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Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! It’s officially the start of the Easter weekend in much of the world, and so for all of you celebrating, enjoy. Our offices are closed today, so I’m taking the time to catch up on some non-work related things and — I hope — do some personal reading. My TBR pile has been glaring at me especially hard the past few weeks.

But before I go “off duty,” I have some fun links for you to kick off the weekend. They’re definitely a bit all over the place today, so I hope you find something that sparks your imagination or just entertains you. Have a great weekend!

The Virtual Moleskine – A look at the history of this popular notebook, and at their efforts to add a digital option.

A Photographic Tour of America’s Libraries – In honor of National Library Week.

Bookmarks Competition Winners – Book Depository held a contest, and these charming designs were the winners.

In Pakistan, Literary Spring Is Both Renaissance and Resistance – A look at the book festival behind held in Lahore, despite the atmosphere of political instability and oppression.

The Power of Garcia Marquez – A look back at the writer, who passed away yesterday.

Holiday bonus: Peeps Show 2014, Winner and Finalists – An adorable and entertaining use of Peeps — those traditional too-sweet, sticky Easter-time treats — in storytelling. Worth a look, whatever your beliefs.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

This week flew by and I’m still zipping about, so I have a short-but-sweet set of links for you today. I hope you find them useful and fun, and that you all have a spectacular weekend. Happy reading and writing!

Denigrate Your Enemies, Shakespeare Style – Some of the greatest insults in the English language. You know, just in case you’re pissed off at someone…

February Books: A Reading List for Love and Late-Winter Gloom – Title says it all.

8 Steps to Start a Writing Habit that Sticks – For anyone struggling to build some momentum.

Slush I Read – Courtesy of Jim C. Hines, because it’s that sort of week, and also, more Dr. Seuss (sort of).

14 Short Story Competitions in 2014 – Because goals are good. Shoot for one.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! I hope this week has been treating you well, and that you have some terrific plans for your weekend. In the meantime, I’ve got a handful of fun and interesting links to share. If you have a few moments free, or are looking to while away the hours until your weekend officially starts, you should check them out. Enjoy, and happy writing!

Dismantling the Echo Chamber: On Africa SF – An interesting look at SF from a non-Anglo perspective.

The Listicle as Literary Form – How the internet has contributed to the traditional literary formats.

4 Copy Editors Killed in Ongoing AP Style, Chicago Manual Gang Violence – So funny.

I’m a Big Failure and I’m Proud – One author shares her publishing journey, proving that persistence is truly the name of the game.

YA Stuff to Avoid from Now On – Writer Adam Selzer on some of the things he plans to leave out of his future young adult projects. All the more amusing when you realize how overdone a few of these things really are.

Happy Book Day!

Nephele Tempest

A very big congratulations to Helen Keeble, whose humorous YA novel NO ANGEL hits shelves today! This highly entertaining novel will keep you laughing, even as you inch toward the edge of your seats, awaiting the next twist or turn. Be sure to check it out!

No Angel cover artRafael Angelos just got handed the greatest gift any teenage boy could ever dream of. Upon arriving at his new boarding school for his senior year, he discovered that he is the only male student there. But Raffi’s about to learn that St. Mary’s is actually a hub for demons—and that he was summoned to the school by someone expecting him to save the day. Raffi knows he’s no angel—but it’s pretty hard to deny that there’s some higher plan at work when he wakes up one morning to discover he’s sprouted wings and a glowing circle around his head. . . .

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, everyone! This has been a jam-packed week for me, and things aren’t really tapering off any time soon, but that’s how I like it. How about all of you? Busy week winding down? Exciting weekend to come? Some serious writing time in your future?

Whatever your aims for the next couple of days, I’m happy to offer up some fun and educational links to distract you. Well, maybe just a little bit. Need to hit those word count goals, right? Have a great weekend, everyone!

Eight Creativity Lessons from a Pixar Animator – Some inspiration for any art form.

List List #73 – A roundup of bookish lists, bound to keep you busy.

Eccentric Habits of 13 Classic Writers – And you thought your critique partner had an odd routine…

A Teacher and Her Student – An interview with author Marilynne Robinson.

The 12 Types of Procrastinators – How many of these resemble you?

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

TGIF! I hope you’ve all had a lovely week, and that you possibly indulged in a bit of fresh writing courtesy of my mini writing challenge. There were some wonderfully enthusiastic folks on Monday, but it’s been quiet since then so I can only assume you’re all busy scribbling.

However, Friday means links, and so here I am with a batch to keep you entertained through the weekend. There’s a bit of this, a bit of that… I hope you enjoy. Have a terrific weekend, and happy writing!

And the Moral of the Story Is…: 30 One-Sentence Lessons from Literature – Some of these are pretty amusing.

Julie Taymor and other creative minds share how they start their incredibly unique works – Presentations and quotes from TED.

Why Stephen King Spends “Months and Even Years” Writing Opening Sentences – The importance of hooking the reader.

Opportunities for Writers: August and September, 2013 – A good round up of contests, call for work, etc.

The Prizewinners 2012/2013 – The Millions provides a ranking of all the prizewinning books of the recent awards season.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

TGIF! I’m currently in Atlanta for the Romance Writers of America national conference, so I’ll admit my thoughts have yet to turn toward the weekend. But that’s no reason to ignore Friday links, and as usual I have an assortment for you. Enjoy, and happy writing!

Sarah Waters’s 10 Rules for Writing Fiction – A lovely collection of tips, well worth sharing.

The Book that Will Make You Never Want to Drink Again – Some interesting thoughts about writers (and readers) and the bottle.

What Your Favorite Writers Put in their Mouths – Food, that is.

The Book Marketing Maze: 22 Wrong Turns & How to Avoid Them – Part 1, so just 11 wrong turns, but still useful whether you’re publishing traditionally or independently or just aspiring.

Friday Links: Holiday Weekend Edition

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! Here in the U.S., we’re smack in the middle a lovely long Independence Day weekend, so this week’s links almost have a theme. It wasn’t exactly intentional, but they do feel more vacation-ish than usual to me. I’ll let you judge for yourself. Have a lovely weekend, and happy writing!

Flavorwire’s Ultimate Literary Calendar: A Bookish Event for Every Day of the Year – A fun smattering.

Darcy and Elizabeth Go to Summer Camp – Wish I had known about this ahead of time.

Eight Books from the Last Decade that Made Me Excited about SF – A short round-up from author Jo Walton.

Eight Books from the Last Decade that Made Me Excited about Fantasy – And the flip side of Jo Walton’s round-up.

A Book Critic’s Night on the Town – Charming story of how critic Ron Charles ended up visiting a book club.

The Last Bookshop

Nephele Tempest

If you’re looking for about a 20 minute break over the next couple of days, grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy this little film. It somehow manages to be funny and charming, sly and sweet, sad and a bit scary, all with just a couple of characters. Filmed in London and Kent, England. Enjoy!