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
Business Musings: Reading And Writing by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Why writers need to go back to their first love — reading — in order to refill their creative wells. New York Times and USA Today bestselling — and Hugo Award-winning — author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes science fiction and fantasy. At KrisWrites.com, Rusch offers her thoughts about the publishing industry and other topics.
Connect And Write More by Rochelle Melander
People increase their chances of success by 65 percent if they commit to someone — and by 95 percent when they keep an accountability appointment with someone who knows their goals. Rochelle Melander is a productivity expert and writing coach. She’s the author of 12 books, including Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity. For more advice like this subscribe to Write Now Coach via their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link), on Twitter at @WriteNowCoach and on Facebook at @WriteNowCoach.
Video: How To Avoid Burnout In Your Writing by Jason Hamilton
Burnout is not just about stress and fatigue, but also about having expectations of reward and not receiving it. The solution is understanding your ‘why’, assigning rewards to what is within your control, using tools like AI — or dictation apps — to overcome and prevent burnout, forming solid habits, taking care of yourself, and assigning value to becoming a better writer every day rather than focusing on financial gains or unrealistic goals. Jason Hamilton is a fantasy author. Check out Hamilton’s site, MythHQ. You can also follow him on Twitter at @StoryHobbit and on Facebook at Jason Hamilton. The Nerdy Novelist is a YouTube channel focusing on using AI to write and market books.
The Weight by Reavis Wortham
The writer shares a candid conversation about overcoming self-doubt and external criticism. Award-winning mystery author Reavis Wortham is best known for the Red River series and the Sonny Hawke series. Find out more at ReavisZWortham.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:
- 4 Superpowers Every Writer Must Have by Tim Suddeth for The Write Conversation
- How To Be A Writer: Five Simple Steps by Linda L. Richards for Career Authors
- How To Waste Time: 5 Ways To Do It Well by Emil Rem for The Write Practice
- Looking For A Critique Group? by Shutta Crum for Florida Writers Association Blog
- On The Importance Of Persistence To Writing Success by Michael Melgaard for Writer’s Digest
- Sorting Through Writing Advice: Don’t, Can’t, Shouldn’t by Tiffany Yates Martin for FoxPrint Editorial
- Take A Break by Martin Johnson for Almost An Author
- Terrible Advice Writers Should Ignore From Social Media Friends by Anne R. Allen for Anne R. Allen’s Blog… with Ruth Harris
- Podcast: The One Where Stephen King’s Former Assistant, Marsha DeFilippo, Proves It’s Never Too Late To Write That First Book by J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O’Donnell for Writers, Ink.
- What It Takes To Be A Good Writer (And It’s Not Just 10,000 Hours) by Daphne Gray-Grant for Publication Coach
- When Your Favorite Novel Takes A Long, Long Time To Write by Stephanie Cowell for Writer Unboxed
- Writing Your Stories: When Yay Becomes Yuck by Josh Langston for A Writer’s Path
The art and craft of writing
Video: Discover Dibbly Create: Your Secret Weapon For Writing Success by S.D. Huston
Dibbly Create is a new AI-powered tool that helps with outlining, writing, and marketing. Fantasy author S. D. Huston is also a military war vet and a former college literature professor and writing coach. Check out her website at SDHuston.com. The S.D. Huston YouTube channel features interview and advice related to writing and publishing.
Video: Aha! Get Feedback From Your Ideal Reader With ChatGPT Or Claude by Leeland Artra
How authors can use ideal reader personas to get beta feedback from ChatGPT or Claude for their novels. Leeland Artra is a bestselling sci-fi and fantasy author, and has also been teaching computer technology since the 1980s. In 2022, he began using his professional knowledge for AI prompt engineering for sci-fi and fantasy and RPG materials. Future Fiction Academy’s YouTube channel offers video lab sessions and training for authors who want to learn how to write fiction with AI ethically and efficiently. For more information, check out their website, FutureFictionAcademy.com.
Sh*T Doesn’t Just Happen by Steven Pressfield
Whenever you’re about to have a breakthrough — such as achieving a new level of writing ability — your internal resistance starts to kick in. The bigger the potential progress, the bigger the resistance, up to and including getting sick or physical injuries. Steven Pressfield is the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance and other novels as well as The War of Art and other non-fiction books about creative success. Check out his Amazon author page here. StevenPressfield.com offers weekly articles as well as a free mini-course about the business of writing.
Video: 6 Best Non-AI Tools And Services For Authors by Jason Hamilton
Reviews of popular tools Atticus, Miblart, Campfire, Wondrium, Publisher Rocket, and ProWritingAid. Jason Hamilton is a fantasy author. Check out Hamilton’s site, MythHQ. You can also follow him on Twitter at @StoryHobbit and on Facebook at Jason Hamilton. The Nerdy Novelist is a YouTube channel focusing on using AI to write and market books.
Video: How To Write Drunk Characters by Patrick Nilan
Alcohol amplifies existing characteristics rather than creating new ones, and more advice about writing drunk characters from a college student with plenty of experience on the subject. Patrick Nilan is an aspiring sci-fi author and expert procrastinator. He’s best known for his MemesForWriters Instagram page. The Patrick Procrastinates Writing YouTube channel is about writing tips and inspiration.
Video: Yes! You Can Pants A Novel With AI by Stephanie Pajonas
ChatGPT and Claude are great for helping create novel outlines. But what if you’re a pantser and prefer to write without an outline? You can still use AI to help navigate your way as you go. Stephanie Pajonas is an author of both science fiction romance and cozy mysteries. As a seasoned author with over 30 books published, she understands the challenges of writing and also the power of AI tools to overcome those challenges. She also has over 20 years of experience coding and designing websites, including seven years working for HBO.com. Future Fiction Academy’s YouTube channel offers video lab sessions and training for authors who want to learn how to write fiction with AI ethically and efficiently. For more information, check out their website, FutureFictionAcademy.com.
Matching Blood To Your Work: FightWrite by Carla Hoch
Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch discusses how to write bloody scenes in fiction based on genre, the type of injury, and more. Carla Hoch is the author of the Writer’s Digest book Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes. Her blog, FightWrite.net, was in Writer’s Digest Top Websites for Writers in 2019 and 2020. She has training in almost a dozen martial arts and competes in Brazilian jiujitsu. She regularly teaches on the craft of writing fight scenes as well as the mechanics of fighting for writers. Follow Writer’s Digest via their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link), on Twitter at @WritersDigest and on Facebook at @writersdigest.
Podcast: Revisiting Literary And Speculative Fiction by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
What literary fiction even is, what spec fic writers can learn from it, and why you don’t need to sacrifice plot to get great wordcraft or deep characters. Plus, some delicious author drama! 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:
- 10 Podcasts For Writers To Add To Your Playlist by Zara Choudhry for Make a Living Writing
- 10 Writing Tips From Ursula Le Guin by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- Video: 40 ChatGPT Techniques You’ll Use Every Day by Jason Hamilton for The Nerdy Novelist
- Are These Classic Monsters Problematic? by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Christ Figure by Becca Puglisi for Writers Helping Writers
- Crime Writing: 10 Pointers From The Experts by Arja Salafranca for Now Novel
- Video: Developing Your Protagonist: Save The Cat Writes A Novel Vs. Save The Cat Young Adult by Nicole Wilbur for Nicole Wilbur
- Does The Hero Have At Least One Big “I Understand You” Moment With A Love Interest Or Primary Emotional Partner? by Matt Bird for The Secrets of Story
- Does Your Multiple Storyline Novel Work? Questions To Ask Yourself by Tiffany Yates Martin for Jane Friedman
- Five Fake Turning Points Storytellers Keep Using by Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
- Video: Flashback Mistakes New Writers Make — Avoid These Cliches! by Abbie Emmons for Abbie Emmons
