Welcome to the first Top Picks Thursday of November! We enjoyed a warmer than normal October here in the mid-Atlantic region, but we’re headed into a colder than normal spell now. Perfect weather for staying inside and writing or cuddling up to read a good book.
For those writers who’ve embarked on NaNoWriMo this month, Joanna Penn details 5 tips to help you write a novel in a month. Jami Gold offers more help, asking are you ready for NaNoWriMo, and Tasha Seegmore suggests making NaNoWriMo work for you.
If you’re ready to start your winter reading but stumped by what to read next, Literary Hub‘s Emily Temple gives reading recommendations this month based on your astrological sign.
Looking for advice from successful writers? Robert Lee Brewer shares 10 Brad Meltzer quotes for writers and about writing, and Amy Jones adds 8 Debbie Macomber quotes about writing for writers.
We writers value feedback. In fact, at some points in our lives, we can all find feedback helpful. Megan Ward examines the problem with feedback.
Debbie Burke gives us a sneak peek into audio book narration, including interviews with two professional narrators.
In Plagiarism Today, Jonathan Bailey examines Blackbeard’s revenge: sovereign immunity and copyright, a case now before the Supreme Court.
In Memoriam: acclaimed novelist Ernest J. Gaines dies at age 86 [from the Associated Press via The Philadelphia Inquirer.]
Sorghum field
CRAFT
Creativity is where writing starts. Beth van der Pol tells us creativity is making mistakes, and Dawn Field says creative leaps are the lifeblood of great writing, while Donald M. Rattner argues that silence might not be golden for writers.
Sometimes we writers are our own worst enemies. PJ Parrish comments on writing fears, blue titles, and why 6-figure advances are bad for your health, T. Thorn Coyle lists 6 ways to give perfectionism the boot, and Sylvia Whitman discusses coexisting with the naysayers in your head.
Have you thought about your writing goals? Julie Glover ruminates on when your writing dreams change.
Kristen Lamb explains why mastery should matter to the serious author, and Janice Hardy lists ten things to remember if you want to be a published author.
James Scott Bell advocates stretching your style, Melissa Donovan offers 15 quick and dirty writing tips, and Greer Macallister reveals the one word you should always return to.
Gordon Long mentions how to develop your “author voice” — and how not to.
Just starting a book? Anne R. Allen goes into writing that first chapter: 10 do’s and don’ts for starting your novel.
Becca Puglisi focuses on character development with identifying your character’s fatal flaw and where do character strengths come from, while Jami Gold considers portraying healthy relationships in romance. Alexander Chee gives his take on how to write someone who is “other” to you.
Stavros Halvatzis asserts no villain, no hero, while Antonio del Drago concentrates on the importance of the villain.
To keep your readers turning pages, Rosaria Munda offers 3 tips on pacing your novel, and Jane Bernstein gives us 5 thoughts on how to use place to move your story forward.
K. M. Weiland writes about how to know which parts of your story readers will like best (it isn’t always what you think).
Karin Wiberg recommends matching your nonfiction writing to your content: gain efficiency, relieve pressure.
Both fiction and nonfiction writers may spend time on research. Tasha Alexander muses about the perils and pitfalls of research.
Robert Lee Brewer clarifies analogy vs. metaphor vs. simile.
For those who have finished their manuscripts, Tracy R. Atkins gives us Part 2 of preparing your manuscript for publication.
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash
BUSINESS
Interested in having an income before you’ve written the story? Jeanne Kisacky talks about finding money to write by: a brief guide to grants for writers (part 1).
Agent Janet Reid hands out some advice about querying: tell the agents what they need to know; a long-ass novel is a hard sell; and please do not query via text; while Anne Greenwood Brown answers the question: do I need a platform and if so, how high? In addition, Suzanne Purvis shares some dos and don’ts for pitches and blurbs.
Publishing news: on the Writer Beware blog, Victoria Strauss reports that Fireside Press cancels multiple contracts, and Rachel Deahl wonders if publishing is too top-heavy.
For those interested in audiobooks, Nathan Bransford lays out how to self-publish an audiobook, and Thomas A. Burns, Jr. discusses choosing the right narrator for your audiobook.
When it’s time for marketing your book, Crystal Swain-Bates lays out three keys to marketing children’s books, and Howard Lovy takes a look at how to market self-published poetry. Sandra Beckwith suggests using celebrities for book promotion, while Penny C. Sansevieri tells us how to choose your keywords for Amazon book ads.
Since the holidays are approaching, Diana Urban gives us 17 fantastic ways to sell more books for the holidays and 35 fantastic author profile examples.
Your marketing plan may include the media and speaking in public at various events. If you find this intimidating, Ruth Badley reveals how Indie authors can approach the media, Kristine Kathryn Rusch gives the scoop on public speaking for writers, and Karen A. Chase provides 6 tips for securing speaking engagements as a self-published author (helpful for any author). Also, Gigi Rosenberg shares a game plan for how to nail your next reading.
For bloggers, Cristian Mihai gives us the 5 must-have traits of successful bloggers and how to get your blog comment noticed, while Daphne Gray-Grant shows us how to write for skimmers.
If you’re active on social media, you may value Rachelle Gardner’s thoughts about when a writer becomes a target.
With some tips for your author website, Nate Hoffelder goes into how to optimize your website for newsletter sign-ups.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Banning books is not a recent phenomenon. Matthew Taub tells us about America’s first banned book — in 1637.
Hereward Tilton ponders whether A Most Rare Compendium is an 18th-century guide to magical treasure hunting, while Alan Moore writes about William Blake and the supernatural poetry of place.
Olivia Rutigliano asserts that the real Dracula is a detective story — and an incredibly complex, fascinating mystery, and Literary Hub‘s Book Marks shares Percy Shelley’s review of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Tobias Carroll reveals that a century before Springsteen, Stephen Crane chronicled Asbury Park.
You’ll have to wait until spring to try this, but Marta McDowell looks at how to plant a garden like Emily Dickinson’s.
Jake Hinkson traces the literary roots of backcountry noir.
Emily Freidenrich shows what traditional papermaking looks like in 2019.
A number of science fiction and fantasy books contain invented languages. Laura Spinney asserts that invented languages — or conlangs — have a scientific and cultural impact far beyond Klingon.
Great news for Newark: Candace Taylor reports in The Wall Street Journal that Philip Roth left more than $2 million to his hometown library in Newark, NJ.
Lisa Birnbach reflects on the Peanuts cartoon character that gave a young girl permission to be herself.
David Boroff reports in the New York Daily News that a Michigan mother of five faces 93 days in jail for failing to return two books. Do you agree this punishment is a bit excessive?
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday. Have a great weekend, and come back next Thursday for another selection of writerly links.
Welcome to the first Top Picks Thursday of November! We enjoyed a warmer than normal October here in the mid-Atlantic region, but we’re headed into a colder than normal spell now. Perfect weather for staying inside and writing or cuddling up to read a good book.
For those writers who’ve embarked on NaNoWriMo this month, Joanna Penn details 5 tips to help you write a novel in a month. Jami Gold offers more help, asking are you ready for NaNoWriMo, and Tasha Seegmore suggests making NaNoWriMo work for you.
If you’re ready to start your winter reading but stumped by what to read next, Literary Hub‘s Emily Temple gives reading recommendations this month based on your astrological sign.
Looking for advice from successful writers? Robert Lee Brewer shares 10 Brad Meltzer quotes for writers and about writing, and Amy Jones adds 8 Debbie Macomber quotes about writing for writers.
We writers value feedback. In fact, at some points in our lives, we can all find feedback helpful. Megan Ward examines the problem with feedback.
Debbie Burke gives us a sneak peek into audio book narration, including interviews with two professional narrators.
In Plagiarism Today, Jonathan Bailey examines Blackbeard’s revenge: sovereign immunity and copyright, a case now before the Supreme Court.
In Memoriam: acclaimed novelist Ernest J. Gaines dies at age 86 [from the Associated Press via The Philadelphia Inquirer.]
Sorghum field
CRAFT
Creativity is where writing starts. Beth van der Pol tells us creativity is making mistakes, and Dawn Field says creative leaps are the lifeblood of great writing, while Donald M. Rattner argues that silence might not be golden for writers.
Sometimes we writers are our own worst enemies. PJ Parrish comments on writing fears, blue titles, and why 6-figure advances are bad for your health, T. Thorn Coyle lists 6 ways to give perfectionism the boot, and Sylvia Whitman discusses coexisting with the naysayers in your head.
Have you thought about your writing goals? Julie Glover ruminates on when your writing dreams change.
Kristen Lamb explains why mastery should matter to the serious author, and Janice Hardy lists ten things to remember if you want to be a published author.
James Scott Bell advocates stretching your style, Melissa Donovan offers 15 quick and dirty writing tips, and Greer Macallister reveals the one word you should always return to.
Gordon Long mentions how to develop your “author voice” — and how not to.
Just starting a book? Anne R. Allen goes into writing that first chapter: 10 do’s and don’ts for starting your novel.
Becca Puglisi focuses on character development with identifying your character’s fatal flaw and where do character strengths come from, while Jami Gold considers portraying healthy relationships in romance. Alexander Chee gives his take on how to write someone who is “other” to you.
Stavros Halvatzis asserts no villain, no hero, while Antonio del Drago concentrates on the importance of the villain.
To keep your readers turning pages, Rosaria Munda offers 3 tips on pacing your novel, and Jane Bernstein gives us 5 thoughts on how to use place to move your story forward.
K. M. Weiland writes about how to know which parts of your story readers will like best (it isn’t always what you think).
Karin Wiberg recommends matching your nonfiction writing to your content: gain efficiency, relieve pressure.
Both fiction and nonfiction writers may spend time on research. Tasha Alexander muses about the perils and pitfalls of research.
Robert Lee Brewer clarifies analogy vs. metaphor vs. simile.
For those who have finished their manuscripts, Tracy R. Atkins gives us Part 2 of preparing your manuscript for publication.
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash
BUSINESS
Interested in having an income before you’ve written the story? Jeanne Kisacky talks about finding money to write by: a brief guide to grants for writers (part 1).
Agent Janet Reid hands out some advice about querying: tell the agents what they need to know; a long-ass novel is a hard sell; and please do not query via text; while Anne Greenwood Brown answers the question: do I need a platform and if so, how high? In addition, Suzanne Purvis shares some dos and don’ts for pitches and blurbs.
Publishing news: on the Writer Beware blog, Victoria Strauss reports that Fireside Press cancels multiple contracts, and Rachel Deahl wonders if publishing is too top-heavy.
For those interested in audiobooks, Nathan Bransford lays out how to self-publish an audiobook, and Thomas A. Burns, Jr. discusses choosing the right narrator for your audiobook.
When it’s time for marketing your book, Crystal Swain-Bates lays out three keys to marketing children’s books, and Howard Lovy takes a look at how to market self-published poetry. Sandra Beckwith suggests using celebrities for book promotion, while Penny C. Sansevieri tells us how to choose your keywords for Amazon book ads.
Since the holidays are approaching, Diana Urban gives us 17 fantastic ways to sell more books for the holidays and 35 fantastic author profile examples.
Your marketing plan may include the media and speaking in public at various events. If you find this intimidating, Ruth Badley reveals how Indie authors can approach the media, Kristine Kathryn Rusch gives the scoop on public speaking for writers, and Karen A. Chase provides 6 tips for securing speaking engagements as a self-published author (helpful for any author). Also, Gigi Rosenberg shares a game plan for how to nail your next reading.
For bloggers, Cristian Mihai gives us the 5 must-have traits of successful bloggers and how to get your blog comment noticed, while Daphne Gray-Grant shows us how to write for skimmers.
If you’re active on social media, you may value Rachelle Gardner’s thoughts about when a writer becomes a target.
With some tips for your author website, Nate Hoffelder goes into how to optimize your website for newsletter sign-ups.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Banning books is not a recent phenomenon. Matthew Taub tells us about America’s first banned book — in 1637.
Hereward Tilton ponders whether A Most Rare Compendium is an 18th-century guide to magical treasure hunting, while Alan Moore writes about William Blake and the supernatural poetry of place.
Olivia Rutigliano asserts that the real Dracula is a detective story — and an incredibly complex, fascinating mystery, and Literary Hub‘s Book Marks shares Percy Shelley’s review of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Tobias Carroll reveals that a century before Springsteen, Stephen Crane chronicled Asbury Park.
You’ll have to wait until spring to try this, but Marta McDowell looks at how to plant a garden like Emily Dickinson’s.
Jake Hinkson traces the literary roots of backcountry noir.
Emily Freidenrich shows what traditional papermaking looks like in 2019.
A number of science fiction and fantasy books contain invented languages. Laura Spinney asserts that invented languages — or conlangs — have a scientific and cultural impact far beyond Klingon.
Great news for Newark: Candace Taylor reports in The Wall Street Journal that Philip Roth left more than $2 million to his hometown library in Newark, NJ.
Lisa Birnbach reflects on the Peanuts cartoon character that gave a young girl permission to be herself.
David Boroff reports in the New York Daily News that a Michigan mother of five faces 93 days in jail for failing to return two books. Do you agree this punishment is a bit excessive?
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday. Have a great weekend, and come back next Thursday for another selection of writerly links.
