Friday Links for Writers: 02.01.13

February 1st. Jam-packed January, where did you go?

If your week has gone like mine, it’s been a busy one. Lots of boots-on-the-ground work with little time spent reflecting.

Despite the pace, what has made it a great week has been some of the great reading and links I’ve come across.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Last week’s Friday Links featured great resources for writers working on a novel draft. This week features a couple more great links for novel and short story writers, but also 2 that are specifically for social media consultants or bloggers.

Enjoy, and feel free to suggest your own favorite reads in the comments!

*     *     *     *     *

Tikka’s litter born at our house a few years back. Masala, Attaluna, Twinkle, Orangey, Lilybird and Sunset. c Elissa Field

Written Kitten

Wondering if I should explain this one or let it be a surprise. So, you ever say you want to write x-number of words a day but just can’t find the right, hmm, incentive to keep you going? What if someone invented — just hypothetically — a frame you could type in and — kind of like those mice trained to get a treat if they ring a bell — every time you typed 100 words a cute picture popped up on the screen beside your words? If you need a genuinely silly motivator to get your writing going, click this one.

Poets & Writers Tools for Writers

What to do now that Duotrope has turned to a paid-subscription service?  If you are submitting short fiction, Poets & Writers is one of the most generous resources available. This link takes you to their Tools for Writers page, which features coming contest deadlines, literary magazines, conferences, and even writing prompts and a Speakeasy discussion board that pre-dates most online venues. If you’ve never discovered the site, it’s definitely worth a look.

How to Write a Query Letter: A Flowchart

For those of you ready to query, literary agent staffer and freelance editor, Cassandra Marshall, shared this simple flowchart to guide you. (This one made it to my Pinterest. If you’re a pinner – or curious – here’s link to my boards.)

7 Libraries of Sensational Photographs You Can Use for Free

On his website, Bestseller Labs, author Jonathan Gunson shares links to 7 sources of photos available for use without royalties. It is good blogging practice to include an effective photo with each post, but it’s important to be able to accurately verify source information and availability to avoid inadvertent copyright infringement. This is the largest list of resources I’ve seen in one place.

7 Shortcuts for Fast Blog Posts

This post on Joan Stewart’s The Publicity Hound recognizes that many writers set January goals to post more often on their website, and offers 7 shortcuts for creating fast posts. On the flipside, for those of us writing social media for clients, it’s a great go-to list for generating posts for client sites. Some of her strategies can be transformed into a process for new client interaction, like asking clients to gather “frequent customer questions” to generate a list of likely articles.

What did you find in these links that is useful to you? Let me know if you want more on a particular subject, or share your own best finds.

*     *     *     *     *

If you like this blog, be sure to subscribe using WordPress’s +follow option, or via email or RSS feed.  I love to connect with like-minded readers and writers!

My car’s view while I’m in a fiction workshop today (Freedom Tower, overlooking Biscayne Bay, Miami)

Recent Posts:

• Last Week’s Friday Links 01.25.13
• A listing of all Friday Links appears on Links & Where to Find Me
• Last month’s January Challenge:
  • January Challenge: Finish, Begin, Improve, Plan
  • January Challenge Week 2: Start Something
• A “vintage” post: Writing Life: A Zen Prompt for Writing Past Blocks