I subscribe to more than 150 writing advice sites and gather the best posts for you every single Sunday. You can see all the previous writing advice of the week posts here and subscribe to the RSS feed for this writing advice series here (direct Feedly signup link).
Productivity, mood management, and battling the demons inside
Video: How To Set Goals As An Author by Jessica Faust and James McGowan
In this episode, the hosts outline a framework for authors so that it’s possible for writers to make a thorough and honest evaluation for their career goals. Jessica Faust is the owner and president at the BookEnds literary agency. Follow her on Twitter at @BookEndsJessica or on Instagram at @jfaust_bookends or email her directly at JFaust@bookendsliterary.com. James McGowan is a literary agent at the agency. BookEnds is a literary agency that represents more than 300 authors and illustrations, both fiction and non-fiction, including several New York Times and USA today bestsellers. They are currently open to submissions. If you want more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter at @bookendslit or on Facebook at @BookEndsLiterary.
The Benefits Of Working With A Writing Coach by Suzanne Lieurance
A good coach helps a writer stay motivated by providing constant feedback and encouragement and can provide a system for success that the writer can stick with. Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a writing coach and certified life coach. For more, check out her website, SuzanneLieurance-Author.com. Writers On The Move offers writing, publishing and book marketing advice from experienced authors and marketers.
Where Do Ideas Come From? by Randy Ingermanson
Creativity often seems to be a matter of luck. In this post, Randy Ingermanson offers three tips for how to make it happen more reliably. Randy Ingermanson is a theoretical physicist, award-winning sci-fi author, and writing coach. He is best known for the snowflake method of story structure, see How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method for more info. You can follow him on Twitter at @SnowflakeGuy. Advanced Fiction Writing offer writing advice tools, books and writing courses. Follow them via their RSS feed (directly Feedly link) or on Facebook at @Advanced Fiction Writing.
Other motivational advice this week:
- Attack Of The Inner Demons! by Tiffany Yates Martin for FoxPrint Editorial
- Creativity: Avoiding Blocks And Refreshing Ideas by Christina Delay for Jami Gold, Paranormal Author
- Moving Past The Middle Muddle Mood by Angela Yeh for DIY MFA
- So You Want To Be A Writer… by Soraya Lane for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Stop Putting Yourself Down! by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- The Best Things About Being A Writer by Henry Mclaughlin for The Write Conversation
- Writer’s Block Happens, Here Are 5 Strategies To Keep Writing by Lucinda Secrest McDowell for The Write Conversation
The art and craft of writing
Podcast: A Masterclass In Planning And Writing A Series — Interview With Helen Scheuerer by Gabriela Pereira
Guest Helen Scheuerer has a new book out, “How to Write a Successful Series.” In this interview, she talks about how to create, maintain, and use a story bible, the importance of allowing your writing process to evolve as you change, and how to decide whether traditional or indie publishing is right for you.
Gabriela Pereira is a writer, teacher, and self-proclaimed word nerd and the founder and instigator of DIYMFA.com, with a mission is to empower writers to take an entrepreneurial approach to their education and professional growth. DiyMFA offers classes, advice articles and other training materials for writers. For more advice like this, follow them on Twitter at @DIYMFA and on Facebook at @DIYMFA or subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link).
Podcast: Creating Fictional Cultures by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
The Mythcreants team discusses how to create a realistic culture, including history, economics, and religion. Oren Ashkenazi is the speculative fiction manuscript editor, Chris Winkle is the founder and editor-in-chief, and Wes Matlock is a content editor at Mythcreants. Mythcreants is my all-time favorite writing advice site. Get their RSS feed here (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter @Mythcreants and on Facebook at @mythcreants.
Seven Easy Sources Of Real World Danger by Chris Winkle
How to get your new superhero in trouble without falling back on racist or sexist stereotypes. Chris Winkle is the founder and editor-in-chief of Mythcreants. Mythcreants is my all-time favorite writing advice site. Get their RSS feed here (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter @Mythcreants and on Facebook at @mythcreants.
