word, and her post on the #writetip tag made me smile. She's an editor, and she isn't afraid to share her opinion, so her words seem incredibly valuable to me.
Rik Davnall is kind of in the same place I am. He's going the self-publishing route and he's blogging about it. It's the Future, Stupid is chronicling his journey. He even has posts on outlining (I am a plotter writer, rarely a pantser, so it's always interesting for me to see how other writers write) and on Amazon vs. Other Sellers and how his marketing strategy is shaping up.
I am always on the lookout for blogs, articles, and even tweets to learn as much about self-publishing and self-marketing as possible. It may be because I'm a writer, but I don't find writers talking about writing the least bit dreary. Everyone has a different approach, different techniques, and I feel like I can benefit from knowing as much as possible. Reading about other writers and their process has cut my writer's block back to a mere rare occurrence, and it has given me so many ideas and so many tips about how to accomplish my goals.
To be frank, I'm approaching self-publishing in the way I have approached joining a new fandom in the past: I'm watching and I'm listening, and sometimes, I ask questions discreetly. By the time I feel comfortable with my knowledge, I will be ready to jump in. And if I do my research right, well, I shouldn't make too much of a splash if I don't want to.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday Miscellany
The situation with Strawberry Moon is as follows: I have printed it out and am making notes, edits, and revisions on the hardcopy. I've done 80 of 133 pages, which seems more impressive than it is because the pages are double-spaced (to allow room for notes--there are a lot of notes). The good news is that I have a much better grasp of characterizations and that I have identified three peaks in the conflict. The bad news is that it most definitely will not be done by the end of the month.
I've learned quite a bit about the story over the last few days. I have discovered that this story isn't for my fourteen-year-old self, it's for my sixteen-year-old self, and because of that, I have given myself permission to be slightly darker and more mature than it originally was going to be. It's still a young adult novel; the worst of the vampire's behavior will be off-screen, so to speak. I've learned that Jessica is in denial and Victoria and Amy are a lot alike. I've learned what drives Victoria and more about what drives Vincent. I did this by writing meta until I understood.
Meta: useful.
This morning, I read Chuck Wendig's blog post "25 Things You Should Know About Writing a Novel" and it eased my fears and insecurities about Strawberry Moon. Well, sort of. I'm still a bundle of raw nerves when it comes to the story, but I'm a lot less stressed about it. I swear that makes sense. The post also helped me realize that it's okay to see other stories--which is great, because I have a fantastic idea for stories featuring a demon-hunting ex-priest, a series of shorts featuring the smutty escapades of an Ohio native on Route 66, and a handful of others. It also helped me to accept that I won't make my self-imposed deadline, but that doesn't matter, because I will finish the novel, I will get it out there, and it will probably be read by people who are not my family and friends. Even though I'm stressed, anxious, and driven to drink over this novel, none of it matters, because in the end, I will be win. I've never not succeeded when it comes to story-writing. Why would I start now?
In other news, I started reading Michelle Muto's The Book of Lost Souls, and I am hooked. I love everyone so far, even Ivy's mom, and even though I'm not very far into it (the kids have just brought the books back from the graveyard), I am already dying to know what's going to happen next. I wish I had discovered it when my kiddo slept more; I would have finished it by now!
The other night, I bought and read Delilah Devlin's short "Handy Men". I have to say, if you're looking for really good smut, she is second to none. I first read her short story collection Texas Men a couple of years ago, and since then, have gone back to her writing every time I wanted something hot and well-written.
I am addicted to downloading free books for my Kindle, and I recently downloaded The Bad Widow from Barbara Elsborg. The story didn't do much for me; it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't my style. (I did find the witch aspect of it interesting, though.) The best part, for me, was her author bio at the end. You can read it at her site, here. I laughed so hard.
And last but not least for today: I'm on goodreads. You should be my friend. I'm still working on listing all the books I've read, but I'll get there.
I've learned quite a bit about the story over the last few days. I have discovered that this story isn't for my fourteen-year-old self, it's for my sixteen-year-old self, and because of that, I have given myself permission to be slightly darker and more mature than it originally was going to be. It's still a young adult novel; the worst of the vampire's behavior will be off-screen, so to speak. I've learned that Jessica is in denial and Victoria and Amy are a lot alike. I've learned what drives Victoria and more about what drives Vincent. I did this by writing meta until I understood.
Meta: useful.
This morning, I read Chuck Wendig's blog post "25 Things You Should Know About Writing a Novel" and it eased my fears and insecurities about Strawberry Moon. Well, sort of. I'm still a bundle of raw nerves when it comes to the story, but I'm a lot less stressed about it. I swear that makes sense. The post also helped me realize that it's okay to see other stories--which is great, because I have a fantastic idea for stories featuring a demon-hunting ex-priest, a series of shorts featuring the smutty escapades of an Ohio native on Route 66, and a handful of others. It also helped me to accept that I won't make my self-imposed deadline, but that doesn't matter, because I will finish the novel, I will get it out there, and it will probably be read by people who are not my family and friends. Even though I'm stressed, anxious, and driven to drink over this novel, none of it matters, because in the end, I will be win. I've never not succeeded when it comes to story-writing. Why would I start now?
In other news, I started reading Michelle Muto's The Book of Lost Souls, and I am hooked. I love everyone so far, even Ivy's mom, and even though I'm not very far into it (the kids have just brought the books back from the graveyard), I am already dying to know what's going to happen next. I wish I had discovered it when my kiddo slept more; I would have finished it by now!
The other night, I bought and read Delilah Devlin's short "Handy Men". I have to say, if you're looking for really good smut, she is second to none. I first read her short story collection Texas Men a couple of years ago, and since then, have gone back to her writing every time I wanted something hot and well-written.
I am addicted to downloading free books for my Kindle, and I recently downloaded The Bad Widow from Barbara Elsborg. The story didn't do much for me; it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't my style. (I did find the witch aspect of it interesting, though.) The best part, for me, was her author bio at the end. You can read it at her site, here. I laughed so hard.
And last but not least for today: I'm on goodreads. You should be my friend. I'm still working on listing all the books I've read, but I'll get there.
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