- How I Got My Agent: Deborah Blake [Guide to Literary Agents] 2 Years, 3 Manuscripts and 50 Rejections.
- Writing While Traveling [Mystery Writing is Murder] How to make the most of available time, whether you're traveling, or just stuck with a busy schedule.
- Spy novels by spies [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] The Seattle Times puts out a fantastic list.
- Revision Inspiration [Stephanie Blake] What I like in a good author isn't what he says, but what he whispers-Loga Smith
- The Writer’s Toolbox: Walking [Writer Unboxed] Get out there and experience life once in a while.
- You Can Learn As Much From Writing Friends as Writing Experts [There Are No Rules] David B. Schlosser rounds up the Killer Nashville literary conference.
- Lists of the Best Young Adult Books and Teen Fiction [www.flashlightworthybooks.com]
- Letter to Myself: Jo Knowles [Anna Staniszewski] Beautiful, inspiring, and daunting letter about striving for writing success.
- 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Hollis Gillespie [Guide to Literary Agents] The best? There is no finish line.
- Unleash Your Creative Genius! [QueryTracker.net] 'While you sleep, the power of your creativity has free reig over your brain.'
- 15 Degrees of Inspiration [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] How different influences come together to make a story.
- A Simple Guide to Wearing Many Hats | Momentum Gathering [momentumgathering.com] Another awesome metaphor: change your outlook by setting priorities.
- The Writing Process [Ripping Ozzie Reads] Awesome links, and new ways to look at your writing process.
- Picking up the Pace, Or Not [Words and Such] Activate your writing by kicking yourself into gear.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Elen Caldecott [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] Writers have been recycling since long before it was fashionable.
- Building sand castles [Buffy's write zone] Love this metaphor.
- Writer's Block can get Sticky [Excuse Editor] Jane Anne Shaw's book Unstuck can help take the sting out of writer's block.
- Friday Speak Out!: Get in the Game, Guest Post by Julie Anne Lindsey [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] 'There is a time for lurking, and learning, but there is also a time to step out and make a name for yourself.'
- Sometimes, love just ain't enough [Don't pet me, I'm writing] 'A smart writer learns how to move on, write something new, and set the beloved project on the back burner with the heat on low.'
- Perhaps the Wisest Writing Advice of All (About the Ones Who Succeed) [There Are No Rules] 'Only 10% of writers keep at it, and because they do keep at it, they are successful and known—even if not talented.'
- Friday Feature: Where Are They Now [Edited to Within an Inch of my Life] We love to spread the success of our writer friends!
- Three Attitudes That Can Help in the Quest for Publication [Author, Jody Hedlund] Do you possess humility, endurance, and resilience?
- The Tao of Novel Pacing [Heather's Odyssey] Not too slow, and not so fast that your reader gets whiplash.
- Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Doomsday [The Bookshelf Muse] Examples of things you can use to conjure up a sense of doomsday.
- Building Character: Know More Than Your Reader [Writer Unboxed] How your characters react to conflict is what provides direction and resonance for your story.
- Show and Tell [GENREALITY] 'There are times when a little telling comes in handy.'
- T3 - Stages of Change: Preparation [The Character Therapist] 'The reader should be just as invested in the character's preparation for action as the character is.'
- Controlling The Weather in Your Manuscript [QueryTracker.net] Use it to control mood, plot, setting, tension, symbolism and more.
- Tension = Conflicting Emotions [Anna Staniszewski] More advice from Donald Maass, with examples from The Hunger games and The Chosen One.
- Must You Dumb Down YA Fiction? [Advanced Fiction Writing Blog] I hate the question. Examples of why the answer is a resounding no.
- Coherence in backstory [edittorrent] Show how the past affects the character in the present and therefore changes the story.
- The Benefits of Saying Less [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Writing can be 'like an iceberg: 9/10 of it remain underwater.'
- It was a dark and stormy night . . . [The Kill Zone] Cliché: where it lurks, how to avoid it, and when it's okay.
- Telegraphing (and other pace killers) [Writer Unboxed] 'Don’t do these things. Trust me.'
