George Saunders

Friday Links: Inspiration for a Month of Novel Writing

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, and welcome to the return of Friday Links! If Halloween wishes felt like a good reentry point for the blog, Friday Links makes the perfect follow up. Especially on a day when so many of you are firing up your computers and other writing instruments to get to work for NaNoWriMo.

Vintage-manual-typewriter

Despite my silence here on the blog, I never quite lost the habit of collecting interesting tidbits to share in these Friday posts. I’d clean the metaphorical house occasionally, but I saved quite a few tabs for my inevitable return to blogging. I’m so happy to share these great pages with you now. Especially since a fair few offer up writing advice that might be useful for NaNo. But whether you’re tackling 50,000 words in the next thirty days or just working away on your current project, I hope you find some inspiration. Enjoy, and happy writing!

This Week’s Links:

Putting Your Worst Foot Forward: Why You Should Play to Your Weaknesses as an Author. — Some excellent thoughts on why you shouldn’t only write the things you’re good at writing.

25 of the Best Literary and Book Podcasts for Book Lovers. – A nice round-up with something here for every taste.

George Saunders on the Best Writing Advice He’s Ever Received. – A few words of wisdom to keep in mind as you write.

Thank You for Calling the Writer Envy Helpline. – A little bit of humor but also an excellent reminder that you need to focus on your own page and not worry what that other guy is doing.

Who Needs an MFA When You Have This Literary Fiction Trope List? – More humor. I wouldn’t recommend using too many of these, but they make great filler inspiration when you’re having a tough NaNo day. (Just remember to edit, later.)

Is Line Editing a Lost Art? – A look at this important stage of the editorial process (and a good reason why you should hold onto anyone who has a knack for it).

Why Are Writers Particularly Drawn to Tarot? – Interesting as pertains to writers, but also something to think about when your characters are misbehaving on the page.

What’s the Worst that Could Happen? – Several authors discuss their contributions to an anthology of speculative fiction and what it’s like to write stories that look at the ways technologies and social change are affecting our world and near future.

 

Friday Links for the Holiday Weekend

Nephele Tempest

No great words of wisdom this week. For those who celebrate, we’re at the end of Holy Week, today being Good Friday and Sunday being Easter. So here is a nice assortment of links for anyone who feels like checking them out. Whatever your beliefs, I wish you a wonderful weekend and a bit of whatever makes you smile, whether that’s writing time, a good book, family celebrations, or a bit of everything. Enjoy!

A Brief Literary History of Robots – Mostly because I couldn’t resist the first image, but also for the fun reading list.

George Saunders: What Writers Really Do When They Write – One writer’s take on process.

Don’t Be a Dick: Colum McCann’s Advice for Young Writers – Some great tips, delivered with humor.

Julie Ann Walker: “I’m a Feminist and I Write Romance” – A smart look at why these two things are not mutually exclusive.

NPR on Tumblr – Some great vintage images shared in honor of National Library Week.

Salinger’s Nightmare – An unemployed actor’s attempt to acquire permission to adapt The Catcher in the Rye.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Greatest Writing Advice – Tips that still shine, ten years after the author’s death.

Friday Links: Get Those Writing Ideas Flowing

Nephele Tempest

This was a short week but a busy one. Between all the rain we’ve had here in SoCal recently (finally!) and all the reading I’ve been doing (all work-related), I feel like I’ve been hibernating like a little bear. But the sun has come out and I have plans to get at least an hour or two of fresh air today before more rain shows up this weekend. But first, I have links for you! Some great book recs, especially if you’re trying to diversify your TBR or get some reads in specifically for Black History Month, some places you might want to submit your work, and even some fun stuff for inspiration. So go read a bit, write a bit, and get those creative juices flowing. Enjoy, and happy writing!

Things Come Together – A wonderful look at some up-and-coming African authors.

Thieves Rappelled into a London Warehouse in Rare Book Heist – Call me crazy, but this had me really excited. Not that I think theft is acceptable, of course, but a tiny piece of me loves the extremes they went to for this job.

The Rumpus Interview with George Saunders – Pretty much as described, on the occasion of the publication of Saunders’s first novel.

8 Highly Unusual Writing Residencies – Not your typical writing getaways.

Opportunities for Writers: March and April 2017 – Upcoming deadlines for writing contests, open submission windows, and so on.

34 Books by Women of Color to Read This Year – A list of some highly anticipated titles you might want to put on your TBR stack.

Storyville: How to Survive a Creative Writing Workshop – Maybe you’re just dipping your toe into this world for the first time, or maybe you’ve had an uncomfortable encounter before. Regardless, these tips will help you maneuver through a workshop so you can get the most possible out of the experience.