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
Assessing Pandemic Damage by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
A thoughtful article by one of my favorite sci-fi authors and how she got through the pandemic and how it affected her writing. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. At KrisWrites.com, Rusch offers her thoughts about the publishing industry and other topics.
Emotional Keys To Creativity by Anne Janzer
Turns out, watching funny cat videos isn’t a waste of time if you do it to set a positive mood for your creative work. Anne Janzer is an award-winning author, armchair cognitive science geek, nonfiction author coach, marketing practitioner, and blogger. Follow her on Facebook at @AnneHJanzer or on Twitter at @AnneJanzer. At AnneJanzer.com, Janzer offers writing and publishing advice. For more like this, subscribe to the site’s RSS feed (directly Feedly link here).
Other motivational advice this week:
- 5 Helps To Get Your Writing Session Started by David Farland for MyStoryDoctor
- 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Writing My First Novel by Luke Lovelady for Live Write Thrive
- Back To Basics: Benefits Of Writing With A Pen And Notebook by Ran Walker for Writer’s Digest
- Define Your Purpose by Rochelle Melander for Write Now Coach!
- Finish Writing Your Book: 3 Big Reasons Holding You Back by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- How I Use Soundtracks To Help Me Write When I’m Not Writing by Matt Frick for A Writer’s Path
- How To Be A More Adaptable Writer by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Video: How To Become A Confident Writer — Overcome Insecurity & Actually Enjoy Writing! by Shaelin Bishop for ShaelinWrites
- How To Come Up With A Book Idea: 16 Tips by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- How To Overcome Writer’s Block: 5 Simple Steps To Get Back To Your Book by David Safford for The Write Practice
- How To Survive The Singularity Of Rapid Technological Change by Lisa Norman for Writers In The Storm
- Rebounding From Rejection: A How-To Guide To Survive The Emotional Turmoil That Is The Writing Business by Jen Braaksma for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Should You Write A Book? Why Write A Book Now by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- Six Fun Ways To Amp Up Your Creativity by Maggie Smith for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
- So You Think You Can’t Write? by Christopher Slater for A Writer’s Path
- Think You Want To Write A Book? Follow These 10 Dos And Don’ts by Anne R. Allen for Anne R. Allen’s Blog… with Ruth Harris
- Two Types Of Writers For Such A Time As This by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- Why Beta Readers Lead You To Getting Paid For Your Writing by Jessica Conoley for Jane Friedman
- Why You Need Realistic Writing Expectations by Andrea Lundgren for A Writer’s Path
The art and craft of writing
How Critical Distance Improves Writing by Sue Coletta
Letting the manuscript sit for a while before you go back to it can help you find plot holes, writing tics, and other problems. Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer. Sue also appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion and will be teaching an advanced education course on serial killers for Foothills Regional. For more about her, check out her website at SueColetta.com and follow her on Facebook at @SueColetta1 and on Twitter at @SueColetta1. The Kill Zone is the home of eleven top suspense writers and publishing professionals. They cover the publishing business, marketing how-tos, and the craft of writing. Follow them on RSS here (direct Feedly signup link). Follow them on Twitter @killzoneauthors.
Facing Your Characters’ Feelings by Dave King
If your facial descriptions are bland or repetitive, here are some tips to find another way to show the emotion you’re trying to get across or use a more original description to capture the face you’re picturing in your mind. Dave King is the co-author of Self-Editing for Fiction Writer. An independent editor since 1987, he is also a former contributing editor at Writer’s Digest. For more writing tips, visit DaveKingEdits.com. Writer Unboxed is a fantastic writing advice site, with lots of helpful articles from some of the biggest names in the field. Follow them on RSS (direct Feedly signup link) and on Twitter.
Podcast: Reclaim Your Author Career With Claire Taylor by Sacha Black
This episode is all about personality types, and how your personality type can help you zero in on themes for your writing, empower you, and help you create characters. Sacha Black is a fantasy author and writing coach, with several writing advice books including 13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains. Follow her on her website, Sacha Black, on Facebook at @Sacha Black or on Twitter at @sacha_black. Sacha Black is a site that offers writing advice, courses, and podcasts. Follow the site via their RSS feed (direct Feedly link here).
