Happy Holidays! Marissa and I would like to wish you much joy in the holiday season. We hope you spend it surrounded with love, and that you still manage to sneak in time for a little writing. We’re also delighted to welcome Clara Kensie, Cecilia Ramirez, and Cambria Dillon to the blog. They will be joining us in hunting up posts for our weekly round-up. Cam, of course, will also be helping out with our Tuesday craft post.

Book Reviews

• List! [Hey, There’s A Dead Guy in the Living Room] Great ‘Best’ list of YA books. Have you read them all?
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand [Candace’s Book Blog] Sounds like a fantastic book–and not the same old angel story.
• Writer’s Wednesday: Book Review Preacher’s Bride [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] Jody Hedlund’s book is one you can’t put down.
• Ways To Get ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) [Reading, Writing and Waiting] Want free books? Read them and review them. And then…
• FIVE Challenge: 5 Great Series [Frenetic Reader] Have you read all these?
• 10 Days Left of 2010…and my Top 5 Books of the Year [Some Things I Think…] Five books with brilliant writing.
• Marvelous Middle Grade Monday–Princess Academy (and a Giveaway!) [Shannon Whitney Messenger] High marks for this Newbery Honor winner.
• Captivate by Carrie Jones [The Bookologist] The series just keeps getting better and better.
• Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer – Review [Reading, Writing and Waiting] ‘One deliciously creepy read.’
• Book Review: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Just as good, if not better than the first book.
• Guest Post: C. Lee Mckenzie [WORD for Teens] Excellent post on her new book and her writing.
• The Power of the Recommendation [Hey, There’s A Dead Guy in the Living Room] Ask for books to help them sell.
• The State of Me – End of the Year Summation [Holly Black] Round up of @HollyBlack’s 2010 books and writing.

Congrats

• Writer Unboxed [writerunboxed.com]
• A. Victoria Mixon, Editor [victoriamixon.com]
• Top 10 Blogs For Writers: Thanks For Your Vote! | The Creative Penn [www.thecreativepenn.com] YAY @thecreativepenn! One of our favorite bloggers and tweeters!
• Wordplay Named One of the Top Ten Blogs for Writers [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] A well deserved honor for one of our favorite blogs.
• Reader’s Choice Awards 2010: Thank you for my nomination! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Congratulations, Eleni! You’ve earned it!
• CONGRATS to our own Susanne! [GotYA] Congrats to Susanne Winnacker and Sarah Davies for the sale of THE OTHER LIFE to Marshall Cavendish.
• Happy Holidays, Happy News [Through The Wardrobe] Yay, Janet! Her 3rd historical YA novel to pub in early 2013!
• Awesome news!!! [Jade hears voices] Congrats, Lisa Aldin for signing with Caren Johnson Literary!
• I’m Thrilled to Share… [Caroline by line] Congrats! Schwartz and Wade has picked up MAY B for probable spring 2012 release.

Contests

• Interview & Giveaway with Ellen Schreiber, Author of Once in a Full Moon [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Win Ellen’s new book!
• Some Tips on Evaluating Literary Contests [Writer Beware™ Blogs!] Is it worth entering?
• Days of Christmas Giveaway–Day 4 [Searching] Win a 5-page critique from Bethany Wiggins. Comment to enter.
• Contest and Book Review: Hometown Girl by Michele Ashman Bell [Queen of the Clan] Chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card and a good review.
• Ten Tantalizing Questions for Lisa Desrochers, Author of Personal Demons [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Interview and giveaway. Enter by 2/27.
• Book Giveaways Galore [Heather’s Odyssey] Get your free book fix with these giveaways.
• Week of Awesome Continues…Giveaway Extravaganza! [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] Four prizes. Enter by 12/29.