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Posted in Audio Books, Blogging, Character, Creativity, Diversity, Libraries, Marketing, NaNoWriMo, Pacing, Poetry, Query, Reading, Research, Self-publishing, Setting, Social Media, The Writing Community, The Writing Life, Top Picks Thursday, Voice, Writing Business, Writing Craft | Tags: 10 Brad Meltzer quotes for writers and about writing, 10 tips for writing the first chapter, 15 quick and dirty writing tips, 17 ways to sell books for the holidays, 3 tips on pacing your novel, 35 author profiles, 5 must-have traits of successful bloggers, 5 thoughts on how to use place to move your story forward, 5 tips to help you write a novel in a month, 6 tips for securing speaking engagements as a self-published author, 6 ways to give perfectionism the boot, 8 Debbie Macomber quotes about writing for writers, Alan Moore, Alexander Chee, America's first banned book -- in 1637, Amy Jones, analogy vs. metaphor vs. simile, Anne Greenwood Brown, Anne R. Allen, Antonio del Drago, are you ready for NaNoWriMo, Becca Puglisi, Beth van der Pol, beware huge word-count books, Blackbeard's revenge: sovereign immunity and copyright, Book Marks, BookBub, Candace Taylor, choosing the right narrator for your audiobook, coexisting with the naysayers in your head, creative leaps are the lifeblood of great writing, creativity is making mistakes, CrimeReads, Cristian Mihai, Crystal Swain-Bates, Daphne Gray-Grant, David Boroff, Dawn Field, Debbie Burke, Diana Urban, do I need a platform and if so how high, do not query via text, Donald M. Rattner, Emily Freidenrich, Emily Temple, Ernest J. Gaines dies at age 86, Fiction University, finding money to write by: a brief guide to grants, Fireside Press cancels multiple contracts, Gigi Rosenberg, Gordon Long, Greer Macallister, Gwendolyn Huber, Hereward Tilton, how Indie authors can approach the media, how to choose your keywords for Amazon book ads, how to develop your "author voice" -- and how not to, how to get your blog comment noticed, how to know which parts of your story readers will like best, how to market self-published poetry, how to optimize your website for newsletter sign-ups, how to plant a garden like Emily Dickinson, how to reach influencers for book promotion, how to self-publish an audiobook, how to write for skimmers, Howard Lovy, identifying your character's fatal flaw, invented languages -- or conlangs -- have a scientific and cultural impact far beyond Klingon, is A Most Rare Compendium is an 18th-century guide to magical treasure hunting?, is publishing too top-heavy?, J. Thomas Ross, Jake Hinkson, James Scott Bell, Jami Gold, Jane Bernstein, Jane Friedman, Janet Reid, Janice Hardy, Jeanne Kisacky, Joanna Penn, Jonathan Bailey, Julie Glover, K.M. Weiland, Karen A. Chase, Karin Wiberg, Kerry Gans, Kristen Lamb, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Laura Spinney, Lisa Birnbach, Literary Hub, making NaNoWriMo work for you, Marta McDowell, mastery, matching your nonfiction writing to your content, Matt Q. McGovern, Matthew Taub, Megan Ward, Melissa Donovan, Michigan mother of five faces 93 days in jail for failing to return two books, nail your readings, Nancy Keim Comley, NaNoWriMo, Nate Hoffelder, Nathan Bransford, New York Daily News, no villain no hero, Olivia Rutigliano, on writing fears and blue titles and why 6-figure advances are bad for your health, optimize your website for newsletter signups, Penny C. Sansevieri, Percy Shelley's review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Philip Roth left more than $2 million to his hometown library in Newark NJ, PJ Parrish, Plagiarism Today, portraying healthy relationships in romance, preparing your manuscript for publication, public speaking, Rachel Deahl, Rachelle Gardner, reading recommendations this month based on your astrological sign, Robert Lee Brewer, Rosaria Munda, Ruth Badley, Sandra Beckwith, SelfPublishing Advice, Shayla Raquel, silence is not always best for creativity, sneak peek into audio book narration, some dos and don'ts for pitches and blurbs, Stavros Halvatzis, Stephen Crane chronicled Asbury Park a century before Springsteen, stretch your style, Suzanne Purvis, Sylvia Whitman, T. Thorn Coyle, Tasha Alexander, Tasha Seegmore, tell agent what they need to know, ten things to remember if you want to be a published author, The Author Chronicles, the Book Designer, the importance of the villain, The Kill Zone, the literary roots of backcountry noir, the one word you should always return to, The Passive Voice, the Peanuts cartoon character that gave a young girl permission to be herself, the perils and pitfalls of research, the problem with feedback, the real Dracula is a detective story, The Wall Street Journal, Thomas A. Burns Jr., three keys to marketing children's books, Tobias Carroll, Top Picks Thursday, Tracy R. Atkins, using celebrities for book promotion, Victoria Strauss, Vulture.com, what traditional papermaking looks like in 2019, when a writer becomes a target, when your writing dreams change, where do character strengths come from, why mastery should matter to the serious author, William Blake and the supernatural poetry of place, Writer Beware, Writer Unboxed, Writers In the Storm, writing a character who is "other" to you, writing that first chapter: 10 do's and don'ts for starting your novel