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
The Problems In Your Writing Are The Problems In Your Life by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
An absolutely wonderful article about dealing with your personal problems in order to find yourself as a writer — from an industry veteran who knows what she’s talking about. 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.
Writing Discipline: Why Talent Isn’t Enough (And What You Need Instead) by David Safford
The mark of a successful writer isn’t their talent, but their discipline to write. David Safford writes adventure stories. Read his latest story at his website DavidSafford.com. 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).
Other motivational advice this week:
- 5 Tips For How To Return To Writing After A Long Break by K. M. Weiland for Helping Writers Become Authors
- 8 Tips To Help Writers Break The Cycle Of Procrastination by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- Amulya Malladi And Prioritizing Writing by Tiffany Yates Martin for FoxPrint Editorial
- Finding Your Writing Voice by Marian Rosarum for A Writer’s Path
- Five Gates You May Encounter As You Plan, Write, And Develop Your Book by Mary Carroll Moore for How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
- Five Ways Numbers Can Improve Your Writing Life by Sara Gentry for DIY MFA
- How To Deal With Writing Criticism And Negative Feedback by Michael Gallant for BookBaby Blog
- How To Get Back To Your Abandoned Book In 3 Easy (Kinda Hard) Steps by Denise Massar for Writer’s Digest
- Video: How To Write And Finish Your Book In 2023 by Claire Fraise for Write with Claire Fraise
- How Writing Is Like A Journey by Tim Suddeth for The Write Conversation
- Video: If You Don’t Have Time To Write…Watch This by Abbie Emmons for Abbie Emmons
- Never Doubt The Impact Of A Story On Our Readers by Sarah Sally Hamer for The Write Conversation
- The Importance Of Book Clubs For Writers: Hanging Out In, And With, Books by Sheila Liming for Writer’s Digest
- The Terror Of The Empty Page by Mary Gillgannon for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
- When It’s Time To Start Over by Ruthanne Reid for The Write Practice
The art and craft of writing
Make Them Earn It by Philip Athans
Your characters need to earn the things they need to succeed in their own stories. Don’t let anything come too easily, and in most genre fiction, at least, anything and everything must feel that it came at the cost of significant effort. If not, it’s not worth including in the story. Philip Athans is the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and a dozen other books including The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. His blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook, is updated every Tuesday, and you can follow him on Twitter at @PhilAthans. Fantasy Author’s Handbook offers advice for authors of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.
AI In Publishing: What’s Really Going On? by Penny Sansevieri
Solid list of AI-powered writing tools for authors. 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).
Video: Being Original by J.P. Beaubien
Learn how to come up with truly original ideas that can help a writer ascend to the highest circles of avant-garde artistic achievement. J.P. Beaubien’s current project is a book series named Aeon Legion. Follow him on Facebook at @authorJPBeaubien and on Twitter at @JosephPBeaubien. Terrible Writing Advice is a very popular YouTube channel where J.P. Beaubien offers only the most sincere and genuine writing advice delivered with absolutely no sarcasm at all.
Why The Fights In The Witch From Mercury Are So Boring by Oren Ashkenazi
Something has gone terribly wrong when giant-robot fights aren’t exciting. Oren Ashkenazi is a speculative fiction manuscript 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.
Podcast: Interview With The Vampire Show by Oren Ashkenazi and Chris Winkle
The new Interview with a Vampire show on AMC is in a unique meta-conversation with both the book and movie. 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.
Podcast: An Interview With Howard Tayler by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
In this episode the hosts interview Howard Tayler, one of the founding members of this podcast, and the creator of Schlock Mercenary. The first question: how did this twenty-year ride change you? And a later question: what comes next? Mary Robinette Kowal is the Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of the Lady Astronaut series and other books and the former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, SFWA. (now the Science Fiction Writers Association). Howard V. Tayler is the creator of the webcomic Schlock Mercenary. Writing Excuses is a podcast about the art and business of writing. Support them on Patreon.
