Ursula K. LeGuin

Friday Links: The Ups and Downs of Publishing Culture

Nephele Tempest

Publishing appears to be in the middle of a cultural revolution. It makes sense. As goes the world, so go the books it produces. The Romance Writers of America are in the midst of a clash between the old, stodgy, racist past, and what we hope will be a bright, brilliant, diverse future. The fact is, there’s room for everyone at the table.

In light of all the strife going on–not just in publishing circles–I’m offering up links that highlight a variety of reading material, and the varied people producing them. I hope they inspire you to try something new, and to be accepting of other people’s culture and history. Part of what I love about what I do is how different my job can be every single day. That’s the beauty of books; there’s always something fresh to discover.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Happy writing!

This Week’s Links:

WTF, RWA. – Another great history of the events surrounding the Courtney Milan banning and the insanity at Romance Writers of America.

Has African Migration to the U.S. Led to a Literary Renaissance? – A wonderful look at some of the African writers now living and working in the U.S.

Ursula K. LeGuin’s Revolutions. – Addressing the author’s work from not just a political perspective, but with an eye on how she envisioned the future.

The Sound and the Story: Exploring the World of Paradise Lost. – Philip Pullman writes about the epic work and how it influenced his own writing.

Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half 2020 Book Preview. – The Millions takes their annual look at the most anticipated titles due out in the first half of the year. A hugely diverse assortment.

10 Collections from Latinx Poets You Might Have Missed in 2019. – I’m always on the lookout for new poetry because poems fit so easily into my hectic reading schedule and give me a wonderful break. A nice assortment here to check out.

Writing Characters of Different Races and Ethnicities. – A great resource. I probably linked to it previously, but it’s worth another mention.

Book Releases: LGBT YA Books of January-June, 2020. – Pretty much as described. A terrific roundup of upcoming titles.

Friday Links: Readathons, Reading Recs, and More

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! I hope everyone’s had a good week and is raring to go for the weekend. I’m actually in the process of unpacking my schedule a bit, as I feel a potential cold creeping up on me and I absolutely do not have time to get sick. So rather than my current triple-booked weekend, I’m going to tone it down and do something logical, like sleep.

That doesn’t mean the rest of you can’t whoop it up on my behalf, however. One thing I was excited about for the weekend was Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, which takes place tomorrow, October 17th, starting at 7am Central Time. Those of you who have been reading here for a while know I’ve fallen hard for the readathon concept. As someone who does tons of reading, but frequently can’t carve out time to read purely for pleasure, I adore the idea of setting aside a chunk of time just for that purpose, and a readathon gives me a ready excuse. I learned about this one just yesterday and was all set to put in my full 24-hours, but now I’m planning to be more sensible and just read part of the day. Anyone interested should definitely check it out, though, because it’s a fun way to plow through a bit of your TBR stack.

With that in mind, I’ve got some great bookish links for you this week, along with everything else, and given the time of year, some might just have a slightly spooky slant. There’s something for everyone, so check them out, and have a fabulous weekend!

Why Autumn Belongs to Ray Bradbury – A look at the prolific author and his love of all things October.

10 Female-Written Short Stories Everyone Should Read – A companion to the list of more general short fiction (though mostly by men) that made the rounds a while back. Great selections, including some with a definite Halloween flavor.

What Every Successful Novel Opening Must Do: Myth vs. Reality – A look at some commonly held beliefs about those first precious pages, and some ideas regarding exceptions to the rules.

Man Booker Winner’s Debut Novel Rejected Nearly 80 Times – Marlon James, who just won the Man Booker Prize for his book A Brief History of Seven Killings, talks about his long road to publication with an earlier work.

Why the Printed Book Will Last Another 500 Years – Don’t know if it’s true, but I’m crossing my fingers. Much as I love the convenience of reading on my iPad, I still prefer reading on paper. I’m a fan of books as objects just as much as for what’s between their covers.

Ursula K. LeGuin: Steering the Craft – On writing. The author discusses the new revised version of her classic writing guide, geared especially for the needs of the 21st century.

Should You Be Using a Pen Name? – Great discussion of the whys and the hows, with helpful supplementary links to additional resources.

2015 National Book Award Shortlists Announced – Pretty much what it says on the label. Some of these have been on my TBR for a while. Need to get reading…

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, and happy long Labor Day weekend to those of you in the U.S. Even though we technically have a few more weeks of summer ahead, this weekend marks the unofficial close of the summer season for many people, so by all means, put this weekend to good use. It’s time for quick getaways, splashing in the ocean or a nearby lake or a lovely pool, backyard cookouts, or reading a great book in a shaded hammock. However you spend this weekend — holiday or not — I wish you a terrific one. And, of course, offer up a few fun links to help kick things off. Enjoy!

I Smell Your Rookie Moves, New Writers – Some excellent advice from the always-funny Chuck Wendig.

