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
3 Ways Writers Block Their Success (While Thinking They’re Hard At Work) by Lisa Cooper Ellison
Working hard isn’t necessarily a virtue if it masks the ways that we might be sabotaging our own paths to success and fulfillment. For example, some writers spend too much time in supporting writing communities and their writing groups and other projects and not enough time writing — or spend so much time writing that they get burned out. Lisa Ellison is an editor, writing coach, and speaker. She has spent the last two decades helping clients and students turn difficult experiences into art and currently teaches courses in memoir, creative nonfiction, and mindful writing practices. To learn more about her work and writing, check out her website at LisaCooperEllison.com or follow her on Twitter at @LisaEllisonsPen. For more advice from Jane Friedman writing advice site, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link here).
Too Many Storytellers Blame The Audience by Chris Winkle
Too many storytellers to list have sought ways to blame their audience for disliking their stories. While getting upset just means we’re human, claiming our audience sucks isn’t good for anyone. 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.
What Metaphor Fits Your Writing Career? by Greer Macallister
Is your writing career like a ladder, like a road, or like a garden? Greer Macallister writes historical novels and epic fantasy. For more, check out her website, GreerMacallister.com. Follow her on Twitter at @theladygreer and on Facebook at @greermacallister. 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.
Other motivational advice this week:
- 10 Time Management Tips For Fiction Writers by Juliet Dreamhunter for Live Write Thrive
- Video: Better Self-Management For Writers by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Facing The Blank Canvas: Have The Self Confidence To Tell Your Story by Jude Hopkins for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Five Truths On Technology, Creativity & The Power Of Human Stories by Kris Spisak for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Five Ways NaNoWriMo Turned Me Into A Writer At Fifty-One by Dorothy Wong for National Novel Writing Month
- How Self-Kindness Set My Creativity Free by Martha Engber for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Imposter Syndrome For Writers Is A Real Thing (+ The Key To Slaying It) by K. M. Weiland for Helping Writers Become Authors
- Smart Goals: 5 Credible Ways To Achieve Your Dream by Sarah Rexford for Make a Living Writing
- What To Do When Writer’s Block Shifts Shapes by Stefan Emunds for Writers In The Storm
- Why You Should Consider Expressive Writing by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Video: Woo Goals by Debra Eckerling for Writers On The Move
The art and craft of writing
Podcast: Mackendrick’s Rules, Part 1 by Matt Bird and James Kennedy
Today, the hosts begin discussing the rules of writing according to acclaimed movie director Alexander Mackendrick. Rule one: show, then tell. Rule two: use props. Rule three: personify inner conflict via clashes with other people. 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.
Podcast: Writing A Series: Beginners Self-Publishing Podcast by Dan Parsons and Melissa Addey
Why series help authors build a business and the forms series can take. There’s also a range of tips authors can use to maximize the value of a series. Dan Parsons is ALLi’s product marketing manager. Melissa Addey is a campaigns manager. Self Publishing Advice is the advice center of the Alliance of Independent Authors. If you want more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link).
Podcast: Supernatural Drama by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
How to use speculative elements to bring out the characters’ emotions, what kinds of speculative elements you need in the first place, and how to integrate all that with your main plot. 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.
Other writing advice this week:
- 5 Tips For Better World Building by Kathryn Roberts for A Writer’s Path
- Video: 5 Ways To Add Depth And Complexity To Your Writing by Shaelin Bishop for ShaelinWrites
- 6 Telltale Signs You’re Reading An Epic Fantasy Novel by Kyle Massa for A Writer’s Path
- 6 Ways Clichés Can Help Your Writing by Kathryn Craft for Writer Unboxed
- 8 Best AI Writing Tools: Amazing Options For Fiction And Nonfiction by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Are You More Mystery Or Suspense? by James Scott Bell for Killzoneblog.com
- Connection Part III: Loss, Home, Hope by Donald Maass for Writer Unboxed
- Podcast: Copy Writing For Authors With Megan Smyth by Sacha Black for Sacha Black
- Creating A Fantasy World: Worldbuilding For Writers Who Hate Worldbuilding by Glen C. Strathy for How to Write a Book Now
- Eight Ways Not To Start A Novel by Anne R. Allen for Anne R. Allen’s Blog… with Ruth Harris
- Here’s What You May Not Know About Adverbs by Carolyn Howard-Johnson for Writers On The Move
- Video: How To Create Hateable Villains by Brandon McNulty for Writer Brandon McNulty
- How To Develop The Characters You Write Into Well-Rounded People by Sarah Sally Hamer for The Write Conversation
- How To Give Your Narration Flavor by Andrea Lundgren for A Writer’s Path
- How To Keep The Dialog You Write Fresh by PeggySue Wells for The Write Conversation
- How To Reveal Your Character’s Inner Life On The Page by Savannah Gilbo for Fiction Writing Tips
- Video: How To Write Side Characters by Jenna Moreci for Writing with Jenna Moreci
- Video: How To Write The Perfect Scene by Stavros Halvatzis for Get Writing
- Just For Boys? Why The Hero’s Journey Is Not Just For Male Characters by Lucy V Hay for Bang2write
- Key Differences Between Active Vs Passive Voice by Andre Calilhanna for BookBaby Blog
- Video: Legends And Myths In Urban Fantasy by Morgan Hazelwood for Morgan Hazelwood
- Misdirection Is The Secret Sauce Of Plot Twists And Surprise Endings by Robert McCaw for Writer’s Digest
- Parallelism: Keep Your Verb Tenses Consistent by Liz Bureman for The Write Practice
- Passive Vs Active Voice – How To Spot, How To Use by Kelley J. P. Lindberg for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
- The Five Tradeoffs Of Animorphs’s Worldbuilding by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Video: The Hidden Science Behind Lovable Anti-Heroes by Abbie Emmons for Abbie Emmons
- Podcast: The One Where #1 Nyt Bestseller Tessa Bailey Explains How To Talk Dirty In Your Books by J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson for Writers, Ink.
