Blog Roundup: July 1 - 8, 2012

Greta van der Rol released a new short story this week. GO GET IT.

Karen McQuestion posted about keeping your finger on the pulse of the publishing industry with a short list of go-to blogs. I can't fault her choices there and I recommend anyone just starting out follow those blogs.

Parajunkee posted about DNF (did not finish) book reviews. As a reader, I think DNF reviews are very useful. If readers who think like me didn't finish a book, I want to know that, and I want to know why.

Aimee Salter defines humility and insecurity. This should be required reading for new authors. (I would also like to add a bit on false humility. Where you say, "Oh, no, I'm terrible" to make yourself look good, then reject all criticism because you secretly believe--and your "friends" confirm--that you're the Best EVAR. No. No, you're not.)

I love Sierra Godfrey's 6 Tips for a Friendly Author Website. So many authors, especially self-published though traditionally published authors (George R. R. Martin, Aaron Allston, I'm looking at you fellows), have bad websites. Don't be one of them.

Stella Deleuze's Confessions post is nice to read because, really, we're all of us--self-published authors--in the same boat. We want to produce high-quality, error-free text that lets us live our dream.

Delilah Dawson's 10 Tips for Barfing a Book made me laugh and agree. She's got some great tips there.

Blog Roundup: June 1 - June 30, 2012

Oh, Chuck. I knew I could count on you to keep the quality coming while I was away. As usual, Chuck Wendig kept up his 25 posts: Ways To Fight Your Story's Mushy Middle, Reasons This Is The Best Time To Be A Storyteller, Things You Should Know About Writing Fantasy, Things You Should Know About Writing Sex.

Greta van der Rol wrote about local colour and asked, "How much is too much?"

Into the Morning had this interesting post on the subject of reviews. She breaks down her comments in a list to reviewers and to writers. Worth a look, I think, especially if you're a reviewer... or an author who has received a negative review.

Isis Rushdan had a simple, inspiring post on hard work.

If you want to be a bloody awful writer, James Killick has some tips for you.

Paperback Writer is such a wonderful resource blog. This month, she had a number of great posts: No-Nos for the Nasty, a review of a free editing program, and a list of short story sins.

Among her other useful posts this month, Aimee Salter wrote about the critical requirements for successful self-editing.

Sierra Godfrey's How to Sell Books post could really apply to any product you want to sell, as evidenced by her anecdote about spearmint.

Sirra collected another round of her Twitter writing tips.

I typically don't include posts from Somebody Has To Say It, but two posts stood out for the month of June: this one on dialogue attributes and this one on publishing contracts.

Stella was my most recent Blog Roundup feature, so you should already have read some of her most recent entries. If you haven't, start with this Tip of the Week post on editing and professionalism.

Nine Writing Things: Great Blogs Run By Writers For Writers

When I first decided to self-publish, I did a lot of reading. A lot. I found a ton of great articles, started a blog, and started following a bunch of bloggers who were writing about writing. Not just self-publishing, but writing in general. I've written long enough to know that I don't have to do what everyone else tells me to do, but that other writers--especially older ones, more experienced ones, and ones published in genres I don't read--generally have valuable things to say.

For today's Nine Things post, I'm going to share with you nine of my favorite writer's blogs. 

1. Joe Konrath - A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
 Joe Konrath has been blogging since 2005 and he has a wealth of industry-specific knowledge, tips, and tricks that he regularly shares. He also has some pretty strong opinions about issues within publishing and self-publishing and he is very good at articulating those opinions. I read his blog regularly just so I can feel smarter. 

2. Chuck Wendig - Terrible Minds
I devoted this week's Blog Roundup post to Chuck and for good reason. His blog is a nice mix of writing advice, industry knowledge, anecdotes, writing exercises, and information about his work for those of his readers who are fans. There's something for everyone there. 

3. Stella Deleuze - Words by Stella Deleuze
Stella is, in addition to a writer herself, an editor. So with her blog, we get both sides: the writer and the editor. She is also a reader, a gardener, a hobby chef, and a conscious critic of self-publishing and indie authors. I like Stella personally--she's straightforward and kind and not afraid to express herself--and I enjoy her blog. Her rants give me a lot of ideas about what not to do. 