A Writing Lesson from Ursula K. LeGuin – As stated.

One Shade of Grey – A virtual peek through the doors of London’s Persephone Books.

10 Instagram Tips for Writers – Share images of your bookish world.

Making Maps for Books: 2 Cartographers Show Us How It’s Done – Wonderful interview with two map makers who frequently provide maps for fantasy novels, etc.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a lovely week. I’m still digging out from under a huge pile of work, but otherwise I’m happy to say my summer cold is finally improving, and I finally have working air conditioning again. So all in all, a very good week.

I’m back with this week’s links, and I tried to make them pop a little more than usual to make up for last Friday’s lack. As a result, they’re a little more all over the place in terms of subject, but that just means there should be something for everyone. Enjoy, and have a fabulous weekend!

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Books You Absolutely Must Read in August – A great list of new releases for the month.

10 Reasons Every Fiction Writer Should Learn Technical Writing – I’m not saying this is something you absolutely must do, but it’s a very interesting take on what you might get from adding this skill to your arsenal.

Ursula K. LeGuin Launches Online Writing Workshop – Pretty much as stated.

On Ambition (Or Whatever) – An interesting look at this things that drive us.

Haruki Murakami: The Moment I Became a Novelist – A peek at the writer’s magical moment of conviction.

Master Penman Jake Weidmann – A look at keeping craft alive.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

TGIF! The only problem with taking a vacation is coming home and needing to catch up with everything that happened while you were away. I’m still digging out from beneath my email-and-manuscript mountain, so I apologize for the state of quiet here this week, but I do have Friday Links, and with a little luck by next week it will be business as usual.

I feel like there’s been quite a bit of uproar in the publishing world the last couple of weeks, which is reflected in these links, but I did try to balance all the hoopla out with some other sorts of things. Regardless, I hope you find them interesting and entertaining. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, and some good writing/reading time. Enjoy!

Ursula LeGuin at 85 – A wonderful BBC Radio interview with the author.

The 2014 VIDA Count – A look at how many women’s voices made it into periodicals last year.

Why Keeping a Journal Is so Important for Writers and All Creative Types – An interesting look at how to use a journal for inspiration and to organize ideas.

The Hugo Awards Were Always Political. But Now They’re Only Political. – A look at the kerfuffle regarding this year’s Hugo nominations, with links to additional material.

145+ YA Books for your April – June 2015 Radar – A wonderful wrap up of new YA titles due out in the next few months.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday, everyone! Quite a busy week, here, and I’m looking forward to the weekend with a bit more relish than usual. I’ve been fighting off a cold — no idea where it came from, since I spent last weekend sitting on my couch with a stack of books — and while it hasn’t laid me low yet, it’s made productivity a challenge. Mostly, I want to sleep.

I do hope you all have more exciting weekend plans, however. Everyone seems to be in holiday prep mode. All the evil commercials have hit the air waves. And of course some of you are no doubt mired down by NaNoWriMo still. Whatever you’re up to, I wish you a wonderful weekend, and I’ve got a few links below to get you on your way. Enjoy!

National Book Awards 2014 – A list of winners, plus the short-list nominees, with interviews linked to each of the authors.

“We Will Need Writers Who Can Remember Freedom” – Ursula K. LeGuin’s inspiring speech from the National Book Awards ceremony, including asides to the audience.

Classic Authors’ British Houses on Google Maps – Take a peek at how some of these well-know authors lived.

Scribner Magazine – The book publisher has revived their magazine.

New Orleans Review Is Accepting Submissions for Special Science Fiction Issue – Check it out, sf writers. Deadline is December 31st.

How to Motivate Yourself as a Writer – Some more words of wisdom from Chuck Wendig.

Friday Links

Nephele Tempest

Happy Friday and happy February! Wow, this year sure is flying. Not sure where January got off to already. But I suspect I say something similar every year; I should be used to it by now.

However, it’s a good week for links, and I’m excited to share them with you all. This week marked the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE as well as 50 years since the death of Robert Frost. So I bring you a nice assortment of literary links, plus a couple just for laughs. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

A Critic at Large: Jane’s World – Martin Amis writes about Ms Austen.

Niffenegger Scores Ballet Tie-in for New Novel – The author’s latest will have a ballet version performed by the London Royal Ballet.

The Sunday Rumpus Interview: Margaret Atwood – Wonderful interview with Atwood.

Second Annual Books Are for Lovers – Buy a loved one a book on Valentine’s Day from a brick-and-mortar store; or buy one for yourself!

Getting Away with Murder: The Millions Interviews Ursula K. LeGuin – On the occasion of the author’s new short story collections.

Rare Robert Frost Collection Surfaces 50 Years after His Death – Just donated to the State University of New York at Buffalo.

League of Extraordinary Pen Pals – In case you’re writing a letter a day this month.