- The Setting Of A Novel And How To Choose It by Glen C. Strathy for How to Write a Book Now
- Turning Point Versus Twist — What’s The Difference? by Stavros Halvatzis for Stavros Halvatzis
- What Are The Differences Between An Anti-Hero Vs. Anti-Villain? by Joe Yamulla for BookBaby Blog
- What Fiction Writers Can Learn From Coups, Part I by Piper Bayard for Writers In The Storm
- When Your Characters Speak A Language Other Than English by Jyotsna Sreenivasan for Jane Friedman
- Why Are Stories Popular Despite Problems? by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Why No One Is Reading Past Your First Chapter by Janice Hardy for Fiction University
- Writing Fiction That Is Believable by Katie McCoach for A Writer’s Path
- Writing Strong Heroes – 7 Qualities To Include by Kristen Hogrefe Parnell for The Write Conversation
The business side of writing
Business Musings: Stars by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
How the industry is changing, and how authors can no longer rely on gatekeepers to help them get discovered. 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.
Video: Don’t Hide Behind Your Book – With Isabelle Knight by Mark Dawson and James Blatch
Gone are the days of describing the plot of your book to market yourself. PR expert Isabelle Knight, comes to the show this week to introduce the idea of an “Author Story” to elevate your branding and marketing encounters. 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.
How To Create A Niche Website: The Best Content Marketing For Authors? by Jason Hamilton
Fantasy and sci-fi authors can create niche websites around mytholody, medieval history, swords and warfare, technology, astronomy, physics, and similar topics.
Jason Hamilton is a fantasy author. Check out Hamilton’s site, MythBank, full of reading and viewing guides to the most popular sci-fi and fantasy works. You can also follow him on Twitter at @StoryHobbit and on Facebook at Jason Hamilton. Kindlepreneur is pretty much the top site out there for self-published authors who want to sell more e-books on Amazon. The RSS feed is here (direct Feedly signup link). Follow them on Facebook at @KindlePreneur and founder Dave Chesson on Twitter at @DaveChesson.
Other business advice this week:
- The Seven Processes Of Publishing: Book Distribution by AskALLi Team for Self Publishing Advice
- The Varied Paths Of Traditional vs Self-Publishing by Laura Vanarendonk Baugh for Writers In The Storm
- Best Practices For Selling More Books by Elizabeth Spann Craig for Elizabeth Spann Craig
- How To Create A Book Cover Design That Wows by Jordan Kantey for Now Novel
- How To Create A Squarespace Website For Authors by Dave Chesson for Kindlepreneur
- Video: 5 Tips For Following Up With Literary Agents by Jessica Faust and James McGowan for BookEnds Literary Agency
- When Do You Need An Author Website? by Grace Bialecki for Jane Friedman
- Alli Call For Comments On AI In Self-Publishing by Orna Ross for Self Publishing Advice
- To Sell More Books, Think Like Warren Buffett by Brian Jud for BookBaby Blog
- 5 Audiobook Benefits To Consider For Your Readers by Joe Yamulla for BookBaby Blog
- Unleash The Real Power Of Amazon Advertising: Boost Book Sales With Precision by Laurence O’Bryan for #PublishingReinvented
- 5 Things I Tell Authors That Really Annoy Them by Sandra Beckwith for Build Book Buzz
- How To Maximize Your Income (With Pricing Ideas You Probably Never Considered) by Brian Jud for Self Published Author
- What To Do With All Those Business Cards After A Writing Conference by Julie Lavender for The Write Conversation
- What Is A Soft Launch Exactly And Should You Do One? by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Indie Author Marketing: A Guide To Successful Self-Promotion by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Testimonials For Writers: 3 Ways They Help And Why They’re So Powerful by Sarah Rexford for The Write Life
- Podcast: Category Changes, Imposter Syndrome, And Anthologies by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor for Sell More Books Show
- 7 Steps To Landing The Perfect Blurb For Your Forthcoming Book by Aileen Weintraub for Writer’s Digest
- The Art Of Pseudonyms: How To Publish A Book Under A Pen Name by Elizabeth Javor for Self Publishing Advisor
- Video: Will 10,000 Followers Get You A Book Deal? by Dan Blank for WeGrowMedia
- Lessons For Writers From 100 Daily Videos by Dan Blank for WeGrowMedia
- So You Want To Quit Your Day Job by Whitney Hill for Writer’s Digest
- Video: How To Design A Book Cover Using Book Brush by Claire Fraise for Write with Claire Fraise
- Video: Can You Self-Publish On Amazon For Free? Book Publishing Fees Explained by Mandi Lynn for Mandi Lynn
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.