4. Laura Bradford - A Writer's Notes
I love the minimalist design of her blog and her relevant, easy-to-read posts. She doesn't update as frequently as most of the other bloggers on this list, but when she does, she offers things like posts about knowing your audience. 

5. James Killick - James Killick's Blog
Usually, James offers a nice, concise post of writing advice weekly. He understands the total writer package, that being a writer is about more than raw talent and specialized interests. He understands that most of us want to be read and liked. His posts display that understanding and generally offer advice to reconciling all parts of the writer self. 

6. Kate Aaron - Only True Magic
The thing that makes Kate's blog unique among the writer blogs I read, I think, is the fact that she regularly writes about gender and sexuality issues in writing, the industry, and in reading. I like that. I almost always learn something new, or at least learn to look at something in a different way. 

7. Lynn Viehl - Paperback Writer
Resources! Lynn has been a professional writer for fourteen years (according to her blog heading) and while her blog may be light on the advice, it's definitely heavy on the resources. She offers tips, tricks, programs, websites, submission information, and all kinds of other useful resources. Reading her blog is like reading a morning paper written just for writers. 

8. Aimee Salter - Seeking the Write Life
Like Joe Konrath, Aimee is very brusque, very matter-of-fact, and not even a little bit afraid of sharing her opinions. She's smart and she has plenty of advice for the persistent writer, advice that runs the gamut from how to improve query letters to how to beta read to how to not be one of those indie authors giving the rest a bad rap. I stumbled across her blog by accident one day and have been following ever since. I may not always necessarily agree with her opinions, but it doesn't matter, because her input is valuable. 

9.  Sierra Godfrey - Sassy Sassafras
Sierra follows blogs I don't follow and I don't have to because she does a weekly blog roundup, too. I like her casual, friendly tone and I like that she includes real-life examples of what she's talking about. This blog is an easy, useful read and I really enjoy heading over there to check out what she's offering each week.

Blog Roundup: April 9 - 15, 2012

Chuck Wendig was en fuego this week with two great posts: 25 Reasons I Hate Your Main Character and A Long Look At "Show, Don't Tell." I think both of these posts are must-reads for beginning writers... and it probably couldn't hurt those of us who have been doing it a while.

Laura Bradford's post on writing as an invisible business really hit home for me. When my sister was here, it was nearly impossible to get any work done. Now that my husband is home on leave, same story. It takes great, concentrated effort to get my toddler to play by herself for short periods of time ever since she had a constant companion in my sister. Writing itself is hard--finding the time to do it without distraction or interruption is even harder. More than once, I've questioned why I even bother. (And then I remember that I really do love it and it really does matter to me and I think I'm okay at it, so all the extra hard work seems worth it. And then I have a drink because I really must be crazy.)

Girl Who Reads offered up an analysis of the star rating system in her Tips on Thursday post. I like the star rating system, personally; it gives me a lot of information at first glance. But I either don't really care what other people think of a book and will read it if I want to, anyway, or--if it's a book I'm uncertain of, like The Hunger Games--I will read the reviews with one through three stars. Two and three star reviews, in my experience, tend to be the most tell-tale.

Last week was Indie Author Week at Into the Morning (a great blog you should be following, anyway) and my favorite post was this one about indie book covers. We all judge books by their covers. No sense saying we don't. And independent books... well... they're frequently lacking. The most glaring problem I see is that we use a lot of the same stock photos. I like her quickie review of the good and the bad book covers. I think, especially for those of us designing our own, it's a good idea to look at all the criticism and praise for book covers that we possibly can. (Related: I tend to take inspiration from the traditionally-published erotica books I enjoyed. So I've based my covers on books like Breathless by Bonnie Edwards and pretty much everything by Delilah Devlin, as two examples.)

James Killick shared a short list of Five Things More Important Than Knowledge. The thing about knowledge is that it can be acquired. Or it can be rejected in favor of blissful ignorance. His list is comprised of things that are pretty hard to reject and ignore, at least in my experience.

Keystrokes and Word Counts has a short review of KDP free days. If it's something you're considering, I'd advise reading as much as possible on the experiences of other authors. I have a project in the works that I am planning to enroll in KDP select when the time comes, so posts like this are helpful to me.

Sierra Godfrey had a thought-provoking post asking where to find the self-pubbed books. She has a point. A good one. In my case, I don't market so much as I tailor my keywords for searches... because that's pretty much how I find the books I want to read.

Stella Deleuze advised that authors choose a publisher wisely. Personally, I'd do a ton of research--on the company and the people I'm working with. I'd check out the other books they'd published, not just the sales rankings, but the cover designs and reviews and the books themselves. I don't have an answer for Ms. Deleuze. I don't know what I'd do if my book was at the mercy of an editor who didn't know what she was doing. I sincerely hope I never have to answer that question.

Blog Roundup: April 2 - 8, 2012

Chuck Wendig told us all how to be a full-time writer. He's so smart.

Guess what? Greta van der Rol's latest, Starheart, is free on Amazon for the next day! You know you want it.

Amandan Hocking wrote about her outlining and note-taking process. I am always interested in how other authors approach getting the facts and doing their research, so I liked the post.

Avery Olive had her First Book Signing recently and she offered up some lessons learned. Useful! I've never done a book signing and I assume that, if I ever do, I'm still years away, but this is a great post. I bet the tips she offers would work at book launch parties, too.

Isis Rushdan wrote about learning to surrender. Really, I think that's the key to writing well: surrendering to your process, whatever that is. Don't fight it, don't try to do things the way you "think" they should be done.

Paperback Writer's Query No-Nos post is funny at first glance, but I suspect it's all too true. If you're going to write a query, or you've written one, I think it's worth reading that post.

Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is a bit light this week, but that's okay because the links are still good ones.

Sirra compiled her writing and editing tips from Twitter. I love these posts from her since I don't get over to Twitter as much as I wish I did.

Stella Deleuze's post on zero sales is quite a sobering look at the impact enrolling in KDP Select can have on your sales. If you're considering it, I would advise doing as much research as possible first.

Blog Roundup: March 19 - 25, 2012

Because he's awesome like that, Chuck Wendig shared three great teaser posts this week: Ten Things You Should Know About... Setting, Endings, Writing Screenplays. (Do you have this book yet? Totally worth it.)

Greta van der Rol had an interesting post on the rules of romance. I think, as a general rule, most female romance readers do read to escape reality. I know that I certainly do. But I also don't mind at all when my heroes act like men. I think romance is subjective to character. Rules of romance will be determined by rules of characterization.

Girl Who Reads offered this tip: contact the author when you mention their book. Oops. I am not always as good about that as I should be.

Keystrokes and Word Counts offered up this short post on the importance of suspending disbelief. I think most readers of fiction, in an attempt to escape reality, are willing to believe a lot... but not everything. I think the best tip is to stick to what you, personally, can believe.

The first link in this entry over at Paperback Writer caught my attention, though the video is pretty cool, too. I haven't tried the search engine, but I'm excited about it.

Do you follow Release Notes? I enjoy the look it gives into books I wouldn't otherwise be aware of.

As usual, Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is spot-on.

Sirra gave us all insight into the mind of an editor this week. Have an editor? Looking for one? Thinking about becoming one? I think this post is a must-read.

Stella Deleuze posted her tip of the week on characters, telling us all not to overdo it. Personally, I don't mind characters who fit stereotypes at first glance; stereotypes exist for a reason. But if the character is important enough to write about, even in a minor role, then he or she is important enough to be whole.

I think I need more good blogs to follow. Do you have any suggestions?

Blog Roundup: March 12 - 18, 2012

Chuck Wendig wrote 25 Things You Should Know About Creativity. I'm particularly fond of what he wants to do to the term "creative writing" and his suggestion that writers read more non-fiction than fiction.

Greta van der Rol's post about suspending disbelief is a good one. (The thing about the parsecs was retconned in the EU. The Kessel Run was an 18-parsec route. Yes, I know my geek is showing.)

Erotic Romance blogger and writer Emily Veinglory wrote about her experience with an anti-pirating service. Worth the read. She also blogged about PayPal in the most concise way, I think.

Girl Who Reads posted tips on Twitter connections. Twitter is how I got in touch with Greta van der Rol and Stella Deleuze (both authors I've hosted as guest bloggers, both authors of books I've enjoyed) so I'm always looking for ways to use it more effectively.

