THURSDAY LINKS ~ Reads on Writing, Self-publishing and Better Living: Die Empty

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The great problems we see in the world today will not be solved by people functioning at half capacity cranking out work they don’t care about in order to buy more things that will eventually rust and rot.

~TODD HENRY, author of Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day

WRITING & SCREENWRITING

• What is a comma splice? And why do editors hate them?, The Write Practice | Tweet

We’re venturing into a realm where writers bend the rules of grammar in the name of creativity, but to the great frustration of editors. A comma splice is one of the most easily avoidable grammatical travesties.

→The Elements of Style

• 7 Tips for writing about trauma, Writers Digest | Tweet

Research has proven that writing about traumatic events, if done properly, can be beneficial. I spent nearly a decade working on a memoir about my brother’s suicide, our lives, and my grief. Here’s what I learned along the way.

→The Mind’s Eye: Image and Memory in Writing about Trauma

• Taming the What Ifs with Donna Cummings, Romance University | Tweet

The What Ifs are the reason why. They’re quite the devious bunch. Some days they’ll trick you into thinking you’ve ditched them for good. You’re zipping along with that first draft, cranking out the words, feeling like nothing can stop you. You haven’t heard a peep from them in ages.

→What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers

• Writing advice for new authors, in 140 characters or less, Mashable | Tweet

For a writer, nothing is more simultaneously exciting and daunting than a blank page.

→A Writer’s Guide To Persistence: How to Create a Lasting and Productive Writing Practice

• When do characters deserve to die?, John August | Tweet

I saw Jurassic World over the weekend, and this one death also stuck out for me, because it didn’t feel deserved. Faraci tries to unpack what we mean by “deserved.”

→Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays!: A comprehensive guide to crafting winning characters with film analyses and screenwriting exercises

• SCI-FI circuit: ‘Time lapse’–A good script opens many doors, Script mag | Tweet

There’s a compelling new sci-fi feature out there right now you won’t want to miss, called Time Lapse. Co-written by Bradley King and B.P. Cooper, it’s a slow-burning thriller that hooks you with just the right touches of mystery, sci-fi technology, and engrossing complications that draw you forward to a surprising and intriguing climax.

→Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction

SELF-PUBLISHING

• Can using editing tools improve your writing?, The Book Designer | Tweet

In the tongue-in-cheek post How to Write a Book Even Faster, the author suggests that writers are not editing their writing. That can’t be true! (Right?) How do you edit your writing? Perhaps you use one of these self-editing approaches…

→Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print

• Six fun ways to use the new Facebook video create more engagement!, Author Marketing Experts | Tweet

Looking to build engagement with Facebook video?

→Facebook For Authors (Building Blocks to Author Success Series 5)

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CREATING

• The tyranny of the adequate, Accidental Creative | Tweet

What’s the greatest barrier to brilliant work? Is it fear? Lack of time or resources? Confusion?

→Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day

THE BRAIN

• Big question: Can my brain get too full?, Wired | Tweet

YOU REMEMBER YOUR first kiss. You remember your childhood phone number, where you parked your car, and the last time you got really drunk. You probably remember the digits of pi, or at least the first three of them (slacker).

→The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

BRANDING

• How IKEA designs its brand success, Forbes | Tweet

IKEA is not only one of the world’s most successful retailers, growing nearly 6% in its most recent fiscal year — it’s also a powerful brand, ranking among Forbes Top 50 World’s Most Valuable Brands.

→Great IKEA!: A brand for all the people (Great Brand Stories)

COMMUNICATIONS

• Take these 3 steps to communicate better, Forbes | Tweet

When entrepreneurs tell me they’re not good communicators, I have a comeback: Actually, every one of us has been extremely effective at getting our point across from the minute we were born. Maybe sooner.

→How to Communicate Better: Discover How to Improve Communication Skills for Better Communication at Home and at the Workplace

BUSINESS

• The greatest good, The Atlantic | Tweet

Inspired to make a meaningful donation, I wondered: What is the best charitable cause in the world, and was it crazy to think I could find it?

→Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference