Friday Links

Another tense week here in the U.S. My weekend plans include brunch and books and manuscripts. Er… not in that order. I fully intend to unplug from the internet and the news, however, because it’s mostly just depressing me. Maybe I’ll peek occasionally, so I’m not completely out of the loop, but other than that… just no. It all makes me want to bang people’s heads together. So much irrational cruelty and needless violence. Somewhere on my shelves there must be a book that will remind me that human beings do good things, too. Because the other option, apparently, is to watch celebrities pour ice over their heads (for an admittedly good cause) and that’s getting old.

But first, I have links! There’s a pretty diverse group this week, so I hope there’s something to appeal to everyone. May you be inspired to some creative greatness this weekend, or at the very least find an excellent read. Enjoy!

Finding My Voice in Fantasy – Author and Time magazine book reviewer Lev Grossman discusses how he made the leap from “literary” writing to fantasy.

Why We Must Strive for Diversity in SF/F – Author David Mack talks about his own work and his reaction to readers criticizing his diverse characters.

Practical Art: On Teaching the Business of Creative Writing – A great look at some of the practical aspects of a writing career that should possibly get addressed as part of a writer’s education.

Surreal Worlds Digitally Painted by Gediminas Pranckevicius – Amazing art work that looks like it should serve to inspire some fantastic fiction. (For those of you looking for a prompt.)

Why We Need Independent Bookstores More Than Ever – The director of a smaller publisher weighs in on the book-selling wars.

When to Cut that Scene – Some good tips on how to revise with an eye toward editing out the fluff — no matter how much you might love it.

3 thoughts on “Friday Links

  1. “Somewhere on my shelves there must be a book that will remind me that human beings do good things, too.” <– I like this. I'm gonna make it my mission to read those sorts of things this week, too, for the same reasons. I hope that encouraging, uplifting reads (and people!) fill your life this week! And thanks, as always, for the fascinating awesome links!

    1. Thank you! And yes, I’m digging through a pile of romance novels right now. It seems I’ve been reading quite a bit of dystopian/post-Apocalyptic fiction lately, and really, it’s all hitting a little too close to home at the moment. I need a happily-ever-after fix. Hope you find something cheerful, too!

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