21 Best Articles! This Week for Writers 8/27/2010

Inspiration

• 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?

Craft of Writing

• 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.

Self-Editing

• 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.

Critiquing

• 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.'

Contests

• 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!

To Market

• 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.

After the Sale

• 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.

Twitter, Blogging & Social Media

• 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.

Issues and Trends

• 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 Reviews

• 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.

Congrats!

• 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!

Just for Smiles

• 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?

 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