Craft of Writing

• Resist the Urge to Explain [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Write a story so strong and deep that it doesn’t require any commentary.
• Guest Post: Using Defense Mechanisms for Characters by Laura Diamond [* Fiction Groupie *] Twelve ways to add tension to your novel.
• Guest Blogger S. Kyle Davis: J.K. Rowling and Plot Planning [Literary Rambles] Seven steps to a better novel.
• A Case for Villains [QueryTracker.net] No villain=no conflict=no plot=no point.
• Day Twenty-two — 3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Three questions to shore up your novel’s middle.
• Writing advice [Buffy’s write zone] The seven most important tips for dialogue.
• Stocking Stuffers for Writers: Emotion [The Bookshelf Muse] Five GREAT tips to help you master emotion and make it move your story.
• Tip Thursday: Tips and Tricks for Beginning Writers [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] Five great tips!
• Author Voice–Shannon Style [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Studying other writers’ voices and finding yours.
• Stocking Stuffers for Writers: Drafting [The Bookshelf Muse] 5 excellent tips for the drafting stage.
• 3 Signs Your Story’s Characters Are Too Perfect [www.publetariat.com] Perspective on a common problem that leaves readers disappointed.
• Modeling Protagonists After Real Life Heroes [Let The Words Flow » Modeling Protagonists After Real Life Heroes] What makes a hero in real life? Does your mc have that quality?
• Your characters offstage [The Literary Lab] What do they do and how do you keep track?
• Vulnerable Characters and… Independence Day? [Confessions of a YA Writer] Your character has to crack to be truly likeable.
• 10 Best Tweets of 2010 [There Are No Rules] Fantastic articles on craft, getting published & marketing your book.
• Guest Post: 4 Reasons Every Novelist Can Benefit From Writing a Screenplay [NouveauWriter] An interesting approach with new perspectives.
• Sounds Good to Me: Words That Sound Like What They Mean, but Aren’t Onomatopoeia [The Other Side of the Story] The beauty and brilliance of the perfect word.
• How I Read Craft Books [Anna Staniszewski] Read them with a specific WIP in mind, or for general knowledge?
• How to establish your characters: openings [Show Some Character!] Put them in action and in conflict.
• Connecting With Your Reader [The Sharp Angle] 4 ways to hook your reader to your MC.
• Getting to Know Your Characters: A Roundup of Posts [All about them words] Many links for all things character.
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Daycare [The Bookshelf Muse] All the experiences your senses can expect.
• Specificity [Book Dreaming] Use RENNS to make your writing more visual.
• The 7 Deadly Sins of Paranormal Romance [Guide to Literary Agents] Info dump, fetishism, boring dialogue, overdone spec, violence overload, up-front glossary, Mary Sue mc.
• Subtext again [edittorrent] The best dialogue has subtext.
• LinkShare 6: A Roundup of Great Writer Links Across the Web [BubbleCow] Five excellent articles via @Bubblecow
• Dolly Parton Without Cleavage [Book Dreaming] A plot without action is like…
• Find Your Plot Fridays: Developing Your Story [The Other Side of the Story] Ask how does it serve the character arcs?
• Point of View – First Person, Third Person, or Objective? [Craft– First Person, Third Person, or Objective?][Let The Words Flow » Point of View – First Person, Third Person, or Objective?] P.O.V. 101.
• Writing — Character Development via Location [Craft— Character Development via Location][Magical Words] Excellent point! But don’t go overboard.
• Don’t Ask “Why?” Dig Deep, Find the Answer to “Why Now?” [Craft“Why?” Dig Deep, Find the Answer to “Why Now?”][Writer Unboxed] What created the crossroads?

Critiquing

• Get Your Synopsis Critiqued at My January 6 Webinar [Guide to Literary Agents] Great opp for adult, kidlit, & memoir writers.

