17 Best Articles This Week for Writers 8/6/10

Here's what's new in the blogosphere this week. It's a long list with all the fabulous posts from the SCBWI-LA bloggers, so beware. There's a lot worth reading!

Inspiration

• The Pain of Rejection Never Gets Easier [Author, Jody Hedlund] Jody reminds us of the struggles we all face as writers.
• Making A Plan [QueryTracker.net] Elana helps employ a strategy to maximize writing time.
• Seven Reasons Why you Rock My World [Grab a Pen] No, she’s not Bret Michaels and this isn’t Rock of Love.
• Podcast: Authenticity And Creative Expression With... [The Creative Penn] Be brave and let your true voice come through.
• How I Got My Agent: Miriam Gershow [Guide to Literary Agents] I will send no queries before their time.
• YOU are courageous! [Julie Musil] Courage doesn’t always roar.
• Writing Woes [Kidlit.com] Getting to the bottom of procrastination.
• Letter to Myself: Elana Johnson [Anna Staniszewski] What Elana wishes she knew then.
• The Incredible Highs & the Discouraging Lows of the... [Author, Jody Hedlund] Jody gets candid in a way we can all understand.
• 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Olivia Sharpnack... [Guide to Literary Agents] Some helpful advice you may not have heard before.
• Alone with your talent [James Killick's Blog] Writing isn’t a living. It’s a way of life.
• Perseverance Sucks [Help! I Need a Publisher! ] Perseverance in sending your MS out is a total waste of time if you don’t also persevere in improving what your sending.
• On quitting [Cornell DeVille - from writer to author] Don’t- because we love to write.

Craft of Writing

• A Guided Imagery Tour of Your Story [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Use guided imagery to envision your scenes unfolding.
• Announcing the September Workshop [edittorrent] An online workshop on writing fiction is announced.
• Combining High Concept With Emotional Resonance To... [The Sharp Angle] High concept + emotional resonance = WIN
• A wee bittie dialect [Writer Unboxed] Interesting discussion about the use of a dialect.
• Series synopsis [edittorrent] How to tackle the synopsis for a series.
• SYNOPSIS FOR A NON-LINEAR STORY [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Writing a synopsis for stories with flashbacks, multiple POVs, and more.
• Devious Plots part 4: Plot store! [Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes] Patterns of plot through the ages.
• Iceberg theory [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] Are you sinking your own narrative without realizing it?
• There and Not [Writer Unboxed] How to give the impression of a character without their actual presence.
• How to Use Details to Suspend Disbelief [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Create a world so explicit in detail that readers can’t help but believe in it.
• Character Development [The Kill Zone] One way to flesh out your characters.
• Using the bystander effect in your novels [Show Some Character!] Interesting ways to use this concept in your writing.
• Braincandy for Writers: post #2 [The Bookshelf Muse] Cool round-up of a variety of links.
• She's Such a Character [The Other Side of the Story] The questions you should ask your characters.
• Why is Passive Voice Considered Taboo? [C. Patrick Schulze] Even passive voice has its place.
• Simply Synopses [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Straight-forward tips for writing yours.
• Trimming sentences [edittorrent] Alicia makes the dashed lines so we know where to cut.
• Gail Carson Levine - Infrequently Asked Questions... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Tips on  character, setting, voice, and more.
• Jennifer Rees on Your Voice Is Your Voice [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] What does your character say, notice, and leave out? Voice is the thing that makes your story unique--and the reason people will buy your book.
• Paul Fleischman Keynote: Surviving the Novel [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Many useful tips on organization, research, writing, and more.
• The research or the reader? [Writer Unboxed] Define that line between fact and fiction.
• Paul Fleischman Hot Tip [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Love this tip! Use Google maps to make your setting realistic.
• 10 Tips for Non-Perfection [It's a Mystery] How to make your characters less than perfect.
• How to Outline a Novel [C. Patrick Schulze - Author of Born to be Brothe] It can be as simple, or as involved as you want.
• W.I.P. It: 8 Tips Actors can give Writers [.W.I.P. It] Sound advice on communicating effectively.
• Marion Dane Baur (continued) [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Picture book quick tips.
• Gail Carson Levine: Sweat and Magic [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Great tips from the successful author.
• Creating Believable Characters [Dark Angel Review and Writing Blog] Braincandy for Writers Post #1 [The Bookshelf Muse] Cool round-up of interesting links.
• Small Town Settings [Mystery Writing is Murder] Pros and cons to writing small town settings.
• Arthur A. Levine Workshop: Strong Emotions on the Page [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Memorable scenes are vivid and direct, carry emotional weight, painted with memorable words to convey emotional complexity, and they contain sensory images. The presentation contains practical exercises to help you capture real emotion.
• How To Confuse Your Reader [Advanced Fiction Writing Blog] Skillfully approaching the use of character names.
• Changing Point-Of-View [The WriteRunner] Doing it right.
• Creating a First Draft and Revising [Mystery Writing is Murder] Elizabeth Spann Craig shares her process.
• Prime Real Estate [Kidlit.com] Are your buyers getting what you’re actually selling?
• Shooting Glances [Kidlit.com] Enough with glances already!
• What is Writer's Voice? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Are you brave enough to find yours?
• Writing, Publishing and Book Marketing [The Creative Penn] Round-up of great articles.

