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Quote of the day
In a post-Socratic world, we have chosen to place a premium o
n heroes who make other-regarding choices over self-interested ones. When humans face the fact of their mortality, they are able to think most clearly about the sort of life they want to have lived, and only in doing that does heroic action become a possibility.
~ARI KOHEN, author of Untangling Heroism
WRITING
Fueling the Muse—How to Mentally Prepare for “The Novel”, Kristen Lamb’s Blog | Tweet
NaNoWriMo is kind of like Christmas for writers—suffering, drama, no sleep, heavy drinking and really bad eating habits. Also, we start talking about NaNoWriMo months before it actually happens.
Ready, Set, Novel!: A Workbook
- 9 Famous Anti-Social Fictional Characters, Writers Write | Tweet
Having an anti-social personality disorder does not mean that your character is unsociable. It means that they are indifferent to what others think of them.
How To Create A Character (For Your Novel): The Best Book On Characterization You’ve Ever Read
- What James Patterson Told Me About Writing, Write to Done | Tweet
“Would you like to have lunch with James Patterson? I would. So would many of you, I guess. I’ve been a James Patterson fan for quite some time. So when I had the opportunity to have lunch with the world’s bestselling author in Sydney, Australia in May this year, I immediately finalized my travel plans.
3 Literary Devices You Should Be Using in Your Writing, The Write Practice | Tweet
Literary devices can be great tools in your writer’s arsenal to help you illustrate your stories and points in a way that invites engagement and reflection.
The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well
SCREENWRITING
Amateur Screenwriter Confident Hollywood Will Make His Movie Exactly As He Envisions It, Breaking Burgh | Tweet
Sean Tierney is excited to have finally finished his first screenplay after working on it for the past six years. He initially thought his magnum opus was finished two years ago, so he mailed a copy to DreamWorks Studios (Attn: Steven Spielberg or David Geffen if Steven’s out on location) but he received no response.
- LEGALLY SPEAKING, IT DEPENDS: How Do You Measure Success?, Script Mag | Tweet
What makes a successful film? To tell you the truth, if I could answer that specific question I’d be able to print money in Hollywood. It’s impossible to define. And not because no one has ever tried. The difficulty comes out of the fact that no two perspectives see success the same way.
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting
SELF-PUBLISHING
5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before Self-Publishing, Writer’s Digest | Tweet
You want to be an author? You can! It is now easier than ever to write a novel, put it in print (or in our futuristic case—digital format), and set it free to the world. Here are five things I’ve learned that I wish I knew before deciding to self-publish.
- Fran Wilde’s somewhat questionable answers to all your publishing questions, Terrible Minds | Tweet
Question 1: How the hell does a book get that fancy? Question 2: Why the @#@! Do books come out on Tuesdays?
THE BRAIN
- The myth of the myth of the right brain difference: and why it matters, The Creativity Post | Tweet
Despite the broad oversimplifications and misinformation of the 1970’s left – brain right brain thinking craze. I.e. the left side of the brain is for language and logic, and the right side of the brain is for creativity and imagination. There are significant differences between the right and left the side of the brain, and these differences matter.
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
CREATIVITY
It can work with people you trust; correlates with creativity
EDUCATION
When Mindfulness Meets the Classroom, The Atlantic | Tweet
Many educators are introducing meditation into the classroom as a means of improving kids’ attention and emotional regulation.
The Invisible Classroom: Relationships, Neuroscience & Mindfulness in School (The Norton Series on the Social Neuroscience of Education)
PSYCHOLOGY
What causes people to risk their lives to help strangers?
- The secret of extreme heroes: They don’t overthink, The Washington Post | Tweet
We grow up being taught to look before we leap and think before we act, especially in dangerous situations.
PRODUCTIVITY
Did you know that the average manager gets interrupted approximately once every eight minutes? That’s about seven interruptions each hour. What’s worse, after every interruption, it takes an average of 25 minutes to fully regain cognitive focus.
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated)