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
Finishing Writing-Related Tasks Quickly by Elizabeth Spann Craig
With all the other things on our plate, writing-related tasks can fall by the wayside. Here are some tips for getting those tasks done by using a batching or grouping technique. Elizabeth Spann Craig is a best-selling cozy mystery author. You can find her on Twitter at @elizabethscraig or on Facebook at Elizabeth Spann Craig Author. She also collates a weekly list of the best new writing-related articles, called Twitterific Writing Links, which then all get added to the Writer’s Knowledge Base database. On her website, ElizabethSpannCraig.com, Craig and her guest authors offer advice on writing and publishing.
Find Creativity In Your Writing By Ditching Expectations by Janna Lopez
The weight of expectation can be lifted by homing in on tiny details and reveling in the joy of the moment to unlock freedom and creativity in your writing. Janna Lopez is an intuitive book coach, creative writing teacher with a MFA, and published author. She leads creative writing retreats for individuals and small groups in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through Land of Enchantment Writing. BookBaby bills itself as the nation’s leading self-publishing services company. For more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (directly Feedly link here), or follow them on Facebook at @BookBaby or on Twitter at @BookBaby.
How To Embrace Idea Doubt by Daphne Gray-Grant
The difference between self-doubt and idea doubt is a really important distinction for most writers. 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.
Other motivational advice this week:
- How To Beat Your Writer’s Burnout: A 7-Step Guide To Tuning Up Your Creative Engine by Mason Engel for DIY MFA
- Rockin’ (Or Jazzin’ Or Rappin’) Out: Why A Playlist For Your Book Can Help You Write It by Mary Carroll Moore for How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
- 20 Sci-Fi Story Ideas by Ruthanne Reid for The Write Practice
- Barbarians At The Gate: Creative Anxiety And The Fear Of Sharing Your Work by Susan K. Hamilton for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- Jump Start Your Creativity With A Pre-Writing Routine by Marcia Peterson for WOW! Women On Writing Blog
- Goal Setting: The Difference Between Push Goals And Pull Goals by Sue Bradford Edwards for WOW! Women On Writing Blog
- How To Focus: Take Better Breaks by Rochelle Melander for Write Now Coach!
The art and craft of writing
Five Tips For Writing Multi-POV Stories by Jennifer Craven
Writing multi-POV books isn’t exactly easy, and authors shouldn’t do it “just to do it.” It can be complicated to get right, and you run the risk of creating a story with one-dimensional characters that just skim the surface. Here are five tips to get it right. 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).
Can Framing Devices Be Better Than Terrible? by Chris Winkle
Fancy or not, the reality is that framing devices are usually an active detriment to the story. 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.
Character Description Examples: Creating People Not Caricatures by Jordan Kantey
Effective character description examples from a range of authors from Victorian to modern times show the many ways to convey characters’ personalities, desires, strengths and shortcomings. Jordan Kantey is a writer, marketer, community manager and product developer for Now Novel. You can find out more about him on his LinkedIn page. Now Novel is a company that offers writing sources, coaching, and editing. If you want more advice like this, subscribe to their RSS feed (direct Feedly signup link) or follow them on Twitter at @nownovel or on Facebook at @nownovel or subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Adding Sensory Details To Your Fight Scene by Carla Hoch
Trained fighter and author Carla Hoch discusses the importance of adding sensory details to your fight scenes, and how doing so connects us to each other and to the scene itself. 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 2019 & 2020. She has training in almost a dozen martial arts and competes in Brazilian jiujitsu. She regularly teaches 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.
Other writing advice this week:
- 7 Tips For How To Add Complexity To Your Story by K. M. Weiland for Helping Writers Become Authors
- Characters And Diversity. Part 4 – Gender Identity by Gwen M. Plano for Story Empire
- How Long Does It Take To Write A Book? by Sarah Gribble for The Write Practice
- The People-Watcher’s Guide To Writing by Freya Sampson for Writer’s Digest
- Scrivener Vs. Ulysses: Which Writing Tool Should You Buy? by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Focuswriter Review: Read This Before You Purchase! by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Ulysses Review: Read This Before You Purchase! by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Ywriter Review: Read This Before You Purchase! by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Bibisco Review: Read This Before You Purchase! by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Squibler Review: Read This Before Purchasing! by Jason Hamilton for Kindlepreneur
- Considering Your Setting by David Farland for MyStoryDoctor
- Writing An Un-Put-Downable Character (Part 8 Of 10): Dreams by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- Best Writing Advice Ever: Write What You Want To Know by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- How To Write A Good First Chapter: A Checklist by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice
- How Long Does It Take To Write A Book? by Sarah Gribble for The Write Practice
- 5 Tips For Mixing Magic And Romance In A Novel by Sangu Mandanna for Writer’s Digest
- 3 Common Traps That Can Hurt Your Story (And How To Avoid Them) by James Preston for Writers In The Storm
- No Risk It, No Biscuit by James Scott Bell for Killzoneblog.com
- How Do I Keep Dialogue Scenes Dynamic? by Chris Winkle for Mythcreants
The business side of writing
Why You Must Market Your Book by Elizabeth Javor
If you want to make a career out of book publishing, you must make peace with the fact that you will be marketing your books. Elizabeth Javor is the director of sales and marketing for Outskirts Press, a group of publishing consultants who focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Self Publishing Advisor offers tips and advice for self-published authors.
