Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
Is Your Concept Really More Scene Than Story? (Larry Brooks)
http://storyfix.com/concept-really-scene-story
Want More Readers for Your Blog and Books? Fix These 5 Website Mistakes. (Gill Andrews)
www.annerallen.com/2018/03/5-website-mis
How to Spot and Avoid Self-Indulgent Writing (K.M.Weiland)
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/spot-avoid-self-indulgent-writing/
3 Ways to Quit Waiting for “Perfect” Writing Conditions (Sara Mann)
https://thewritelife.com/stop-procrastinating-writing-conditions/
Small Presses: 7 Questions to Ask While Researching Them (Jane Friedman)
www.elizabethspanncraig.com/6893/small-p
How to Write When the Last Thing You Want to Do is Write (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/03/how-to-write-when-last-thing-you-want.html
Two Solicitation Bewares: Aimee Ann / Red Headed Book Lover Blog; Book Writing Inc. (Victoria Strauss)
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2018/03/two-solicitation-bewares-aimee-ann-red.html
Analyzing Your Novel for Market Value (Jaime Engle)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/03/analyzing-your-novel-for-market-value.html
What Should I Expect From My First Novel? (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/03/what-should-i-expect-from-my-first-novel.html
7 Frequently Asked Writing Questions (K.M.Weiland)
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/frequently-asked-writing-questions/
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
Get Some Blood Pumping in Your Prose (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/02/get-some-blood-pumping-in-your-prose.html
Plot Holes And Pot Holes: 8 Common Mistakes Readers Hate—And How To Fix Them (Ruth Harris)
www.annerallen.com/2018/02/plot-holes-an
How Over-Explaining Will Kill Your Novel (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/02/how-over-explaining-will-kill-your-novel.html
The Difficult Truth About Writing When You Have Kids (Ali Luke)
https://thewritelife.com/time-for-writing-with-kids/
5 Quick Ways To Shift Description and Setting Into Deep POV (Lisa Hall-Wilson)
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/02/description-and-setting-in-deep-pov/
13 Common, Clunky Sentence Structures That Weaken Your Writing (Dana Sitar)
https://thewritelife.com/clunky-sentence-structures/
How Should a Character Say Nothing? (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/03/how-should-a-character-say-nothing.html
4 Ways to Create Your Author Persona (Donna Galanti)
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/03/4-ways-to-create-your-author-persona/
How picture books work (a very brief primer) (Nathan Bransford)
https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/03/picture-books-work-brief-primer
How to Write Memoir So They Don’t Read It, They Live It (Cyndy Etler)
https://www.janefriedman.com/write-better-memoir/
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
How the Internet Archive Infringed my Copyrights and then (Kind Of) Blew Me Off (Victoria Strauss) [Jon’s Pick of the Pack]
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2018/02/how-internet-archive-infringed-my.html
10-Great Strategies to Secure & Monetize Your Author Visit (Jaime Engle)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/02/10-great-strategies-to-secure-monetize.html
The True Test of Character (Kathleen McLeary)
www.writerunboxed.com/2018/02/21/the-tru
3 Signs Your Book Cover Design Misses The Mark (Leisha Petrovich)
https://thewritelife.com/book-cover-design/
What Should Be In Your Files? (Rachel Kent)
www.booksandsuch.com/blog/what-should-be-i
Five Reasons For Agent Rejections of a Manuscript (Kerry Gans/Marie Lamba)
https://authorchronicles.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/five-reasons-for-agent-rejections-of-a-manuscript/
by way of Laurie Wallmark
Writing Child Characters (Mary Kole)
https://kidlit.com/2018/02/19/writing-child-characters/
The Difference Between a Revision, a Rewrite, and a Redraft (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/02/the-difference-between-revision-rewrite.html
How to Write a Prologue for Your Novel (Jerry Jenkins)
https://jerryjenkins.com/how-to-write-a-prologue/