Inspiration

• Why Do You Write? [Ingrid’s Notes] Six fantastic lists for craft and inspiration.
• Will All Good Writers Be Published? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] ‘Persist even with no guarantee of reaching your goal.’
• How to be a great writer [James Killick’s Blog] Seven tips you need to consider.
• 1000, 500, and 250 words a day: Personal Writer Challenge … With Leeway [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers – by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] @Inkyelbows challenges you to up your inspiration.
• Q&A: Eleven Ways to Become a Sucker for the Unfamiliar [Writer Unboxed] How do you get through the fear of a writing project?
• Listen. Listen. [QueryTracker.net] Brilliant post. Believe you have something to say. Pass it on.
• What stands in the way of your goals–and how to overcome it [Time to Write] Writerly lessons from the NYT ‘money’ section.
• Your Writing Circle [GENREALITY] Why rubbing elbows with other writers is important.
• 8 Easy Things To Do BEFORE You Start Your Novel [Guide to Literary Agents] Close the door and turn everything electronic off.
• Agent Advice: Roseanne Wells of Marianne Strong Literary [Guide to Literary Agents] ‘Write the best book you can.’
• The Vote is On – Get Jeanne on Film Courage! [Scriptchat] Support @jeannevb by voting NOW!
• Secret Project Update and Editing Things [Publishing Lane] Fat vs. lean drafts, process, and some good links.
• Going Green [YA Author Elana Johnson] Are you jealous of authors with an easy road to pub?
• Setting Writing Goals—Step 3 [Inspiration—Step 3][Mystery Writing is Murder] Practice writing every day and do not judge. You WILL improve.
• Setting Writing Goals—Step One [Inspiration—Step One][Mystery Writing is Murder] Set specific, bite-sized goals.
• Setting Writing Goals—Step Two [Inspiration—Step Two][Mystery Writing is Murder] Fantastic links to get you started in 2011.

Issues

• Teen Super-Human Powers of Persuasion: How to encourage and empower them to advocate for their libraries [YALSA] Five questions to guide teens to advocacy.
• Reading is Fundamental Fundraiser Launches on Twitter [GalleyCat] Pledge your support for literacy. #donaterif
• Dropbox: New Favorite Writing Tool for the Writer on the Move [Cheryl’s Musings] Have your files at your fingertips wherever you go.
• Should I Post My Writing Online? [Kidlit.com] How much of a work posted would affect selling rights?
• Is My Idea a Short Story? [Anna Staniszewski] How to know when you’ve developed a short story.

Just for Smiles

• I Need Your Help! [Just for Smiles][Kody’s Blog] Like country music? Help Kody with her playlist!
• GIFT NO: 8 – The future of books… [Just for Smiles][Help! I Need a Publisher!] GREAT! In case you missed this before, it needs repeating.
• The Twelve Days of a Writer’s Christmas [Just for Smiles][Magical Words] Does your wishlist look like this?
• The Grinch Who Stole Confidence [Just for Smiles][Julie Musil] Fun poem about the confidence to write. We have to BELIEVE.
• That Creepy Old Man in a Red Suit Who Doesn’t Even Sparkle [Just for Smiles][Kiersten Writes] Don’t let Santa give your children underwear.
• Comic: Snowman Gift [Just for Smiles][Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers – by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] Another adorable comic by Debbie.
• Comic: Mom’s Christmas Wish List [Just for Smiles][Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers – by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] What writer can’t relate?
• Why I Love My Local Library [Just for Smiles][YA Muses] Five excellent reasons.
• Penguin Sells Mini Cooper to Raise Money for the New York Public Library [Just for Smiles][GalleyCat] Want an autographed, literary car?
• Google’s massive word database: Fun for the logocentric [Just for Smiles][Jacket Copy] Track word-usage in books over time.
• Greedy Little Writers [Just for Smiles][Writers’ Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Great gifts for writers!
• Dear Superior Person: Publishing Grab Bag Edition, with Special Book Recommendation Bonus [Just for Smiles][The Rejectionist] Outstanding. And I second the book recommendation.

Self-Editing

• Stocking Stuffers for Writers: Revision [The Bookshelf Muse] 5 simple tips to make editing easier.
• Danglers again [edittorrent] A doozy of an example. Don’t dangle those participles.
• 10 Ways to Finish that Danged First Draft (take 2) [It’s a Mystery] Want to be THIS YEAR? Read this.
• Day Twenty-one–3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Find deeper meaning in your novel by rereading the first and last 1/4.
• Revising 😀 [The Publication Follies of Alexandra Shostak] Don’t try to change too many things in one draft.
• Day Twenty–3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Read your first draft like a reader, but do not judge.
• Revisions vs Rewrites [YA Highway] Get some distance.
• Most Common Mistakes Series: Are Your Verbs Showing or Telling? [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] No problem- it’s a simple fix.
• Golden Oldie: I Had to Do That: Clarifying Vague Pronouns [The Other Side of the Story] Often overlooked but very important tip.
• Online Style Guides [edittorrent] Specialized info, jargon, etc. useful for research.
• Blast From The Past: Telling When You Think You’re Showing [Sisters in Scribe] Are you tagging your emotions?
• Day Sixteen — 3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month — [Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers] Fantastic questions to ask yourself while plotting.

