Top Picks Thursday 01-29-2015

Welcome to the last links round up of January! Did you get the big blizzard? Thankfully, we were spared where we live.

Some of us may still be trying to figure out our writing resolutions. Amanda Patterson gives 5 top tips for being realistic about your writing resolutions.

Unfortunately, sometimes people plagiarize on the Internet. Penny Sansevieri explains what to do when someone steals your stuff.

In a discussion all writers should be having with their agents, publishers, and themselves, Porter Anderson asks the question: Who decided our worth? Do we devalue ourselves by giving books away for free? Based on the discussion following a blog post by Roz Morris (see our Business section below for that post).

Kids are avid readers, but many are also avid writers. S.P. Sipal explores what she learned from working with teen writers, while dyslexic author Tom McLaughlin shares writing tips for dyslexic kids.

Polly Davis Doig picks apart the problem with the myth of the starving artist.
Talk about explosive marketing: James Patterson’s latest novel will literally self-destruct.

CRAFT

Ever wonder what gave the great writers that first inspiration? Sarah Stodola explores how 5 great writers got started on their first books.

Flash fiction is very popular today, and Marian Allen shares 5 steps to writing flash fiction. If you’re a non-fiction writer, Nina Amir says: Don’t write your non-fiction book…yet!

When writing longer form works, you have to build a believable world. Alison Morton lists 8 steps to building a fictional world that works. If you want to check out a master world-builder, take a look at J.K. Rowling’s spread sheet for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But no matter how much world you need to build, James Scott Bell warns us to watch out for too much exposition in the first page.

The world and the character shape each other. Anne Leigh Parrish gives 3 key tips on how to write a plausible character, Jami Gold tells us how to create a character worth reading, while Madeleine Kuderick wonders how much character arc do you need to satisfy the reader?

After the writing comes the revising. Maggie Biroscak shares 11 proofreading tips to help you write with confidence, K.M. Weiland explains the lazy author’s way to identify and overcome weaknesses, and Blake Atwood tells us what not to do when working with an editor.

Writers are busier than ever with non-writing aspects of their job. Add in day jobs and family obligations, and our days can get full very quickly. Orna Ross explores how we fit writing into our busy day, Dianna Dilworth shares an infographic of the daily routines of famous people, Derek Alan Siddoway explains why authors need rituals, and Stina Lindenblatt reminds us that exercise should be a part of our writing routine. 

With the internet comes much writing advice. Joe Bunting shares 7 lies about becoming a writer that you probably believe, Melissa Donovan demystifies what “write what you know” really means, and Cate Russell-Cole explains how to tell the real online experts from those just wanting to sell you something. 

Sometimes the hardest thing in writing is to just keep going. Alison Breen lists 7 ways to keep writing when you feel like giving up, Jody Hedlund discusses how to handle bad book reviews, Kristen Lamb deals with Reality Deficit Disorder, Kathryn Craft gives you permission to quit, and Nancy Panuccio redefines writing success.

BUSINESS

In a new survey, many authors’ earning fell below $5,000 a year, and hybrid authors as a whole did better than the either/or indie or traditional. Do not despair! Lisa Tener has tips on how to land that 5- or 6-figure book deal.

Having an agent can often get you more money in deals, but first you need to query agents. Agent Janet Reid explains how to introduce character names in a query. But being published is not always what you expect. Author Martina Boone lists 7 things you learn when your book is published.

When marketing, free giveaways used to be a golden ticket to getting noticed. Roz Morris explains why free giveaways now only work in certain situations.

These days, if you say “social media” to authors, many will run away screaming. Kristen Lamb explores the question: is social media a waste of time for writers?, while James Scott Bell shares how not to fumble your social media presence.

THE UNIQUE SHELF

Megan Quibel lists 15 signs that prove you’re a book addict.

Debbie Ridpath uses a comic to reveal another advantage of print books.

That’s all for us this week!