J. Mark Miller | A Writer's Fantasy |

With a name like Chaotic Shiny a website’s gotta be good right?

I have to thank Lynn Viehl at Paperback Writer for posting a bunch of links to Chaotic Shiny’s generators. I’ve already put one of them to good use.

I’m sure many of you have used name generators before—and this site has those—but the real beauty here is the sheer number of generators I’ve never seen anywhere else.

The Civilization Generator helped me flesh out an idea for the central culture of a novel I hope to write in the next year or so. You’ll find generators for superstitions, mottos, laws, languages, and much more.

I highly recommend you bookmark Chaotic Shiny.

I just got The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell in the mail yesterday. I haven’t had a chance to get very far into it, but I know it’s going to be good.

How do I know? Well, here’s a simple paragraph from the introduction. Tell me this doesn’t sell the book.

“Because I am, like you, a writer. We understand each other. We are not like other people. We are, in fact, pitiable wretches.”

If those lines don’t resonate with you, you’re probably not a writer.


.

The weekend is here, and it’s time for me to buckle down and get some writing done—in between yard work, family in town, and special events. Oh, and I must not forget the Sunday ritual of watching Stargate Universe and Doctor Who.

On to this week’s links.

Slush Metrics at Gabrielle Edits

Writing Wisdom from Dave Cullen at Rants & Ramblings (Rachelle Gardner)

The Worst of Contracts by Chip MacGregor

FAQ: Fanfic by Charles Stross

Feeling Like A Loser? Go Outside for Five Minutes at Consumerist (great advice for writers)

The Series Bible by Nathan Bransford (Scrivener is a killer app for helping you accomplish this easily)

7 steps to creativity – how to have ideas at Write to Done

Are You Getting These 5 Daily Writing Vitamins? at Write it Sideways

Agent Barbara Poelle On: Three Things Debut Authors Should Know When Signing With an Agent by Chuck Sambuchino

Happy writing and enjoy the weekend!

Here’s my weekly review of great reads from my feed reader.

Asimov’s starts accepting digital submissions TODAY. [tor.com]

Need a Story? Check Lost and Found by Roy Peter Clark

Taking My Art Seriously at Messy Canvas

Choosing the first lines at DGLM blog

A fragilistic look at the expialidocious by Jason Henninger [tor.com]

The key to selling your book is the cover letter at Write for Your Life

Have a great weekend.

Happy writing!

If you are a frequent reader of agent and editor blogs like I am, much of the information below is old news. If, by some chance, you are just starting out and trying to figure out what a query letter is, and how to promote yourself and your writing, here are some great, down-to-the-basics posts written over the last couple of days.

The Query by Natalie Whipple

What is reasonable in a book contract? by Chip McGregor

7 Blogs Every Author Should Follow at Author Tech Tips

Terms to Know: Right of First Refusal at Pimp My Novel

Will I Get Published Any Other Way? at How Publishing Really Works

Infographic: The Mechanics of Book Publishing at io9

Happy writing!

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a big fan of NaNoWriMo. It’s a great way to get people who are on the fence about writing to buckle down and participate. Many who give it try fizzle out quickly, but there are those who stick with the stuff and pound out the minimum 50,000 words. Sure, the vast majority of what is written during the month of November is drivel, but the cream will rise to the top. Some of those who have participated have gone on to become published authors.

Either way, simply sitting down and committing to the writing life is a good thing. Every word written down, whether on paper or in pixels, is a learning experience. This year’s horrible writer goes on to become next year’s mediocre writer who then goes on to be a good then great writer in the future.

If you’re thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo 2010, you might want to get a head start and begin planning your novel now. Worldbuilding, character creation, conflict and resolution, these are all things you can have worked out ahead of time. Start outlining your novel now, and you’ll find writing the minimum word count is really not all that hard because you’re not forcing yourself to make it all up as you go along.

Here are a couple of resources to help you plan things out.

From Lazette Gifford comes a guide to surviving NaNoWriMo. Honestly, I haven’t read through the whole thing myself, but have seen numerous recommendations about the guide mostly because of the section on Phase Outlining. This ebook is full of tips and tricks from a long-time NaNo participant who is herself a published author and editor. Click here: NaNo for the New and the Insane, and download either the PDF version or the MOBI/Kindle version.

