Best Links of the Week

Dear Writer Friends: Something to think about - are readers fickle? Will they forget you if you don't social network?  Something very interesting that generated a lot of thought on my end after my awesome readers weighed in: 98% feel writing the book is more important than social networking. 98%! More on this soon, too.... 

Are You Comfortable with Yourself?  I really love this. Happiness comes from within....

1984, the Thriller This is an incredibly interesting view of this seminal dystopian novel

Christine Rose Elle tackles The Task at Hand: Motivation in 30 Seconds or Less Something we all could use a little help on sometimes

I can't wait to read THE CASUAL VACANCY, and I love this piece on JK Rowling - she's really in control of her destiny, and I have great respect for her. J. K. Rowling - By the Book - NYTimes.com 

New Sylvia Day eBook Sells 286k Copies In First Week | Publishers Lunch It is totally awesome to watch an author break out like this. 

And on the Tao this week: The Art of The Steal - What happens when you're perfect idea is done by another?

Best Links of the Week

If you read anything this week - this is the link you want to, no, MUST read. The 'Busy' Trap  We are all so damn busy, and what are we really accomplishing? Creative energy demands playtime.

Since I have great respect for the well done femme fatale.... An Interview with Kim Krizan on Writing, Creativity and Channeling Your Inner Femme Fatale | Script Magazine

Deanna Raybourn has a great piece about book buying -  In which we're buying books - answering a question about where we authors prefer for readers to buy our books. In summation, pretty much anywhere that isn't a used store, so we can afford to eat too.

Laura Benedict has a Spooky Start to October: A Buggy Short Story, Book Prizes, and a Sparkly New Ad 

Tess Gerritsen breaks it down for you in Writing the slam-bam thriller climax  This is superb for new writers trying to figure out how to end their books with a bang.

Writer Unboxed » Learning from Old Favourites  Sometimes you just have to reread a favorite book to get your groove on, especially when you're on deadline. There's nothing more rejuvenating than diving into a comfort read.

And last, but not least - Enhanced 'Shakesperience' to help make sense of Bard  I love what they're planning - though the cost is a bit much. I took a Shakepeare course that used all of Patrick Stewart's Shakespearean roles to deconstruct the plays, and it changed the way I looked at the Bard forever. 

Have a lovely Sunday!

Best Links of the Week

9 Unfinished Novels by Great Writers « PWxyz  This is my favorite story of the week.

Thinking in Blocks of Time  A superb way of looking at the marathon that is novel writing. I think new writers get discouraged when they realize just how much time is involved in writing a novel.

From the Terrible Mind of Chuck Wendig, 25 Ways To Plot, Plan and Prep Your Story This is more good advice - the more prepared you are for the journey ahead, the easier you will find your task. Especially useful with NaNoWriMo coming up in November. 

Also from the Terrible Mind of Chuck Wendig, 25 Things You Should Do Before Starting Your Next Novel Just a note from our sponsors, please DO NOT read this if you're easily offended grossed out or otherwise delicate. Chuck's sensibilities are not for the faint of heart, but his premises are incredibly sound.

Kristine Rusch writes a hugely important article why writers should avoid exclusivity situations, Content is King Why would you want to sell in a single channel, when that channel has the power to do whatever the heck it wants with your product? Too much risk, and you alienate multiple other segments.

In the awesome news category, Barbara’s Expands into 40 Macy’s Stores  Any news about NEW bookstores opening, however modest, is GREAT news to hear.

A seriously honest interview on Bryon Quertermous's Coping with Sanity Blog: Frank Wheeler shares the darkness. It consumes us all from time to time, and writing is the lifeline.

The Divine Deanna Raybourn has In which we're talking beginnings - a wonderful example of murdering your darlings. Beginnings are my rough spot too - that first 25,000 words just hates me, as I despise it. 

Don't Try to Hone in on a Copy Editor : The New Yorker  - Heh, heh, heh. Which do you prefer - hone in or home in?

And lastly... remember when you had to go to the bookstore for this info? Meet Edelweiss, Your New Favorite Book Discovery Tool I have to tell you - I sort of miss the whole trip to the store to pick up the latest releases, but since Nashville's kind of lacking in the bookstore department, I turn to online resources too. 

Best Links of the Week

Settle in, because there are lots of great links to read this week, starting with what's possibly the most important advice for writers wanting to get published:

Writer Unboxed » The Biggest Mistake Writers Make and How to Avoid it  ("Writing is taught everywhere, but not story.")

And we all have these moments, when it just doesn't work. I Hate It — But I Wrote It | Writerly Life 

On The Kill Zone, James Scott Bell tackles A Writer's Ego, which is absolutely excellent. 

From Information Diet, some truth - Notifications are evil  I have all my notifications turned off. Why be a slave to them? Which ties right into the next wonderful observation, Today's Technologies Need an Off-the-Hook Option  The new iOS6 operating system on my phone has a Do Not Disturb option which can be tailored however I need it. If I could only do this with my home phone....

My friend Barbara Claypole White blogs about OCD and Believable Characters. Her new book, THE UNFINISHED GARDEN, is wonderful.

Author Bryan Hall writes a very provocative, and pretty darn true essay on The Lazy Writer 

In the age of Facebook, how do you keep you manage to stay friends with people you don't agree with politically? How to Use Mindfulness to Keep Your Friends During the Election  I loved this - and it applies to much more than just politics

This essay cracked me up and made me sd at the same time. Just Freaking Call Me It's so true, too - 20 minutes of texting can be eliminated if you'd just pick up the phone! It's good to see that our texting generation is realizing that phones do work. ERMEGERD!

And from the super cool category: Far From ‘Junk,’ DNA Dark Matter Proves Crucial to Health Can you imagine - all that DNA junk they thought didn't matter, does. Pretty soon they'll figure out why we need a spleen.

Best Links of the Week

The Business Rusch: A Warning To All Writers Who Need Help Indie Publishing  (hire 52Novels or @BrettBattles instead)

How 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Dominated Publishing - Peter Osnos - The Atlantic (there are exceptions to every rule in social media)

There’s Something About Gillian Flynn (or, When There’s More to Genre Than Meets the Eye) BOOK RIOT (Hits the nail on the head - especially about how women are supposed to be cool girls for their mates...)

3 Tips for Writing When Life is Chaotic and Crazy - Author, Jody Hedlund (Super, especially as we're all settling back into our school/work fall routines)

Author, Jody Hedlund: How to Prepare For a Book Launch (Good stuff here...)

And for something totally fun - Alternate Histories: 7 Ways the World Could Be Completely Different - Mental Floss (So cool - love futurists)