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

First, I've been slammed this week, so even with Clara doing her usual great job pitching in, I know there's tons of good stuff that slid right past me. Please share your favorite posts of the week in the comments if there's anything I left out. (Also, I tweeted this last week, but to whoever emailed me that EXCELLENT description worksheet? I lost the email and couldn't find it in my browser history. Please forgive me and resend?! (Martina)

And now for the big one. OMG, OMG, OMG, Kat Zhang, YAY! (Here's me jumping up and down!!!!) HYBRID just got picked up in a three-book pre-empt  major deal by HarperCollins. That's HUGE. But the best part? The book is truly excellent. The writing is gorgeous, the premise is amazing, the world is incredible. Congrats, Kat! We are so, so proud of you and happy for you!

Book Reviews

• First Page: SECOND FIDDLE [First Page Panda] WOW of a first page from SECOND FIDDLE via @FirstPagePanda
• Tantalizing Future YA Releases! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Seventeen gorgeous upcoming YA releases for your TBR pile. via @LaFemmeReaders
• First Page: LIKE MANDARIN [First Page Panda] @KirstenHubbard ends page one of LIKE MANADRIN on a cliffhanger. Awesome.

Congrats

• Hybrid's Going to Be Published By HarperCollins [Congrats] [The Katacomb]
  Kat Zhang's awesome distopian HYBRID snags a 3-book MAJOR deal!
• National Library Week: Support Teen Literature [Novel Novice] 2011 Teens' Top 10s: Pam Bachorz, Cris Beam, Sean Beaudoin, Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, Orson Scott Card, Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins,
  Yvonne Collins, Ally Condie, Andrea Cremer, Becca Fitzpatrick, Michael Grant, Rachel Hawkins (twice), Julie Kagawa, Pittacus Lore, Peter More, Jandy Nelson, Lauren Oliver,
  Ellis O'Neal, James Patterson, Jackson Pearce, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Scott Westerfeld,
  and Kiersten White!
• New Book Deal! [Kim Harrington] Woot! Kim Harrington lands a 3-book deal with Scholastic!
• Nancy Gallt Agency Hooray! 2011 CBC List! [Hilary Wagner] Congrats 2011 Best Children's Book winners Hilary Wagner, Sophie Blackall, Naomi Howland, Emily Whitman, Janni Simner, Suzanne Weyn.
• It's A Girl! [Written In Lipstick] Happy book birthday @AmyHolder! THE LIPSTICK LAWS is out from Houghton Mifflin.

Contests

• Impromptu Writing Contest! [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] Agent Janet Reid is having a writing contest! 100 words. Enter 8pm 4/14 - 8pm 4/15.
• Interview & Giveaway: Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Easy entry to win recently-released Miles From Ordinary.
• The Great Book Giveaway!! Win TEN Awesome Books! [Hilary Wagner] Hilary Wagner generously gives away 10 books!