- Flawed Characters And Phobias by Gwen M. Plano for Story Empire
- Four Keys To Writing Epic Characters by Stavros Halvatzis for Stavros Halvatzis
- Hot Tip For Character Relationships: The Relationship Is A Character by K. M. Weiland for Helping Writers Become Authors
- How To Avoid Unnecessary Point-Of-View Reminders by Stephen Geez for Story Empire
- How To Know Your Book Is Done by Jessica Faust and James McGowan for BookEnds Literary Agency
- Video: How To Pace A Story With Time Jumps by Brandon McNulty for Writer Brandon McNulty
- How To Read To Elevate Your Writing Practice by Robin Henry for Jane Friedman
- How To Use Identity And Vulnerability To Write Psychologically Realistic Characters In Fantasy Fiction by Noah Lemelson for Writer’s Digest
- Video: How To Write A Book In Claude 2 With The Super Prompt by Jason Hamilton for The Nerdy Novelist
- How To Write A Book Series by Scott McCormick for BookBaby Blog
- Is Exposition Withheld Until The Hero And The Audience Are Both Demanding To Know It? by Matt Bird for The Secrets of Story
- Is There One Gut-Punch Scene Where The Subtext Falls Away And The Characters Really Lay Into Each Other? by Matt Bird for The Secrets of Story
- Long Forgotten (But Cool) Medieval English Words by Garry Rodgers for Killzoneblog.com
- On Writing Neurodivergent Characters by Mark Wheaton for Writer’s Digest
- Video: Plottr: Story Outlining Software For Pantsers & Plotters by S.D. Huston for S.D. Huston
- Setting — The Versatile Tool For The Fiction Writer by C. S. Lakin for Live Write Thrive
- Strange New Worlds Shows Us How To Avoid Empty Edginess by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- The Two Most Useless Lines Of Dialogue In All Literature by James Scott Bell for Killzoneblog.com
- Twelve Tips To Edit Your Book by Marilyn Levinson for Writers and Publishers Network
- Video: Unlocking Symbolism: Write Stories That Resonate Forever! by Stavros Halvatzis for Get Writing
- What Is Dramatic Irony? by Lily Lindon for The Novelry
- What To Do If Your Novel Is Too Short by Glen C. Strathy for How to Write a Book Now
- Worldbuilding 101 For Writers: Writing Technology And Magic Systems by A.C. Williams for The Write Conversation
- Writing About Pain: Describing Major & Mortal Injuries by Becca Puglisi for Writers Helping Writers
- Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries by Angela Ackerman for Writers Helping Writers
- Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Writing Someone Else’s Way by Michael Woodson for Writer’s Digest
- Writing Personal Beliefs Into Your Stories by Beem Weeks for Story Empire
- Writing Short Stories To Jumpstart Your Novel Writing by Danielle Davis for Writer Unboxed
The business side of writing
Barnes and Noble Press Review by P.J McNulty
Barnes and Noble Press, formerly known as Nook Press, is an independent publishing platform with one of the most prestigious names in book retail behind it. But does Barnes and Noble Press have anything to offer beyond its brand name? What’s available at Barnes and Noble Press to tempt authors away from Amazon exclusivity? The Book Designer, part of SelfPublishing.com, offers hundreds of articles about book design and marketing.
Take The 2023 Author Survey by Clayton Noblit
Written Word Media runs the biggest author income survey every year. This year, they’ve added questions about AI.
Clayton Noblit is a marketing manager at Written Word Media, a book marketing company. Follow Written Word Media via their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link), on Facebook at @writtenwordmedia and on Twitter at @WrittenWordM.
Querying Is The Worst by Morgan Hazelwood
Here are a few reasons why writing your own query letter sucks, and a few things that query letter needs in it. Morgan Hazelwood writes from her lair in Northern Virginia. She’s a blogger, vlogger, and podcaster of writing tips and writerly musings, plus an actively querying fantasy author. For more advice like this, follow her on Twitter at @MorganHzlwood, on Facebook at Morgan Hazelwood, and on YouTube at Morgan Hazelwood. At Morgan Hazelwood, she offers writing advice and resources.
Video: 400 Episodes Of The Self Publishing Show by Mark Dawson and James Blatch
The hosts look back on the history of the show and how the industry has changed. They also talk about the importance of treating writing like a business, useful tools for indie authors, and the impact of AI on writing and publishing. 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.
