When Stephen Colbert mentions someone or something of import on his show, he’s giving it “the Colbert Bump.” Even his constant assault upon Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity draws attention to that event – which, by the way, I think I might be making time to attend. I’ll be bringing my indoor voice, as recommended.
Anyway, I thought I’d bring attention to a few of the resources I go to that keep me going in terms of writing and help me maintain sight of my goals.
Terribleminds
Come on. This one’s a gimmie. Chuck has repeatedly and brilliantly given writing advice that’s head, shoulders and beard above anything I could say. In fact, I hear tell he’s working on a book of writing advice which is going to end up right next to my old-school Elements of Style. White & Strunk could probably use a drink, and if I know Chuck, his advice is likely to be soaked in gin.
Do Some Damage
The folks over at DSD primarily talk about crime fiction, but the advice they give on story structure, dialog and pace can often be applied no matter what genre you happen to be in. It’s a great collaboration of very smart folks that deserve some traffic and attention. Check them out!
Genreality
Think that getting that book or article published is the route to fame, booze and floozies? Think again. The keepers of Genreality routinely give not only good writing advice but an inside look at the realities of getting into and staying in the publishing game. It’s an honest and unflinching look at both how to get into it and what you need to do to stay there. Recommended for anybody even remotely interested in getting paid to write fiction.
Query Shark
Between your red-hot manuscript and that elusive publishing contract is the query. You could have the next big thing sitting in your hands, a total Twilight-killer, but it won’t go anywhere without an effective query. There’s advice all over on what makes or breaks a query letter, but like understanding the inner workings of a frog, the best way to understand a query is to see one torn to bits. That’s where Query Shark comes in. You will see nearly 200 queries, some good and some terrible, with in-depth reasons as to why some lead to requests to read more and some yield only form rejections. You can even submit your own queries. IF YOU DARE.
What other sites do you guys use when you need writing advice?
the ladies at Genreality
I was unaware Ken Scholes and Bob Mayer were chicks.