Photo Credit: Ivan Mlinaric via Compfight cc
Once living cells have been grown on a network of sugar fibers that mimic blood vessels, the sugar is dissolved, leaving behind interconnected channels. So, one day, the sugar we eat could be used to create the organs that help digest it.
~DARRA GOLSTEIN, author of The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (Oxford Companions)
WRITING & SCREENWRITING
- How fiction writers can show emotions in their characters in effective ways, Live Write Thrive | Tweet
This month, we’ve been studying that famous axiom for fiction writers: show, don’t tell. Today, I’m going to tackle what I think is the most difficult thing to show in our novels—emotions. If you’ve been writing for a while, no doubt you’ve heard it’s not acceptable to name emotions. Don’t tell us Mary is sad. Show us she’s sad.
→The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression
- Tips for writing fight scenes–improvised weapons by KM Fawcet, Romance University | Tweet
Guns, swords, and knives are great weapons…if your characters are armed and know how to use them. But what do your unarmed characters use to defend themselves? Answer: whatever they can find!
→Writing Fight Scenes (Writer’s Craft)
- How to write a story 101: Character, The Write Practice | Tweet
You are going to write a story. Yes, today is the day you are going to write a fiction story about someone. Your character, and their development through the story is the heart of fiction.
→Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life (Red Sneaker Writers Books) (Volume 2)
What’s the secret to great supporting characters? Is it that they’re funny? Or they’re supportive? Or they’re wise enough to help guide the protagonist in his path? Any one of those things—and many more—can contribute to a great supporting cast.
- Embracing paradox as a writer, Writers in the storm | Tweet
To embrace paradox we must hold two seemingly conflicting concepts as equally true. Wisdom literature is rife with paradox, suggesting that we receive through giving, gain through losing, and live through dying. “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it,” said Mahatma Ghandi.
- Zen in the art of screenwriting: Dreams vs Reality, Script mag | Tweet
The movie business was built on realists who discovered a new thing and wanted to make a quick buck, but was quickly populated by dreamers. Those realists eventually became dreamers. Even when worrying about the bottom-line, they had to be acutely aware they were making dreams (i.e., movies). Chasing your reality in the corporate world might be one thing, but chasing reality in the creative space could be a soul-destroying endeavor.
SELF-PUBLISHING
- The email marketing trap fiction writers must avoid, The Book Designer | Tweet
Generally speaking, looking to others for guidance isn’t a shortcoming. When we tackle a new endeavor and have no clue what to do next, it’s natural to seek information from the people around us. That’s especially true with a complicated undertaking like email marketing.
→Email Marketing Rules: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Best Practices that Power Email Marketing Success
- Q&A on writing, self-publishing and book marketing, The Creative Penn | Tweet
On why books sell and what defines a ‘good’ book. The importance of emotional resonance in books, and the impact indie authors have had on traditional publishers around what readers want to read.
→Shelf Help – The Complete Guide To Self-Publishing
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MOTIVATION
- The tragedy of small expectations (and the trap of false dreams), Seth’s Blog | Tweet
When our culture (our media, our power structures, our society) says, “people who look like you shouldn’t expect to have a life like that,” we’re stealing. Stealing from people capable of achieving more, and stealing from our community as well. How can our society (that’s us) say, “we don’t expect you to graduate, we don’t expect you to lead, we don’t expect you to be trusted to make a difference?”
→What to Do When its Your Turn (and its Always Your Turn)
CREATIVITY
- Rememebering to think outside the box, Creative Something | Tweet
In our lives we tend to accumulate more things than we need at any given moment, so we create very real containers for these things. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. Our brains work in the same way.
FOOD
- Sugar was a spice and not always so nice, Scientific American | Tweet
According to the recently published Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, a spoonful of sugar does more than help the medicine go down. The 888 page encyclopedia covers everything from à la modeto zuppa inglese, with nearly 600 entries written by experts who address the scientific, historical, and cultural aspects of sugar and sweets.
→The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (Oxford Companions)
ART
There is something in the act of creation that presses forward into the public realm, whether the artist seeks publicity or not.
→Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
BRANDING
Personal branding is one of the most effective strategies available for modern businesses. Because consumers generally distrust corporate brands, personal brands offer a unique way to build trust, facilitate customer loyalty and ultimately increase revenue. In addition to being a novel marketing strategy, it can also help your business with recruiting and put you in a better position for a career change down the road.
→You Branding: Reinventing Your Personal Identity as a Successful Brand
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