Other business advice this week:
- Reach Your Blog Readers By Learning To Use Hashtags, Titles, And Images Correctly by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- Breaking Down What A Book Marketing Strategy Really Requires by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- How To Pick The Right Publisher Or Literary Agent For Your Book by Chad R. Allen for Chad R. Allen
- To Pay Or Not To Pay — Book Reviews For Sale by Debbie Burke for Killzoneblog.com
- Business Musings: How Writers Fail (Part 8): Yeah, I Already Know That by Kristine Kathryn Rusch for Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- 19 Things You Need To Know Before Publishing A Book by Omer Redden for The Book Designer
- Top 5 Book Design Mistakes (Illustrated) by Joel Friedlander for The Book Designer
- The A-B-C-D Formula For Irresistible Book Titles by Joel Friedlander for The Book Designer
- Use These Simple Steps To Create Your Best Writer’s Bio by Edie Melson for The Write Conversation
- Expanding Your Author Life – Becoming A Sought After And Great Media Guest by Grace Sammon for Women Writers, Women’s Books
- The Emerging Trend Of Short Form Video To Promote Authors And Writers by Kristy-Leigh Avery for WritersWeekly.com
- Top 5 Self-Publishing Mistakes Writers Make by Lucy V Hay for Bang2write
Podcasts
Author Habits, Myths, And Big Decisions by Bryan Cohen and H. Claire Taylor
The author myths could be holding back your author career, how Brandon Sanderson is the biggest threat to traditional publishing, and how to set up your own author page on Amazon. 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.
Omens And Prophecies by Oren Ashkenazi, Chris Winkle, and Wes Matlock
The Mythcreants team tackles omens, prophecies, curses, and all manner of predictive magics. 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.
Space For Everyone by Dan Wells and Mary Robinette Kowal
Chemist, USAF Colonel, and NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman joins the Writing Excuses team to talk about actual travel to actual space. Dan Wells is an American horror and science fiction author. Mary Robinette Kowal is a science fiction author best known for The Calculating Stars, part of the Lady Astronaut series. Writing Excuses is a podcast about the art and business of writing. Support them on Patreon.
Other podcasts from this past week:
- Lessons Learned From 11 Years As An Author Entrepreneur by Joanna Penn for The Creative Penn
- Nuances Of Dialog by Howard Tayler for Writing Excuses
- How To Promote Your Book Without Using Social Media: Podcast For Authors by Penny Sansevieri for Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
- Building Hyperion: How Simmons Scattered His World by Oren Ashkenazi for Mythcreants
- How To Write A Successful Series With Helen Scheuerer by Sacha Black for Sacha Black
- Generosity Should Be Your Platform, Part 2 by Dan Blank for WeGrowMedia
Videos
How To Deal With A Creative Dry Spell by Daphne Gray-Grant
How to handle a creative dry spell. 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.
First Book Lessons: What Authors Wish They’d Known Before Hitting Publish by Kristina Adams and Ellie Betts
Guests Elizabeth Spann Craig, Alexa Whitewolf, Matty Dalrymple, and Daniel Willcocks talk about what they wish they’d known before they published their first book. Kristina Adams is a bestselling author and writing instructor. Find out more at her website, KristinaAdamsAuthor.com. The Writer’s Cookbook offers advice, podcast, videos, coaching, workshops, and writing courses. Follow the site via their RSS feed (direct Feedly link here).
Is This Replicable? by Becca Syme
How to avoid burnout by building a sustainable writing process and author business. Becca Syme is a Gallup-certified strengths coach, author coach, and nonfiction author. 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 an author career.
Other videos from this past week:
- Book Copyright Questions Answered by Book Launchers for Book Launchers
- How Agents And Authors Get Paid by Jessica Faust and James McGowan for BookEnds Literary Agency
- The Dialogue Doctor With Jeff Elkins by Mark Leslie Lefebvre for Draft2Digital
- Adopt These 12 Habits Of Successful Writers by Stavros Halvatzis for Get Writing
- The Correct Way To Use Amazon KDP by Dale L. Roberts for Self-Publishing with Dale
- The Secret To A Well Paced Plot (And It’s Ridiculously Easy) by Shaelinwrites for ShaelinWrites
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.