Friday Links

Happy Friday, everyone! My week has been quite busy, but overall very good, and part of that has been that I feel rather inspired and energized by a couple of things that happened. Unfortunately, I cannot talk about them. One of the problems of this job is not all news is suitable for public consumption.

However, I do have links to share, and I sincerely hope that they inspire you and leave you feeling energized and anxious to write. At the very least, I hope they make you take a fresh look at certain aspects of writing and of reading, because I find a new perspective can be excellent for generating new ideas. Enjoy, and happy writing!

“Let’s Talk Genre:” Neil Gaiman and Kazuo Ishiguro in Conversation – A great conversation inspired by the release of Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant, and the genre-related chatter that followed.

On Writing Diverse Characters… And Moving Past Passive Aggression – An intelligent, informative blog post about what diverse characters should and should not look like.

Ten Commandments of Writing – An interview with Karen E. Bender in which she shares her wisdom.

Artist & Thief – Author Maggie Stiefvater shares an excerpt from her SCBWI Keynote speech.

The Power of Female Friendship – In the wake of the discussion of how unlikely books featuring females are to win major prizes, Michele Filgate offers this short-but-intriguing list of books about women and their friendships.

Friday Links

Happy Friday! It’s a really wet day here in SoCal, complete with flash flood warnings and mud slides. The perfect day to stay in with a good book and/or a writing project. Of course, I have a rather limited supply of flashlights and candles, so I’m just going to charge up my iPad and hope the power hangs on.

In the meantime, however, I have Friday Links for you all! Some more good book recs, particularly for those of you looking for diverse reading material, plus the usual assortment of oddities. Whatever you have planned for your weekend, I wish you some good reading and writing time. Enjoy!

I Read 50 Books by People of Color This Year – One reader’s round up of a year in diverse reading.

Let’s Talk about Science Fiction Books by Women – Another good list, this time focusing on sf by female authors.

Elena Ferrante, Author of the Naples Novels, Stays Mysterious – Interview with the Italian author whose air of mystery has led to rampant speculation regarding her identity.

The Gothic Life and Times of Horace Walpole – Learn about the father of the gothic novel.

19 Short Story Competitions in 2015 – Start marking your calendars now with these contest deadlines for the upcoming year.

Friday Links

Happy Friday! I hope everyone celebrating had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that if you’re indulging in the Black Friday shopping madness, you’ve found some good deals. But I’m here with Friday Links, for which I’m taking a break from a lazy day on the couch with my books and the remote control, so let’s get right to those, shall we? Enjoy, and have a terrific weekend!

Never Wait for a Sequel Again: 17 Stand-Alone Fantasy Novels – If you’re like me, you’ve got a dozen series you’re in the middle of reading, so sometimes it’s nice to pick up a book that doesn’t have a sequel waiting in the wings. Good list.

A Better Way to Think about the Genre Debate – I don’t know about better, but it’s an interesting read.

Nominees for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award – A really diverse list of titles, great if you’re searching for your next read or a gift for a fellow bookworm.

How Writers Read (vol. 1) – First installment of an interview with a group of writers on the idea of “reader’s block,” and how they read in general.

Reading Lives Podcast #10: Sarah Maclean – The latest in a series of one-on-one interview podcasts at Book Riot discussing someone’s reading life, influences, early favorites, etc. Historical romance writer Sarah Maclean is on deck for this one, and it’s a really funny, engaging hour of book talk, regardless of whether you’re a romance fan.