12 Best Articles This Week for Writers 9/10/10

Inspiration

• The soul of a story [Portia Sisco] What grabs you on page one and invites you to keep on reading?
• Why YA? Writing about the firsts. [Magical Words] Carrie Ryan on writing about the first experiences that change a teen.
• Productivity Can Equal Downtime [Mystery Writing is Murder] Can we find time to let the creative juices flow?
• How They Do It: Guest Blogger Cynthia Leitich Smith on Process [The Other Side of the Story] Writing across genres and how the process changes.
• IN WHICH I DEFINE WHAT I MEAN BY A DELUSIONAL WANNABE [Help! I Need a Publisher!] You aren't one, but is that enough to get published?
• Stop obsessing about publication, start obsessing about writing [James Killick's Blog] 'Learn to love the journey, the act of writing itself, irrespective of what will come of it.'
• don't get off the train too soon [Ara's Blog] 'If you don't get off the train too soon--you WILL eventually reach your destination.'
• 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Audrey Vernick [Guide to Literary Agents] Audrey Vernick offers advice to writers.
• Five Stages of Writer's Block [iggi & gabi] Writers can go through a series of stages before they are ready to write again.
• How I Got My Agent: Kirsten Rice [Guide to Literary Agents] How entering a contest turned into a deal.
• Help For Climbing the Difficult Hills [Author, Jody Hedlund] Conquering the challenges we face as writers.
• Mind Mapping for Writers – How to Mind Map a Story or Article [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Interesting approach. Have you tried it?
• What Creativity Is—and Nurturing It [Mystery Writing is Murder] Does your creativity expand beyond writing?

Craft

• HOW TO PLOT YOUR BOOK [Jill Corcoran Books] Plot Whisperer Martha Alderson offers advice on plot via YouTube.
• Seven Keys to Writing Good Dialogue [Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent] 'Great dialogue can make a novel sing. Bad dialogue can sink it like a stone.'
• Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Peace/Harmony [The Bookshelf Muse] Read it when you're stuck or just need inspiration.
• On Breaking the Rules [Pimp My Novel] Don't do it until you've mastered them and know why they are worth breaking.
• Learning About Characters with Clifford The Big Red Dog [YA Highway] Clear characterization through action--a lesson for writers.
• T3 - Stages of Change: Maintenance/Relapse [The Character Therapist] 'This is the feeling of calm after the bad guys are either jailed or killed.'
• Making Sense of Story Structure [Advanced Fiction Writing Blog] Three disasters plus an ending.
• The Fabulous Mary Kole is Teaching a Webinar [WriteOnCon.com] And she will crit the 1st 500 words of your YA/MG novel or 300 words of your PB. According to her client, Jamie Harrington, the feedback will be invaluable.
• Cart or Horse? [Book Dreaming] Are you drunk on words and getting in your own way? Stop editing and write!
• Character Stereotypes: The Geek [The Character Therapist] More character insight for your novels!
• First person, present tense: Snog, marry, or throw off a cliff? [Claire King] What it is, why and when to use it, and what "rules" you might be breaking.
• Creating Your Main Character [QueryTracker.net] Nine tips to make your MC likeable and compelling.
• Do you know how to Linger? [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Places in your ms where you should slooooow down.
• Exploring: New Books for Writers [The Blood-Red Pencil] Five writing resources to check out.
• Up the Stakes to Grab Readers [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Everything that could go wrong pretty much should.
• A Question of Character [iggi & gabi] There are four ways to show character: thought, appearance, dialogue, and action.
• Another Tip to Bolster the Sagging Middle [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Your protag should be learning the skills she needs to achieve her long-term goal.
• How Well Do You know Your Character? [Rose Cooper] 'To have the voice, you have to have a strong character.'
• Flirting 101: Bust a Move [The Bookshelf Muse] Everything you need to know about how your characters flirt. Another great article from Angela.
• Reading for Writers: SPILLING INK [Kidlit.com] 'This book is a must read for writers of any age group.'
• The First Three Chapters - What should be there? [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Character development, world building, and conflict.
• Sentence Strengthening Suday--The Passive Sentence [YA Highway] What makes passive sentences undesirable? @yaHighway
• Is Your Story Mysterious Enough? [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] 'When your readers want something, do not give it to them.'
• My Secret Weapon: The Outline [Emma Michaels] You want a road map, not pictures of every street sign you'll pass.
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Herbalist Shop (Fantasy) [The Bookshelf Muse] A sensory mecca!
• How to Know When It Works [Kidlit.com] 'The aim of good writing is to be unobtrusive.'
• Demistifying the Graphic Novel [Ingrid's Notes] Fantastic information on all things graphic novel.
• Is It Okay to Switch Verb Tenses? [http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ Google feed] Shockingly, it's sometimes okay.
• A great resource for writers of books and screenplays [Time to Write] Thepaperboy.com features 6,351 online newspapers for research.