- Words to Think About From A to V [The Blood-Red Pencil] 'A list of some important and interesting words for writers to think about, know and use.'
- Guest Post: Beware the Eyes That March... What Eyes Can and Cannot Do in Fiction [NouveauWriter] Laugh, go ahead, and then go hit the find feature in your word processor.
- Inserting Nonfiction Into Your Novel [Advanced Fiction Writing Blog] How to plug information into your book without weighing it down.
- VLOG - I'm Stepping Out There! [Paranormal Point of View] Getting inside your character to convey their voice.
- There's No Place Like Home [YA Highway] Getting inside your character through exploration of their home.
- Mulling character appeal-- always dangerous [edittorrent] Examples of less-than-likeable characters we come to love. Stop and consider why!
- Dilemma in Three Acts--Story Arcs and the Big W [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] A look at classic 3-act structure and how it can help you keep your novel on track.
- Organizing Your Story With Cause and Effect [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Create a chain of the most important events to map your story and find the holes.
- Em and En [edittorrent] Great overview of the different uses for hypens and dashes of both flavors.
- Reading Like a Writer: Voice [Through The Wardrobe] EXCELLENT examples of authorial voice vs. mc voice using TELL ME A SECRET and THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE.
- Setting Thesaurus Template: Taxi Cab [The Bookshelf Muse] Angela's setting descriptions provide a wealth of detail.
- TOP TIP 2: PAGE-TURNABILITY [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Apply the machete, apply filler, and then stand back and admire.
- Upcoming Workshops and Events [Kidlit.com] Mark your calendars!
- Character Flaw [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Your character needs a flaw at the beginning that must be eventually overcome to achieve her ultimate story goal.
- Memory Files [The Sharp Angle] Create memory files for your characters to give their story authenticity.
- The Hero Project: A Children’s Literary Perspective « A Fuse #8 Production [Craft« A Fuse #8 Production] [blog.schoollibraryjournal.com]
- Metaphors, Similes, and Analogies, Oh My… [Magical Words] Real-world example of why we really use figurative language in writing--so readers can understand.
- Re-Write Wednesday Golden Oldie: Preposition Patrol [The Other Side of the Story] Are your prepositions working for you?
- Outlining [Chronicles of a Novice Writer] On examining structure in detail and eliminating "transitional fluff."
- Tip Tuesday #51 [Literary Rambles] Beyond beta readers, a wide range of readers can give you important new perspectives on your ms.
- Rewriting [Alexandra Sokoloff] Amazing step-by-step revision process with links, tips, and explanations.
- Rewriting - when to take the nuclear option – Part One [James Killick's Blog] Pare your story down to the bare synopsis bones to see whether it had legs.
- When You Need a Mentor [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Mentors should develop naturally out of relationships.
- A word (or 584) on critiquing relationships [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Defining a critique partner, where to find one, and how it works.
- Tuesday Tunes - Finding Rhythm [The Sharp Angle] 'If someone says, 'This sentence feels awkward,' don't shrug that off as mere opinion.'
- MOCKINGJAY Giveaway!!!! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Come enter to win the book everyone's talking about.
- PARANORMALCY Giveaway [Elana Johnson, Author] Win a SIGNED copy!
- From Dusk Till Dawn Read-A-Thon! [Young Adult Books Reviewed] Are you doing the #readathon ??? Starting tonight through the 29th.
- Nevermore by Kelly Creagh Giveaway! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Win a copy of Nevermore by Kelly Creagh, due to release on 8/31. Entery by 9/20.
- There Can Be Only One [My Undead Brain] The WEP/Collaboration of the Dead Writer's Shootout winners will appear in an anthology!
- RETURN TO PARADISE Signed ARC Giveaway [ROOTS IN MYTH] Enter by September 3rd! @pj_hoover
- Reach For It *100 followers contest* [Michelle Teacress] Contest ends September 10th.
- /- LA FEMME READERS -/ [lafemmereaders.blogspot.com]
- Oh, Hello, CONTEST [Kiersten Writes] Leave it to Kiersten to come up with such a fun contest!
- WIN Mockingjay!!!! [Reading, Writing and Waiting] Two chances to win Mockingjay!