Other writing advice this week:
- 5 Ways To Raise The Stakes In Your Scene by Janice Hardy for Fiction University
- 5 Ways To Stretch Your Word Count by Michael Cristiano for A Writer’s Path
- 6 Tips For Building Suspense by Hank Phillippi Ryan for Career Authors
- 7 Favorite Tools And Resources For Writers by Elizabeth Spann Craig for Elizabeth Spann Craig
- Add A Dose Of Relatable Dimension To Your Character by Miffie Seideman for Writers In The Storm
- Can My Hero Stay In The Magical World? by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Conflict In Storytelling by Martin Johnson for Almost An Author
- Dealing With Editorial Feedback by Terry Odell for Killzoneblog.com
- Developing A Scene Outline For Your Novel by C. S. Lakin for Live Write Thrive
- Four Plot Twist Ideas To Get Your Act II Going by Disha Walia for DIY MFA
- How Artificial Intelligence Can Help, Or Hurt, Your Writing by Rachel Thompson for BadRedhead Media
- How Characters Change In Stories (And How To Write Believable Change) by Sarah Gribble for The Write Practice
- How To Describe To Immerse Readers (Complete Guide) by Jordan Kantey for Now Novel
- How To Plan A Series Of Novels by Randy Ingermanson for Advanced Fiction Writing
- Video: How To Use The Theme To Drive Your Story Home by Stavros Halvatzis for Get Writing
- How To Write A Protagonist Leading A Double Life by Kyla Zhao for Writer’s Digest
- How To Write Bad Dialog by David Farland for MyStoryDoctor
- LivingWriter Review For 2023: Better Than Scrivener by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Minding Your Pinch Points In Fiction Writing by Sue Coletta for A Writer’s Path
- Other Ways To Write A Hero by Donald Maass for Writer Unboxed
- Put A Funhouse Mirror In The Middle Of Your Mystery by James Scott Bell for Killzoneblog.com
- Structuring Relationship Arcs & Plots In A Series by September C. Fawkes for September C. Fawkes
- Subplot: Literary Definition, Examples, And Writing Tips by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- The Hero: Taking An MC From ‘Meh’ To ‘Myth’ by Kristen Lamb for Kristen Lamb
- The Messy Middle: Cultural Content Fender Benders by Colice Sanders for DIY MFA
- Tips On Editing Others by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Wednesday Failed The Addams Family, And It Didn’t Have To by Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
- Why You Should Write For One Person by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Worldbuilding 101 For Writers: Do You Know The History Of Your Story World? by A.C. Williams for The Write Conversation
- Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Info Dumping by Moriah Richard for Writer’s Digest
The business side of writing
Podcast: The Empowerment Of Selling Books Direct To Your Readers With Steve Pieper by Joanna Penn
What are the benefits of selling direct? Why might using your face to advertise your books be a good idea? What might be the future of selling direct? USA Today best-selling thriller author Steve Pieper talks about these things and more. Joanna Penn has been sharing writing and publishing advice since 2008 at The Creative Penn and is the author of Successful Self-Publishing and many other writing and publishing advice books. She also has one of my favorite writing advice podcasts, and you can subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. The Creative Penn offers articles, videos, books, tools, and courses for independent authors.
Podcast: AI vs. Human Narration (Bryan Sings In This One) by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor
AI voices could win, despite being inferior. How would you use AI narration and human narration differently, and do you plan on trying AI narration this year? 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: Question The Premise: Write What Sells by Becca Syme
When we try to “write what sells,” are we really doing our best work? Some people do want to write what people want to read, and if that’s you, that’s fine. But the truth is, everything has the capacity to sell to someone if the execution is right. Becca Syme is a Gallup-certified strengths coach, author coach, and nonfiction author who’s coached more than 5,700 authors. The QuitCast for Writers is a video podcast where Becca Syme discusses what to keep, what to quit, and what to question, if you are trying to make a go of the author career.
Video: Priceless Publicity For Authors by Mark Dawson and James Blatch
SPF Foundation winner Halima Khatun explains how she combines her experience in PR with her new writing career and talks about how a new approach to PR can be beneficial for promoting an author’s brand and boosting book sales. 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.
Podcast: The One Where Bestselling Author C.J. Tudor Explains Why It’s Better To Have No Agent Than The Wrong Agent by J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle
Law enforcement consultant Patrick O’Donnell joins the podcast as a guest host for this episode, which features an interview with best-selling novelist C. J. Tudor about finding the right agent, writing what you love no matter what, and her upcoming end-of-the-world thriller, The Drift.
J.D. Barker is the New York Times and international best-selling author of numerous novels. Christine Daigle writes steampunk, sci-fi and horror. Writer’s Ink is a podcast focusing on the business of writing.
Podcast: Agents by Matt Bird and James Kennedy
The hosts discuss their checkered history of getting agents, losing them, and finding new ones. Lots of helpful hints for the unagented. Matt Bird is the author of The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers. Sci-fi author James Kennedy teaches writing and filmmaking and you can follow him on Twitter at @iamjameskennedy. The Secrets of Story blog offers in-depth, detailed advice about writing and structuring novels and screenplays.
Other business advice this week:
- How Author Platform Connects To Author Brand by Karen A. Chase for Jane Friedman
- Should You Hire A Book Publicist? Here’s Everything You Need To Know by Sandra Beckwith for Build Book Buzz
- Why We Pound On The Publishing Door by Amie Gibbons for A Writer’s Path
- 6 Ways To Authors Can Overcome Interview Fright When Marketing Their Books by Alison Nissen for Florida Writers Association Blog
- Platform: Your Writing Readership by Linda S. Clare for Linda S. Clare
- What I Learned About Publishing With A Small Press by Jennifer Dupree for DIY MFA
- Self-Publishing Basics: An Unabridged List Of The Parts Of A Book by Omer Redden for The Book Designer
- Barnes & Noble Makes A Comeback by Debbie Burke for Killzoneblog.com
- Podcast: How To Get More Book Reviews With Derek Doepker by Thomas Umstattd Jr. for Author Media
- Kwan Kew Lai: On Book Events by Women Writers Women Books for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Getting Permission To Use Reviews, Blurbs And Likenesses by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- The Best (And Worst) News From The Publishing Business by Densie Webb for Writer Unboxed
- Video: How To Go About Building LinkedIn Connections by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Video: In Defense Of The Standalone Novel by Morgan Hazelwood for Morgan Hazelwood
- Video: What’s New With BookFunnel by Kevin Tumlinson for Draft2Digital
- Video: My Successful Query Letter by Shaelin Bishop for ShaelinWrites
- Video: Getting Book Reviews The Easy Way! by Dale L. Roberts for Self-Publishing with Dale
- Funny You Should Ask: What To Ask Before Signing With A Literary Agent by Barbara Poelle for Writer’s Digest
Am I missing any writing advice sites? Email me at maria@metastellar.com or leave a note in the comments below.
Copyedited by Melody Friedenthal
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.