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Quote of the day
Young men entering into romantic/sexual relationships are misled into thinking that monogamy is capable of providing them with a lifetime of sexual fulfillment and that if they truly loved their partners they would not desire others. This, we are told, is because monogamy is healthy, proper, moral, and natural. Anyone deviating from or challenging this script is stigmatized.
Thus, the final option, cheating, becomes the only rational choice to have their emotional and sexual desires met. With the fuel of alcohol, cheating ‘just happens.’ But because most of the time men are not caught, and because they view the crime as having already been committed, they begin to cheat more often.
~ERIC ANDERSON, author of The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating (Sexuality, Identity, and Society)
WRITING & SCREENWRITING
- How to start writing a book: A peek inside one writer’s process, The Write Life | Tweet
Do I start at the beginning of the story and end at the end? Should the book be a series of flashbacks? Do I write the last page first? Do I outline? Do I transcribe my journals? Or do I just sit down and start with whatever comes out?
→The Marshall Plan Workbook : Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish
- Openings: Intrigue versus engagement, Writer Unboxed | Tweet
A great deal has been written about openings. Without question they are important. The opening is the first impression. It creates a story promise. It poses questions that need answers.
→Elements of Fiction Writing – Beginnings, Middles & Ends
- How to tweak an ‘unlikable’ character, Writers in the storm | Tweet
The book was rejected by an editor, because the character was ‘one dimensional’. I had no clear idea of what that meant, and was afraid that I’d have to gut this strong but flawed character to sell the book. And I wasn’t willing to do that.
- How fiction writers can ramp up tension and pacing, Live Write Thrive | Tweet
Pacing. It’s important. You know how sometimes you can’t put a book down—how the pages turn all by themselves as your heart rate speeds up and your eyes get wider and the book gets closer and closer to your nose?
→Novel Pacing (Essential Writing Skills Series Book 17)
- Another story idea straight from the news, Go Into The Story | Tweet
STORIES ARE EVERYWHERE! It is virtually impossible to overstate the importance and value of a strong story concept for a spec script. The best way to find a great one is to generate a lot of them. And one source for story ideas: The news.
→Your Idea Machine (Screenwriting Blue Books Book 1)
- Top ten tips for writing memorable minor characters, Script Mag | Tweet
Film industry folks are always looking for compelling and attention-grabbing protagonists and antagonists in a well-crafted screenplay. That, fellow screenwriters, is not really ground-breaking news, but there is a consistent grievance that echoes the halls of studios and production companies throughout the land. Actually, it’s a consistent complaint. It’s all about those ignored minor characters also known as supporting characters.
→How to Write Great Characters: The Key to Your Hero’s Growth and Transformation
SELF-PUBLISHING
- 5 On: Nathan Bransford on the ongoing emphasis on author platform, Jane Friedman | Tweet
In this 5 On interview, Nathan Bransford discusses (among other things) the ongoing emphasis on author platform, publisher and author marketing responsibilities, and in what way being a literary agent influenced his writing.
- Six ways to think like a publicist and sell more books!, Author Marketing Experts | Tweet
Being a publicist is more than knowing how to craft a snazzy email, it’s a dedicated, ongoing effort. If you do it right, you can accumulate great mentions, features, and reviews…and sell more books! Know the rules, honor the rules and if you’re lucky, the media will beat a path to your door.
→The Step-by-Step Author’s Guide to Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Books on Amazon
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CREATIVITY
- What criminals can teach us about creativity, The Creativity Guru | Tweet
Most creativity researchers have defined creativity as a new product that’s both novel and also valued by society.
→Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
MINDFULNESS
The motto “think before you act” may be more powerful than people think.
PSYCHOLOGY
- The causes of infidelity: Players gonna play?, Psychology Today | Tweet
Cheating Happens even in Happy Marriages. Is Monogamy the Problem?
→The Monogamy Gap: Men, Love, and the Reality of Cheating (Sexuality, Identity, and Society)
PHYSICS
We rely on magnets every day, but seldom give them a second thought. There are magnets in your credit card, your cellphone, your car, microwave oven and computer – and perhaps also pasted all over your refrigerator.
→Magnetism: A Strange, Invisible, Strong Force that’s Calling all the Shots
BRANDING
A 1957 infographic of Walt Disney’s corporate theory reveals a complex web of strategic channels. The illustration might be nearly 60 years old, but it’s still the basis of the brand’s success.
→Disney Magic: Business Strategy You Can Use at Work and at Home
ENTREPRENEURHIP
Entrepreneurs rarely go into business thinking about how they might sell the enterprise one day. But as the business grows, there does come a time when owners start thinking about an exit strategy. They may have any one of several reasons for wanting to sell up.
→The Entrepreneur Mind: 100 Essential Beliefs, Characteristics, and Habits of Elite Entrepreneurs