Welcome to this week’s Top Picks Thursday! Next week is Random Acts of Kindness Week (the 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day), and couldn’t we all use more kindness in the world?
For his many years of service to literacy in America, LeVar Burton is named the inaugural PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion.
PEN America hosted a conference with the UN’s Karima Bennoune to discuss artists and the risks they face around the world.
The arts have suffered terribly during the pandemic. Jason Boog mulls what a 21st century federal writers project might look like.
There seems to be a perfect storm of crises in the US these days. David Hardin shares his insight into how to write about an American crisis, using his experience in Flint, Michigan.
Jacob Munoz examines the powerful, complicated legacy of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.
Librarian and mom-to-be notes a hole in the book market: where are the board books featuring disabled people?
What do school librarians do when there are no children in the school? Support everyone else! Mikkaka Overstreet reports that it takes a village: how school librarians support virtual learning.
Sometimes the good guys win. Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware chronicles the unmasking of fake literary agency Pique Literary.
With the pandemic still in flux, Diana Hurwitz lists 2021 workshops and conference statuses and dates TBA.
CRAFT
While we usually look at prose here, if you are thinking about writing a graphic novel, check out SCBWI’s post on graphic novel manuscript formatting.
Classic literature can be a goldmine for writers. Steve Laube looks at what entered the public domain this year, and Bethany Henry shares 6 rules for retelling classic stories.
Learning our craft is a never-ending lesson. Matthew Salesses has 25 essential notes on craft, J.D. Lasica wonders if stories have a universal shape, and Lisa Zeidner reveals the greatest literary alliance of all time: the reader, the author, and the character.
The reason learning craft is never-ending is because every piece of large craft has a million facets of small craft embedded within it. Janice Hardy discusses 3 steps to grounding your reader in your story world, and how an opening scene works in novels. September C. Fawkes lists 8 points of progress to strengthen your story’s middle, and Katharine Grubb has tips for writing strong rising action throughout.
Your characters are yet another craft element to be mastered. K.M. Weiland kicks off a new blog series with archetypal character arcs, part 1, while Becca Puglisi give us the author’s guide to redeeming villains.
Think you’re ready to dive into the publishing pool? Not so fast. Anne R. Allen has 12 signs that your novel is not ready to publish. And while you are looking at those, check to see if you are misuing the –ing construction and toward vs. towards.
We all want to write stories that will stand the test of time. Stavros Halvatzis examines what makes for enduring writing, Laura Drake shows how to write a “meaty” story, Dario Ciriello says to go hot and deep to write a great story, and Donald Maass explores the links between hopes and fears and fiction.
Melissa Donovan explains the power of narrative writing, Stephen D. Rogers urges us to write better and sell more by mastering the short story; and Kris Maze investigates the fact and fiction of “flow” improving the writing life.
Every writer can use a little moral support sometimes. Jessica Conoley walks us through building your writing support triangle, Rianne Grace discusses overcoming fear on our writer’s journey, and Noelle Stern has a startling remedy for jealousy of other writers.
BUSINESS
The pandemic pushed many businesses into new models. Alex Green reports that indie bookstores embraced e-commerce…and it paid off.
No matter how you publish, you will need a logline. Roz Morris explains how to write a logline for your novel.
It can take a long time to find just the right title for your book. Rachelle Gardner tells us what to do when you find someone else is using your book title.
Marketing means getting the word out about your book. Sandra Beckwith asks: who should you ask to endorse your book?; Karen Inglis has an author guide to marketing kids books, and Sophie Masson advises how to celebrate new releases in the pandemic world.
Marketing is a strange mixture of what customers see, and what goes on behind the scenes. Carla King lays out the basics of metadata and keywords, Adam Connell shows us how to use a contact forms to build email lists, and Diana Urban shares 38 stunning examples of bookstagrams of ebooks.
Blogs can be a good way to connect with readers, but it’s not for every writer. Garry Rodgers wonders if blogging is worthwhile for thriller and mystery writers, while Elizabeth S. Craig has tips on making your blog posts more shareable.
PODCASTS
On the WMFA podcast, Courtney Balestier talks with Matthew Salesses about the two things a workshop can do best (and often fails doing at all).
On the Thresholds podcast with Jordan Kisner, Eileen Myles discusses approaching writing like a game of hearts.
Listen to the History of Literature podcast with Jacke Wilson, where Chigozie Obioma states, “I really do believe that fiction should say more than one thing.”
The Creative Penn podcast with Joanna Penn and David Farland advises valuing your books for the long term.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Our kids are stressed. Rachel Rosenberg lists 9 books about mindfulness for kids.
Alison Flood documents the ongoing fight to reimagine Sherlock Holmes.
In these difficult times, Heloise Wood looks at what Jane Austen can teach us about resilience.
Women writers had a lot of obstacles to overcome. Lauren Marino explores where some of the best women writers created art, while Roslaind Miles examines the unconventional 19th-century women who ventured to write novels.
Addison Rizer uncovers the history of the bookworm.
We think of Emily Dickinson as a recluse, but Julia Rittenberg reveals the passionate life of Emily Dickinson.
Mary Huang writes on sestinas and literary translation.
In case you need to get away from the winter gloom, Olivia Rutigliano ranks the 45 best prison escape movies for your enjoyment.
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday! See you back next week for more writerly links.
The Author Chronicles 
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