If birds ever created their own civilization, would the anisodactyls get weirded out shaking hands with the zygodactyls?
Blog Archives
The Writer Beware! blog’s Victoria Strauss posted an intriguing piece based on a recent Twitter frenzy on the possibility that literary agents might bump their rates from 15 to 20 percent. The comments, as one might expect, are all over the place, with readers coming down on this or that (or the other) side of the debate.
Remember when you first heard the phrase “Happy Hump Day”? You were probably a teenager, as this is a work-world phrase and in the teenage years we start to be exposed more and more to the work-world realities from which children are relatively insulated.
And remember how disappointed your adolescent self was to learn that the “hump” only referred to the “hump in the middle of the week”? Well, Happy Hump Day anyway.
On to the roll!
♣ Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal offers tips to writers on how to make the most of a rewrite.
At the Magical Words fantasy fiction blog:
♣ Stuart Jaffe explains how to develop characters in vng-the-most-out-of-a-rewrite-tips-for-authors/”>how to make the most of a rewrite.
At the Magical Words fantasy fiction blog:
♣ Stuart Jaffe explains how to develop characters in very little space,
♣ Misty Massey tackles talking animals (well… she tackles the subject of writing about them), and
♣ David B. Coe posts part X of the “Writing Your Book” series: The Read-Through.
♣ S. W. Vaughn at Murder By 4 asks, “What’s your novel’s theme song?”
♣ Also, for anything interested in reading, watching, or writing “sword and sandals” fantasy or historical fiction, Meghan Sullivan has a great blog on Greek antiquity called Ancient Musings. Check it out!
At The Huffington Post, Anis Shivani interviews Colorado Review editor Stephanie G’Schwind to investigate the way literary journals are weathering the economic crisis and the internet revolution.
G’Schwind also discusses the impact of the MFA, and what sort of writing passes muster in her own journal’s selection process. A great read for writers: check it out!
Every once in a while, you read something that just puts a whole new perspective on things. Authors, prepare your Epiphany Hats!
At The New Yorker, writer Susan Orlean shares a true-life tale about the insane odyssey she went through during the editing phase of her first published book. Continue reading
Instigator – “The golfer got too close to the water hazard and never saw the big lizard coming.”
As almost any industry blog will tell you, the publishing biz is in flux. New formats, new challenges, new avenues to success have put every assumption and axiom of recieved wisdom up for grabs.
In the midst of all this chaos progress change, it is still possible to recognize an event that sheds new light on the evolving dynamics of publishing.
For example, promotional and marketing specialist Steff Deschenes has scooped up nearly a dozen literary prizes for her self-published commentary on everyday life, The Ice Cream Theory. In it, she compares different personality types with different flavors of frozen treat. Continue reading
First of all, let me do a favor for Jessica at BookEnds LLC, and literary agents everywhere, by reminding all of you prospective authors out there that a “novel” is a fictional narrative longer than 50,000 words. There is no need to say “fiction novel” and no reason to say “non-fiction novel.”
And now, let’s go on to the links! Continue reading
It just goes to show, not everything in publishing goes to the already published and already connected!
Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker has won the 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his debut novel The Twin, beating out well-known, well-published, and (other) award-winning authors Marilynne Robinson and Joseph O’Neill. Hearken ye first-time and aspiring authors!
I am particularly intrigued by The Twin, as twins and doubles are recurring themes in The Observer Tales. Although I was considering a short-story reading list for the summer, I may have to give this novel a look.
First, I want to wish Brittany Landgrebe get well soon!
Well, it is finally summertime! Do you have your summer reading list ready? Yeah, me neither. I have been considering re-reading The Lord of the Rings, and I do have a couple of non-fiction books from a used bookstore stacked up and awaiting my attention. But, no solid plans.
But, how about this idea: instead of committing to a few buzz-worthy novels, we could instead focus on reading a lot of short stories in magazines. Anyone up for this challenge?
And now, on to the links! Continue reading