Sharing is Caring: My Weekly Online Finds

The posts here are a mash-up of interesting things I’ve found or learned from during the preceding week. This could be material from blog posts, articles, video clips, etc.

Current (Pop) Culture Chattering

• Now that you’ve enjoyed the 84th Academy Awards, check out their website, which provides the official backstage pass.  The history timeline is fascinating.
• Whitney Houston was laid to rest last weekend.  Think that would end the media frenzy?  Nope.  From worries about her daughter’s possible addiction issues to the selling of casket photos to continued hate spewed at Bobby Brown, the story selling continues.
• American Idol now has its top 24.  The show’s site is gearing up with contestant interviews, background info and performance clips.

Wicked Writing Wisdom

Suzannah Windsor Freeman’s Writing the Right Story vs Writing the Story Right provided an “ah-ha” moment for me for where I’ve been with some stalled short stories and the hiccup I felt with my novel outline.  Suzannah’s provides advice on knowing how to handle the drive of a story so it is crafted right.

In Can We Have Too Much Voice, Jami Gold helps us identify moments in our writing where the characters’ thoughts could be overriding the action and momentum of the story.

Ollin Morales uses an analysis of the movie Drive in Style Vs. Substance (And The Key To Mastering Both) to provide strategies for incorporating both in writing.

Eliminating Unnecessary Plot Complications provides an example of how Elizabeth Craig edited out a fascinating, yet unnecessary, plot point to keep a story clean for the reader and for her to write.

Making Media Magic

I headed back to Jenny Hansen’s digs to learn more from her Triberr series.  Well, that and to score some possible treats since she’s going gluten free.  Triberr Part 5: The Boneyard and Other Tribe-y Hot Spots gives details on how to score bones and share from Triberr on other social media platforms.

Jane Friedman’s 5 Keys to Writing for an Online Audience on Writer Unboxed provides five succinct reminders to keep readers reading and allow our work to be searchable, thus found.

Are your ears filled with all this chatter about Pinterest?  Have you joined, but are lost as to how it can be relevant for you?  Marcia Richards provides a some great starter tips with 16 Reasons Pinterest is Worth Your Time.

Once you are up and running, check out Mashable’s list of 10 Most Followed Users on Pinterest.

I loved Roni Loren’s Author Websites: Layering Yours With Sticky Extras because she provides creative ideas that can be implemented by new writers/bloggers without completed books as well as seasoned authors.

Frolicking Fun Finds

I love writing prompts and other opportunities to generate fresh ideas.  James Loscombe’s Ten Fun Writing Exercises provide just that.

Hankering for something productive to do as you procrastinate from writing?  Yippee for Jill Kemerer and her Writer’s Survival Guide 2: The Art of Not Writing.

Naomi Bulger’s Favourite things Friday – toothache sweeties provides five way creative ideas.

Catie Rhodes invites us into her birthday month celebration with A Year in The Life.

Imaginative, Insightful, Inspirational

Reading Janet Callaway’s 21 Quotes from Maya Angelou for a Better Life is a great reflection on the wisdom of Ms. Angelou’s spirit.

While a little longer read, Porter Anderson’s most recent Writing on the Ether (on Jane Friedman’s blog) provides a range of insight on Amazon pricing, library struggles with the limitations of some publishers’ eBooks and some of the remaining resistance to eBooks in general.

Angela Orlowski-Peart shows us in How I Have Overcome My Old Fear the new opportunity for fun that has been opened.

In Ten Obstacles to Creativity–and How to Overcome Them, Cheryl Reif provides links galore for overcoming a feisty inner critic, fighting perfectionism and beyond.

Beverly Diehl found a creative way to honor a selection of military men with Men in Uniform – Who Could Ask for Anything More? #MancandyMonday.

Being Free… from Brave Girls Club.  Says it all, eh?

I’d love to hear from you!  Were there any other posts this week that inspired you, provided some new writing insights or just made you giggle?