- Skip a Starbucks Day [Myra McEntire] Donate toward a good cause and win a copy of the Mortal Instruments series, w/ signature by @CassieClare.
- WRITING-IN-TANDEM MONDAY: Welcome LISA & LAURA ROECKER [Writer on the Side] Surprise giveaway open until August 29th.
- Book give away contest! [TerryLynnJohnson] Contest ends September 1st!
- 101 Things I Learned in Contest School aka We have a winner! [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] A peek at writing that got Janet Reid's attention.
- Giveaway Scout [Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight] A search engine for giveaways.
- VIRGIN TERRITORY Signed ARC Giveaway [ROOTS IN MYTH] Enter by August 27th!
- ARCs Galore…A NEW International Giveaway (AND Winners of the Last ARC Contest) [Contests…A NEW International Giveaway (AND Winners of the Last ARC Contest)] [Carol's Prints] OMG, amazing giveaway!
- Nightshade Arc Giveaway [Frankie Writes] Hurry! Contest ends today!
- Agent Spotlight: Mary Kole [Literary Rambles] Everything there is to know about the agent who runs KidLit.com.
- How Many is Too Many? [Jennifer Represents...] A glance at an agent's clients and where they're at e route to publication.
- Brainstorming [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Potentially one of the best parts of an agent's job.
- On Relationships in Publishing [Chip MacGregor .com] Detailed answers to some tricky agent questions.
- Interview with Literary agent extraordinaire, Scott Eagan [Dark Angel Fiction Writing Blog] Why he thinks paranormal is fading and what he wants in a story. Think high concept, marketability, and voice.
- You Tell Me: How Do You Feel About Websites Poking Fun At Queries? [Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent] #queryfail #queryslam &
- slushpilehell.com, etc. Good idea? Bad idea? Hurtful or helpful?
- On Queries, Part 1 [The Sharp Angle] Tips on crafting a successful query.
- Slush Behind the Scenes [Kidlit.com] How Mary Kole avoids Slush Psychosis to give your query the consideratio it deserves.
- Agent Advice: Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown, Ltd. [Guide to Literary Agents] What she wants, why she rejects. Best advice? 'Think before you write.'
- We Regret to Inform You: The Form Rejection (Rerun) [Pimp My Novel] Form rejection is like college rejection. Soldier on. Never give up.
- Query Wars [Heather's Odyssey] A reminder about what it takes to win.
- An Author's Seduction [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] 'You constantly need to berethinking your strategy to appeal to many different types of people.'
- Agent Interview: Mary Kole, Andrea Brown Literary Agency [Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog] A must-read interview with the bloggerific agent.
- Are You a Do-It-Yourself Type? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] 'Self-publishing is becoming an attractive and viable alternative to the typical book deal.'
- After sending out my partial, I have a revision that everyone says is better. Help! [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] You get one chance, and you better have a darn good reason.
- The Reason for "Rules" [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Put 'query' or 'submission' in your email subject line to get through the spam filter.
- A Four Paragraph Approach To Cover Letters [BubbleCow] Write a great query letter with this approach too.
- The Book Shelf Test or How to Research Your Market Part II [PhD2Published] Use your own library to identify your comparative titles -- and your target publisher.
- A Guide To Writing A Book Pitch For Penguin Books [BubbleCow] Penguin UK accepting unsoliciteds + GREAT info on writing an elevator pitch.
- New Agent Alert: Jason Pinter of Waxman Literary Agency [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for YA and commercial fiction -- actively seeking new clients.
- What My Husband Thinks a Query Letter Should Say [Frolicking through Cyberspace] An original way to query. DO NOT try this at home.
- A Note About Reading Queries [• Weronika Janczuk - Writer & Literary Agent •] Great point about submitting to agents and questioning how they read your queries.
- The Pain of the Pitch [Writer Unboxed] A good reminder that agents are people, too! Be professional whe approaching them, but don't be intimidated.
- WRITERS CONFERENCE TIPS--10 Dos and Don'ts [Anne R. Allen's Blog] Good tips for making the most of the conf experience.
- The Agent Story--PART 1 [Invincible Summer] Don't assume you can relax after you get an agent.