James Killick wrote about subtext. I love subtext in my entertainment because of what it says about characters.

As usual, Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup is worth the click over.

Stella Deleuze offered up her take on why writing is for masochists in addition to offering this tip of the week post on unnecessary repetition. We are all suckers for pain, aren't we? Accounting was so much easier than writing. It didn't drive me to tears nearly as often.

Blog Roundup: March 5 - 11, 2012

Let's start with Chuck Wendig, shall we? As usual, he offered up an installment of his 25 Things series, this one on word choice. (There are self-proclaimed "writers" who don't obsess over word choice?)

Greta van der Rol had this post which hit a little too close to home. I've had the damnedest time reading for pleasure ever since last summer. I've resorted to re-reading old favorites whenever I want to read for fun, which makes it difficult to discover new work simply for the pleasure of it.

Joe Konrath posted about the most important ingredient in the self-published book. The book itself. He's right. When I decided to self-publish, I read a lot about the importance of blogging and tweeting and networking and very little on the importance of writing a really good book.

Over at Girl Who Reads, you can check out how bloggers can affect the success of a book. Blogging, to me, is the same as word-of-mouth. You want people to "talk" about your work. (You really want them to talk positively about it, but buzz is buzz.)

Aimee Salter wants to know if we writers are our own worst enemies. Yes. Yes, we are. Even if we manage to (usually) get past the defensiveness that comes with being an artist, there's still that insecurity which can lead us to the Dark Side of Not Finishing Anything.

Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup, as usual, features some great links.

Blog Roundup: February 27 - March 4, 2012

Chuck Wendig added 25 Ways to Unfuck Your Story to his 25 Things series. If you're stuck, it just might be the article you need.

Keystrokes and Word Counts had an interesting post on the subject of returning ebooks. Personally, I think the option to return ebooks, especially self-published ebooks, serves the readers as customers really well. I think that authors should embrace the guarantee-or-your-money-back. Most people don't return things just because they can and most people don't demand their money back for entertainment they didn't enjoy.

Over at Seeking the Write Life, Aimee Salter had two great posts this week. One on using ambiguity and one on writing motivations that seem real. They're good posts for reminding you what you're supposed to be doing.

Sierra Godfrey posted about three ways to use your dreams for stories. I'm sure we've all heard how Twilight was written based on a scene from a dream, so that seems like pretty solid proof that dreams are great sources for stories. And, as always, her Google Reader Roundup is an excellent collection of links.

Sirra posted another collection of Twitter writetips. Are you following her yet?

Now I feel better about being MIA last week.

Blog Roundup: February 20 - 26, 2012

Chuck Wendig offered advice to writers for this week's 25 Things post. On the subject of being a writer, not on writing so much. Still worth the read. It illustrates just how unique the writing journey is for each person.

Greta van der Rol's new book is out! She posted about it here and shared the first chapter here. Also, because she is awesome, she talked about the Thrawn Trilogy here. If you're a Star Wars fan and you haven't explored the EU... you are seriously missing out.

Erotic Romance had a brief post on the subject of "barely legal" erotica.

Girl Who Reads did a quick, inteRuresting post outlining various traffic-driving sites for your blog.

Into the Morning offered three tips for new bloggers. I think it's especially important to remember number three.

James Killick wrote about how to surprise your reader.

As usual, you should check out Sierra Godfrey's Google Reader Roundup.

Blog Roundup: February 6 - 12, 2012

I guess this kind of goes along with my Ten Things I Have Learned From The Muse post: Chuck Wendig wrote about 25 Reasons That Writers Are Bug-Fuck Nuts. I also enjoyed his Flash Fiction Challenge: The Unlikable Protagonist. I'm sure regular readers are well aware of my fondness for unlikable characters by now.

Um, so this isn't so much about writing as it is me fangirling, but Greta van der Rol posted that her next book, Starheart, is due out about nine days from now. Who else is excited? Because I sure am!

Roni Loren posted about 5 Muse Abusers over at her new blog. Her Fill-Me-In Friday was also full of useful writing links. I think that this will be the last week I check her blog. All of the advertising is kind of getting to me. I wish her success, but I go to read her blog, not to be reminded six or more times on a single page that her book is available.

