This week my Twitter feed began filling up with comments
about that Game Of Thrones episode. Quite a few writers castigated using
violence/rape against women, as a motivating factor in advancing the story or
the character of the hero, as lazy storytelling. Chuck Wendig compared how the latest MAD MAX film and the GOT episode treated violence against women as a motivating factor. He makes excellent points and my hat is off to him for
raising this issue.
Should Illustrators be credited in the Nielson ratings? This
question has started a lot of comment, mostly along the lines of Whaaat? You mean they aren’t? or It’s
about time! or This is a debate? Porter Anderson takes a look at the issue and
held a #futurechat on it this week. Nielson claim it is too difficult to credit
illustrators. It is all about the metadata, folks.
Are literary journals in trouble? Jane Friedman examines the way literary journals are run and
whether they will still be around in a decade. Can they afford to rest on their
laurels as print gatekeepers in today’s digital age? The comments make
interesting reading. Would you
accept rejections for 10 years until they took one of your pieces?
Kris Rusch wrote this week about what it is like to stand up for yourself as a writer to your agent or editors. When you have to burn the
bridges to get out of a toxic relationship that will harm your career. She has
great advice and is well worth reading from a writer beware point of view.
James Scott Bell has responded to a post by Porter Anderson
on the proliferation of writing services to authors. Are they worth it? Can
writing be taught? Is the digital revolution, widely trumpeted as the best time
to be an author, like the gold rush? The only rich people on the gold fields
were the guys selling shovels. Lots of comments on both these provocative
posts.
Mike Shatzkin has put a stake in the ground. He lists what Publishers need to do if they really want to tackle digital publishing. Although he is focused on Traditional Publishers his list of important points are good for Indie Publishers to take a
look at.
In the Craft Section,
K M Weiland has two great posts on finding the perfect midpoint of your novel and the story climax.
Jody Calkins has 5 keys to great storytelling.
Kristen Lamb has a post on story structure.
Now Novel has a post on romance writing mistakes and a list
of the best Sci Fi research sites for authors.
Janice Hardy has a great post overview on what a good YA should have and Hugh Howey tackles YA from a different perspective.
In the Marketing Section,
Penny Sansievieri has a great post on timing an Amazon preorder.
Anne R Allen has a must read post on Reviews - Don’t pay for
them and what is considered payment – this surprised me. (Bookmark)
Kristen Lamb has a post on pen names. When do you absolutely
need one?
7 ways Authors are using Instagram- The Book Designer
DBW is analysing 12 publishers websites. If you want to see
how your website stacks up take a look at the criteria.
Publishing Crawl has a post on author photos. How to choose
the best shots.
Apple has a new starter kit out for using iBooks.
Sue Coletta talks about what to do when pursuing the Trad Publishing dream.
Website of the Week
Storybundle is a website that offers curated bundles of
eBooks. These bundles mean that authors get a bigger share of the pie, they
also support charity and you get some great reading. The bundles are up for a
limited time. This week Kris Rusch has curated a bundle of writing craft books.
Included are some I have had my eye on for a while. So now I own 10 for the price of the 4 I was thinking of. A present to myself for my 350th blog post.*
To Finish,
Alex Cavanaugh founded the Insecure Writers website which
has grown from strength to strength. All writers suffer from
insecurity at some time or other. She has a great post on taking small steps to conquer insecurity in your craft and move forward and maybe take a stand…
* Thank you for popping by every week to read. Thank you for all the comments over the years either on the blog, Twitter or Facebook. I really appreciate it.
maureen