- New Web Directory Helps Freelancers Manage Their Reputations and Build Brands [ReadWriteWeb] Check out OneThing.com,a directory for freelancers who want to advertise their talents.
- Agent Advice: Adam Friedstein of Anderson Literary Management [Guide to Literary Agents] Seeking literary fiction, thrillers, suspense, YA fiction, memoir, and narrative and serious nonfiction.
- How to Think Like a Publisher [Ingrid's Notes] Fantastic post on the other side of the fence, and what you ca do about it.
- A Target on Your Back [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Put on your thick skin and watch what you say. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
- Can Writers Market Themselves Without Making Eyes Roll? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Promotion should come naturally, with genuine kindness, and from others if possible.
- How Much Does a Writer Make? [The Rejecter] It's complicated.
- Professional Blogging: Your Stats are a Business Asset [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Tools to measure your blog's success.
- Book Marketing: Use Your Email Signature Effectively [The Creative Penn] What to include in your e-mail signature.
- Twitter Fiction: A Guide [BubbleCow] Entire stories told in 140 characters or less.
- Awesome Peeps, Big Thanks [Literary Rambles] Casey lists the recaps posted about WriteOnCon. Great op to catch up!
- How I Got My Agent and How Blogging Played a Role [* Fiction Groupie *] The power and the awe behind social networking.
- TWITTER FOR AUTHORS - PART 1: WHY? [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Pros and cons of using Twitter, and how to sign up.
- Writing in 140: Writing Is... [The Blood-Red Pencil] In one tweet, what does writing mean to you?
- Social Media is Bringing Sexy Back to Branding [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Managing your online brand.
- Wattpad Global Ebook Metrics Report, Q2 2010 [www.publetariat.com] See how ebooks are really being read.
- Contemporary vs. Paranormal YA, trends, mojitos, and surfing [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] Agents weigh in on where YA is heading.
- It Takes a Village [Magical Words] The components of traditional publishing team.
- Intellectual Property vs. "Cultural Commons" [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] Is copyright protection in keeping with the ideals of our founding fathers?
- Q&A with Disney Hyperion Editor Stephanie Owens Lurie [Ingrid's Notes] Good overview of her take on the industry, social networking for writers, and more.
- PW Select: Opportunity or Exploitation? [Writer Beware® Blogs!] Analysis of the PW announcement about charging for listing self-pubbed books. 'Opportunity or exploitation? A little of the first. A lot of the second.'
- What Is Steampunk? [Franklin, Ink: Writing About Writing and Reading] Great post on all things Steampunk.
- E-book Pricing: Wired Explains [PWxyz] 'People vastly overestimate how much a publisher saves.'
- The Package of Services Publishers Provide Authors and How This Is Changing [Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent] Why these services matter, and how this all is changing.
- The New PW Select: A Quarterly Service for the Self-Published [www.publishersweekly.com] $149 plus a copy of your book will get you listed and give you a chance of being one of 25 reviews. Is that worth it?
- Publishers Weekly Unveils $149 Service for Self-Published Authors [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] List your self-published title in a quarterly supplement.
- The Drug of Good Writing: the Weronika Janczuk interview [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] 'What it's like to move from one side of the fence to the other.'
- 5 Ways Mama-Writers Can Foster Creativity in Kids [Author, Jody Hedlund] Giving your children creative freedom can help generate more writing time for yourself.
- Finding the Right Writers Conference -- Fall Events [The Blood-Red Pencil] Upcoming writer's events to check out.
- Trends in Publishing: How Our Worlds Are Changing [Guide to Literary Agents] Perspectives from the BlogHer ’10 Conference on how publishing has changed in recent years.
- 3 studies show how multitasking drains creativity and productivity [Writing For Digital] Read this, then think how you can free up your time and your brain?
- Dorchester lays off its editors-- bad news [edittorrent] The death knell for Dorchester? And writers beware.
- Book Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty [Dark Angel Fiction Writing Blog] A great review of a great book. Read it if you haven't already!
- Take 5 with Inara Scott [Writer Unboxed] Great interview about the book! Makes me want to be at the book store early.
