My friends know I don’t read Stephen King. I got through one of his early books and it scared me too much to read any more. No, I’m not a wimp. He’s just such a good writer. (And yes, my friends tell me there are a few less scary ones I should try.)
But my first exposure to his work means I’m happy to consider following his rules. This isn’t a new list, but it’s a good one.

Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers/

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson was by far one of my favorite school reading assignments. It’s certainly the only one I can remember rereading just for fun.
I’ll be putting a few of these Shirley Jackson Award winners on my to-read list.

2013 Shirley Jackson Award Winners Announced | Tor.com

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/07/2013-shirley-jackson-award-winners-announced

School is a character — for good or ill — in plenty of stories. A few come to mind — A Separate Peace, Catcher in the Rye, Dead Poets Society, Ender’s Game. There are Starfleet Academy and Hogwarts and Matt Forbeck’s Monster Academy. Then there’s the unschoolers of Carpe Diem, Illinois by Kristin Oakley.
Regardless of your audience, school and its variations might be worth exploring. Here’s a different take on a school.

A School That Ditches All the Rules, But Not the Rigor | MindShift

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/a-school-that-ditches-all-the-rules-but-not-the-rigor-game-based-school-playmaker/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140713

Most writers I know have want to see their books on library shelves. So these Pew Research surprises are worth knowing.

7 surprises about libraries in our surveys | Pew Research Center

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/30/7-surprises-about-libraries-in-our-surveys/

Being shy is one thing, but being taught not to speak is another. Imagine the differences between characters who feel a need to communicate something, but have either timidity or cultural mores stopping them. How might each of them respond differently? What must happen for each to overcome his or her past? Which would be harder to overcome?

Learning to Speak Up When You’re from a Culture of Deference – Andy Molinsky – Harvard Business Review

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/07/learning-to-speak-up-when-youre-from-a-culture-of-deference/