Best Articles This Week for Writers 4/22/11

This week, we get to say a HUGE CONGRATS to our lovely friend, Julie Musil, who just signed with agent Karen Grencik! SQUEEEEEEEEEEE! We're hoping for more good news from Julie soon! Keep your fingers crossed! (And if you ever wanted an example of how to be gracious and humble about sharing your good writerly news, read the link to her post under our Congrats section. Seriously, could she be more amazing?)

Book Reviews

• Divergent by Veronica Roth [Writer Musings] DIVERGENT is fast-paced and compelling.
• Review- Abandon [A Blog about Nothing] Meg Cabot delivers an intense mystery in her new series.
• THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES by Carrie Ryan [YA Author Elana Johnson] Elana gives the thumbs-up for Carrie Ryan's latest.
• The Booksanistas: SPOILED [Lisa and Laura Write] @LandLRoecker review Spoiled.
• Bookanista Review: Moonglass, by Jessi Kirby--AND AN ARC GIVEAWAY!!!! [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Jessi Kirby's MOONGLASS comes highly recommended.
• Guest Post & Giveaway: Caitlin Kittredge, Author of The Iron Thorn [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Enter to win The Iron Thorn. Brilliant book.
• 5 Things to Read Over Spring Break [Frenetic Reader] Five r great books for your tbr pile. Nice mix.
• Review- Ten Miles Past Normal [A Blog about Nothing] Ten Miles Past Normal comes highly recommended.
• Book Review: Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer [Candace's Book Blog] Funny + serious + twists + turns equals Zombies Don't Cry.
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty -- Review [Reading, Writing and Waiting] Bumped will satisfy your thirst for dystopian.
• Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz [Frenetic Reader] A review of Invincible Summer, out April 19th.
• Book Review: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Cassandra Clare's latest will leave you with a Mortal Instruments high.
• Lure by Stephanie Jenkins [Reading, Writing and Waiting] LURE is an addictive read loaded with romance.

Congrats

• The Pulitzer Prize winners announced [About.com publishing] Pulitzer prize winners! Are you surprised?
• I...have...an...AGENT! [Julie Musil] MAJOR Squee!!! Our friend Julie Musil signs with agent Karen Grencik!

Contests

• First Page and Giveaway: THE LIPSTICK LAWS [First Page Panda] Win Lipstick Laws swag!
• Interview & Giveaway: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Win a Jackie Morse Kessler prize pack!
• Giveaway - The Long Goodbye (Meghan O'Rourke) [Reading on a Rainy Day] Enter by April 27th to win The Long Goodbye.
• Giveaway: Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip [Candace's Book Blog] Enter by 5/5 for chance to win SONG OF THE SILK ROAD. via @candacemom2two
• 20 in 20 - Week 3 [Kody's Blog] Enter to win Sarah Dessen's DREAMLAND.
• Contest Monday featuring Natalie Fischer and Dear Editor [Sisters in Scribe] YAtopia Pitch Contest with @Natalie_Fischer and substantive edit price from @Dear_Editor
• The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest [Writers in the Sky E-zine] Poetry and short story contest. Enter by 7/31.
• Interview & Giveaway: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter to win one of two signed copies of The Iron Thorn!
• Dreamland Social Club and Imaginary Girls Giveaway [Frenetic Reader] Two ARCs up for grabs. Enter by the 29th.

Craft

• Primary vs Secondary Characters (Part 2) [Buried in the Slush Pile] Love: let secondary characters reveal your main characters to the reader. via @buriededitor
• Weather Thesaurus Entry: Thunderstorm [The Bookshelf Muse] Use weather to enrich your story's mood.
• Pay No Attention To the Unicorn In the Corner [Paranormal Point of View] Drop hints for your twist so you don't knock your reader down.
• Description 101: Is Your Description Helping Your Story or Holding it Back? [The Other Side of the Story] 'Don't just create backdrops. Make your descriptions count.'
• The Voice of Point-of-View [Ingrid's Notes] A step-by-step exercise proves the power of voice.
• I Told You: Mental Signposts That Tell, Not Show [The Other Side of the Story] Telling words you can use conversationally to show instead of tell.
• 5 Foundational Areas to Focus On For Intentional Growth [Author, Jody Hedlund] Focus on these 5 skills to grow as a writer. LOVE this.
• Dissection of a Great Character 101: A Lab Manual. Oh...and also OS Teaser #11 [Personal Demons] Ten things to help you make your character extraordinary.
• 40+ free tools for authors, by Piotr Kowalczyk [TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics] AMAZING list of 40 indispensible tools for writers and bloggers. via @JaneFriedman
• 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Glen Retief [Guide to Literary Agents] Seven tips from a memoirist that every writer can use. via @ChuckSambuchino
• Got Fiction Characters? How to Use a Character Web to Track Them [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Mind map the interpersonal relationships between your characters. via @quipsandtips
• Surprise! Being Unpredictable, Even When You Don’t Know Where it’s Going [The Other Side of the Story] 'Keep the readers guessing and you keep your readers reading.'
• The Breakout Novelist With Donald Maass [The Creative Penn] Donald Maass on making your novel the best it can be.
• How To Write A Better Novel By Using An Inciting Incident [BubbleCow] Start with a BAM and natural tension will follow.
• Guest Author Kathleen Peacock: Creating a Fictional Town [The Other Side of the Story] Build a fictional setting in 3 steps.
• Storming the Brain: Coming Up With Ideas [The Other Side of the Story] Does your idea have the legs to carry an entire novel?
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Wedding Reception [The Bookshelf Muse] Stimulate your senses with another fabulous thesaurus entry from @AngelaAckerman.
• Writing Your Character’s Thoughts: 3rd Person Limited POV [Cheryl's Musings] What we can learn from Cassandra Clare on writing 3rd person limited POV.
• Making a Transition [Mystery Writing is Murder] Transitions are tricky: too quick--your readers will be confused. Too long--they'll be bored.
• HOW TO PLOT-27 ESSENTIAL & FREE VLOGS THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU WRITE [Jill Corcoran Books] Very cool! 27 Steps to Plotting series on YouTube!
• It’s a Start: What Not to Worry About in a First Draft [The Other Side of the Story] "Do what needs to be done & lay the groundwork after." What you can ignore in the 1st draft.
• Awesome First Pages! [Confessions From Suite 500] These great 1st lines that make you sit up & pay attention have these things in common.
• How To Amp Up Sexual Tension In Your Story [* Fiction Groupie *] @RoniLoren (and Joey & Pacey!!) on the vital ingredient of any romance: sexual tension.
• Character Sketches – How to Bring Characters to Life [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Give your characters life, purpose, quirks, light and shadow.
• Using the Five Senses in Writing Part Two – Scent and Smell [Magical Words] Adding scent and smell to your manuscript.
• Antagonists–The Alpha and the Omega of the Story [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Start with your antag, because your protag is reacting to him 75% of the time. via @KristenLambTX
• How to Bring Your Writing to Life With the “Telling Detail” [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Convey mood & vivid images with a Telling Detail rather than lengthy descriptions & explanation.
• I’ll show you mine if you don’t tell… [Behler Blog] The show don't tell rule also applies to queries. Via @behlerpublish

Critiquing

• Five brutal truths about feedback on writing [James Killick's Blog] Some great advice about advice from writers. Take with a grain of salt.
• How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Group [Guide to Literary Agents] Trust and a clear purpose are integral in your writing group.

Inspiration

• The Ten Commandments Of The Successful Author [www.publetariat.com] Roni Loren schools us on the Ten Commandments of the Successful Author.
• What Next? Choosing the Right Idea [YA Muses] Six things to consider when choosing a book idea.
• How to choose the best story idea. [Laura Pauling] So many story ideas, so little time. How to pick which one to write.
• How $1 Could Make You a Bestselling Author [Guide to Literary Agents] Great way to "drill down to the good stuff" agents and publishers will love. via @ChuckSambuchino
• An Agent In 25 Words Or Less: aka ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY [Miss Snark's First Victim] Great contest success story.
• How I Got My Agent: Paul Elwork [Guide to Literary Agents] Another story of success after a long, unconventional road to pub.
• Who Do You Become When You Read? [GalleyCat] Fun question: who do you read to become?
• Mistakes [Paranormal Point of View] 4 mistakes writers make.
• HOW TO LAND AN AGENT AND A BOOK DEAL [Grab a Pen] Tahereh shares how she got a Golden Ticket.
• What Writing Is to Me: Finding a Strange Thing and Examining It [Guide to Literary Agents] Inspiration can be found in unusual places.
• The drawbacks to being obsessed with a writing goal [Time to Write] 'The best way to be profitable is not to try to be profitable.'
• Diversification or How to survive as a writer - Linda Strachan [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] Difficult times require thinking outside of the box as a writer.

