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
5 Tips For When You’ve Fallen Behind During NaNoWriMo by Lewis Jorstad
How to get back on track when you’ve fallen behind in your writing — and the tips don’t just work for NaNoWriMo. Lewis Jorstad is a developmental editor, writing craft author and the founder of The Novel Smithy. The Novel Smithy is a site that helps writers build a robust writing toolkit. Follow them on Twitter @TheNovelSmithy.
Video: Is Writing By Hand Better Than By Keyboard? by Daphne Gray-Grant
Use pen-and-paper for brainstorming and planning because science shows that it does actually help creativity — and a computer for actual writing. Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing coach, author of Your Happy First Draft, and host of The Write Question show on YouTube. Publication Coach offers books, courses, videos, and one-on-one coaching for authors. If you want more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter at @pubcoach or subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Podcast: Planning For Authors With Sarra Cannon by Sacha Black
Guest Sarra Cannon talks about planning for authors, including planning systems, how to plan effectively, planning for the unknown, balancing family and career, and mindset shifts. Host Sacha Black is a fantasy author and writing coach, with several writing advice books including 13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains (Better Writers Series) May 9, 2017. 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).
Podcast: The Long Game With Dorie Clark by Joanna Penn
How can we shift our mindset to thinking about a long-term creative career? What can we do now that will make our future selves happy? Business coach and bestselling author Dorie Clark gives some ideas for playing the long game. 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.
Writers: Why You Need To Say No More Often by Daphne Gray-Grant
You don’t have to do all the things. Do the three most important things, and you’ll find that you might actually get farther. Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing coach, author of Your Happy First Draft, and host of The Write Question show on YouTube. Publication Coach offers books, courses, videos, and one-on-one coaching for authors. If you want more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter at @pubcoach or subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Writing To Save Your Life by James Scott Bell
Our culture right now is a roiling sea of hate, anger, vitriol, scorn, and mendacity—and that’s just on Twitter. So it is a noble task for writers to provide a few hours of entertaining escapism. Thriller writer James Scott Bell is the author of more than twenty books about writing, and you can follow him on Twitter at @jamesscottbell. His website is JamesScottBell.com. 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.
Other motivational advice this week:
- 5 Things Writers Can Be Thankful For Today by Lori Hatcher for The Write Conversation
- Being Thankful – Writer’s Edition by Terry Odell for Killzoneblog.com
- Common Writing Obstacles: Taking Risks by Henry Mclaughlin for The Write Conversation
- Discover & Accomplish Your Writer’s Adventure List by Diann Mills for The Write Conversation
- Gratitude Journaling Can Change Your Life by Rochelle Melander for Write Now Coach!
- Jumpstart Your Writing by Dana Cameron for Career Authors
- Managing Multiple Projects: Writer Magic Or Mayhem? by Kris Maze for Writers In The Storm
- Pro Tips From A NaNo Coach: how To Keep Writing When It Feels Impossible by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou for National Novel Writing Month
- Show No Fear! by Hank Phillippi Ryan for Career Authors
- The Top 3 Ways To Make Writing Habits Stick by P.j. Mcnulty for Make a Living Writing
- Writing First Drafts: 10 Ideas To Reach Final Drafts by Jordan Kantey for Now Novel
The art and craft of writing
What Swear Words Can I Use? by Oren Ashkenazi
What’s the best way for characters to swear in fantasy or sci-fi settings? Is it more effective to make up words, use modern language, or just say that the characters are swearing? 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: Toy Story: Soooooo Good, But Why? by Melanie Hill And Valerie Francis
There are a handful of stories that theorists use as great examples of the craft, and Toy Story is one of them. If you’re writing a buddy story, a story with two protagonists, or want to better understand character development, this movie—and this episode!—is for you. Melanie Hill and Valerie Francis are literary editors and writers. The Story Nerd podcast demystifies story theory so writers spend less time studying and more time writing.
