Top Picks Thursday 9-22-2011

October is MYSTERY MONTH on the Author Chronicles! We’ll feature guest blogs by authors Merry Jones, Jon McGoran, Dennis Tafoya, and Karen McCullough, plus an interview with Lois Duncan. Also keep an eye out for chances to win autographed books from our guests!

CRAFT

Jami Gold asks, “What comes after a first draft?” and also discusses how a story evolves from seed to final draft, and the different elements that go into this evolution. While Jami wonders when you can call a draft “final,” Nathan Bransford notes that the advent of ebooks means that authors can tinker endlessly with their published works. Is it good or bad to never have a “final” product?

Veronica Rossi talks about what makes good dialogue, and Michael A. Tate takes on the problem of anachronistic dialogue in fantasy and historical fiction.

Bob Mayer advises how to handle an antagonist that is not a person, but a theme, such as war.

Janice Hardy writes about the awkward lengths writers go to in order to follow “the rules” – and why sometimes the “wrong” way of doing things is best, while Daily Writing Tips illuminates 15 Frequently confused pairs of adjectives.

Editor Beth Hill explores the importance of action in your story, and the different kinds of action you can use, while Janice Hardy talks about the right way to plot red herrings and twists.

Doubt is the writer’s worst enemy. Shelli Johnson deals with your harshest critic: yourself; Kody Keplinger discusses a writer’s fears of failure and how to combat it; and Suzanne at Write It Sideways asks, Does studying rejection letters hinder writers? Is it helpful or simply another means of procrastination?

The Script Lab shares some screenwriting advice on originality and voice that applies well to writers of any genre, and Malinda Lo tackles diversity and authenticity in children’s and YA lit.

Sometimes writing in a straight line doesn’t work, so Jenny Hansen writes about the non-linear writing process.

Are you up for a 100-day writing challenge? Julie Isaac goads you on to success! If you try it, you’ll need Tom Meitner’s 3 steps to creative endurance.

BUSINESS

How do you know where you are on the road to publication? Writers’ Digest presents Your Straight-forward Guide to Publication. Meanwhile, Natalie Whipple reminds us that the agent/author relationship is a partnership, not an employer/employee affair.

Lots of blogging advice today! Jeff Bullas gives us 15 blogging for dummies tips to build your personal brand, while Sean Platt writes The Ultimate Writer’s Guide to Blogging Part I. Meanwhile, taking a break from blogging can be a great idea, and Roni Loren tells us it’s okay to rein in the social media pressure we all feel.

Once you do get back to marketing, Tony Eldridge demystifies the most crucial step to effecting book marketing; Theresa Meyers lists 5 tips for a better book signing; Jessica Northey gives us 7 small things you can do for social media success; and Janet Reid on what a literary agent wants to see in your blog/website.

Joel Friedlander wonders if we have reached the tipping point between traditional publishing and self-publishing for top-name authors. If you go with self-pubbing, copy editor Diana DeSpain Schramer explains why copy-editing is vital for self-pubbed authors.

Some helpful lists: Suzanne Johnson breaks down the subgenres of sci-fi & fantasy; C.A. Marshall gives some helpful word-count guidelines for genres and formats (short story vs. novella); and Cheryl Reif lists 10 skills every writer needs – and they’re not the ones you think.

THE “UNIQUE” SHELF

From Cory Doctorow: TRSF: MIT Technology Review’s science fiction anthology

From Chuck Wendig, The story of Pete, who took a bullet for books and who reminded Chuck that stories and writers matter: (if the f-bomb offends you, do not go here).

From the Huffington Post, Don’t expect me to call the next day’ and other modern Shakespeare quote translations.

That’s all from us today! See you next week!