- There Are Two Kinds of "Busy." Is Yours the Right Kind? by Joanne Tombrakos. One of the lines I love the most from this post: One of (technology's) big downsides is that it can create the illusion that we are so much more important than we really are. This is a nice post on trying to find balance in work and life (and realizing it's a moving target).
- The 10-Step Guide to Fixing the Writer Website Fails That Cost You Clients, by Carol Tice. From no website to no about page, Carol offers up 10 common fails for writer websites. If you plan to make a career out of writing, you need a website--and this list is a good guide for mistakes to avoid.
- Ode to the Editor, by Chuck Wendig. As an editor, I'm including this post as a way of reminding writers of the importance of editors. Like writers, we're human--and many of us want the same thing: great writing to share with an audience.
- Why Publishing Your First Novel Is Like Running for Student Body President, by Michelle Haimoff. To prove her point, Michelle includes 40 ways the two are similar.
- The Top 25 Ways to Blow a Book, by K.M. Weiland. Great post. Another list of no-no's. Maybe that's the theme of this week's advice.
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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:
- The Second Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do: 5 Ways to Experiment as a Writer.
- How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
- The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.
5 comments:
Thanks for posting these links. I have an unrelated question though: Do you have any tips on how to write/describe characters' internal feelings/state of mind without relying cliches? Or at least a link to a post you or someone has written about this topic?
Just asking, as I'm working on a novel where there will be a lot of introspection and inner turmoil going on.
A really effective way to handle that is by showing it through characters' actions. Like someone slamming things around when upset, or not paying attention when someone's speaking when distracted. By not explaining, it adds a certain mystery to each character's thought process as well.
Thanks. I'm doing some of that already, but sometimes worry if I'm giving too much description (I heard that phrase thrown around a lot over at Scribophile:) by going in details about body language, tone of voice etc.
It's OK to be descriptive; just try to avoid letting descriptions slow the pace of the story.
For instance, here's a way to describe someone who's upset (on the fly):
Jack didn't respond to Jill's question. Instead, he picked up a knife as if he was going to slice the vegetables he bought that morning at the market--only he still needed to wash the vegetables to slice them and the anger he felt over Jill's question upset him so much that he felt like he needed to do something, but he didn't want to answer her. So he flung the knife back down and walked out of the room as Jill called after him.
That kind of description can slow the pace. Another way to create the same effect:
Jack didn't respond to Jill's question. Instead, he tossed the vegetables on the counter and cut out of the room as Jill called after him.
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These are just on the spot examples, but I think it shows how you can say the same thing but keep the action moving.
Ok, thanks for the example. I can be a little wordy sometimes so this helps.
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