Craft of Writing

• 20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You [Daily Writing Tips] Twenty great simile examples and five tips to improve your own.
• Resources for Young Writers [Class of 2K11] Looking for writing resources? Some good ones aimed at teen #writers.
• How Can Writers Know if Their Work is Ready for E-Publication? [Author, Jody Hedlund] All books needs concept and/or stakes to be worth pubbing or e-pubbing.
• 5 Alternatives To a Creative Writing MFA [GalleyCat] Five ways to improve your writing without shelling out for the MFA. via @GalleyCat
• Writer Wednesday: Capturing that Elusive Voice [The Cath in the Hat] Let your writing show your inner voice instead of trying to impress.
• Writers: Are We Always Honest With Each Other? Just Curious ... [. . . . . . . ~© The Writer's Den ©~ . . . . . . .] GREAT treats, quotes, and musings on what it takes to be a writer.
• Go-to Writing Books, IV [The Divining Wand] Seven authors share their go-to books on the craft of #writing. via @LarramieG
• L is for Local Color Writing [Coming Down the Mountain: From Reclusive Writer to Published Author] Regional novel or local color writing? What can you borrow for your ms?
• Outline Techniques for Those Who Hate Outlines [iggi & gabi] Hate outlines? How 'bout mind maps, story maps or scene cards? via @iggiandgabi
• 27 Steps to Plotting Your Novel, Memoir, Screenplay Complete [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Great 27-step YouTube channel plot series from @PlotWhisperer!
• Youth Resilience & What it Means For Writers, Part I: The Resilience Chart [Jest Kept Secret] How resilient are your characters?
• Why are there so many love triangles in paranormal YA? [YA Highway] Does your YA romanceneeda love triangle? Or are there better forms of conflict?
• Your Setting Example #12 [edittorrent] Great post! Bracket description with action that makes its purpose clear.
• Dialogue--Make it Matter [Julie Musil] Eight things your dialogue must accomplish! via @JulieMusil
• Slipping in Character Description [Let The Words Flow] Don't stop the action w/ a list of physical traits, subtly slip in character descriptions.
• Writing A Novel And The Importance Of Setting [BubbleCow] Setting is much more than a vague mix of location and time.
• Top Five Mistakes Writers Make at Conferences [* Fiction Groupie *] Going to a writers' conference? Don't make these mistakes.
• You Can’t Hook a Reader with a Yawn [The Editor's Blog] Excellent post on how (and how not) to hook your readers.
• Researching Your Book--How to Do It, When to Stop and Get Writing [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] How can you tell when you're researching & when you're just avoiding writing?
• 3 Traits Your Hero and Villain Should Share [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] The best stories have heroes & villains who are more similar than different.
• First Draft Guide for the Focus-Impaired Writer [YA Highway] Suffer from focus-impairment? Use this method to write 1000-1500 words a day.
• Introducing...The Weather Thesaurus! [The Bookshelf Muse] @AngelaAckerman has done it again! Another fantastic resource for writers: The Weather Thesaurus!
• Great Characters With Disabilities In YA and MG : Guest Post by Sarah Heacox [YA Highway] The Dos & Don'ts of writing CWDs (characters with disabilities), plus wonderful YA/MG examples.
• QOTW: Secondary/Supporting Characters [Let The Words Flow] Secondary characters need to be important to the plot. Otherwise, what's the point of having them around?
• Two Sides to a Story: Plotting For Everyone [The Other Side of the Story] Want to increase tension & add some twists & turns to your plot? Try dramatic irony.
• YA Cafe: 5 Reasons Your YA Character Might Flop [iggi & gabi] Your YA character may reek of awfulness if she has one of these traits.
• Levels of Competence [Miss Snark's First Victim] Scrabbling up the levels of competence? You're at least at Level Two.
• Finding Your Voice: Seven Tips [Cheryl's Musings] Seven tips to help you nail the voice of your mc.
• How To Include Backstory Without Killing Your Novel [www.publetariat.com] Five ways to avoid infodump.
• Books on Writing Craft! [YA Muses] Four great writing books you don't want to miss.
• We can’t leave fiction alone—Talking Character [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Great #writing chat between Roz Morris and @VictoriaMixon about character development.
• 5 Tips for Quickly Writing Your First Draft—by Alan Orloff [Mystery Writing is Murder] Struggling with that first draft? Five tips to help.

Inspiration

• Color Idea Cards [Paperback Writer] Great idea: collect pics & photos for moods, themes, colors you can use in your work.
• Offbeat Lessons From Three Late-Blooming Writers [Write It Sideways] Love this: Persevere and follow your weird.
• The Revisions Process: Part One: On A Theory of Revising [But Enough About Me!] Instead of dreading revisions, view them as an opportunity for success.
• Want To Write? 18 Great Writers & Thinkers Show You How (Guest Post: Julie Duffy) [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Too busy procrastinating to write? Stop it! Read this and be inspired!
• Seven things writers can learn from footballers (really) [Time to Write] Soccer moms, your little player can teach you a few things about writing. Love this!
• Flashback Friday: The Five Things I Wished I'd Know About the Writing Business [GotYA] Things to know about the pub industry before you start writing. With movie quotes!
• Three Rules for Writing a Novel [Words and Such] All the writing rules in one amusing post.