How To Write A Backstory Using One Surprising Story Element by Iris Marsh
The element is setting. You can use it to reveal significant details from a character’s past by, say, triggering an emotion. It can also help reveal relationships between characters or illuminate an event happening in the story’s world. Iris Marsh is an editor and a YA fantasy author. The Write Practice is an advice site from a group of writers. They also have a writing critique community and a newsletter. Follow The Write Practice on Twitter, on Facebook, or subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link).
Podcast: Good And Bad Turning Points by Oren Ashkenazi and Chris Winkle
Without a turning point, a conflict gives no satisfaction – it just fizzles out. But are all turning points good? Absolutely not. Oren Ashkenazi is the speculative fiction manuscript editor and Chris Winkle is the founder and editor-in-chief 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.
Other writing advice this week:
- 257 Funny Adjectives To Describe Someone Or A Character by Ron Clendenin for Authority Pub
- 8 Tips On How To Avoid Rabbit Holes In Research While Writing Historical Novels by Angela Petch for Writer’s Digest
- Can I Have Both Lightsabers And Flintlocks? by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Create Effective Dialogue By Asking The Right Questions by Tiffany Yates Martin for Jane Friedman
- Don’t Start A Chapter Without These Six Essential Elements by Nathan Bransford for Nathan Bransford
- Video: Dramatic Tension by Susan MacGregor for Writers’ Rx
- Finding Character In Landscape by Mary Carroll Moore for How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
- Finding The Beginning by John Gilstrap for Killzoneblog.com
- Five Retcons Star Wars Needs by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- How To End A Story And Keep Readers Engaged by Lauren Davish for BookBaby Blog
- How To Make An Old Plot New by Andrea Lundgren for A Writer’s Path
- How To Make Productive Use Of ChatGPT: Q&A With Elisa Lorello by Kristen Tsetsi for Jane Friedman
- How To Organize Your Story Details Into A Story Bible by Lynette Burrows for Writers In The Storm
- How To Write A Horror Story: Telling Tales Of Terror by Jordan Kantey for Now Novel
- How To Write A Romance Novel by Libby Page for The Novelry
- Video: How Word Choices Can Make Or Break Your Fiction by Susan MacGregor for Writers’ Rx
- Include The Unexpected In Your Writing by Ann Kathryn Kelly for WOW! Women On Writing Blog
- Lessons From The Monotonous Writing Of Dean Koontz by Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
- Living In My Head: Crafting Natural-Sounding Internal Thoughts by Janice Hardy for Fiction University
- Many Voices, One Song: How Writers Meet The Challenge Of A Multi-POV Novel by Barbara Linn Probst for Writer Unboxed
- Outline! by Philip Athans for Fantasy Author’s Handbook
- Passive Voice Misuse: 4 Steps To Fix This Rookie Issue by Sarah Rexford for The Write Life
- Prologues Vs. Flashbacks by K. M. Weiland for Helping Writers Become Authors
- Seductions And Promises: What Keeps Readers Turning the Page? by Tammy Burke for MyStoryDoctor
- Sticks & Stones May Break My Funny… Writing Humor In Fiction by Gabriel Valjan for Career Authors
- Video: The Best Writing Advice From Successful Authors by Jenna Moreci for Writing with Jenna Moreci
- The Confrontation Scene by Stavros Halvatzis for Stavros Halvatzis
- The Difference Between Character Archetypes And Tropes by Becca Puglisi for Writers In The Storm
- The Void Deck: Giving Readers The Agency To Fill Spaces In Fiction by Balli Kaur Jaswal for Writer’s Digest
- Video: There Are No Minor Characters, Only Badly Written Ones by Stavros Halvatzis for Get Writing
- Using Character Sheets by Karen Cioffi for Sharing with Writers and Readers
- Why You Should Try Writing In Second Person by Melissa Tydell for The Write Practice
- Writing Dialogue With Meaning by Tiffany Yates Martin for FoxPrint Editorial
- Video: Writing Ghost Stories with Matty Dalrymple and Daniel Willcocks by Kristina Adams and Ellie Betts for The Writer’s Mindset
- Your Guide To Third Person Omniscient vs. Limited Points Of View by Barrie Davenport for Authority Pub
The business side of writing
The Collapse Of All We Don’t Control by Alan Baxter
How one author deals with the changing landscape of social media, by going back to basics — website and newsletter. Alan Baxter is a British-Australian, multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers and dark fantasy liberally mixed with crime, mystery and noir. At Alan Baxter – Warrior Scribe, Alan offers writing advice and free short stories.