Emily Veinglory's post about Cogwheel Press over at Erotic Romance caught my eye.

Have you checked out Kindle Author? In particular, I'm quite fond of the heads up on free books.

R. S. Guthrie hosted a guest post from Sevastian Winters about the price point. I really enjoy posts like these because they treat self-publishing as a business. It's not going to make me raise my prices on my current books--I have a reason for pricing things the way I have--but I do find it encouraging.

Check out Aimee Salter's continuation of her self-editing posts: #8, #9.

Sierra Godfrey, as always, made her Google Reader Roundup post. (Does anyone else picture the Google logo wearing a cowboy hat? No? Just me, then?)

Stella Deleuze's tip of the week was especially useful to me this week. I'm still in the process of editing and, man, I am wordy and repetitive.

This guest post over at Written Words made me smile. We're all a little mad here...

Blog Roundup: January 23 - 29, 2012

Chuck Wendig is a busy man but he still found time to post 25 Things Writers Should Know About Agents this week.

Greta van der Rol posted this thoughtful and thought-provoking post about "over-engineering writing." I swear, sometimes it's like she lives in my brain. This has been on my mind a lot lately, when I've been obsessing over my own work and obsessing over structure and plot and blah blah blah to the point that I couldn't even enjoy one of my favorite TV shows. I may have to make "letting go and just doing" a February resolution...

Sierra Godfrey guest posted over at Roni Loren's blog about web space for authors. Sierra seems so smart and level-headed and she really lays out the basics of blog vs. website. Roni also posted her Fill-Me-In Friday post.

Avery Olive consolidated the information about Goodreads policy changes over in her Rescue Your Goodreads Book post.

James Killick wrote about how professionals generate story ideas.

Over at Keystrokes and Word Counts, you can read about the perks of writing partners and the usefulness of Twitter.

I am a plotter, so Paperback Writer's 10 Things to Help You Outline Your Novel was a good post for me.

Agent Kristin at Pub Rants wrote about focus and how important it is to a beginning writer.

Stella Deleuze posted about her experience with KDP Select.

Paul Dorset talked about his thoughts on KDP Select, too.

Written Words hosted Stephen Legault who talked about the importance of having a plan.

Blog Roundup: January 9 - 15, 2012

Chuck Wendig had two good posts this week: 25 Things Writers Should Know About Finding Their Voice and How to Self-Publish So It Benefits Readers.

Roni Loren's blog is a veritable treasure trove of good posts. This guest post is 5 Narrative Mistakes You Can Fix Now, this post is about the etiquette of guest blogging, and this is her Fill-Me-In-Friday post.

Laura E. Bradford offered these resources and recommendations for new writers.

Imran Siddiq wrote about his process and included a pretty specific timeline.

James Killick posted about How to Make Good Writing Great.

Over at Keystrokes and Word Counts, it looks like a new post series is starting. The first seems to be Adventures in Promoland: Giveaways.

Paperback Writer shared this interesting post, Collecting Characters.

Agent Kristin over at Pub Rants wrote about the need to keep an eye on conversation in your story.

R. S. Guthrie posted about taking the plunge, joining the Dark Side, and signing up for KDP Select.

It looks like Aimee Salter is starting a new post series, too, this one on self-editing. The first post is here.

Sierra Godfrey posted her Google Reader Roundup.

Blog Roundup: December 19 - 25, 2011

In the holiday spirit, Chuck Wendig posted 25 Ways for Writers to Help Other Writers. He also posted this thought-provoking article on branding.

I thought Greta van der Rol's post on the possibility of a "Star Wars-type" galaxy was pretty interesting.

This week, I discovered Roni Loren's Fiction Groupie blog.

Imran Siddiq wrote about character arcs needing change. 

James Killick wrote about four ways to kill narrative drive.

Keystrokes and Word Counts has this great post on writing through your emotions. 

I don't know how I missed this one. McQuestionable Musings has 10 tips for new bloggers.

Are you following Sierra Godfrey yet? I love her Google Reader Roundup.

Sirra posted about POV and how a writer can get it right.

