Some awards are not worth winning

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

At work, we just got the annual contest entry invitation from one of the journalism associations to which we belong. The first professional award I ever earned came from this group. While awards are nice, some are nicer than others. This post warns you about “awards profiteers.” One warning is about costs, but even the Pulitzer has entry fees. (This year’s book prize is still open.) Here are some other considerations.

Writer Beware®: The Blog: Awards Profiteers: How Writers Can Recognize and Avoid Them
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2015/06/awards-profiteers-how-writers-can.html?m=1

From the pros (continued)

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

If you need some quick inspiration, consider these tips from pros.

Writing Tips from 7 Acclaimed Authors | Britannica.com
https://www.britannica.com/list/writing-tips-from-7-acclaimed-authors

Developing big casts

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Here are some suggestions for handling a “cast of thousands.” Don’t introduce them all at once is the first piece of advice. This article doesn’t get into it, but you should probably consider whether you need them all, too.There’s a link to a previous post addressing that question inside “5 Tips.”

5 Tips For Writing Large Casts of Characters – The Storymonger.
http://thestorymonger.com/writing/characters/5-tips-for-writing-large-casts-of-characters/

Lessons from Canada

June 7, 2015June 6, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Here’s an interesting article about short stories that provides insight about more than just the influence of Canadian writers on a North American magazine.

How Canadian Writers Changed The New Yorker | National Post.
http://news.nationalpost.com/how-canadian-writers-changed-the-new-yorker

Tales (more than) twice told

June 6, 2015June 4, 2015 ~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

If there are only a few basic plots to work from, retelling old stories would seem inevitable. Here’s an interesting discussion about the pros and cons of borrowing not just plots, but whole stories, cast and all.

Mythcreants » Five Rules for Retelling Old Stories.
http://m.mythcreants.com/blog/five-rules-for-retelling-old-stories/