This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Oct. 1, 2023

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Reading Time: 9 minutes
(Image by Maria Korolov via Adobe Express.)

I subscribe to more than 180 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

Could A Map Help You Be More Productive? by Ann Gomez

A MAP — Main Action Plan — is an upgraded to-do list. Your MAP is your priority management system, and it is your most essential productivity tool. Ann Gomez is an inspiring speaker, a USA Today bestselling author, and the founder of Clear Concept Inc., a global training organization. She has 20 years of experience in productivity, collaboration, mindset, and wellbeing. 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), follow them on Twitter at @pubcoach, or subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Video: What Are Strengths? by Becca Syme

Your unique strengths as a writer are what can catapult you to success. These are the areas in which you not only have natural aptitude but also a capacity for faster growth. 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: What Is Author Alignment? by Becca Syme

Once you figure out what your unique strengths and weaknesses are, organize your life so that you lean into your strengths. 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: What Is Essential Pain? by Becca Syme

Pain can be a sign that you’re about to learn something important. Avoiding that pain by, say, distracting yourself with social media, can keep you stuck instead of letting you move forward. 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.

Other motivational advice this week:

The art and craft of writing

Video: How To Actually Finish NaNoWriMo This Year by Ayden Pugh

How to use plot and character archetypes to make planning and writing a book easier. Ayden Pugh is the author of Codex Archetypum: A Compendium of Archetypes & their uses. Author Quest is a YouTube channel about how to write a book, write a good story that people actually want to read, and maybe make a living off of it.

ANTS: The Critical Factors That Make Stories Popular by Chris Winkle

ANTS — attachment, novelty, tension, and satisfaction — are the key elements that make a story well-liked. 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.

Video: Chekhov’s Gun & The Mental Inventory by Philip Athans

If, in the first act, you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one, it should be fired. Otherwise, don’t put it there. 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.

Podcast: Constructing A Mystery by Oren Ashkenazi and Chris Winkle

Constructing a mystery means laying the foundation for what needs to be solved, adding stakes, and making sure there are obstacles in the heroes’ path. It sounds simple but can get really complex in practice. Fortunately, the Mythcreants team is here to shed some light on the process. 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.

Little Writing Pests by James Scott Bell

How to avoid excess adverbs, semicolons, misplaced attributions, elliptical errors, and other minor but pesky writing mistakes. 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 writing advice this week:

The business side of writing

Have Your Cake (And Eat It, Too) With Social Media by Ambre Leffler

Tips on how to engage with social media without draining your mental bank account and staying true to your authentic self. Ambre Dawn Leffler writes about communing with nature and the interconnections of mind and body. Learn more about her tree time, garden residents, and wellness practices at her website AmbreDawnLeffler.com and seasonal inspiration from her newsletter Sky Earth Water. You can also follow her on Twitter at @AmbreDLeffler and Instagram at @ambredawnleffler. 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).

92 Calls For Submissions In October 2023 – Paying Markets by Erica Verrillo

MetaStellar is on this list, but our word length limit is 1,200 words this cycle, not 1,000. Erica Verrillo is a fantasy writer. For more advice like this, follow Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity via their RSS feed (direct Feedly link). Follow her on Twitter at @EricaVerrillo or check out her website, EricaVerillo.com.

Other business advice this week:

Am I missing any writing advice sites? Email me at [email protected] or leave a note in the comments below.

Maria Korolov

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 [email protected]. She is also the editor and publisher of Hypergrid Business, one of the top global sites covering virtual reality.

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