August 2017

Mini Blog Hiatus

Nephele Tempest

Greetings, all! First, a quick apology for the lack of Friday Links this past week. Things have just gotten incredibly busy recently, both on the work and the life front, and while I’ve known for a while that I’ve been letting this blog slide, last week just confirmed that I need to take a little bit of a break.

I love blogging here and I love pulling together a collection of links to share with you all based on my readings over the week, but at the moment I’m juggling a few too many commitments and something needs to give. So, I’ll be going quiet here for a few weeks until I get past some of the projects currently demanding my attention. I really don’t anticipate it being a long time — two or three weeks at most — and then I’ll be back and hopefully up to speed again.

Thanks for your understanding! Keep making time to write and enjoy great books, and I’ll see you again some time in September.

Friday Links: Writers on Process and Intention

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, all! I’m having another one of those long, busy weeks leading into an equally busy weekend, so I’m just going to wish you all some great reading and writing time over the next couple of days and leave you with some links I hope provide excellent inspiration. Among them are a few profiles of talented writers, sharing process and experiences. Every writer has their own approach, interests, background, etc. It’s part of what makes this such a fascinating career; no one can really give you a road map to success. You need to find your own path, based on your own interests and goals.

So without further ado, here are this week’s links. Enjoy and happy writing!

Who’s Afraid of Claire Messud? – A fascinating interview with the writer, delving into her background and the types of characters that interest her.

Why We Read and Why We Write – Thoughts on what we gain from the reading and writing processes.

Marlon James Needs Noise to Write (and Other Revelations) – A nice long conversation with the author (close to 50 minutes long, so plan accordingly) about writing as work and the importance of curiosity.

The Book Lover’s Guide to Publishing Part 3: Printing & Production Process – The next installment in the series being posted at the Penguin Books blog.

PBS to Unveil America’s Favorite Books in New TV Series – Public broadcasting will be bringing out a new eight-part documentary on reading in America.

Let’s Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels – A fabulous list of some of the best works available in comics form, from graphic novels to online comics, as chosen by NPR fans.

Working for the Queen of Spies: Kate Quinn and Stephanie Dray Discuss “The Alice Network” – Kate Quinn talks about the writing of her new work of historical fiction and the real-life espionage group that served as her foundation.

Friday Links: Random Inspiration for Weekend Writing

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome to August! Can’t quite believe it’s already so far into 2017. I hope you’re all having a good month so far and have some excellent plans lined up for your weekend. I’ve got a lot of reading on my plate, between some client projects and submissions backlog, so you know what I’m goiong to be doing. However, I’ve got a fun assortment of links to share with you today, and I hope they encourage you to find a little time for your own reading and writing along with whatever else you’ve got on the calendar. Enjoy, and happy writing!

Illustrating the Arc of a Series – A lovely look at cover design, specifically for Fran Wilde’s Bone Universe books, over the course of a series.

On the Radar: YA Books You Need This Month – Some terrific young adult reads to check out in August.

Jason Reynolds Is the Hardest-Working Man in Washington – A profile of the talented, prolific author, who has three books landing this fall.

The Book Lover’s Guide to Publishing Part 2: Publishing Process – A continuation of the series on publishing at the Penguin Random House blog.

The Rise of Dystopian Fiction: From Soviet Dissidents to 70’s Paranoia to Murakami – Take a look at the different stages of the genre and pick up a few book recommendations in the process.

Sam Shepard on Writing, Reading, and the Promise of Eternal Love – Selections from letters the late actor/playwright sent to Johnny Dark.