15 Best Articles This Week for Writers 2/4/11

We're back from SCBWI-NY (OMG--wasn't that fantastic?), and it's been a crazy week. Hopefully we caught everything we missed, but we doubt it. If you found (or wrote) a great article, book review, or contest you'd like to share with us, please put it in the comments!

After the Sale

• Make Time To Promote Your Book [www.publetariat.com] Eleven tasks to help you balance promotion with your other responsibilities.
• Thinking Beyond the Book: What's Your Demand Curve? [There Are No Rules] Envision the growth & profitability of your career.

Book Reviews

• Review: Feed by M. T. Anderson [The Bluestocking Blog] This review makes FEED sound a little Westerfeldish, but it hits the highlights. Don't miss this book!
• Book Review: Timeless by Alexandra Monir [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Favorable review of this YA time-travel romance.
• Review- Delirium [A Blog about Nothing] Beautiful, 5-star review.
• bookanistas: BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton [Kirsten Hubbard: YA Author + Travel Writer] Fantastic review of this dark paranormal.

Congrats

• Changing Priorities and Character Growth [Mystery Writing is Murder] Congrats to @ElizabethCraig on her new 3-book deal!
• Another Success Story [Miss Snark's First Victim] YAY Erin Anderson for signing with Joanna Volpe after S.A.'s Baker's Dozen Auction!
• Terror, excitement, and a mild case of amnesia [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Congrats, Tawna, on your blog anniversary!
• And The Winner Is........... (and more about my choices) [Nathan Bransford - Blog] Amazing writing and some craft advice along the way. Congrats to all the finalists!
• Discover Great New Writers Awards Finalists Revealed [GalleyCat] Kim Echlin, Nic Pizzolatto, Eric Puchner spotlighted in the fiction category.
• Take 5: The Understudy’s Revenge by Sophie Masson [Writer Unboxed] Congrats to Sophie Masson on the book's Australian release.

Contests

• ~*Super Shiny ALA ARC Giveaway!*~ [YA Highway] You won't want to miss this one!
• Brenda Drake Writes . . . under the influence of coffee.: Interview with agent Weronika Janczuk . . . our first line contest judge and prize giver... [brenleedrake.blogspot.com]
• Barnes and Noble Groupon Deal [Emily's Reading Room] 50% off $20 worth of books. Good through 2/6/11.
• The AFTERLIFE countdown begins! (new contest!) [Claudia's Blog] Enter by 2/10/11 to win an Evernight Academy doll.
• First Page and GIVEAWAY: Anya’s War [First Page Panda] Enter by 2/16/11.
• contest, more tour info [allyson condie] Five great reads. Enter by 2/7/11.
• Interview & Giveaway: The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter by 2/24.
• My EASY & Fun Winter Contest...to beat the winter blues [Some Things I Think...] Win 1st chapter critique by Sarah LaPolla or YA books!
• Contest Contest Contest Contest!!! Ahem. [The Michelle Show] Enter by 2/7/11 to win an ARC of Afterlife.
• 2nd Annual Literary Lovers Mash-Up Writing Contest [Novel Novice] Enter by 2/14: imagine if two unlikely literary heroes met and had an explosive romance.
• February Secret Agent Early Info [Miss Snark's First Victim] Another great contest starts 2/7/10! Enter first 250 words of your ms.
• The Art of Shameless Self-Promotion and a cool contest! [Personal Demons] What makes this contest so cool? (Hint: it's ours).
• Pay It Forward Contest [Market My Words] Huge opportunity to get personal recommendation to an agent.