Self-Editing

• That Sneaky Backstory [* Fiction Groupie *] Tips from Donald Maass on where to unveil backstory to unleash tension in your novel.
• Launch of How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? YouTube Plot Series [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] A step-by-step series of videos to help you whip your plot into shape.
• a conversation on: knowing when your manuscript is ready to submit [allyson condie] Love this: general badditude* of writing + not enough time spent away from manuscript/in revision = rejection.
• Reading Out Loud: An Effective Editorial Tool [QueryTracker.net] 'Reading out loud forces the reader to slow the rate, which helps identify errors.'
• Tricks of the Trade: Self-Editing Checklist [The Blood-Red Pencil] 'A handy checklist from Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.'
• The Writing is in the Rewriting [Writer Unboxed] Sound advice on tackling edits.
• The Apostrophe Song [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Breaking it down--kid style.
• Does Your Novel Suffer From Flat Writing? [www.publetariat.com] If it doesn't "wow" you when you read it, you have a problem.

Critiquing

• Critique Groups 101 [iggi & gabi] Tips for joining a crit group and etiquette once you're in one.
• An Opportunity to Read [• Weronika Janczuk - Writer & Literary Agent •] Unpaid but a great chance to learn from an agent!
• C Is for Contest [Chatterbox Chitchat] Critique group opportunity for adult romance writers.
• Nonfiction Childrens' Writers Critique Group seeks new members [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Deborah seeks writers of children's non-fiction for an online crit group.

To Market

• How to Score a Traditional Deal After Self-Publishing [There Are No Rules] After self-pubbing, this book went to auction!
• Agent Spotlight: Taylor Martindale [Literary Rambles] She seeks YA fiction- specifically contemporary, paranormal, urban fantasy, and a captivating voice.
• Form rejections [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] Hard to describe this one unless you read it. But don't do it!
• Successful Queries: Agent Michelle Humphrey and ''Losing Faith'' [Guide to Literary Agents] Another great peek into what made an agent request a manuscript.
• What Going Indie Will Cost You: Part 3 of Why Self-Publishing Is Better Than You Think [The Literary Lab] Michelle walks you through the costs of self-pub, plus links, tips, and more.
• More on Revision Letters [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] What do they really mean?
• The BubbleCow Guide to Academic Book Pitching: Part II [PhD2Published] A paragraph by paragraph guide.
• The query that hooked my agent [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Tawna kindly shares her query with comments by agent Michelle Wolfson.
• How to Deal With Contradictory Query Advice [Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent] 'Not all publishing advice is created equal.'
• The One Thing You Should Be "Reading Into" (Queries) [• Weronika Janczuk - Writer & Literary Agent •] What the stats are really telling you.
• Is There a Disconnect In Your Story? [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Excellent point about knowing what your story is before you query.
• Publishing Options For Your Book [The Creative Penn] Excellent explanations provided. @thecreativepenn
• Query Series: Kate Hart & Michelle Andelman [YA Highway] Kate Hart shares her successful query.
• The Evolving Role of Literary Agents [There Are No Rules] Insightful interview with Jane Friedman.
• Agent posts [Buffy's write zone] A round-up of the recent posts on what agents do, like, hate, offer and more.