12 Traits Bad Writers and Toddlers Have in Common (Megan Sharma)
https://thewritelife.com/toddlers-and-writers/
Stuff That Takes Readers Out of a Story (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/02/stuff-that-takes-readers-out-of-a-story.html
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
Three Things You Have In Common With All Writers (Art Holcomb)
www.storyfix.com/three-things-common-wri
Getting Dialogue Right: How to Use Dialogue Tags and Action Beats (Ali Luke)
https://thewritelife.com/dialogue-tags/
Avoid Common Writing Mistakes (Natalie Hanemann)
https://rachellegardner.com/avoid-common-writing-mistakes/
The Transition From Hobbyist To Aspiring To Professional (Natalie Whipple)
http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-transition-from-hobbyist-to.html
Structure Matters: Building Great Stories to Endure the Ages (Kristen Lamb)
www.authorkristenlamb.com/2018/02/great-s
Writing Tips 41 Experts Wish They’d Known as Beginners (Jerry Jenkins)
https://jerryjenkins.com/writing-tips/ [Jon’s pick of the Pack]
Steps for Approaching an Agent (Rachelle Gardner)
https://rachellegardner.com/steps-for-approaching-an-agent/
Why the Beginning of Your Novel Is Important (Polly Iyer)
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2018/01/why-beginning-of-your-novel-is-important.html
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
I'm looking forward to crossing state lines in a couple of months, when I'll be visiting my friends at the Greater Lehigh Valley Writing Group in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I'm attending this year's WRITE STUFF Conference.
March 22nd - 24th, 2018
THE WRITE STUFF WRITERS CONFERENCE
300 Gateway Drive,
Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania 18017
April 14th, 2018
NJ SCBWI OPENING PAGES BOOTCAMP
Arts Council of Princeton - Paul Robeson Center
102 Witherspoon St,
Princeton, NJ 08542
June, 2018
NJ SCBWI event - tba
How about you?
What have you got lined up in the coming weeks and months?
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
The Agony and Ecstasy of Starting Over (P.J. Parrish)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/01/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-starting-over.html
There’s still hope for new writers! (Rachel Kent)
www.booksandsuch.com/blog/theres-still-h
5 Ways That Playing with Pricing Can Sell More Books (Penny Sansevieri)
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/01/5-ways-that-playing-with-pricing-can-sell-more-books/
The One Thing That Will Kill Book Sales Dead—And 10 Ways to Avoid it. (Anne R. Allen)
www.annerallen.com/2018/01/kill-book-sal
So What? Making Readers Care About Your Story (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/07/why-should-i-care.html
Copyright Infringement By the Internet Archive (and What You Can Do About It) (Victoria Strauss)
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2018/01/alert-copyright-infringement-by.html
4 Reasons Readers Stopped Caring About Your Story (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/01/4-reasons-readers-stopped-caring-about.html
The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2018 (Dana Sitar)
https://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-for-writers-2018/
The 5 Secrets of Good Storytelling (That Writers Forget All the Time) (K.M.Weiland)
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/secrets-of-good-storytelling/
Review Your Fiction Fundamentals (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2018/01/review-your-fiction-fundamentals.html
9 Lessons from Book Signings (Elizabeth Spann Craig)
www.elizabethspanncraig.com/6462/signing
The Success Paradox: Programmed to Fail or Fly? (Kristen Lamb)
www.authorkristenlamb.com/2018/01/succes
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
I'm a big fan of writing conferences. Sure, some meet our personal budget and current needs better than others, and not everyone you encounter leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy about your future potential, but if you go along with an open mind, the positives far outweigh any negatives.
If you know of a writing conference taking place this year, please share a link to its homepage in a comment. I'll upload it into the main post here.
