WEEKEND LINKS ~ Reads on Writing, Self-Publishing, and Better Living: Personality Not Included

Quote of the day

Personality matters. Being faceless doesn’t work anymore. The theory of PNI is that personality is the answer. Personality is the key element behind your brand and what it stands for, and the story that your products tell to your customers.
~ROHIT BHARGAVA, author of Personality Not Included: Why Companies Lose Their Authenticity And How Great Brands Get it Back, Foreword by Guy Kawasaki

WRITING

Mind Mapping: A Pantser’s Path to the Perfect Story, Writers in the storm | Tweet

Mind mapping is a thinking tool that goes with the flow of the thought process rather than forcing those thoughts into a linear order.
Mind Mapping: How to Create Mind Maps Step-By-Step (Mind Map Templates, Speed Mind Maps, and Advanced Mind Mapping)

No time to Write? Here’s a 3-Step Solution, The Write Practice | Tweet

If you want to write when your schedule is crunched, it’s going to require a little bit of prep. It’s worth the effort.
How to Find Time to Write: Overcome Writer’s Block, Start Writing and Write Faster!

How writing a short story will improve your writing skills, Now Novel | Tweet

The short story has a long and rich tradition, spanning everything from the gothic to the contemporary. Writing a short story will improve your writing skills, as you can apply many of the techniques you learn through writing short fiction to writing longer forms.

SHORT STORY: From FIRST Draft to FINAL Product

Writing Novels – 8 Things You Need to Know (From a Former Journalist), Writer’s Digest | Tweet

I’ve been a journalist for a long time. I worked at newspapers, magazines and TV news stations. Now I write mystery novels about a fictional journalist, New York City newspaper reporter Gil Malloy.

The Essential Guide to Writing a Novel: A Complete and Concise Manual for Fiction Writers

SCREENWRITING

SCRIPT ANGEL: Character Development Tools, Script Mag | Tweet

Some writers start with an interesting character and then create a story around them. But sometimes, your strongest initial element is your premise and plot and it’s the characters that are not coming so easily.

How to Write Great Characters: The Key to Your Hero’s Growth and Transformation

Script Analysis: “Birdman” – Part 3: Sequences, Go Into The Story | Tweet

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read.
Birdman

SELF-PUBLISHING

Writing Your Book’s Back-Cover Copy, Jane Friedman | Tweet

So you’ve written your book, you’ve chosen your title and cover design, and you’re breathing a sigh of relief. Now you have to decide what goes on the back cover. New authors sometimes rush this decision, writing the first thing that comes to mind. After all, it’s the back of the book. How important can it be?

How To Write Back Cover Copy That Sells: And Other Marketing Materials to Promote Your Book

Create Digital Products to Boost Your Freelance Income: How 5 Writers Did It, The Write Life | Tweet

Did you know you can sell a single piece of work over and over in perpetuity? Without a book deal or contract?

CREATIVITY

Pushing yourself to be more creative every day, Creative Something | Tweet

It’s easy to slip into a pattern of routine, even when it comes to creative endeavors.
The Creativity Challenge: Design, Experiment, Test, Innovate, Build, Create, Inspire, and Unleash Your Genius

CUISINE

The rise of the guest chef, WSJ | Tweet

Can’t get to Paris, San Sebastián or Tokyo for dinner? With more and more chefs making cameo appearances in each other’s kitchens, you could just wait for one of the world’s top toques to pop up in a restaurant near you.

PSYCHOLOGY