Podcast: Second Chapter Authors With Maren Cooper by Rachel Wharton and Joni Di Placido
Guest Maren Cooper talks about how she went from working in healthcare to having a writing career and building her writing community at book clubs and conferences.
Rachel Wharton is the author engagement coordinator at Kobo Writing Life. Joni Di Placido is the author engagement specialist at Kobo Writing Life. Kobo Writing Life is the writing advice site from the people behind the Kobo reader. For more like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (directly Feedly link here).
Video: The Wide Appeal Of Sapphic Romance With Clare Lydon by Mark Dawson and James Blatch
Kindle Storyteller finalist Clare Lydon describes the changing landscape of LGBTQ+ romance novels. 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: The Challenges Of Small Press Publishing With Jon Barton by Joanna Penn for The Creative Penn
- Tips And Results For Writers After Experimenting With Marketing by Karen Whiting for The Write Conversation
- What Is A Literary Agent? 3 Steps To Find Your Dream Agent by Sarah Rexford for Self Publishing School
- Podcast: Publishing Is Hard, By Dongwon Song by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler for Writing Excuses
- Podcast: The One Where Nyt Bestseller Caroline Kepnes Tells Us What It’s Like To Have A Hit Netflix Show Based On Her You Series by J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O’Donnell for Writers, Ink.
- You’ve Recorded A Podcast Interview: What You Do Afterward Makes All The Difference by Lizbeth Meredith for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Four Things I’ve Learned From Running A Blog For Four Years by Pekoeblaze for A Writer’s Path
- Podcast: How To Manage A Hectic Editorial Business Schedule by Louise Harnby for Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader – Blog
- The 8 Best Book Marketing Strategies Every Author Should Master by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Podcast: Audible Ads, Missing Royalties & Taking A Stand by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor for Sell More Books Show
- Podcast: How To Take Advantage Of Email Drip Marketing As An Author by Thomas Umstattd Jr. for Author Media
- What Happens When An Editor Likes Your Book? by Jessica Faust and James McGowan for BookEnds Literary Agency
- Marketing Your Work By Tooting Someone Else’s Horn by Julie Lavender for Writer’s Digest
- Video: From 100’S Of Copies To 230,000+ Books Sold In 2 Years…How I Did It With Tiffany Aliche by Chandler Bolt for Self Publishing School
- How To Reduce KDP Download Fees And Instantly Improve Your Royalties by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- The Ultimate Guide To Book Sizes by Lauren Davish for BookBaby Blog
- Video: Is It Realistic To Follow Your Creative Calling? by Lauren Sapala for Lauren Sapala
- Podcast: Why Promoting Locally Can Be A Goldmine by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Video: KDP Alternatives: Skip KDP Select, Try This Instead! by Dale L. Roberts for Self-Publishing with Dale
- How To Reduce Print Costs On Amazon: A Complete Guide by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Flat Publishing Profits In 2022 Continue Into 2023–What Does It Mean For Authors? by Rebecca Moody for Writers’ Rumpus
- Why I Moved My Newsletter Of 18 Years To Substack by Dan Blank for WeGrowMedia
- Video: How To Write And Self-Publish A Best Seller with YA Paranormal Author E.E. Holmes by Claire Fraise for Write with Claire Fraise
- Video: Subscription Based Reading Services – Ask Us Anything! by Kevin Tumlinson for Draft2Digital
- Becoming A Brand Name by James Scott Bell for Killzoneblog.com
- Podcast: Build Your Author Brand, 2023 Edition by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler for Writing Excuses
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.