FEBRUARY
SCBWI Winter ConferenceFri-Sun, February 2nd-4th 2018 - New York, New York
Farpoint ConventionFri-Sun, February 9th-11th 2018 - Hunt Valley, Maryland
SleuthfestThurs-Sun, March 1st-4th 2018 - Boca Raton, Florida
MARCH
Create Something Magical Writers & Readers ConferenceSat-Sun, March 24th - 25th, 2018 - Iselin, New Jersey
The Write Stuff ConferenceThurs-Sat, March 22nd -24th, 2018 - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Pikes Peak Writers ConferenceFri-Sun, April 27th-29th, 2018 - Colorado Springs, CO
Malice DomesticFri-Sun, Apr 27th - April 29th, 2018 - Bethesda, Maryland
MAY
PennWriters ConferenceFri-Sun, May 18th - 20th, 2018 - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
BalticonFri-Mon, May 25th - 28th, 2018 - Baltimore, Maryland
JUNE
Rutgers University Writers' ConferenceSat-Sun, June 2nd - 3rd, 2018 - New Brunswick, New Jersey
DFW Writer's ConferenceSat-Sun, June 9th - 10th, 2018 - Dallas, Texas
SCBWI NJ Chapter - Summer ConferenceDate tba - New Brunswick, New Jersey
Philadelphia Writers' ConferenceFri-Sun, June, 2018 (exact dates tba) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Deadly InkFri-Sun, June, 2018 (exact dates tba) - Rockaway, New Jersey
JULY
Fri-Fri, July 2018 (exact dates tba) - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Shore LeaveFri-Sun, July 6th - 8th, 2018 - Hunt Valley, Maryland
AUGUST
Killer NashvilleThurs-Sun, August 23rd – 26th, 2018 - Franklin, Tennessee
SEPTEMBER
Women Who Write (Men are also welcome at the conference)
Saturday, September, 2018 (exact dates tba) - Madison, New Jersey
OCTOBER
Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity
Fri-Sat, October 5th - 7th 2018 - Columbia, MD
Fri-Sat, October 2018 (exact dates tba) - Iselin, NJ
Magna Cum MurderFri-Sun, October 19th -21st, 2018 - Indianapolis, Indiana
NOVEMBER
PhilconFri-Sun, November 16th - 18th, 2018 - Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Crime BakeFri-Sun, November, 2018 (exact dates tba) - Dedham, Massachusetts
DECEMBER
SOME FUN, CONFERENCE-RELATED LINKS:
10 Things You Shouldn’t Say to an Agent During an In-Person Pitch
The Agent Pitch: 10 Responses You Don't Want to Hear
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
And So We Hand The Microphone Over… to You (Larry Brooks)
www.storyfix.com/and-so-we-hand-the-micr
How to Find the Right Illustrator for Your Children’s Book (Erika Liodice)
www.writerunboxed.com/2017/12/22/how-to-f
Little Fixes (Maryann Miller)
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2017/12/little-fixes.html
The Deadliest First Page Sin—Plus a Critique of Two Novel Openings (Peter Selgin) [Jon’s Pick of the Crop]
https://www.janefriedman.com/deadliest-first-page-sin/
4 Tips on Writing Action Scenes (Janice Hardy)
http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/11/making-it-happen-tips-on-writing-action.html
Business Musings: Quitting (Kristine Kathryn Rusch)
www.kriswrites.com/2017/12/13/business-m
The Writers’ Journey: Newbie to Mastery (Kristen Lamb)
www.authorkristenlamb.com/2017/12/writin
Channeling Your Childhood Heroes (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2017/12/channeling-your-childhood-heroes.html
Four Keys To Creating A Likable Character (Mark Alpert)
https://killzoneblog.com/2017/12/four-keys-to-creating-a-likable-character.html
Tips for Making Writing a Habit (Elizabeth Spann Craig)
www.elizabethspanncraig.com/6487/habit/
Swipe Left, Swipe Right (Cynthia Ruchti)
www.booksandsuch.com/blog/swipe-left-swi
The Elements of a Revise and Resubmit Request from an Agent (Kaitlyn Johnson)
www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-t
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2017, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
Somewhere, amidst all the interesting happenings of the year, were some great blog posts containing wisdomous words about writing.