Blog Roundup: December 5 - 11, 2011

Chuck Wendig posted 25 Financial Fuck-Ups Writers Make, an article about the business of writing and how it can affect your bottom line. Romantic? No. Useful? Yes! He also wrote about The Seduction of Self-Publishing, which would be a helpful read for anyone on the fence about the subject.

Greta van der Rol hosted a guest post by Meredith Lopez on the subject of "clearing your throat" before you write. I confess that I thought all writers did something to get started. Ms. van der Rol also asked if "writing is like prospecting." After the last eight months I've spent learning about the publishing industry (and being well aware that I still have much to learn), I have to kind of chuckle and think... yeah.

James Killick wrote about creating great content for your blog. His "write the post you want to read" tip is basically my mantra and, if anyone where to ask, it would be the tip I would give. Write the blog you want to read.

Keystrokes and Word Counts had a post on formatting, a relevant topic for self-publishers in particular. If you're looking for information on a rough guide to the steps of self-publishing, there is also this post.

This post on improving your dialogue over at Rob On Writing is worth a read, mostly because I encourage all fiction writers to give the exercise a try. I once wrote a novel-length piece entirely in dialogue. It was actually pretty good, but it will never see the light of day. It was an exercise.

Sierra Godfrey wrote about why author websites matter. I think mine does and I encourage any other writer to create their own. It may not be fancy, but having a place where your readers can go to get just the facts is a good idea.

Sirra posted her seventh collection of writer tips from Twitter. I think all writers should constantly be looking for ways to improve their work. She also posted this collection of commonly misused words. I think we've established how I feel about the poor abused English language, so it's worth reading. (And bookmarking.) Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even very careful writers, but education on the subject is always a good thing.

Stella Deleuze wrote about giving small and new publishers a chance. Risks can be good, but be aware whenever you take them.

Blog Roundup: November 7 - 13, 2011

25 Things You Should Know About Suspense and Tension went up at Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds this week.

Greta van der Rol shared a lesson in keeping up with your online identities. (I'll be fixing links on my blog to her site/posts this week. If you've hosted a guest post or linked to author websites, it might be a good idea to make sure your links still work.)

If you care about the self-publishing vs. traditional publishing vs. whatever else debate, Bob Mayer had a couple of good posts. There's this one about the many roads to publication and this one on the fight itself. I liked this post, too, but it's about the why of writing. (I write to quiet the stories in my head.)

This week, I discovered the blog Caustic Cover Critic. If you're worried about your cover design, it's a good blog to read regularly.

James Killick wrote about why story beats character every time.

Keystrokes and Word Counts continued its ABCs of NaNo.

Sierra Godfrey showed us a real-life example of the importance of humor in a romantic relationship and then posted her Google Reader Roundup with some links to some great posts.

Stella Deleuze posted a how to on the possessive apostrophe.

The Bookshelf Muse is a really great blog. If you're looking to do research on a character trait or a plot element or a weather trait or anything like that, this place should be one of the sites you visit.

Blog Roundup: October 10 - 16, 2011

In honor of Halloween (I guess), Chuck Wendig posted 25 Things You Should Know About Writing Horror.

Stella Deleuze made a fun post about the behind-the-scenes of novel writing. It made me smile.

Amanda Hocking posted a rant (sort of) about the whole "million books sold" deal. She makes an excellent, simple point: write well. The sales come later, the writing comes first.

If you write erotica or romance or some combination of the two, Erotic Romance should be on your blogroll. The industry information is invaluable.

Into The Morning has a useful "mini rant" on blogs. I, for one, am always looking for little things to improve and tweak here and at my website, so I enjoy finding these posts.

If you're reading this blog, you're probably a writer. And you probably have people in your life who don't "get it." Direct them to this post at James Killick's blog. It's a good summary of the creative process, I think.

Keystrokes and Word Counts, in their new home, had three posts on preparing for NaNoWriMo. If you're going to participate, I strongly suggest preparing.

I recently discovered Sierra Godfrey's blog. This is another one I recommend you add to your blogroll for posts like why blogging works for writers and writerly afflictions. Any place that combines humor and information is my kind of place.

Sirra shared another round of writing tips.

Written Words is doing a series on "GRIP" (goal, reader, idea, plan). If you're a plotter, especially if you're a new plotter, it's worth checking out.

Your Cover Uncovered has a new cover review up.