Social Media

• Q&A: the agent search and building an online community [Writer Unboxed] Great blogging success recipe for unpubbed writers.
• How To Improve Your Blog With Annabel Candy, Get In The HotSpot [The Creative Penn] Two posts a week will get do the trick.
• Finding Your Unique Blogging Voice [Author, Jody Hedlund] Are you parroting everyone else in the blogosphere?
• My Little Experiment OR How To Manage an Online Presence as an Author [Paranormal Point of View] The how’s and why’s of social media. Great!
• How to Blog Part IV—What the #%*! Should I Blog About? [Social Media—What the #%*! Should I Blog About?][Anne R. Allen’s Blog] Helpful post on ideas for your own blog.

To Market

• The Truth About Feedback [Confessions From Suite 500] Four reasons feedback from an agent isn’t feasible.
• Agent Spotlight: Jennifer Carlson [Literary Rambles] Enjoys high-quality fiction with a modern edge, including YA.
• Dealing With Rejection [Kidlit.com] The four stages of writing competence on the way to mastery.
• Angry Robot opens to subsmissions [Ripping Ozzie Reads] Open in March for genre novel subs, including fantasy, UF, SF and horror.
• How to Pitch Evatopia Literary Management [GalleyCat] Actively looking for YA and MG.
• Agents: Gatekeepers or Champions? [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] An eyeopener to remind you why you need an agent to protect you.
• Query Hiatus (11/15 to 1/5) [Confessions From Suite 500] Suzie Townsend closing to queries temporarily.
• Know Thy Genre/Category Classification [Confessions From Suite 500] Good info on querying.
• Tailoring Submissions (part 2) [Buried in the Slush Pile] Want to know how to guage an editor’s taste?
• New Agent Alert: Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for YA contemp.
• I got THE CALL! … Um now what? [Jennifer Represents…] Informative post for anyone querying.
• 57 Good Reasons to Come to the Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC, January 21-23 [Guide to Literary Agents] 57 agents, two hours to pitch as many as you can.
• internship [Bent on Books] Great op. Jenny Bent is looking for an intern!
• Tidbits [Writer Beware™ Blogs!] Great list of thou-shalt-nots for querying.
• Two more superhero anthologies are looking for submissions; a third is out! [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Short story opportunities!
• How I Got My Agent: Alma Katsu [Guide to Literary Agents] Smart story about getting pubbed at 40.
• Quote of the day [Buffy’s write zone] Love this one.
• Writing Wednesday – Guide to Literary Agents [To Market– Guide to Literary Agents][Novel Novice] Excellent site! If you’re not already familiar with the great articles, go look now.
• ‘Best of the AME Blog’ Marketing Tips of 2010 [‘After the Sale][Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG] Five great blog posts you don’t want to miss.

 Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• Jane Friedman of Writer’s Digest also does a wonderful list of best tweets of the previous week. 
• Alice Pope does a Wednesday Tweet Roundup for the SCBWI Children’s Market Blog.
• Northern Colorado Writers do This Week in the Writing World every Friday.
• Jennifer Roland does a Writing Roundup on Fridays.
• Ricki Schultz does an “In the Blogosphere” post on Fridays where she lists posts she’s stumbled across during the week.
• Elizabeth Craig has started posting a weekly list of all her helpful Twitter posts.
• And don’t forget to check Nathan Bransford’s blog later this morning for his weekly recap of publishing news and information.
• Saturday Link Party [Forever Young] Jessica rounds up fun and interesting links.
• Stina Linddenblatt does a Cool Links Friday. This week, she caught a lot I wish we had on ours. I know what I’m doing for the next few minutes!
• DuoLit does a weekly list of links with some emphasis on self-publishing and marketing.
• YA Highway’s Friday Road Trip hits the high points of the publishing industry, writing craft, submissions process, and other fun stuff.
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations does a Cynsational author and book news review.

Did we miss anything? Anyone? Please leave a comment!

Happy reading and joyous writing,

Martina & Marissa