Wings Of Fire by Oren Ashkenazi And Chris Winkle
The Mythcreants team discusses the writing lessons of Wings of Fire, a 15-book middle-grade fantasy series by Tui T. Sutherland. 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:
- Video: 10 Best Tips For Writing Subplots by Jenna Moreci for Writing with Jenna Moreci
- 3 Ways To Connect Your World To Your Story by Janice Hardy for Fiction University
- 5 World-Building Tips To Write A Captivating Novel by Dario Villirilli for Live Write Thrive
- 8 Reference Books For Business Writing And Editing by for Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader – Blog
- 9 Things Writers Need To Know About Trauma And Mental Health by Lisa Hall-Wilson for Writers In The Storm
- Are You Editing Too Much? by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- Busting 4 Myths About The Inciting Incident by Disha Walia for DIY MFA
- Clarity Of Writing: 9 Proven Techniques To Writing Well by Patrick Mcnulty for Craft – The Write Life
- Delete Nothing, At Least Not Permanently by Philip Athans for Fantasy Author’s Handbook
- Video: Don’t Forget Your Climax! How To Write Epic Endings by Kristina Adams And Ellie Betts for The Writer’s Mindset
- Giving Your Readers What They Want by Abigail Drake for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Great Dialogue Is The Art Of The Unsaid by Kelsey Allagood for Writer Unboxed
- How Literary Themes Can Make Your Novels Better by Disha Walia for DIY MFA
- How To Create A Character Profile To Write Believable Characters by Carly Schabowski for Writer’s Digest
- How To Write A Scene: The Definitive Guide To Scene Structure by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- Negotiation Secrets For Writers by Debbie Burke for Killzoneblog.com
- Obsidian Review — Is It Worth It? by Jackie Pearce for Make a Living Writing
- Parts Of A Story: 14 Core, Tonal, And Plot Elements by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Revision: How To “Kill Your Darlings” And Survive The Process by Ruthanne Reid for The Write Practice
- Should Your Character Be Mysterious Or Relatable? by Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
- Podcast: Stories About Building Something by Oren Ashkenazi And Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
- Story Plotting by Anne Hawkinson for Florida Writers Association Blog
- The 4 Phases Of Editing: How To Edit Your Novel by Savannah Gilbo for Fiction Writing Tips
- Podcast: The Linguistics Of Disability by Mary Robinette Kowal, C.l. Polk, Fran Wilde, And Howard Tayler for Writing Excuses
- Using Split Screen To Save Time In Scrivener 3 by Gwen Hernandez for Writer Unboxed
- What Happens When You Don’t Know Your Characters’ Backstories? by Kristina Adams for The Writer’s Cookbook
- Words To Avoid In Writing: Weak Words To Find, Cut, And Replace by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
The business side of writing
Tap Into The Power Of Collaborations by Lisa E. Betz
Collaborating with other writers on promotions enables you to leverage off each other’s followers, so you can quickly reach a whole new audience. This article offers some tips to make collaborations work for you. An engineer-turned-mystery-writer, Lisa E. Betz infuses her novels with authentic characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her debut novel, Death and a Crocodile, won several awards. For more from her, check out LisaEBetz.com, follow her on Twitter at @LisaEBetz or on Facebook at @LisaEBetzWriter. Almost an Author offers writing and publishing advice. For more this this, follow them on Twitter at @A3writers, on Facebook at @A3writers and subscribe to their RSS feed here (direct Feedly signup link).
Video: The Author Helper Suite by Mark Dawson And James Blatch
Guest John Logsdon published over 100 books and founded the Author Helper Suite. In this episode, he talks about book pricing, author mindset, and tools authors can use to maximize success. 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:
- A Quick And Helpful Education On Publishing Trends by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- What Is An Imprint? An Explainer For Authors by Emily Mccrary-Ruiz-Esparza for Written Word Media
- Video: Tech Solutions, Big Tech Woes, And The Christmas Crunch by Bryan Cohen And H. Claire Taylor for Sell More Books Show
- Five Ways To Break Through The Competition by Terry Whalin for Writers On The Move
- Video: Book Publishing With Ingram Spark by Julie Broad for Book Launchers
- Video: KDP Book Marketing With Amazon Ads by Dale L. Roberts for Self-Publishing with Dale
- How To Find And Work With A Professional Editor by Joanna Penn for The Creative Penn
- 5 Secrets For Surviving The Social Media Apocalypse by Lisa Norman for Writers In The Storm
- A Simple Proposal Formula by Terry Whalin for Almost An Author
- Take Our Book Website Design Quiz To Improve Your Click Throughs by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- How To Get Your Book Noticed On Amazon — Top 11 Ways by Sarah Rexford for Self Publishing School
- Video: Sell More Books With Great Content Marketing by Julie Broad for Book Launchers
- Video: Author Success Archetypes Introduction by Becca Syme for QuitCast for Writers with Becca Syme
Am I missing any writing advice sites? Email me at maria@metastellar.com or leave a note in the comments below.
Edited 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.