After the Sale

• 5 Secrets to a Successful Book Signing [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] How to use this marketing tool to your advantage.
• Virtual Book Tours: How To Set Up And Run A Successful Book Tour [BubbleCow] How to set up a virtual book tour and get the most out of it.
• Timing is Everything [Pimp My Novel] When you are pubbed can make a difference.
• Decatur Book festival recap [Market My Words] And a source for promo material for pub'd & prepub'd writers.
• Promote A Friend's Book! It's Random Acts Of Publicity Week (Sept.7-10, 2010) [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Great idea! And what if we all do it everyday?
• 7 Ways Authors Can Market Without the Internet [Author, Jody Hedlund] Sound suggestions for reaching beyond the internet to spread the word about your book.
• MONEY MATTERS FOR AUTHORS [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Information on royalties, taxes, and more.

Blogging, Twitter & Social Media

• What Do I Blog About? [Elana Johnson, Author] Elana talks all things blog.
• Writing Memoir And Using Scribd For Book Promotion With Hyla Molander [The Creative Penn] Benefits and tips for using Scribd.
• How to Build a Booming Authority in 7 Steps [Blogussion] Tips that any serious blogger shouldn't miss.
• The Great Facebook Debate: Personal Account or Page? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Jody makes the case for starting a professional FB page.
• Spruce Up Your Blog's Sidebar with Library Thing [Enter the Between] Options for showcasing your favorite books on your blog.
• Guest Post: 10 Ways to Rock on Social Media and Still Have a Life [NouveauWriter] Fantastic post! Suggestions that save time so you can be more efficient.
• Eleven Great Multicultural Blogs [Mitali's Fire Escape] Great list! Follow these links.
• A Simple Guide to Running a Facebook Page [Confident Writing] Simple tips for tackling this networking tool.
• The Professional Online Presence [* Fiction Groupie *] Sierra Godfrey schools us on the elements of a professional website.
• Blogging Trifecta Explosion! [Elana Johnson, Author] Get more follwers with a few deliberate steps.
• Author Websites for the "Pre-Published" [* Fiction Groupie *] 'Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.'
• Build Your Author Platform with Online Forums [Writers in the Sky E-zine] Use these free online communities to network.
• The "AddToAny" Widget Button [Enter the Between] Time saving tips on using this tool.

Book Reviews

• How To Use Book Trailers Effectively. Interview With Darcy Pattison [The Creative Penn] How to make a book trailer that will keep viewers watching.
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare [Candace's Book Blog] Better than Mortal Instruments? What do you think?
• Another outlet for a Franzen review [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] The Wall Street Journal will launch a weekly book review section. Time to move over, NY Times?
• Call for Papers: Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults [YALSA] Accepting mss for Winter/Spring. 11/1/10 issue to feature papers from YALSA Symposium on YA Lit.
• Emma Donoghue Tops Lady Gaga with Booker Bump [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Great lit can still trump pop culture. All you need to do is to make the Man Booker short list.

Congrats

• China Mieville & Paolo Bacigalupi Tie for Best Novel at the Hugo Awards [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] Congrats also to Charles Stross, Peter Watts, Will McIntosh, Kaja Foglio and Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright.
• Man Booker Prize Shortlist Announced for 2010 [mediabistro.com: GalleyCat] NY Times pans Tom McCarthy but Booker Prize nomination may lessen the sting.
• Lauren Strasnick's YA novel DAKOTA WEBB IS MISSING sells to Simon Pulse through the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
• Greg Fishbone's middle grade book GALAXY GAMES, repped by Will Entertainment, sells to Tundra Books.
• Author Joseph Bruchac's fantasy WOLF MARK is picked up by Tu Books through Barbara Kouts.
• Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas's FROM WHAT I REMEMBER..., pitched as The Hangover meets The Breakfast Club, sells to Simon & Schuster Children's via William Morris Endeavor.
• Cath Crowley's YA novel GRAFFITI MOON is purchased by Knopf Children's for publication in Summer 2012 via Inkwell Management.
• Jarrett Krosoczka's middle grade PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD, pitched as Frog & Toad meets Law & Order, sells to Walden Pond Press in a four-book deal through Writers House.
• Greg Leitich Smith's middle-grade THE CHRONAL ENGINE: AHEAD OF TIME sells to Clarion through Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown.
• Author Kelley Armstrong's untitled YA series sells to Harper Teen in a three-book deal for publication in 2014 through the Helen Heller Agency.
• Jennifer Smith's debut THE WEATHER MAKERS sells to Little, Brown Children's for publication
  Spring 2012 through ICM.
• Jackson Pearce's PURITY, pitched as written in the style of "Saved!" and "Juno," to Little, Brown Children's for publication in Spring 2012 by Dystel & Goderich Literary Management .
• Kat is Agent-ed! :) [The Katacomb] Congrats to Kat! WOOT!!!! We predict Hybrid will be a huge success.

Contests

• Carolina's ARCs Galore Giveaway! [Bookaholics Oye!!] Win ARCS of Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Paranormalcy, Dark Water, Jane, Dark Song, If You Lived Here You'd Be Home Now.
• PERSONAL DEMONS Prize Package! [Elana Johnson, Author] Creat contest! Head on over and hurry!
• GRAFFITI WALL: Susan Kaye Quinn, author of LIFE, LIBERTY, and PURSUIT [Writers' Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Enter by September 13th!
• THE IVY ARC Givwaway! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Two ARCs to win. Enter by Sept 17, 2010.
• Delacorte Press Contest for YA novel [Dark Angel Fiction Writing Blog] Contest opens October 1st and closes December 31st.
• Omg DUFF! [Coffey. Tea. And Literary.] Easy entry to win The DUFF!
• Interview with Author Alicia Bessette and a Chance to Win a Copy of "Simply from Scratch"! [Franklin, Ink: Writing About Writing and Reading] Contest closes September 21st!
• Teeth and Bones Editing Contest [Novel Matters] Win an edit of your first chapter and synopsis by Bonnie Grove.
• The Final Blue Fire ARC Contest [The Other Side of the Story] Enter by September 13th!
• The Great YA Bake Sale of 2010! [Megan Crewe - another world, not quite ours] Goodies and great books!
• FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins Signed ARC Giveaway [ROOTS IN MYTH] Stop by @pj_hoover's blog to enter by September 17th!
• Denise Jaden Interview and Giveaway [Caroline by line] Win Losing Faith!
• September Book Giveaway! [Writer Musings] Easy entry, two great books.
• September Giveaway!! [Searching] Win Mac Slater Hunts the Cool by Tristan Bancks & a B&N gift card.
• Blog contest [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] Giveaways galore!
• Blog Tour - Firelight by Sophie Jordan [Book Crazy] Contest ends September 12th!
• Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick GIVEAWAY! [Bookaholics Oye!!] Winner gets several fun goodies!
• FMBBF and GIVEAWAY! [Emma Michaels] Win a copy of The Thirteenth Chime!
• CONTEST – Zombies vs. Unicorns: Which team are you? [Novel Novice] Explain your allegiance and win!

Issues & Trends

• The PW Morning Report: Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010 [PWxyz] Catch up with overseas e-book issues, product placement in 19th century novels & more...
• Are We Marginalizing Teenagers? [Carol's Prints] If you can sell “YA” books does it matter who you are writing for?
• Virtual Particles are the New Vampires [Pimp My Novel] Yay for psuedophysics. Could I be--gulp--ahead of the trend for once?
• The Evolution of Chick Lit [Writer Unboxed] With the recent rebranding of ChickLit, interesting to see where it began.
• Should I Use a Non de Plume? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] When to use a pen name and how to select one.

Just for Smiles

• YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF [Grab a Pen] The value of YA can't be captured with a receipt.
• Reader Requests [The Blood-Red Pencil] What readers want to see in novels.
• The other comparison: ebook royalties versus ebook self-publishing [The Shatzkin Files] Smashwords DRM stance, royalties by market, and more.
• Allison Winn Scotch - Ask Allison - Anyone Have CPR for Chick Lit? [www.allisonwinn.com]
• QUIZ: What Kind of Writer Are You? [Edited to Within an Inch of my Life] Writing food junkie or internet junkie? Obsessed or balanced?
• Typophobia [Dystel & Goderich Literary Management] A couple of links to make you smile.
• FIND YOUR FORTUNE [Grab a Pen] These fortune cookies are made especially for writers.
• Comic: Not An Old Wives’ Tale After All [Writer Unboxed]
• The Book Depository Live [www.bookdepository.com]

 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