15 Best Articles This Week for Writers 12/17/2010

Inspiration

• The Vote is On - Get Jeanne on Film Courage! [Scriptchat] Support @jeannevb by voting NOW!
• Secret Project Update and Editing Things [Publishing Lane] Fat vs. lean drafts, process, and some good links.
• Going Green [YA Author Elana Johnson] Are you jealous of authors with an easy road to pub?
• Leverage for Writers [iggi & gabi] You must play many roles to get the job done.
• 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Catherine Gildiner [Guide to Literary Agents] You need ice in your veins.
• What To Do When We Feel Unappreciated [Author, Jody Hedlund] Acknowledging help is important as writers.
• The Audacious Act of Writing [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Are you feeling like giving up?
• As I See It: If You Want to Succeed You Must Fail First [Coming Down the Mountain: From Reclusive Writer to Published Author] Need encouragement? Read this.
• Un-Rut Yourself [Katie Ganshert] Some tips for thinking positively about busy schedules.
• The Slush Pile Slump Syndrome [Author, Jody Hedlund] The symptoms of SPSS and how to cure it.
• 8 Reasons to Let Your Stories Ripen [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] The best stories take time to develop.
• Six keys to writing excellence [Time to Write] You gotta want it.
• Three tips for writing when you want to hurl [Don't pet me, I'm writing] It's cold & flu season- can you keep going?

Craft of Writing

• Specificity [Book Dreaming] Use RENNS to make your writing more visual.
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Paranormal Romance [Guide to Literary Agents] Info dump, fetishism, boring dialogue, overdone spec, violence overload, up-front glossary, Mary Sue mc.
• Subtext again [edittorrent] The best dialogue has subtext.
• LinkShare 6: A Roundup of Great Writer Links Across the Web [BubbleCow] Five excellent articles via @Bubblecow
• Dolly Parton Without Cleavage [Book Dreaming] A plot without action is like...
• Find Your Plot Fridays: Developing Your Story [The Other Side of the Story] Ask how does it serve the character arcs?
• Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Isolation [The Bookshelf Muse] Ideas for conveying this concept in your WIP.
• Show Don't Tell [The Blood-Red Pencil] 'The more intense the moment, the more showing you do.'
• World-Building Through Character [Anna Staniszewski] Your characters’ problems and relationships intersect with the world of the story.
• FINDING YOUR VOICE - Part the Second [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Great discussion on crafting voice.
• Finding Your Character's Voice--Shannon Style [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Three sure-fire ways to capture the uniqueness of your character's perspective.
• Blast from the Past: The Art of Pacing [Sisters in Scribe] 10 GREAT tips from Kelley Armstrong.
• Favourite posts: Writing Sex Scenes [Write Anything » Favourite posts: Writing Sex Scenes] Good exercises and food for thought.
• Favourite Posts: Extending Your Vocabulary [Write Anything » Favourite posts: Writing Sex Scenes] Great exercise!
• Transitions and Foreshadowing [The Literary Lab] Past story elements -> transition <- Future story elements.
• Up, Up, and Away! Raising the Stakes [The Other Side of the Story] Excellent: stakes are the emotional fuel of story, driving protag to act.
• Want High Stakes? Amp up the Stress! [The Bookshelf Muse] 'The higher the stress, the more elevated the stakes are.'
• Writing advice: Keep a diary [Buffy's write zone] Write a brief vignette in your diary.
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Airport Check in [The Bookshelf Muse] All the sights, sounds, smells, tasts, and tactile sensations.
• Sexy villains (and why you should be scared of them) [YA Highway] Is it twisted to be attracted to evil?
• Virgins in Fairy Tales [Writer Unboxed] Kim Hudson's female version of The Hero's Journey.
• Enigmatic Characters [Mystery Writing is Murder] Not every character needs to be an open book.
• Six things they don't teach you about writing [Time to Write] A writer's twist on creative endeavors.
• Can a First Chapter Be Too Exciting? [The Literary Lab] Good question. What do you think?
• Writing — Character Development via Location [Magical Words] Excellent point! But don't go overboard.
• Favourite posts: Seeking the “Twist” for your short story [Write Anything] Don't reveal crucial clues too early.