Self-Editing

• How to Indent the First Line of a Paragraph [The Blood-Red Pencil] Formatting is painless with these easy-to-follow directions.
• Gennifer Choldenko: Rewrytz: How to be your Own Best Editor [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Have courage for revision and take time away from your novel to gain perspective. Then take time and be patient with your changes.
• Scenes that Sizzle [Katie Ganshert] Improving your scenes in a thoughtful way.
• Tricks of the Trade: Punctuation [The Blood-Red Pencil] Help with the backwards apostrophe and more.
• Editing Your Novel: High Level Story Read Through [The Creative Penn] Joanna explains how she tackles this messy task.
• The Chicago Manual of Style: ; ) Issues [Kiersten Writes] Emoticon etiquette for dummies.
• 7 Links That Will Make Editing Your Work Easier [http://www.publetariat.com/] Nice list of links.
• Extreme Makeover: Novel Edition [Between Fact and Fiction] Tackling the dirty task of demo for your novel.
• Critiquing
• writeforyourlife.net [http://writeforyourlife.net/] 6 ways to provide gracious feedback.
• Re-Write Wednesday: On Your Mark, Get Set, Edit! [The Other Side of the Story] How to be a good critiquer as well as self-editing tips.
• Guest Post Up On Ian. T. Healy Blog [The WriteRunner] The 10 critiquers you meet in heaven.