- Guess What? I HAVE AN AGENT!!!!!!! [* Fiction Groupie *] Roni signs with Nelson Literary Agency!
- Ginger says I can post the news, so here goes... [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Hooray, Debbie! She'll be illustrating a PB for Simon & Schuster!
- Field Trip Friday: August 20 [YA Highway] Congrats Kate Hart for signing with Regal Literary!
- WriteOnCon gets more EPIC!!! [Shannon Whitney Messenger] The fabulous ladies behind WriteOnCon make Publishers Weekly!
- Donate a Kindle to Our Troops [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Donate for a great cause.
- Smart Chicks Kick It Tour [The Bookologist] Very cool concept for a tour.
- YALSA Teens’ Top Ten – Vote Now! [Novel Novice] Voting closes September 17th.
- Jim Carrey to Star in Mr. Popper's Penguins Adaptation [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Production begins in October!
- Confusion [Kiersten Writes] LOL! Read this. And I'm betting the fake spoilers in the comments will continue to rock.
- Having a Love Affair with Your Own Novel [Oasis for YA] Do infatuation with your first draft and fear of commitment sound familiar?
- 101 Form Rejection Projects for a Rainy Day [Pimp My Novel] Rejection on a whole new level.
- Fun Fact Friday: The Rejection Numbers of 14 Famous Writers! [Wavy Lines] This will make you feel better.
- The Evolution of Rejection [* Fiction Groupie *] Which rejections have you experienced?
- QP Presents: WHAT MAKES YOUR LOVE INTEREST IRRESISTIBLE [Grab a Pen] Does your man have a wand and drive a Volvo?
- 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
So many links; so many cool contests. Enjoy your weekend, ladies. BTW, lovely new look!
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm glad the kids are going back to school later next week. I'm going to need a week just to catch up on these and the previous ones I've missed.
ReplyDeleteAwesome job, ladies. And love the new look! :D
you've done it again! And I've discovered several new amazing blogs. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteWow - that's a lot of links! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAs usual, a dizzying array of links--and wow, a button for Current Contest! Very helpful.
ReplyDeleteTo add my announcement!
WIN A FREE BOOK!
A copy of my fantasy novel Junction 2020 will be given away on September 8. Enter now to win, on my blog:
http://carolriggs.blogspot.com/
Ooh, your new look is very soothing and professional. I shall miss the cozy feel of the older one, but I think it's just an adjustment thing. I do like this very much. Green is my second favorite color ;P
ReplyDeleteLOVE the new layout! I don't know how you guys do it, but what a resource of information!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat new layout! And wonderful resources. :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove the new look.
ReplyDeleteLike so many others, Mockingjay stole me away most of this week, so I'm loving the links. I shall be working my way down them, starting now...:)
Wow! What an amazing list of links! Thanks so much for including me!
ReplyDeleteTawna
Holy. Moly. So much great stuff for me to read! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNice new look, ladies.
I love your blog. I love your lists. I love the new look. Thanks for a useful tool!!
ReplyDeleteMuch thanks for the mention this week! What a neat surprise. And I'm still in the process of checking out all the others. It'll take me all weekend :-) Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch for another mention. Now I have a lot of reading to do--all these great links!
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing collection of links. Thank you! That is awesome.
ReplyDeleteLove the new look! I swear these lists keep getting longer. They're AWESOME! Keep up the great work, girls.
ReplyDeleteSerious linkage!! Awesome! It must take ages to round all these up. But what a great bunch of posts to check out. Thank you so much for including my contest as well! I'm so excited about it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Excuse Editor mention with all of these great links! My allotted blog reading time is almost up, but I will come back to these.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing to a few of the contests/markets from my own "Scoop" listing (click http://bit.ly/akv2xP to sign up)
Happy Writing!
Great list - some of my favourites there and a load more I wouldn't have discovered otherwise.
ReplyDeleteWow, what an amazing list of links! Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteYep - very helpful list. Also useful explanation of digital books: A Self-Publisher's Primer to Enhanced E-Books and Book Apps
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/08/a-self-publishers-primer-to-enhanced-e-books-and-book-apps224.html