Issues, News, and Trends

• The Adman Cometh [www.publetariat.com] Is $25 price reduction worth having ads on your Kindle?
• The Aches and Pains of Being a Writer [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Great: Letting go of stress, deadlines, and rejection.
• Would you sign my e-book? [Guardian Cats] YES! A solution to let authors SIGN e-books. Sounds brilliant.
• YouTube’s Copyright School Video [PWxyz] Not sure about copyright infringement? Check this YouTube video.
• 40th Anniversary SCBWI Summer Conference Registration Opens TOMORROW MORNING [Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog] READY? SCBWI summer conf registration starts 4/15!
• Guest Post by Bob Mayer [A Newbie's Guide to Publishing] Why @BobMayer decided to e-pub and some of his suggestions to publishers and agents.
• Should You Give Editors Your Social Security Number? [Writer's Digest Questions and Quandaries] Don't hand out your SS number without a legally binding contract.
• Why GoDaddy Went [Time to Write] GoDaddy must go. CEO is proud of shooting an elephant.

Just for Smiles

• Luck or Skill? [Rose Cooper] Fun thoughts on the roles of luck and skill in writing. Via @RoseCooper
• 10 Questions Every Writer Asks [It's a Mystery] Fun! You know you're a writer if you ask yourself...
• Will the worst book ever written become a movie? [Time to Write] Worst book ever hoax hits Hollywood? Gotta see the sample sentences.
• What if literary characters were agents? [Musings of a Penniless Writer] "Rejectius manuscriptiosa!" If Severus Snape were a lit agent. And more!
• Query Letters That DON’T Work, Not Even a Little Bit [Beyond The Margins] Hilarious! How NOT to write a query letter.

Self-Editing

• The Revisions Process: Part Two: What My Own Eyes Look For [But Enough About Me!] Excellent: The three layers of revision.
• 10 Sentences with Muddled Meanings Made Clear [Daily Writing Tips] Want to make your sentences clearer? Study these 10 examples.
• DO Get Fresh With Me: Amping Up Your Writing [* Fiction Groupie *] Lifeless eyes and raised eyebrows?YawnFreshen up those tired cliches.
• What in the Heck is a Content Edit? [Words from the Woods] A content edit checks for inconsistencies that pull readers out of your story.

Social Media

• Are You a Learning Addict? [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] Great social media tool for learning addicts. via @JamiGold
• HOW TO USE TWITTER TO TIGHTEN YOUR PROSE [Grab a Pen] Who knew? Tweeting makes you a better writer!

To Market

• Publishers That Accept Writers Without Agents: Urbantopia Books [BubbleCow] Urbantopia taking unagented subs for YA work. via @BubbleCow
• You Need a Complete Manuscript [Kidlit.com] When do you need a complete manuscript BEFORE querying? via @Kid_Lit
• You Can Only Buy One Book Today [Bent on Books] Why an agent may like your book, even think it's great, and not make an offer.
• Agent Advice: Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency [Guide to Literary Agents] Agent Russell Galen wants fantasy and other novels to show protag's life journey. via @rickischultz
• REJECTING THE GENRE NOT THE WRITING [Help! I Need a Publisher!] It's all in the story. Even if it's about vampires. via @NicolaMorgan
• Writing a Killer Query Letter [Fantasy Faction] Writing a query? Here's an example and some advice. via @FantasyFiction
• Agent Spotlight: Andrea Cascardi [Literary Rambles] Great info on agent Andrea Cascardi. No fantasy but looking for YA and MG. via @Casey_McCormick
• YA Deals By The Numbers, Part Three [Kate Hart] GREAT chart of YA deals by genre, and number of books by the brilliant @Kate_Hart.
• Editor Interview: Wendy McClure on Albert Whitman [CYNSATIONS] Great interview with editor Wendy McClure via @CynLeitichSmith
• On Requests - Some things to consider... [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Send requested material the moment you get the request. No exceptions.
• Entangled Publishing: Ready for a New Business Model Among Smaller Presses? [Oasis for YA] Curious about Entangled Publishing's unique business model? Learn all about it here.
• No, Really. Finish the Manuscript. [Jennifer Represents...] Agents are matchmakers looking for ms they can love and sell with polishing. via @Literaticat
• Bustin’ out: when agents flee the coop [Behler Blog] When an agent leaves, what can you do to make a smooth transition?
• Agent Spotlight: Sarah LaPolla [Literary Rambles] Sarah LaPolla is looking for horror, dark mystery and fairytales for YA.

Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest 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 enjoyed during the week.
• Elizabeth Craig posts 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 and Clara