It’s Monday. What better reason could there be for needing tips from someone like Steinbeck?
Six Tips on Writing from John Steinbeck | Brain Pickings
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/03/12/john-steinbeck-six-tips-on-writing/
Tag: writing
Promote yourself
A group of us were discussing pros and cons of releasing material online as promotions. We were thinking about publishing short stories to build interest in novels. Here are some thought about blogging a novel. The idea could apply to any book, I suppose, from memoir to how-to.
Blogging Your Novel
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6900490
Small packages
I’ve said it before. I love science fiction. And, much as I love scifi novels, I think I love short stories more. I used to buy every short story collection as soon as it came out in paperback. If you don’t think you like or could learn anything from scifi, this collection might convince you otherwise.
18 Perfect Short Stories That Pack More Of A Punch Than Most Novels
http://io9.com/18-perfect-short-stories-that-pack-more-of-a-punch-than-1692442650
What a character…
I love finding articles that describe types of people. It’s like finding a character waiting to be dropped into a situation. It may or may not be a main character, but lesser characters need some depth, too. Here’s an example that offers counterposed characters — good boss and bad boss. Could also be good or bad roomie, good or bad sibling. Consider the possibilities.
10 Signs Your Managers Are Controllers But Not Leaders
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/10-signs-your-managers-are-controllers-but-not-leaders.html?ref=tp&n=1
Place it
In one of my book clubs, our theme this year is authors and stories of the Pacific Northwest. We started with a talk about the “Missoula (Montana) Mafia” from a member who lived there. Nevermind that we were liberal in our interpretation of the geography, we wanted an array of authors and topics. The project described in the LA Times is also place-based. I can imagine doing one about any region.
More than that, I wonder about the role of place in a book. How many stories had to happen where they did? When does setting become another character?
Rediscovering the lost writers of the Plains – LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-rediscovering-the-lost-writers-of-the-plains-20150317-story.html