Issues, News, and Trends

• Writing Other Genres [Mystery Writing is Murder] Sticking to one genre makes an author easier to brand.
• Amazon to offer Kindle library lending. Is there a catch? [Jacket Copy] Amazon to bring kindle into lending model. Sort of.
• Collaboration: Three Rules You Can’t Break [Amie Kaufman] 3 tips for working with another writer on a project.
• Sex In YA, Part 2: Keeping It Safe [YA Highway] Do authors need to mention protection for YA sex scenes?
• Fictional Time Travel That Won’t Make a Physicist Cringe [Let The Words Flow] 4 rules for fictional time travel- to follow or not to follow?
• What Makes a Strong Female Character Strong? [YA Highway] Do female MCs have to literally kick butt to be strong?
• 99 Cent E-Books and the Tragedy of the Commons [Nathan Bransford, Author] Will debut authors need to give away their books to break in? Via @NathanBransford
• Two Extremes Writers Take & How To Avoid Them [Author, Jody Hedlund] Follow the rules, or break them?
• 12 Signs Your Novel isn't Ready to Publish [Anne R. Allen's Blog] Kindle no book before its time!

Just for Smiles

• Perfect Writing Getaways [Renae Mercado] Wouldn't you like to write in one of these places?

Self-Editing

• How to Know when to Break the Rules [.W.I.P. It] When is it okay to break the writing rules?
• The Dreaded Adverb Problem [Fantasy Faction] Adverbs: not just -ly words. When to keep them & when to cut them.
• Punctuating Dialogue in Novels and Short Stories [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] "Read this to learn how to punctuate dialogue correctly," he said.
• Tip Tuesday #85 [Literary Rambles] Back to basics on formatting dialog.
• Top Ten Reasons You Should Rewrite That Scene [The Intern] GREAT post to help you triage your scene revisions. via @InternSpills
• Seven Tips to Kill Blah, Blah, Blah Writing [*Lynnette Labelle* @Chatterbox Chitchat] Seven secrets to invigorate your #writing. via @Chatterbox
• Explain, Exemplify. Translation: Cut It Out! [Writer Unboxed] Sometimes cutting just a few words turns good into great.
• What's holding you back? [The Publication Follies of Alexandra Shostak] Trim the fat- a must-see list of things to cut from your WIP.
• Five Things I've Learned... [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Make your prose cleaner & tighter with these self-editing tips.
• The Revisions Process: Part Two: What My Own Eyes Look For [But Enough About Me!] Excellent: The three layers of revision.
• 5 Ways to Work Your Way Around the Weak “With” [Daily Writing Tips] Replacing the word "with" can strengthen your ms.

Social Media

• Public domain caution [Musings of a Penniless Writer] Wait! Do you really need to share that thought?
• Twitter Tuesday #14 [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Share links, but also share a bit of your life on Twitter.

To Market

• Agent Spotlight: Anna Olswanger [Literary Rambles] Agent Anna Olswanger focuses on children's books from PBs to YAs & loves author-illustrators.
• Agent Advice: Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates Literary Management [Guide to Literary Agents] Agent @Vickie_Motter seeks YA contemporary & more with unique plots, strong characters, engaging voice.
• Market your novel to the right people Webinar - May 19th Registration is open! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Don't miss this webinar: Scott Eagan on targeting your queries, and a pitch critique!
• The Fate Factor [Nathan Bransford, Author] Sad but true: All you can do is try your best and hope the Fate Factor does the rest. via @NathanBransford
• Some Thoughts About Queries [Babbles from Scott Eagan] The basics, the book, the bio. That's all you need for a query. via @greyhausagency
• Query Mistakes [.W.I.P. It] Nice round-up of query issue posts.
• Ultimate Query Tips (No Really This Time...) [Glass Cases] The only REAL query rule: Present your book effectively and directly. Via @SarahLaPolla
• Query Don'ts [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] 4 things NOT to do in your query.
• 7 Query Lessons Learned While Warming School Bleachers with My Butt [Writer Unboxed] What school open houses can teach you about querying.
• A FREE AWESOME RESOURCE TO HELP WITH YOUR QUERY AND A GIVEAWAY OF POSSESION [Literary Rambles] Get From the Query to the Call for FREE!!!
• How to Get an Agent (NOT!) [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] 13 ways to screw up your query.
• New Agent Alert: Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson Associates [Guide to Literary Agents] New agent Judith Engracia seeks MG and YA.
• 3 myths about agents [Don't pet me, I'm writing] 3 nuggets of wisdom about literary agents.
• Five Things I’ve Learned By E-publishing [Writer Unboxed] Editorial consultant Tracy Marchini shares e-publishing insights.
• You Know Your Query Letter Sucks When … You Don’t Grab Them in the First Sentence [Author Marketing Experts, Inc.Get Published Tips and Book Marketing Advice from Penny Sansevieri] 5 ways to grab an agent in the first sentence of your query.
• “What’s Your Book About?” [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] Craft a pitch that gives readers the right impression.

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