To Market

• Agent Spotlight: Jennifer Laughran [Literary Rambles] Another astounding agent spotlight by Casey.
• Use it, work it, own it [Call My Agent!] Deciding what writing credentials (if any) to include in your query letters.
• Super-Powered Book Proposals Secret #2: Numbers Always... [There Are No Rules] Make the numbers work for you.
• Moonrat's Rundown of Publishing Options [Editorial Ass] Pros and cons of the different routes to publication.
• The Top Thing Things I Love About Agenting [Confessions of a Wandering Heart] Interesting perks from the other side of the fence.
• Successful Queries: Agent Laney Katz Becker and ''Simply... [Guide to Literary Agents] See what made this query letter a success.
• Length of Time Editors Take [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] What to do when an editor has your manuscript on hold.
• Newsweek Tackles Self-Publishing [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] From Kindle upload to hardcover.
• What You Can Do: Twelve Easy Steps (Rerun) [Pimp My Novel] Thanks, PMN for the serious reality check.
• Jill Alexander and Michael Bourret: Your Manuscript... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Preparing for publication and other fantastic tips.
• Francesco Sedita: PANEL--A View from the Top: 4 Pulbishers... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Know the rules, but write for YOU.
• Why You (Still) Want an Agent [Pimp My Novel] Why an agent is worth their weight in gold.
• An Offer From a Small Publisher [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] What to do when the publishing contract arrives, but you still want an agent.
• Guest Post-Cynthia Watson: Premature Querying [QueryTracker.net] Cringe. We’ve all done it.
• How to be an Agent, or, You Want a Piece of This? [Jennifer Represents...] If you’re serious, read this.
• Literary Agents view of the Market Place: Lisa Grubka [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] She has a strong interest in international stories for teens, likes grounded contemporary with a character she can identify with, and she believes there is a strong push to find MG books for boys.
• Premium Workshop - An Editor Over Your Shoulder: Polishing... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] All authors must self-edit, think visually, map out every single page turn and write up all possible illustrations ideas.
• Agent Panel: Ginger Clark [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog]  The snobbier side of the industry is taking what we do seriously. Frequently it is the children's division that is making profits and paying people's salaries.
• Agent Panel: Josh Adams (Adams Literary) [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Adams Literary wants to look at the big picture with their clients; to manage and maximize earnings over the lifetime of a career. Adams believes part of their job is instilling in their clients the confidence they need to do their best.
• Panel: A Look at the LGBTQ Marketplace [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] There's a change in the market place from the past 10-20 years. It's no big deal to publishers, writers, book buyers, etc. to have books with LGBTQ content/charcters/themes. Yeah, your book may get banned or burned...yay! Publicity.
• Caroylyn Mackler: Creating Characters That Come to... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] What does you character keep hidden in his or her underwear drawer? If nothing, then where do they hide things? Who would your character call/text/email/send smoke signals to when something good happens? And what would that good thing be?
• Beyond the Breakout [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Conference critique opportunities and making the most of them.
• Are you exceptional? [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] The only thing in your query letter that should be the exception to the rule is your writing. Nothing else. No exception to "a query letter should be one page or about 250 words." No exception to "include the first 3-5 pages of the novel." No exception to "tell me what the novel is about in your query." No exception to "one query = one project."
• Writing for Teens: Advice From Razorbill Publisher... [Ingrid's Notes] Voice + Concept = A Successful Book.
• Claudia Gabel: From House to House--What Makes You... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] She's looking for writers who can have beautiful prose, but who can also write FAST. In the world of development, she says, they are often riding the coattails of trends, so they have to work quickly.
• Editor Panel: Jennifer Rees [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] It’s all about voice for Jennifer. She can work with an author to straighten out plot
• Eddie Gamarra and Michael Reisman: Good Books… but... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] An insider look at the movie industry with lots of secrets -- but if you want to know what they are, you have to attend next year's session.
• Josh Adams: Submission Stategies [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] The session provided a look at how Adams Literary handles submitting your novel to editors, including detailed descriptions of various strategies including auctions, preempts, and more.
• Compelling Queries Should Get 75% Positive Response... [There Are No Rules] Queries are very difficult to write well, and because of that, you should send the query out to agents in small batches, maybe 5 at a time, and see what your response rate is. If it's less than 75% "send me something," your query letter needs work.
• Editor Panel: Nick Eliopulos (Scholastic) [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] He describes himself as more of a plot guy than a voice guy, but you want both, and he's especially looking for "guy books."
• How to Change Your Writing Style But Keep Your Agent [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] How to navigate this tricky situation.
• Similarities to Existing Clients [Kidlit.com] Why choosing an agent because their current list is like your project isn’t always the best approach.
• Picture Book or Short Story? [Kidlit.com] How to tell where your story may fall
• The two questions writers must answer to get an agent [Time to Write] Are your answers prepared?
• How To Revise and Resubmit [YA Highway] Must-read for anyone in the submission process.
• What Writers Wish They'd Known Before Pitching [There Are No Rules] Reading between the lines of your pitch.

After the Sale

• Why Inbound Marketing Makes Sense [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Strategies to promote your work.
• The Woman Who Paid Models to Read Her Book [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] You’ve got to read this to believe it.
• Various and Sundry [Kiersten Writes] How to self-promote your book without driving everyone nuts.
• How Book Club Readers (and Bookstores) Can Drive Success [There Are No Rules] Author Meg Waite discusses how her book being selected as a book club selection has influenced its success.
• Christopher Cheng: A Step by Step Guide To Making... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Tips for creating an effective book trailer.
• Making a Living at Writing [Chip MacGregor .com] When exactly can you write full-time?

Congratulations

• Three things that make me happy today [Megan Crewe - another world, not quite ours] Megan signs with Hyperion!
• Guy Who Got a Headache [My Undead Brain] Matt gets his story accepted into Houdini Gut Punch!
• My Huge Awesome Announcement! [Weronika Janczuk - Writer & Literary Agent] Weronika joins D4EO Literary Agency!
• The Biggest News of My Life...so far [Some Things I Think...] K.M. Walton signs with Curtis Brown!
• Contest Alert! [The Public Query Slushpile] Julie Cross scores a 3-book deal!
• Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle [The Literary Lab] Yay, Michelle! Cinders is published!
• A Brief (And Somewhat Stunned) Post From The SCBWI... [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by] Wow! Two awards at the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase!
• My First Published Story! – Theo [Write Me!] Yay, Leah! Publication of her first story!
• Special Announcement! [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Congrats Tawna Fenske for landing a weekly blogging gig with the Debutante Ball!
• Congrats to a friend! Yay for book deals! [Weronika Janczuk] Sarah Frances Hardy’s PB PUZZLED BY PINK sells to Viking!

