Justine Manzano Welcome to another edition of stuff from around the web!
My husband’s birthday passed this week, so let’s all say a big happy birthday before we begin. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
So, what’s new on the web? Let’s start here – my good friend Rana, who I met through Buffy-Boards.com, a Whedon themed message board, just posted a guest blog at The Happy Herbivore. She took a challenge to go one month eating only from her pantry – which I think is crazy, but she makes it work! Read about the adventure here.
Do you remember my discussion of revision in the blog post, Too Close for Comfort? This blog post on Positive Writer hits the nail right on the head when it comes to my feelings when revising that story.
This article says it better than I have – this is how I find time to write between a full time job and being a mommy.
This New York Times article is about one of my pet peeves, which I also share with my writer/hubby Ismael – don’t ask me what I’m writing about! I can’t give you a well-formed answer! It’s impossible!
An article that mixes writing, fandom, and one of my son’s favorite things? Yes please!
Check out this interesting new company, creating audio tales and earning money for literacy.
If you’ve ever wondered what revisions of a book feel like from start to finish, my favorite author, Kelley Armstrong, has got you covered in this fascinating play by play on her tumblr blog. For updates to this step by step edit of book 2 of her Cainsville series, stay tuned to kelleyarmstrong.tumblr.com. And, if you like mysteries with a bit of supernatural involved, check out the first book, Omens, which is already available for purchase. I’m already flipping out waiting for the next installment.
Ready to start querying agents? Here’s a collection of advice from literary agents on how to get published.
Here’s a little ditty on writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy. The first question and answer involve something I discuss with people all the time. Many people consider it impossible to complain that science fiction and fantasy are unrealistic, because isn’t that what they’re supposed to be? But the truth is Sci-Fi and Fantasy can be unrealistic – if you don’t follow your own rules. As a speculative fiction writer, you set up your own rules for your environment and you can’t later break them without a damn good reason. Something as simple as being consistent in the rules of your world can bring realism to a novel about three-headed space goons from Snorg. If all Snorgs are three headed, that two-headed one had better have a reason for being there that is better than, “Oh, I forgot Snorgs were supposed to be three-headed,” and it has to show.
And on that Snorg-filled note, I bid you adieu until the end of this month, when we will discuss politics and public image. See you then!