10 Big Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Female Characters by Lucy V Hay
A great list of tips, especially if you’re a male writer who doesn’t have any real women in his life. These should all be obvious by now, but the mistakes just keep showing up everywhere, so well worth repeating. Lucy Hay is a script editor, author and blogger who helps writers at her site, Bang2write.com. Follow Bang2write.com on Twitter at @Bang2write and on Facebook at @Bang2writers.
Other writing advice this week:
- 5 Tips On How To Write Fast—And Well! by Kate Hewitt for Writer’s Digest
- 5 Ways To Revive A Manuscript That Doesn’t Work by Janice Hardy for Fiction University
- 7 Considerations For Characters by David Farland for MyStoryDoctor
- Character Writing: Complete Guide To Creating Your Cast by Jordan Kantey for Now Novel
- Don’t Let Your Opening Cement In Your Mind by Nathan Bransford for Nathan Bransford
- Five Tips On How To Add Facts To Fiction Without Sounding Wonky by Diane Cohen Schneider for DIY MFA
- Guilt: How Shame, Regret & Guilt Shape Story by Kristen Lamb for Kristen Lamb
- How To Craft A Compelling Character by Sue Coletta for Killzoneblog.com
- How To Write A Truly Villainous Antagonist. by Stavros Halvatzis for Stavros Halvatzis
- Make Music With Character Voices by Lynette Burrows for Writers In The Storm
- One Frightful Characterization Tip That Will Transform Your Stories by Ruthanne Reid for The Write Practice
- Podcast: Our Best Advice: Hero’s Gift + Antagonism by Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill for Story Nerd
- Radically Transform Your Character’s Arc With These Five Key Character Flaw Insights by Zena Dell Lowe for The Write Conversation
- Should My Hero Fight Animals? by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Six Stories With Cheap Cop-Outs by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- The Art And Purpose Of Subtext by Diann Mills for Jane Friedman
- Video: The Five Principles Of Revision — What To Look For When Editing A Novel by Shaelin Bishop for ShaelinWrites
- Top 4 Challenges Of Fantasy World-Building And How To Overcome ThemC. S. Lakin by Kahina Necaise for Live Write Thrive
- Using Beats To Improve Dialogue And Action In Scenes by Audrey Wick for Writer’s Digest
- When You Enter A Scene,Use Your Senses Sensibly by PJ Parrish for Killzoneblog.com
- Whose Emotion Is It? by Virginia Hartman for DIY MFA
- Writing Minor Characters That Matter by Ellen Buikema for Writers In The Storm
- Writing The Unsympathetic Narrator–So What If Your Readers Don’t Like Them? by Mary Carroll Moore for How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
- Writing Your Character’s Strengths And Weaknesses by Linda S. Clare for Linda S. Clare
The business side of writing
Why Writers And Artists Have Such A Hard Time Selling Things by Lauren Sapala
We see plenty of examples of bad advertising out there and many artists and writers often wind up thinking that all sales and marketing is inherently evil. But there is plenty of good marketing out there, where potential buyers have a chance to find out about a product that is well made and will improve their lives. This post offers some advice on how to change your mindset to the second kind of selling. Lauren Sapala is a writer and a writing coach. For more advice like this, follow her on Twitter at @losapala, on Facebook at @LaurenSapala, and on YouTube at Lauren Sapala. At LaurenSapala.com, Sapala offers writing advice, courses, and coaching services.
Podcast: Don’t Fall For Promises Of Success by Penny Sansevieri
Scammers promise authors that they’ll get you a film deal, or handle all your marketing for you, or guarantee that you’ll be a success. Here’s how to spot the scams and avoid falling for them. Penny Sansevieri is the CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, an adjunct professor at NYU, and a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Follow her on Twitter at @Bookgal and on Facebook at @therealbookgal. Her book, How to Sell Books by the Truckload on Amazon, has just been updated for 2021 and is in Kindle Unlimited. Author Marketing Experts is a book promotion company. For more advice like this subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link).
Podcast: Author Pressure, 1-Star Experiences, And Small Books by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor
How to survive your first one-star review, how to distribute advanced reader copies that can’t be pirated, and more. Bryan Cohen is an experienced copywriter, bestselling author, and the founder of Best Page Forward and Amazon Ad School. You can find out more about Bryan at BryanCohen.com. H. Claire Taylor is a humor author and fiction strategist, as well as the owner of FFS Media. The Sell More Books Show is a weekly podcast focusing on helping new and experienced authors stay up-to-date with the latest self-publishing and indie news, tools and book selling and marketing strategies.
Video: Writing And Publishing Short Stories With The Indy Author’s Matty Dalrymple by Kristina Adams and Ellie Betts
How to market and sell short fiction. Kristina Adams is a bestselling author and writing instructor. Find out more at her website, KristinaAdamsAuthor.com. The Writer’s Mindset is a YouTube channel from the team behind The Writer’s Cookbook, a site that offers writing workshops and courses as well as writing and marketing services. For more advice like this, follow them on Twitter at @writingcookbook and on Facebook at @writingcookbook .
Video: Taking Off With Tiktok by Mark Dawson and James Blatch
Guest author Adam Beswick has proven that TikTok can help sell books, even if they’re not in the romance genre. In this interview, he talks about starting on TikTok and developing a strategy for the platform, how to deal with trolls, what tools to use, and how to sell books directly from a TikTok shop.
Mark Dawson is a USA Today bestselling author who teaches courses about book production and marketing. Check out his website at MarkJDawson.com. James Blatch writes military thrillers. For more, check out his website, JamesBlatch.com. On the Self Publishing Formula show, Mark Dawson and James Blatch talk about building a career as a self-published author.
Other business advice this week:
- Podcast: How Indie Authors Can Collaborate With Asa Maria Bradley by Sacha Black for Sacha Black
- Your Query Was Rejected Because You Failed To Discuss The Book by Jessica Faust for BookEnds Literary Agency
- Video: Why Does Digital Book Advertising Matter? by Madison Jusko for BookBaby Blog
- Why Writing Conferences Matter For Writers by Penny Sansevieri for Writers In The Storm
- 6 Tips For Working With Beta Readers by Michael James for A Writer’s Path
- Maximize Your Amazon Reviews With These Eight Book Launch Tips by Lori Hatcher for The Write Conversation
- 7 Simple Mistakes That Will Stagnate Your Book Sales — And How To Avoid Them by William Opar for WritersWeekly.com
- 6 Ways To Collaborate With Other Writers Ahead Of Your Book Launch by Aileen Weintraub for Writer’s Digest
- Book Endorsements: How To Leverage Expert Praise For Your Book by Elizabeth Javor for Self Publishing Advisor
- Top 3 Tips To Write A Perfect Query Letter by Lucy V Hay for Bang2write
- Video: Publishing As Collaboration by Morgan Hazelwood for Morgan Hazelwood
- Video: Why Should Writers Worry About Marketing At All? by Dan Blank for WeGrowMedia
- Video: How To Sell Audiobooks On Amazon by Julie Broad for Book Launchers
- Video: Do Big Books Sell In 2022? by Julie Broad for Book Launchers
- Podcast: Marketing Lessons From Bestselling Author James Patterson by for Author Media
- Video: KDP Authors Are Losing Sales Because Of This by Dale L. Roberts for Self-Publishing with Dale
Am I missing any writing advice sites? Email me at maria@metastellar.com or leave a note in the comments below.
MetaStellar editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist, writing stories set in a future virtual world. And, during the day, she is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at maria@metastellar.com. She is also the editor and publisher of Hypergrid Business, one of the top global sites covering virtual reality.