From the Young Writer’s Program of NaNoWriMo comes three separate guides for young novelists. Though written for children, adults will find a wealth of wisdom about the basics of writing and composition, especially in the High School edition. Completing these workbooks during November while striving to write a novel may be too much, so download one and go through it ahead of time to be more prepared for the big event. Click Here: Young Novelist Workbooks, and choose your age-appropriate PDF for download.

If you’re a writer who’s been doing little more than plinking around and want to get serious about your art, consider giving NaNoWriMo a try. It might just be the kick in the pants you need.

Yeah, another week without a post. That’s what happens when a body spends all their spare time writing and watching Battlestar Galactica. Here are some nice links to say I’m sorry, or something like that.

10 Quick Tips for Concise & Compelling Writing at Write to Done

The submission process at the DGLM blog

Writer as Career v Writer as Identity by Justine Larbalestier

How Long? by Rachelle Gardner

7 Things I’ve Learned So Far by James Dashner at Guide to Literary Agents

Dig a Little Deeper – Getting to Know Your Characters at the Query Tracker blog

Read These Seven Books, and You’ll be a Better Writer by Don Miller

10 Words Invented by Authors at Mental Floss

Steven Erikson’s Notes on a Crisis Part IV – The Next Novel at Life as a Human

15 Reader Frustrations to Avoid in Your Novel at Write it Sideways

Should You Self Publish? Ten Questions to Ask Yourself by Nathan Bransford

Tapitty Tap by Tobias Buckell

Drop Dead! from How to Kill Your Imaginary Friends

What skills does a writer need to develop? by Chip MacGregor

A dialogue with a book pirate at Futurismic

And lastly, look at this wonderful poster from Oh It’s Fine

Happy writing!

Interesting and informative reads from my feed reader over the last couple of weeks. Happy Spring everybody.

How to Format a Query Letter by Nathan Bransford

10 Things You Can Do Now to Promote the Novel You Haven’t Even Sold Yet at Novel Journey

How to Create a Strategic Writing Plan—Tips for Organized Writers at Quips and Tips for Successful Writers

Rethinking Your Story: The Power of ‘Arena’ at Story Fix

Kindle for Mac has been released

Stretching the Tension: Keep Threats Alive at There Are No Rules

what if a submission needs more work? at Editorial Ass

Guns, Lots of Guns – Ten Tips for Writing about Guns at Fiction Matters

Write What You Don’t Know at Science Fiction & Fantasy Novelists

Writing Tips from Max Lucado at Guide to Literary Agents

The Ten Best Things You Can Do for Your Manuscript by The Intern

Motivation Tips that Actually Work: 6 Sure-Fire Ways To Get Writing and Keep Writing at write to done

How to Flip Your Self-Doubts as a Writer at Write it Sideways

An Aside | Ten Rules for Writing Fiction by Daniel Abraham at A Dribble of Ink

Interesting, informative, and inspirational links from my feed reader over the last week. Enjoy.

The Best Science Fiction Would Work without any Science at All at io9

Best Eclipse Photo Ever at Mental Floss

The #1 Reason You’ll Never Finish Your Novel at Write it Sideways

6 Ways to Hook Your Readers from the Very First Line at Write it Sideways

Autocorrect is your friend by Gary Corby

How did you get the word out? by kt literary

10 Book Burnings at Mental Floss

The Last-Glance Editing Checklist at Gabrielle Edits

A Plot-Defining Disturbance at There Are No Rules

Tales from the Slush at Futurismic

Why prologues often don’t work at Pub Rants

Freewriters vs. Outliners at Suvudu

How to Trim Your Query to 250 (or Fewer) at Guide to Literary Agents

Tight Focus: Resist Telling Nonessential Details at There Are No Rules

Attacking by Retreating at SF Novelists

Here are some good links that came through my feed reader over the last week. Some are industry news, and some are meant to spur your imagination. Enjoy.

Antarctica’s “Blood Falls” on Mental Floss

Debut Analysis for Aspiring Writers by Tia Nevitt

How to Leave Your Readers Better than You Found Them

Gadgets and/or Words that are Fun to Say on Tor.com

Lost’s Off-Island Character Coincidences Mapped Out on io9

12 Secrets to Being a Super-Prolific Short-Story Writer on io9

The Importance of Writing Every Day on Writing Without Supervision

How to Improve Your Writing in One Step on Fuel Your Writing

Travel the Universe on Zero Units of Energy Per Day on io9

Five Ways to Overcome Fear of Success for Writers on The Adventurous Writer

“Smirk” and Other Words to Avoid by kt literary