Craft

• Got a Dash? [The Blood-Red Pencil] How to use them, and tips to force MS Word to work.
• Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Deception [The Bookshelf Muse] Another fabulously exhaustive resource for your writing!
• How to Avoid Head-Hopping [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] Six techniques to add to your arsenal.
• Lies You Believe [The Literary Lab] Eight "rules" writers tell each other and why they aren't always true.
• 5 Writing Rules You Should Break [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Knowing when, how, & why to break the rules is as important as following them.
• LITERARY TERMS II: Setting the Scene [Oasis for YA] It's not just setting. Don't forget the tone and mood.
• Depth of Character [Writer Unboxed] Is your protag passionately engaged in life?
• Dramatic vs. Melodramatic [Julie Musil] Start small, then amp it up.
• Four master-skills to make your writing a cut above the rest [James Killick's Blog] The subtle techniques of defamiliarization, foreshadowing, subtext, and dramatic Irony.
• Complete Characters [Paranormal Point of View] Three steps to created deeper insight on subsidiary characters.
• Therein lies the heart [Musings of a Penniless Writer] Great: Writing needs a great premise, characterization and plot. But never forget the heart.
• Layering Conflict [Anna Staniszewski] The various threads of interconnected conflicts can ratchet up the tension in a novel.
• RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Act II: 1 breakdown [Alexandra Sokoloff] Analysis up to the midpoint climax. Excellent.
• What is Steampunk? [www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com] Great analysis of the trend that wasn't.
• Description Passages, Part I: Setting [Magical Words] Every passage in your ms should develop character, advance plot, and/or fill in necessary background.
• Concrete and specific [edittorrent] Precision of detail is an aspect of voice.
• Lenore Look: Look Who's Laughing [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] The secrets of writing humor.
• How to Work with the Four Levels of Transition in a Book: Smoothing the Reader's Ride [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] Awkwardly timed transitions make your reader frustrated or bored.
• Find Your Plot Fridays: Goal - Conflict - Stakes. Why You Need All Three [The Other Side of the Story] Give your story a solid foundation.
• Setting by Example: Murray [edittorrent] Incorporate setting details only when they become relevant.
• Crafting the Perfect Story, or, I Gush About Veronica Mars [Kiersten Writes] Become a better writer by watching one of the best shows ever.
• Uh When To Da Ster, Or, Why Accents Don’t Belong In Your Manuscript [Let The Words Flow] Use setting instead of accents.
• T3 - How to Determine Your Character's Motivating Need [The Character Therapist] Give your hero this Thematic Apperception Test.
• Why Is Head-Hopping Bad? [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] If done poorly, POV shifts take the reader out of the story.
• Psychology in Writing: Adding Sound Effects to Your Writing [NouveauWriter] Add POP! and BANG! to your prose w/ onomonopoeia.
• Back to Basics-Dialog I [TheWriteGame] There's a big difference between conversation & dialogue.
• Every Book Can Get Better: Getting to Know Your Protagonist [iggi & gabi] Draw from your own experiences.
• Guest Post: Renée Watson on Writing About Serious Topics in Children’s Books [CYNSATIONS] Prevent preaching with strong characters & storylines.
• 3 Layers of ‘Layering’ in Fiction [Writer Unboxed] Layer your novel, your scenes, & your details.

Critiquing

• How to Find a Good Critique Partner [.W.I.P. It] Three questions to ask yourself.
• Giving Up My Title: Why Writers Can't Have Too Many Sacred Cows [* Fiction Groupie *] Listen to feedback with an open mind.
• 7 Reasons We Need a Critique Partner [.W.I.P. It] Things a CP can do for you that a family member can't.
• Panel: Listening to Feedback with an Open Mind [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Experts advise how to handle critiques.
• Excerpt Critique Call for Submissions, Jan. ’11 [Write It Sideways] Great opportunity for feedback.
• A Last Word on Critique [YA Muses] When to follow your CP's advice.
• Critique Group Checklist [YA Muses] How to be a helpful critique partner.

Inspiration

• EMOTIONS AND WRITING [Help! I Need a Publisher!] No one's going to write for you. Scary but true.
• Inspiring Words from SCBWI 2011 Winter Conference [All about them words] LOVE THIS! The best quotes from a weekend of panels and keynotes.
• New Voice: Mark Shulman on Scrawl [CYNSATIONS] Fantastic story about finding a protagonist and a voice.
• Confessions of a Conference Junkie: Guest Blog by Bret Ballou [YA Muses] Wonderful guest post. Bret sums up the conference experience!
• Why do I write? : Just Sayin [www.tracyclark.org] Beautiful post on letting yourself live and write from a place of deep emotion.
• Snap Out of It [The Bluestocking Blog] View negative feedback as a roadmap to improvement.
• Ten tips for taming a beastly to-do list [Don't pet me, I'm writing] Great approach to keep from being overwhelmed.
• Operation Awesome: Live Concerts = First Drafts [operationawesome6.blogspot.com]
• Books For Thought: How often do you read out of your comfort zone? [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] If reading is a writer's primary education...
• Myra McEntire: Interpretation [myramcentire.blogspot.com]
• Writing And The Mixed Blessing Of A Day Job [The Creative Penn] Perspective on maintaining the drive and desire to write.
• NYC 2011: Sara Zarr gives the speech that she wanted to hear [Notes from the Slushpile] Great recap of a fabulous keynote speech!
• Linda Sue Park - The Chocolate Chip Cookie Tip [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] A writer's training program is reading.
• Jeannette Larson, Editorial Director: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Regardless of the market, it comes down to the story & the writing.
• The Good News? Writing Never Gets Any Easier [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] But the glory is in the struggle.
• How to be an excellent writer (Tony Schwartz's six steps) [Time to Write] Are you doing all six?
• Keeping Your Writing World Straight [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Stay organized with this calendar just for writers.
• Ten Traits of Successful Writers [Author, Jody Hedlund] Do you have what it takes?
• You're The Artist—It's Your Job To Write What You Love [Between Fact and Fiction] LOVE -> Do what you need to forster your creativity and happiness, and everything else will come when it comes.
• Learning to Say “No” to New Writing Commitments [Write It Sideways] Five questions to ask before nod your head.

Issues and Trends

• Where does censorship begin? [GotYA] Censorship begins at home.
• More Disappointing News: The "100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader" List [In Bed With Books] Which side are you on? At least the convo has started!
• Alias or Not? [Novel Matters] The pros and cons of pen names.
• 5 Key Takeaways for Authors From Digital Book World [There Are No Rules] Transitioning into the digital age.
• Read a Book for Ten Minutes & Save Publishing [GalleyCat] We clicked the LIKE button on this FB page.
• Writing: We Are All in this Together [iggi & gabi] Create the best story you can, rather than chase trends.
• Are you moral enough for this publisher? [Time to Write] HarperCollins adds a "moral clause" to book contract.
• Foreign Rights: How Authors Tap a Rich Vein of Royalties - DailyFinance [www.dailyfinance.com] Is the loss of potential foreign rights revenue a reason to discount self-publishing?
• Youth in Egypt Protect the Libraries [GalleyCat] Hope for the future amid the turmoil.
• Roots and Branches: YA Services Past, Present and Future – the 2011 YALSA Past Presidents’ Lecture [YALSA] The role of school and public libraries, ya collections, and more.

Just for Smiles

• IF YOU SEND A WRITER A VIRTUAL COOKIE [Write-Brained] Love, love, love this! Read it and smile.
• 10 Things I Know [It's a Mystery] Funny and true lessons about being a writer.
• GK's lesson of the day: don't idealize [Getting Past the Gatekeeper] Nobody's perfect, not even agents nor your competition.
• I am typing you this digital letter requesting that your agency represent me in securing a... [SlushPile Hell] Would this have been any more successful in an email?

Self-Editing

• Wordle--Good for the WIP [Justine Dell] Great reminder that WORDLE can show you your writing sins.
• Feel the Rhythm of the Words [The Other Side of the Story] FABULOUS example for changing up syntax and varying rhythm.
• Making Your Outline Work For You Part 3 [Chronicles of a Novice Writer] Great, systematic approach to editing your manuscript.
• List of the Most Commonly used YA Cliches [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] Do you have any of these in your manuscript?
• Let's Talk About Adjectives [The Other Side of the Story] Five questions to help you decide if an adjective is worthwhile.
• Control Your Speed, Control Your Pacing (Plus Two Bonus Posts) [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Excellent look at what pacing can accomplish.
• Revision Week: Rough Draft Triage [The League of Extraordinary Writers] Focus on the most important points first.
• Grammar Police! That vs Which [Justine Dell] Use 'that' with restrictive clauses and 'which' with nonrestrictive.
• SCBWI Miami- Revision by Arianne Lewin [Chocolate for Inspiration] Great tips for self-editing, plus insight into an editor's process of revision.
• Writers Intensive Panel--The Process of Revision: Challenges & Rewards [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Revision advice from those in the know.
• Defining What We Do: Always, Never, You Must -- Breaking the Rules of Writing [The Other Side of the Story] When & how to break them.

Social Media

• More on Blog Headers [Enter the Between] Want to make your blog look more personal?
• How to Achieve Balance Between Your (God I Hate This Word) Platform and Your Writing [Blue Rose Girls] Time-deepening and repurposing. Wow.
• Choose and Stick with Your True Platform [Blogussion] Writing, audio, and video--should we do it all?
• My Favorite Blogs [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] Other blogs for writing advice & resources.
• A Million Screaming Fans [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] "A platform is more than a bunch of Twitter followers."

To Market

• Synopsis Example: ''House of Games'' (Noir / Mainstream) [Guide to Literary Agents] Short example, and a link for all things manuscript formatting.
• Unique and Good - It Takes Both To Succeed! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] A bit of unwelcome truth. Do you fall into one of these two categories?
• Thursday Spotlight Update [Literary Rambles] Agent updates plus new moves by Beth Fleisher, Joe Veltre, and Marsha Wernick.
• Agent Jon Sternfeld On: A Handful of Writing ''Don’ts'' [Guide to Literary Agents] OMG 98% of queries don't get past the first paragraph???
• Querying Paralysis [Seeing Creative] Great example of second-guessing. Sometimes you have to trust yourself.
• Agent Spotlight on: Michelle Humphrey [Write About Now] Likes self-aware, emotionally-smart characters and books where the line between good and evil blurs.
• The Synopsis [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Ever wondered why you need one?
• Agent Advice: Rebecca Strauss of McIntosh & Otis [Guide to Literary Agents] Your work needs to speak for itself.
• New Agent Alert: Stephen Barr of Writers House [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for fiction that rewards the reader line-by-line and gets to know at least one character really, really well.
• Back to Business Monday: Home from NYC - SCBWI Conference, Viking & more! [Writer on the Side] Three reasons to conference that have nothing to do with selling your manuscript.
• How to Mingle at Publishing Events [Blue Rose Girls] Eight tips to make events more productive and enjoyable.
• The Protocol For Following Up [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Don't pressure an agent, but do check in case their response was lost.
• So You've Written A Novel? [Adventures In Writing] 25-word pitch contest starts tomorrow.
• Why A Small Market Might Be The Perfect Reason To Self-Publish [BubbleCow] Is self-publishing a viable alternative for books target to niche markets?
• Ginger Clark: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] Insightful observations of MG & YA.
• Alessandra Balzer: What Makes Your Work Publishable [The Official SCBWI Conference Blog] 5 of the 10 things she looks for.
• Guest Post: Author Miranda Kenneally - Querying Isn't Algerbra [* Fiction Groupie *] @MirandaKennealy has advice AND a query critique contest for you.
• Blog Flog! Not Following Rules Tells The Editors and Agents Something About You! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Make a good first impression.
• Excited for Something New [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Agent Jessica Faust wants steampunk & contemporary, fantasy, & historical romances.
• Agent Mary Kole is Teaching a Webinar on How to Get Your Kids/Teen Fiction Published (Feb. 3, 2011) [Guide to Literary Agents] You won't want to miss this one!
• Don't Rush Into Your Pitch Appointments at RWA Nationals [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Research first to find a good match.
• Re-Write Wednesday: Shine On: Taking Time to Make Your Work Ready for Submission [The Other Side of the Story] You have to polish.
• Updated: What I'd Love to See in the Inbox [Neverending Page Turner] YA male POV romance & MG boy books, among many others.
• Love Letter To The Book [Confessions From Suite 500] Queries that follow the rules = good. Queries with glitter = bad.
• Querying The Cliché [QueryTracker.net] "The specifics are the difference between a cliché & a compelling story."

Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• 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, Clara, Cam and Cici