film

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

It has become abundantly clear to me that everyone who has made publishing-related resolutions for 2014 is well on their way to keeping them. A steady avalanche of work began pouring onto my desk and into my inbox the first week of January, and it shows no signs whatsoever of slowing down. New projects, revised projects, updated projects; queries and partials; brilliant epiphanies; contracts; paperwork; problems, solutions, and random requests; new plans and old business. It’s insane. I have, easily, three times as much work as hours in the day, and I’m on a permanent caffeine high.

Now that I’ve shared that… I offer you some links for your entertainment and edification. I hope you all have lovely weekends planned. You can probably guess where I’ll be. Enjoy!

Judging Books by their Covers 2014: US vs UK – Always fun to compare cover art for different markets.

Russian Man Stabbed to Death in Poetry-Over-Prose Dispute – Because genre wars are happening all over.

Writing Diverse Fiction: A Practical Guide – In keeping with my post earlier this week on diversity in publishing.

This Six-Second Animation Short Is Better than Most Studio Movies – Prove that bigger isn’t always better. Very cute and creative.

Writer of a Certain Age – Fay Weldon on becoming an “older” writer (because ageism is an issue, up there with all the other forms of discrimination).

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

First Friday of the new year! I hope you’ve all had a great week and are enjoying the start of 2014. I’m looking forward to reading some wonderful new material and finding a few new clients in coming weeks, and I have a handful of other goals as well. For those of you kicking off your new year with resolutions, I wish you much success.

I’ve got some terrific links to occupy you heading into the weekend. Some might even inspire you to tackle a new project — written or otherwise. Wishing you good reading, polished writing, and a wonderful weekend all around. Enjoy!

The Most Fantastic Monsters from Art and Literature – Fun, no matter what you like to read or write.

12 Dozen Places to Educate Yourself Online for Free – Great, varied list, including some literary spots, but also math, science, finance, languages, etc.

Nine Places to Look in 2014 to Predict the Future of Publishing – An interesting look at different aspects of the industry.

Acting with Integrity – A look at The Invisible Woman — the film and book it’s based on — which examines Charles Dickens’s relationship with Ellen Ternan, the woman for whom he left his wife.

Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story

Nephele Tempest

The following is a wonderful TED talk from filmmaker Andrew Stanton of Pixar, who’s responsible for such great movies as TOY STORY and WALL-E. He discusses the components of a great story, and how the staff at Pixar developed their unique and successful storytelling style.

Please note: Stanton kicks of with a joke in which he swears exactly once (out of the nearly twenty minutes of presentation). Fair warning if you’re offended by profanity.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

TGIF! Though I suppose if you’re of a suspicious nature, you might not be too thrilled with the Friday the 13th end of things. But whatever your feelings on the subject, it is still the gateway to the weekend. Try not to walk under any ladders or anything today and all will be well.

So, before I get to the actual Friday Links, I just want to say that I know it’s been a bit quiet around here lately, but things will start picking up again next week. There are more real posts on the horizon — with thanks to the folks who left questions/suggestions a few weeks back — plus giveaways and some other exciting things. Please be sure to drop by and check it all out.

Now, without further ado, I give you linkage. Enjoy, and have a fabulous weekend!

30 Indispensable Writing Tips from Famous Authors – I suspect I’ve posted to this or something similar before, but they bear repeating.

Spoiler Alert – What happens when a good book gets turned into a bad movie? Endless Love author Scott Spencer shares his experiences.

One Week after 9/11 – An interview with Joan Didion, who was one of the first people to fly out of New York following the 9/11/01 attacks.

Books Are My Bag – This celebration of books and bookstores kicks off in the UK tomorrow. Makes me wish I was heading for London before Christmas…

The Most Stylish People in Literature – In honor of the end of fashion week in NYC.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Drive-by links this week, as I’m trying to get some stuff finished up before the weekend officially starts, and it’s going to be a close call. However, I’ve got some great sites to share, so I hope that makes up for any lack of chattiness on my end. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and some terrific writing time!

World-building with Lucienne – For anyone who missed it, my fellow agent Lucienne Diver is doing a multi-part world-building workshop on her blog. Parts two and three are also up.

The Moment When Science Fiction Split Off from Competence Porn – A look at how sf characters have changed in film and TV; interesting analysis of trends.

Edwidge Danticat: By the Book – Brief New York Times interview with the author.

Silent City: Serial Story – A serialized online story with illustrations, mixing fantasy, romance, horror, and some great steampunk-esque flavor.

In Search of Shakespeare’s Dark Lady – A look at the identity of the Bard’s mystery woman.

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!

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

TGIF! I don’t know about all of you, but I’m finding 2013 a bit crazy so far. This first full week of the new year has been a roller-coaster ride, but I’m hanging on and excited to see where things go.

And so I bring you a collection of links for your reading pleasure. Like the week I’ve had, they’re a combination of fun, hopeful, and less-than-optimistic items, but I found them interesting and informative, and I hope you agree. Wishing you a great weekend, with plenty of time to read and write!

The Wrong Goodbye of Barnes and Noble – An update on the state of the major bookstore chain.

Edward St. Aubyn: By the Book – A quick, fun Q&A interview with the author of the Patrick Melrose novels.

Yearlong Creative Projects – Photographer/writer Leslie Fandrich talks about creative projects that last a year, and includes an intriguing short film by Jonathan Britnell, whose work represents a year of shooting video.

Graphic in Nature – Colleen Mondor has a wrap up of some intriguing new graphic novels over at Bookslut this month.

Most Anticipated: The Great 2013 Book Preview – Each year, The Millions posts a preview of some of the most anticipated new books of the year to come. This list has me rubbing my hands together, cackling with glee. (Depression will follow, when I realize I don’t have time to read half the titles I’d like to read.)

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you’ve all had a great week, and that those of you participating in my December Writing Challenge have been working away each day, getting new words down no matter how small your window of time. You’ll feel so accomplished heading into 2013, with all that December writing under your belts, I promise. More prompts coming up soon, but meanwhile, don’t forget to check out the first and second prompts for the month if you need a little inspiration. Good luck!

But Fridays are all about the links, and so of course I have a new batch for you. They’re a little more diversified than usual; I suppose you could say I’ve had a scattered week. But I think they’re still fun and useful, and I hope you agree.

Have a terrific weekend, and happy writing!

10 Books to Help You Recover from a Tense 2012 – A nice list of recommendations from NPR.

A Year in Reading 2012 – This annual feature at The Millions offers a glimpse of the reading lists of numerous writers. Each shares the titles they’ve read over the year that most influenced them — sometimes one or two, sometimes an entire list. Always interesting, as the books don’t have to be recent releases, just whatever the individuals picked up and enjoyed. This links to the main page where all the contributors are listed/linked. New ones get added each day.

EPBOT – A new-to-me blog (Thanks, Cindy!) featuring all things steampunk, from craft ideas to cute stuff. Fun, if you’re a steampunk/sci-fi/Victoriana fan.

Indiana Jones Mystery Package – The University of Chicago (my alma mater) recently received a mysterious package containing a replica of Abner Ravenwood’s field diary and various other items linked to Raiders of the Lost Ark, addressed to Henry Walton Jones, Jr. aka Indiana Jones. For those who may not recall, Jones supposedly taught at U of C. The university is supposedly clueless as to the item’s origins, but regardless, I’m highly amused.

The Biblio-Mat – A short video about a very cool book vending machine at a Toronto-area bookstore.

For the Book Lovers in My Life…

Nephele Tempest

This beautiful animated short is up for an Oscar. YouTube has just the trailer, but the full 15-minute film is available for free right now on iTunes, supposedly until Oscar night. I highly recommend it — though you might keep a few tissues on hand for viewing the complete version.

With thanks to Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray for bringing this to my attention on her blog.