Contests & Giveaways

• Giveaway: The Queen's Daughter [WORD for Teens] Susan Coventry’s book is up for grabs.
• Interview with Agent Suzie Townsend - Win a Critique! [* Fiction Groupie *] Don’t miss this excellent opportunity!
• SCBWI Books Giveaway! (plus conference photos) [YA Highway] Adorable pictures AND book prizes to make us feel better that we may not have been there.
• Interview with Lisa Desrochers! Plus, LOW RED MOON... [Claudia's Blog] Win a copy of the ARC!
• VORDAK THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE ARC Giveaway [ROOTS IN MYTH] PJ does it once again!
• Wordy Wednesday: Schedule! (With giveaways) [Writer on the Side] Several upcoming contests!
• Win an ARC of TORMENT, by Lauren Kate [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Who doesn’t want this one?
• Cover Remake Contest! [Emma Michaels] Fun idea to remake a cover.
• Fairy Tale Blogfest/Contest [Stepping into Fantasy] Chance to win $100 Barnes and Noble gift card and more!
• Contest Monday [Sisters in Scribe] Awesome contest round-up.
• Contest Entry Form [* Fiction Groupie *] Win books and crits.
• August Debut Contest! [Personal Demons] Chance to win excellent books!
• Monday Madness Maggie Stiefvater AND the OMG contest... [Paranormal Point of View] Win signed copies of SHIVER and LINGER.
• How Mad-Libs Save Sanity [GotYA] Post your Mad-Lib and win books!
• The I Got U! Blogfest! [Writers' Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Post to comments your favorite blog and win book prizes.
• Tell Me What to Read: August Edition [Emily's Reading Room] Suggest a book for Emily to read. If she selects your book, win a prize pack.
• Holly Cupala stops by With a TMAS Party/Contest! [Market My Words] Book giveaway among other prizes!
• Giveaway: The Replacement [WORD for Teens] Two copies of the book are up for grabs.
• $50 Blog Makeover Giveaway [The Bookologist] Ooh. This is a unique prize!
• Two More Weeks To Enter [The Literary Lab] Enter and help a good cause.
• What's Your Status Giveaway [Forever Young: A YA Lit Blog] Chance to win two great books!

Trends and Issues

• ShortStoryBook.net (Or, it's Not a Good Idea to Spam... [Writer Beware® Blogs!] This contest spammed our site’s comment section. Beware.
• Overheard [Babbling Flow] Nice round-up of quotes from the LA conference.
• You Can't Get Something For Nothing [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] From answers to your questions to asking someone to write your book, nothing is free.
• People Don’t Buy Books Based On The Publisher [The Creative Penn] What really makes someone buy a book has nothing to do with the publisher.
• Smashwords founder Mark Coker talks to Wetmachine... [http://www.publetariat.com/] Interesting Q&A about the future of publishing.
• Will Barnes and Noble sell itself? [Jacket Copy] Is it the end of an era?
• Writing vs. Storytelling [Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent] ’A popular book is doing SOMETHING very well.’
• MA Degree Questions [The Rejecter] Are writing courses worth the money?
• Those Blasted Trends [Between Fact and Fiction] Trends matter, but they’re out of our control.
• Guest Blogger: Kay Evans--Conference Tips [Justine Dell] Advice from someone who has been there, done that.
• SCBWI Soundbites [YA Highway] Conference notes that will keep you busy.
• 5 BS Indicators for Writers Conferences [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Victoria Mixon keeps it real and stands up for what our conference fees SHOULD pay for.
• The Top 5 Qualities of Productive Creatives (And How... [the99percent.com] How many qualities do you possess?
• Robert J. Sawyer » Blog Archive » Are the days of... [sfwriter.com] Is full-time writing dead?
• Justin Chanda: Simon & Schuster: The Not So Distant... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Mythbusting. Not to be missed.
• Rubin Pfeffer's Keynote: SCCC Formerly Known as SCBWI?... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] ’It’s a time of revolution.’
• Vocabulary: Expand or Not to Expand? [.W.I.P. It] Do big words bog down your writing?
• David Toberisky to Retire from HarperCollins [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] After years in the children’s book industry, Toberisky retires.
• End-of-July Round Up [Pimp My Novel] Highlights from the month.
• Social Media
• How Social Media Can Help Writers Get Their Mojo Back [Guide to Literary Agents] Getting social media to work for you.
• Playing nice with others [Don't pet me, I'm writing] The impact of making social connections online.
• The Excel Sublime Charge Model. Igniting Yourself... [Blogussion] Get your blog supercharged for the long-run.
• Free Download: 101 Best Websites for Writers (+ Free... [There Are No Rules] Jane Friedman shares her picks for where we should visit online.
• Credit Where Credit is Due, or The New House [I'll Name My Typewriter After the Moon] Free blog makeover tools.
• 5 Ways to Skyrocket Your Blog Traffic [Blogussion] Practical tips to get more visitors to your blog.
• Google Reader [Mystery Writing is Murder] It changed our world. It will change yours, too.
• Lies, lies, and more dirty lies [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Busting those myths about blogging.
• Alice Pope and Greg Pincus: Moving Your Career Forward... [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Advice from the best of the best on your online presence.
• Blog Like You Mean It [Grab a Pen] Tahereh offers blogging tips. No, seriously. She does. If you blog it, they will come [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Tawna shares tips on blogging, as she reflects on her own experience.
• Bruce Hale: Skype School Visits [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] How to make the most out of Skype.
• Blogging Ideas for August [Author Marketing Experts, Inc.] Out of ideas for your blog? These might get you thinking.
• Why Blog? [Elana Johnson, Author] Elana shares why she blogs, and asks us to do the same.
• Writer Websites: Do it Yourself or Hire a Professional? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Jody makes the case for hiring a professional.

Just For Smiles

• The Ultimate YA Fantasy Showdown—Coming Soon! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Can you imagine a match-up between Edward and Hermione?
• Fear and Writing in my Pajamas* [The Michelle Show] Dare to suck!
• There's no such thing as the query police [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] There are ‘other ways of dealing with font and format miscreants.’
• Drink 'Til He's Witty: The Reader's Drinking Game [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] Who knew the rules of drinking weren’t so different than the rules of writing?
• QP Presents: Ready, Sparkle, Fight! [Grab a Pen] Oh, my. Match-ups only Querypolitan could present.
• Top 10 Reasons Not To Be A Writer [http://www.publetariat.com/] These are sadly true! But funny.
• Lindsay Lohan Worked on Memoir in Jail [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Lord, help us all.
• The Sun Sign Guide For Writers [Magical Words] What does your sign mean for your writing career?
• 5 Things You May Not Want to Say to an Agent at a... [SlushPile Hell] Awkward!
• Sufferers of publishitis unite! [Jade hears voices] Uh-oh. Do we really look like this?
• How Do You Know You’re Really a Writer? [Anne R. Allen's Blog] So how DO you know if you’re a writer? You write.
• Five ways to do it: N M Browne [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] How to write a novel without all the work.
• QP Presents: Edward Cullen is Ice, Ice Baby [Grab a Pen] This hilarious mash-up is a must-see!

 Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• Favorite Tweets for Writers This Week [All About Writing] Nicole Humphrey Cook's round-up of writing tweets.
• Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest also does a wonderful list of best tweets of the previous week. 
• Alice Pope does a Wednesday Tweet Roundup for the SCBWI Children's Market Blog.
• Northern Colorado Writers do This Week in the Writing World every Friday.
• Jennifer Roland does a Writing Roundup on Fridays.
• Ricki Schultz does an "In the Blogosphere" post on Fridays where she lists posts she's stumbled across during the week.
• Elizabeth Craig has started posting a weekly list of all her helpful Twitter posts.
• And don't forget to check Nathan Bransford's blog later this morning for his weekly recap of publishing news and information.
• Saturday Link Party [Forever Young] Jessica rounds up fun and interesting links.
• Stina Linddenblatt does a Cool Links Friday. This week, she caught a lot I wish we had on ours. I know what I'm doing for the next few minutes!
• DuoLit does a weekly list of links with some emphasis on self-publishing and marketing.
• YA Highway's Friday Road Trip hits the high points of the publishing industry, writing craft, submissions process, and other fun stuff.
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations does a Cynsational author and book news review.

Did we miss anything? Anyone? Please leave a comment!

Happy reading and joyous writing,

Martina & Marissa