Self-Editing

• Golden Oldie: I Had to Do That: Clarifying Vague Pronouns [The Other Side of the Story] Often overlooked but very important tip.
• Online Style Guides [edittorrent] Specialized info, jargon, etc. useful for research.
• Blast From The Past: Telling When You Think You're Showing [Sisters in Scribe] Are you tagging your emotions?
• Day Sixteen -- 3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month -- [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Fantastic questions to ask yourself while plotting.
• Next Level Of Revision Hell [GENREALITY] Meet LEVEL TWO: Word Magix™.
• The 51 Steps to Editing [Let The Words Flow] Lots of reading and waiting!
• Two Must-Read Articles for Writers, Dec. 14, 2010 [Write It Sideways] Small victories and a plan of attack for your 2nd draft.
• Applying the Spit and Polish [The Sharp Angle] Edits that let your reader experience your scenes.
• Self-Editing: Another turn of the Kaleidoscope [The Blood-Red Pencil] Guest post from Carol Buchanan about editing as you go.
• Rules to Remember [Sisters in Scribe] Seven excellent rules to write by!

Critiquing

• Too Many Cooks - How Do You Handle Conflicting Critiques? [QueryTracker.net] All you can do is follow your instinct.
• What Makes A Good Crit Buddy? [* Fiction Groupie *] What makes a CP kick-ass, and what makes them toxic?
• Copy-Editing And Beta Readers [The Creative Penn] Great example of what beta readers can do for you.

Contests

• Book Giveaways Galore [Heather's Odyssey] Get your free book fix with these giveaways.
• Week of Awesome Continues...Giveaway Extravaganza! [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] Four prizes. Enter by 12/29.
• Book Review &amp; Giveaway for Out for Blood (Drake Chronicles #3) by Alyxandra Harvey! [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Chance to win Alyxandra Harvey's new book!
• Winterlong Tour Prizes: Part II (Random Magic + Fairy Tale Madame Alexander Dolls) [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Many goodies up for grabs!
• Win Some Free Books [BubbleCow] Enter to win by December 20th!
• JAMES PATTERSON 4 ARC Giveaway! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Enter by 12/24!
• Win a Signed Clockwork Angel by Cassie Clare Prize Pack [Novel Novice] Need we say more?
• WOO HOO! The Week of Awesomeness is here! [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] Several awesome reads being given away!
• Marvelous Middle Grade Monday--Ella Enchanted (and a signed book Giveaway!!!) [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Enter by December 21st!
• YA Highway's Second Annual Winter Giveaway! [YA Highway] Will you be one of the 26 winners?
• Gnome Attack Update: Holiday Sales Rise, Mentions in Buffalo Spree &amp; Denver Post, and an EPIC HOLIDAY BOOK GIVEAWAY [Guide to Literary Agents] Comment to win the 2011 Guide to Lit Agents and more!
• Best I Read 2010 Giveaways [Personal Demons] More chances to win Personal Demons and more.
• The Epic Contest of Epic from Beth Revis [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter by 12/20.
• Twelve Days of Giftmas Starting Dec. 12th (Tomorrow!) on Twitter [Holly Black] Holly Black lit trivia plus 12 chances to win!
• An Awesome Contest and Teaser Thursday [My Bloggish Blog Thing] 100 prizes. Check this out!

To Market

• 57 Good Reasons to Come to the Writer's Digest Conference in NYC, January 21-23 [Guide to Literary Agents] 57 agents, two hours to pitch as many as you can.
• internship [Bent on Books] Great op. Jenny Bent is looking for an intern!
• Tidbits [Writer Beware™ Blogs!] Great list of thou-shalt-nots for querying.
• Two more superhero anthologies are looking for submissions; a third is out! [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Short story opportunities!
• How I Got My Agent: Alma Katsu [Guide to Literary Agents] Smart story about getting pubbed at 40.
• Quote of the day [Buffy's write zone] Love this one.
• Can Your Character Go the Distance? [The Kill Zone] Create a world that’s big enough to allow a character to grow.
• Publishers That Accept Writers Without Agents: Andersen Press [BubbleCow] An excellent opportunity.
• YA Publisher Now Open for Submissions! [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] Crescent Moon Press is accepting submissions!
• Agent Advice: Cori Deyoe of 3 Seas Literary Agency [Guide to Literary Agents] Specializes in romance, chick lit, ya and children's chapter books.
• Publishing Interviews: Martha Mihalick, Editor for Greenwillow Books [YA Highway] Be persistent, be optimistic, keep trying, and always be professional.
• Opening for Select Submissions [Buried in the Slush Pile] CBAY Books wants e-subs for 32-page SF & Fantasy pb's for ages 2-5.
• Curtis Brown Agency Launches Writing School [GalleyCat] What do you think? Would you do this?
• Manuscript Formatting [Dark Angel Fiction Writing] A visual example of a novel format.
• Blog Flog - You're Missing the Point People! [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Queries are BIG PICTURE. Sell the book.
• Re-submissions and Re-querying: Yes or No? [QueryTracker.net] Very helpful post on those gray areas of querying.
• How Agents Rep Author/Illustrators [Kidlit.com] How to submit a query as an author/illustrator.
• New Agent Alert: Brianne Mulligan of Movable Type Literary Group [Guide to Literary Agents] She seeks high-concept YA and middle grade fiction.
• Querying [Mystery Writing is Murder] Round up of great links.
• Do Agents Remember Submissions? [Kidlit.com] Always mention when you resub.
• Agent Irene Goodman is Teaching a Webinar and Giving Away Free Critiques For Charity (on Dec. 16) [Guide to Literary Agents] Sounds like an amazing Webinar 12/16.
• SCBWI Annual Winter Conference 2011- Jim McCarthy [Suzanne Young] Conference preview, plus he's ALWAYS looking for great mss.
• Ask Daphne! About My Query LXXX [kt literary] Great breakdown of an almost great query.
• Agent Spotlight: Steven Axelrod [Literary Rambles] Looking for paranormal, ya, chick lit & more.
• Want a Blogging Job? Quips and Tips is Hiring Bloggers! [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Honest to gosh paid blogging/editing op.
• Dear guys: This letter is sent to most members of the AAR [SlushPile Hell] Seriously?
• 6 Query Letter Tips – How to Find a Literary Agent [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Think of it as hiring an agent.

After the Sale

• Walter Mosely exposes the myth of the writing life [Time to Write] What? It's not all glamour? Really?
• To Keep or to Sell Foreign Rights to your Novel [Magical Words] Are there options these days?
• Amazon Strikes Again! [Author/Agent Mandy Hubbard] Excellent examples of royalty vs. BookScan numbers.

Social Media

• My Little Experiment OR How To Manage an Online Presence as an Author [Paranormal Point of View] The how's and why's of social media. Great!
• Your Own Custom Blog Signature [Enter the Between] A cool tool for any blogger.
• Journalist Ann Curry Writes the Most Powerful Tweet of the Year [GalleyCat] The power of Twitter for good.
• Social Media for Authors: An Interview with Leili McKinley [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] A strong platform can tip the balance between yes and no.
• When (or Why) Social Media Fails to Sell Books [There Are No Rules] You've got to develop relationships over the long-run.
• How to Avoid Blogging Burnout During the Holidays [Write It Sideways] Nine suggestions to keep you going.
• What Does it Mean to Comment on Blogs – and Why Bother? [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Commenting 101.
• How to Blog Part III—14 Blogging Pitfalls New Bloggers Should Avoid [Anne R. Allen's Blog] Excellent advice on what not to do as a blogger.

Congrats

• The Saturday Post: Movie Adaptations, Awards &amp; More [Novel Novice] Who'll star in Mortal Instruments movie? Plus ALA outstanding YA debuts for 2011.
• I'm Thrilled to Share... [Caroline by line] Congrats! Schwartz and Wade has picked up MAY B for probable spring 2012 release.
• The Art &amp; Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Congrats, Victoria Mixon! Your success is our gain!
• 2nd Printing of NIGHTSHADE CITY!!! [Hilary Wagner] Congratulations, Hilary!
• Apocalypsies [Stephanie Blake] Congrats, Stephanie Blake on joining the new blog!
• I can finally tell you [Kody's Blog] Hooray, Kody Keplinger! LUSTSTRUCK will release in Fall 2011!

Book Reviews

• Guest Post: C. Lee Mckenzie [WORD for Teens] Excellent post on her new book and her writing.
• The Power of the Recommendation [Hey, There's A Dead Guy in the Living Room] Ask for books to help them sell.
• The State of Me - End of the Year Summation [Holly Black] Round up of @HollyBlack's 2010 books and writing.
• bookanistas: JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD and THE MOCKINGBIRDS [Kirsten Hubbard: YA Author + Travel Writer] Two great reviews in one.
• The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller [The Daily Harrell] Love at first site and first read.
• DELIRIUM Review [Book Dreaming] Amazing writing, characters, and premise.
• Review: The Clockwork Three by Matthew Kirby [21 pages] 'A fascinating tale that seems like a storybook.'
• Spotlight Wednesday: FIXING DELILAH by Sarah Ockler [The Contemps] Tons of praise for this story.
• Review: The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos [Confessions of a Bookaholic] It will grab the reader from the first page.
• Need by Carrie Jones [The Bookologist] 'Engaging and powerful.'
• City of Fallen Angels Cover Revealed!!!! [A Blog about Nothing] Are you ready?
• The five 2011 books I'd pimp myself to get. [Personal Demons] Sneak peak at some awesome picks!
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Partners with Oceanhouse Media for E-book Apps [PWxyz] New titles preserve book reading experience.
• Book Review: Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner [Queen of the Clan] Freaky and suspenseful, cross-over potential.
• Book Review: Captivate (Need, #2) by Carrie Jones [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] The 2nd book is another winner! Book 3 out this week.
• Review: Half Moon by Jordan Deen [Confessions of a Bookaholic] 5 out of 5 stars!
• Marvelous Middle grade monday - Tyger Tyger [Book Dreaming] Kersten Hamilton will have you under her spell.
• Review: The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused by Kari Lee Townsend [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Fast-paced and well-written MG.

Issues and Trends

• Can You Prevent Writers from Stealing Your Stories? [Write It Sideways] Several links on this touchy subject.
• Who Decides Titles and Cover Design? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Like many things, there's no set answer.
• What We talk about When We Talk Picturebooks [Blue Rose Girls] A call to arms in defense of the picturebook.
• E-books Entice as New Frontier for Ads - WSJ.com [online.wsj.com] Invigorating potential for publishing or intrusive idea?
• Interview with Jane Friedman, Part 2 [Writer Unboxed] Great interview with former publisher of WD.
• YA Genre Battle- Dystopian vs. Historical [Falling Leaflets] Is Historical the next YA trend?
• #s in Publishing Are Never Simple [Lightning + Lightning Bugs - Musings from Weronika Janczuk, Literary Agent] How things don't add up.
• Scholastic Shares Ten Kidlit Trends from 2010 [GalleyCat] 25 to 30 percent fewer PBs than last year.
• Give a Kid a Book – For Free! [Kathryn Jankowski] Just one click required.
• Why I Love My Local Library [YA Muses] Five excellent reasons.
• Penguin Sells Mini Cooper to Raise Money for the New York Public Library [GalleyCat] Want an autographed, literary car?

Just for Smiles

• Google's massive word database: Fun for the logocentric [Jacket Copy] Track word-usage in books over time.
• Greedy Little Writers [Writers' Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Great gifts for writers!
• Dear Superior Person: Publishing Grab Bag Edition, with Special Book Recommendation Bonus [The Rejectionist] Outstanding. And I second the book recommendation.
• HOW TO WRAP YOUR CAT FOR CHRISTMAS [Grab a Pen] Just in case you were wondering.
• 10 Signs You're Having One of THOSE Days [It's a Mystery] We all have them, right?
• SIX REASONS TO NOT WEAR PANTS WHILE WRITING A NOVEL* [Grab a Pen] After all, the computer won't judge you.
• Thursday’s thing to love about being a writer [Cheryl's Musings] 'The gift of words can be more precious than anything on a shelf.'

 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 loved 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 on Friday's 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.
• 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