Video: Don’t Rip Off Your Readers! by Susan MacGregor
Can you turn your protagonist into an antagonist half-way or more through your novel? Susan MacGregor is an editor with On Spec, one of Canada’s foremost magazines for speculative fiction. Writers’ Rx is a just-launched YouTube channel dedicated to improving writing.
Video: Goal Setting For Authors: 5 Metrics To Track For Your Book by Julie Broad
Book sales numbers are the typical metric used in goal setting for authors, but there are other useful metrics as well, including media appearances, platform growth, new connections, reviews and mentions, and opportunities. Julie Broad heads up a team of self-publishing experts at Book Launchers. Book Launchers is mostly aimed at non-fiction book authors, but with useful advice for fiction authors as well. You can also follow them on Facebook at @booklaunchers and on Twitter at @booklaunchers. And, of course, subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Other business advice this week:
- What To Post On Instagram As Authors by Jessica Thompson for Elizabeth Spann Craig
- A Template For Asking For An Editor by Jeanette the Writer for DIY MFA
- Querying After A Less Than Steller Debut by Janet Reid for Janet Reid, Literary Agent
- Book Parts And Better Engagement – Anatomy Of An Afterword by Kris Maze for Writers In The Storm
- 5 Irresistible Lead Magnets For Editors And Proofreaders by for Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader – Blog
- Video: I Talked To Kickstarter’s Head Of Book Publishing by Jed Herne for Jed Herne
- Podcast: Three Query Drafts: Good, Better, Amazing With Author Julia Alexandra by Julie Kingsley and Jessica Sinsheimer for Manuscript Academy
- Podcast: Creator Economy For Authors With Michael Evans by Sacha Black for Sacha Black
- Create Compelling Fiction Descriptions That Sell: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need by Sandra Beckwith for Build Book Buzz
- Optimizing Amazon For Better Book Sales: 7 Things You Can Do by Penny C. Sansevieri for Self Published Author
- Maximizing Your Author Website’s Potential With Blogging by J. Alexander Greenwood for Writers In The Storm
- Step-By-Step: How To Successfully Market A Self-Published Book by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Podcast: A Behind The Scenes Look At How To Craft A Bestselling Thriller Series — Interview With Kathy Reichs by Gabriela Pereira and Lori Walker for DIY MFA
- Podcast: Niche Marketing, Email Lists, And Direct Selling by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor for Sell More Books Show
- Podcast: Book Marketing 101: Product by Thomas Umstattd Jr. for Author Media
- 5 Steps To Building Your Author Platform by Savannah Gilbo for Fiction Writing Tips
- Video: KDP Category Updates And How To Select Book Categories In Amazon KDP by M.K. Williams for M.K. Williams
- Lessons From 23 Years As A Self-Publishing Novelist by John Sundman for Jane Friedman
- Author Merchandise Ideas To Boost Revenue by Scott McCormick for BookBaby Blog
- Pitch Your Story In A Pinch (One Sentence) by Kristen Lamb for Kristen Lamb
- Podcast: How Your Amazon Author Bio Can Help You Sell Books by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Video: Overcoming Author Hurdles With Daniel Willcocks by Mark Leslie Lefebvre for Draft2Digital
- Video: I Turned Bestselling Author Advice Into 12 Advanced Brainstorming Prompts by Jason Hamilton for The Nerdy Novelist
- The Logistics Of Touring Part II – Making It Happen by Mark Parsons for Writers and Publishers Network
- Hybrid Publishing: Is It The Right Choice For Your Book? by Harry Bingham for The Write Practice
- Video: IngramSpark Reduces Author Royalties – Disappointing Update by Mandi Lynn for Mandi Lynn
- Video: Common Social Media Mistakes I Still See In 2023 by Shelby Leigh for Marketing by Shelby
Am I missing any writing advice sites? Email me at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. She is also the editor and publisher of Hypergrid Business, one of the top global sites covering virtual reality.