As always, I had a hard time narrowing the list to just twelve, but I finally managed it. Here's my personal selection of the best writing-related blog posts from 2017:
DECEMBER
How to Write Funny (K.M. Weiland)
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-funny/
NOVEMBER
10 Things NOT to Say in your Query – Advice from a Children’s Publisher (Rob Broder)
https://writersrumpus.com/2017/11/14/10-things-not-to-say-in-your-query-advice-from-a-childrens-publisher/
OCTOBER
Herd Your CATS (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2017/10/herd-your-cats.html
SEPTEMBER
What a Writer’s Conference Really Buys You (Heather Webb)
www.writerunboxed.com/2017/08/24/what-a-w
AUGUST
How To Get Your Writing Groove Back (Christa Allan)
http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/07/how-to-get-your-writing-groove-back/
JULY
The Big Lie About Writing Compelling Fiction (Larry Brooks)
www.writerunboxed.com/2017/07/04/the-big-l
JUNE
10 Ways to Make Your Submission Stand Out in the Slush Pile (Meg LaTorre-Snyder)
www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-t
by way of Laurie Wallmark
MAY
When Does Writing Get Easier? The 4 Steps to Mastery (K.M.Weiland)
www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/when-d
APRIL
What Does It Mean to Move the Plot? (K.M. Weiland)
www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/mean-m
MARCH
The 7 Stages of Being a Writer (How Many Have You Experienced?)
(K. M. Weiland)
www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/7-st
FEBRUARY
Generation Butthurt—How Being Constantly Offended (and Offensive) Costs BIG (Kristen Lamb)
https://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/generation-butthurt-how-being-constantly-offended-and-offensive-costs-big/
JANUARY
An Insider’s Look at the Querying Process, Part I (Kim English)
https://querytracker.blogspot.com/2017/01/an-insiders-look-at-querying-process.html
How about you?
What were your favorite blog posts from 2017?
If you found these useful, you may also like:
My personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2016
My personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2015
My personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2014
Here’s my latest selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing:
Sacrificial Writing (Wendy Lawton)
www.booksandsuch.com/blog/sacrificial-wr
Publishing’s Greatest Challenge Might Surprise You (Janet Kobobel Grant)
www.booksandsuch.com/blog/publishings-gr
A Scene Template For New Writers (James Scott Bell)
https://killzoneblog.com/2017/12/a-scene-template-for-new-writers.html
Why You Need an Author Tagline (Laina Turner)
www.elizabethspanncraig.com/6550/authort
How to Write Funny (K.M. Weiland)
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-write-funny/
Building an Author Website (Joe Bunting)
www.thewritepractice.com/building-an-aut
by way of Laurie Wallmark
Why Pursue Traditional Publishing? (Are There Enough Good Reasons?) (Kristen Tsetsi)
https://www.janefriedman.com/why-publish-traditionally/
Motivate Yourself with Ten Tips on Self-Motivating Yourself (Bill Ferris)
www.writerunboxed.com/2017/11/18/motivat
Writers: Be scared of the right things (Nathan Bransford)
https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2017/11/writers-scared-right-things
The Impossible Choice: A Surefire Way to Hook Your Readers (Janice Hardy)
http://ablog.janicehardy.com/2017/11/the-impossible-choice-surefire-way-to.html
Breaking Big: How to Impress Big Five Publishers (Kristen Lamb)
www.authorkristenlamb.com/2017/11/bigfiv
10 Things NOT to Say in your Query – Advice from a Children’s Publisher (Rob Broder)
https://writersrumpus.com/2017/11/14/10-things-not-to-say-in-your-query-advice-from-a-childrens-publisher/
If you found these useful, you may also like my personal selection of the most interesting blog posts from 2016, and my previous list.
If you have a particular favorite among these, please let the author know (and me too, if you have time). Also, if you've a link to a great post that isn't here, feel free to share.
Profile
jongibbs- Jon Gibbs
- My writing website
Syndicate
Things What I Wrote and Other Stuff
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
No longer in print but there are still some copies floating around out there
THE MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARDS
