Writing Post Round Up - Week of April 21-27

And it’s time (okay, past time) for the weekly writing post round-up once again!  I didn’t end up collecting very many posts this week, but they’re all good ones. :)

http://crimsonleague.com/2013/04/19/writing-tip-dont-say-what-seems-to-be-describe-what-is/

                An interesting piece on how to make your writing stronger by taking out “seems” and “appears”.  Now that I think about it, I use those kind of words a lot.  Something to watch for in the editing process!

http://thinkingtoinking.blogspot.com/2013/04/curious-lives-of-teenagers-our-secret.html

                Something I’ve started doing recently is keeping a list of random quirks that I might be able to use at some point to round out characters.  Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this is a good idea, because here is a list gathered from one writer’s high school students (with their permission).

http://litreactor.com/columns/6-tips-on-reading-to-train-the-writers-eye

                We all know it’s important for writers to also be readers.  This article gives tips on how to get the most out of your reading.  I should really do more reading this way – though I have to confess that I cringe at the thought of actually highlighting or underlining in one of my precious books.  Perhaps reading with a notebook or laptop nearby for taking notes would work just as well.

http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2013/04/women-in-sff-month-juliet-marillier/

                Juliet Marillier is one of my very favorite authors, and she writes some pretty awesome female characters.  Here she is talking about what makes a good heroine in a guest post for Women in SF&F month at Fantasy Café.

http://justinemusk.com/2013/04/11/11-quick-dirty-things-you-should-know-about-writing/

                This is a list of observations about writing.  It’s inspirational.  I like it.  Number 9 is my favorite.

http://mythicscribes.com/writing-process/target-editing-a-time-saving-strategy-for-writers

                Here is an interesting approach to editing.  Even though I’m not an archer, I really like the analogy, and it makes sense to me.  Maybe I’ll try this method next time I have something to edit.

Note: this is a list of blog posts and articles on writing that I collect weekly.  Inclusion on this list does not necessarily mean it was published this week, just that I read it this week and thought it was cool, interesting, and/or useful.