Friday Interesting Links times two

Oops. I forgot to cross-post last week's Interesting Links, so those of you who missed the notice about my new blog may not have seen them.

For October 31st:
It must still be Friday because I haven’t been to sleep yet, right? World Fantasy is a wonderful experience, with interesting panels, enjoyable readings, and fascinating people to talk to (including a discussion on overuse of adjectives ). Anyway, I haven’t had much time to read email, even less time to read online materials, so the showings are a little sparse, but I think some are worth it.

Science

You don’t have to be Superman anymore to have X-Ray vision:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18036-augmented-reality-system-lets-you-see-through-walls.html

Submitting...
To read more, click: http://margaretfisk.mmfcf.com/blog/?p=722

November 6th:
It’s Friday, which means it’s time to post interesting links. However, I have not had the chance for much web reading, so the pickings are extremely slim. All right, one. I have one interesting link for you, but it’s very interesting.

Science

Native language is something absorbed before even birth, according to this study:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091105/sc_livescience/newbornbabiescryinnativetongue

That said, I did finish reading Escapement by Jay Lake...
To read more, click: http://margaretfisk.mmfcf.com/blog/?p=725

Friday's Interesting Links, and on the move

There's no reading section this week, because I'm not done with the book I am reading, and you'll find the selection on links is a little sparse. I've had an incredibly productive week, but it took me a bit to get back into the swing of things on the Web after the Muse Online Conference, so I didn't have time to read as many links as I usually do. You might also notice that my interesting links have a new home, along with all my posts from both my Thinking and Writing blogs. I've been planning to consolidate onto my website for a while, but I was having some difficulty getting Blogger to give up the old material. As you can see, that is no longer a problem.

So, if you're reading this on Stray Thoughts, please click over to Tales to Tide You Over and visit my home. For those of you already here, welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay and check back frequently. If you haven't been here before, please click the HOME link at the top of the page to see the rest of my site.

Writing

A good reminder about sanity in this gig:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/03/ten-commandments-for-happy-writer.html

YES! We are artists making point by point decisions, not computers churning out results to specification, and I'm a programmer so actually understand the work that getting those results take. It sounds very hoity-toity, and I don't mean it in the way that avoids editing, but applying a "rule" blindly can weaken the text more than using all the tools in the chest as they were intended.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2009/10/20/TheMuchMalignedAdverb.aspx

Fun comic about plot twists:
http://dresdencodak.com/2009/05/11/42-essential-3rd-act-twists/

A thought on the meta message being sent by YA fiction:
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/32

Because we all need the reminder that our carefully edited and polished manuscripts will be edited again after acceptance:
http://kmessner.livejournal.com/126769.html

Submitting

An approach to synopsis writing with potential:
http://frohock.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/another-take-on-the-synopsis/

Some agents want to see how you found them, some want to see who you think you write like, and others want the exact opposite. It only goes to show just how different agents can be.
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/08/query-dissection-kelly-gays-better-part.html

Proof that publishing runs in cycles. The "standalone" label has become powerful again. A lowdown on the state of series:
http://kidlit.com/2009/10/21/querying-with-a-series-series-in-general/

A peek into "almost there":
http://magicalwords.net/cemurphy/one-step-shy/

Science

Robots are cool, but that this is a local discovery is even better :).
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427305.600-hydrogen-muscle-silences-the-domestic-robot.html

And on the other end of the spectrum, a Bronze Age town:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18023-underwater-town-breaks-antiquity-record.html

Friday's Interesting Links

What I'm Reading

Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix - This reads like Alice in Wonderland for a younger audience. Crazy things happen in an unreal world all tied to a human boy who has been chosen as the one to fix everything. It's fast-paced, full of reluctant choices, and holds together well. Though I enjoyed Nix's YA voice in Abhorsen, I think his MG voice is actually more my style in this particular moment because there's a true feeling of the fantastical, more so than in a constructed fantasy world where everything has a logical basis. This novel is crazy, wild, and random...and yet is not so random that I was ever lost. It's just a fun read.

Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermeer - This book was written just for me, or so it seems, combining a mystical, philosophical cyberpunk world with a touch of the sapience question and what it means when genetic manipulation removes humanity. These are all elements that have spoken to me a time or two, or three or four. The tone of the novel is surreal, the information offered through a mist where the POV characters can only see as far as they can stretch their hands and yet still strike out as best they can to change what they don't want to admit is true. Powerful writing that's very evocative. I don't think this book is everyone's cup of tea, and there are many moods when it wouldn't have called so strongly, but if you're interested in the test of human psyche, in the way people react when thrust into extreme conditions of civilization, this is a solid contender. The novel itself becomes Living Art, something you'll understand when you read it.

Submitting

Author Sally MacKenzie describes her agent quest:
http://romanceuniversity.org/2009/10/12/the-great-agent-hunt/

Tips for live pitching:
http://abrokenlaptop.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/pitching-for-the-terrified-the-actual-pitch/
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/09/tell-me-story.html

This may be an old article, but Ethan Ellenberg's advice on finding the right agent still seems true based on my experience so it's worth checking out:
http://www.bksp.org/content/view/40/1/

Promoting

What authors can expect from their publishers for marketing:
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-do-publishers-bring-to-table.html

The last two weeks before publication:
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/10/your-pub-date-minus-two-weeks.html

Publishing

Another older article from 2002 on the publishing industry and poor choices. The sad part of it is that the contents are still true today as far as I can tell, except for the reading percentage which is heading up.
http://www.bksp.org/content/view/41/1/

Measuring a career:
http://www.romantictimes.com/authors_tip.php?tip=914

Writing

The agent/author relationship demystified:
http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=1841

A follow up on the concept that there's more to being a writer than just words:
http://alisonwells.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/5-ways-to-be-a-writer-when-you%e2%80%99re-not-writing/

This truly belongs in science by content, but is most interesting for character creation in my mind. How about those psychopaths?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427304.000-psychopaths-are-distracted-not-coldblooded.html

A take on backstory--how, why, and when to use it.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/05/black-sheep-of-fiction-writingguest.html

The cold hard truth about writing for kids:
http://www.writing-world.com/children/myths.shtml

Science

Human/robot weirdness is not limited to humans. And they are looking at using this research to help treat autism.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427303.800-macaques-are-creeped-out-by-cyberselves.html

A new pterosaur!
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn15018-pick-of-the-pictures

Imagine having one of these appear next to you:
http://www.livescience.com/animals/091013-flying-reptile.html

Friday's Interesting Links

What I'm Reading

I'm going to the World Fantasy convention at the end of this month so I thought that I'd take a peek at books by those I know will be there. So far, I've finished Abhorsen by Garth Nix and Vamped by Lucienne Diver, and enjoyed both.

Abhorsen is the third book in a series, and it says something about the author's skill that when I opened my mind to his world, I had no trouble at all following what was going on. (Admittedly, that's a skill of mine, but if the author hasn't put the hooks in place, I'm just as lost as someone who can't do that.) The story is an end of the world/good vs. evil tale with likeable characters who are struggling to handle what they've been given. Both of the main characters, Lirael and Sam, grew up expecting one thing only to have another thrust upon them. They have to figure out what to do without help from their parents or anyone with knowledge, though they do have the somewhat mysterious support of the Disreputable Dog and Mogget, a talking cat. This story is told in a complex world at the border between what we'd consider normal, and a land where magic is alive and powerful. The culture clash doesn't get a lot of play in this book (though the implication is that more was in the earlier books), but the crafting of magic and how it works is beautifully creative. I already started another book of his, and will probably be picking up more.

Vamped is an interesting choice to read because Lucienne Diver is one of the agents I would love to have. I picked up her book in part to see what attracts her, but that dual purpose was lost after about chapter two. Everyone is clear that chicklit is dead, but me, I see chicklit is actually undead :). I first ran across this in Michelle Rowen's fun vampire novels, and Vamped is another along these lines, if aimed at a younger crowd. The main character, Gina, is an unrepentant popular girl with her attention fixed firmly on clothes and shoes, only she wakes up in a hideous dress her parents forced her to have...oh, and she's dead. While part of me doesn't understand the appeal of the popular girl when so many readers don't fit that profile, it doesn't stop Vamped from working, even with me. Gina is quickly forced to accept a much more complex reality, and watching her struggle with no longer being the top dog, the choices she makes, and how she matures makes for a wonderful read. Now I have to track down Revamped next year, not because I want to understand Diver, but because I can't wait to see what Gina will be up to next. I've already passed the book on to a friend because it's too fun not to share. Almost makes me regret not having a girl child :).

Writing

Forget about the guilt. Think about what you are writing for in more than monetary terms.
http://www.writing-world.com/life/guilt.shtml

Exploring a definition for YA:
http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2009/06/theory-definition-of-ya-literature.html

I like this post because it contradicts a "should." I have problems with "should." All writers have one thing in common...we write. How we write, how we function creatively, though, is pretty unique from writer to writer, so how could there be a one solution for everything?
http://writeforyourlife.net/ignore-anyone-who-tells-you-to-write-write-write

Don't know whether to put this in writing or social, but it's an interesting look at positive and negative space:
http://www.murderati.com/blog/2009/10/4/positive-and-negative-spaces.html

An excellent blog post on staying true to yourself as a writer:
http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/129705.html

I like the balance in this view of writers' required tasks:
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/10/02/7-weekly-tasks-for-authors/

Dialogue tips:
http://www.ellenjackson.net/dialogue_61473.htm

Submitting/Promoting/Publishing

A breakdown of promoting your novel:
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-you-can-do-twelve-easy-steps.html

A peek into the editing process post acceptance:
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/09/quick-someone-call-emergency-copy.html

One writer's perspective on social networking online:
http://catwoods.blogs.org/?p=514

A breakdown of expectations, suggestions, and costs for self-promotion:
http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/10/05/what-then-should-we-do/

An agent's perspective on unrealistic expectations from authors:
http://waxmanagency.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/letting-the-market-speak/

Tips on making a successful author event from the perspective of an indie bookstore owner:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/1850049385.html?nid=2788&rid=1117053704

An editor's perspective on what authors should expect of editors:
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2008/04/love-your-editor.html

A very straightforward look at author websites:
http://internspills.blogspot.com/2009/10/author-website-curmuddlement.html

How to get an agent:
http://katatomic.livejournal.com/93793.html

Solid in-person pitching techniques and suggestions:
http://www.autocrit.com/websitepublisher/categories/The-Business-of-Writing/Pitching-Your-Novel/
http://www.writing-world.com/publish/pitch.shtml

Agent Query's list of publishing blogs to follow:
http://www.agentquery.com/blog_roll.aspx

Science

Interesting list of environmentally friendly options coming in the future:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427281.400-better-world-top-tech-for-a-cleaner-planet.html

The Mayan die-out interpreted thanks to space-based observations:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/06oct_maya.htm?list868465

Reading

A wonderful breakdown of what YA is, and what it isn't:
http://ididntchoosethis.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-ya.html

Social

I couldn't pass this up. A while back, I adopted the tagline of Tales to Tide You Over for my business cards with the visual of a message in a bottle, so a list of real stories with the same theme is perfect to share:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/36541

Friday's Interesting Links

Books I Recommend

Walking Dead by C.E. Murphy

The fourth in her Walker Papers urban fantasy series, Walking Dead offers a wonderful look into how Joanne is maturing into her shamanistic powers, though she still has doubts. I must admit, when I saw zombies, I was curious how she'd tackle one of the popular genre tropes in a way that is unique. Let's just say that while her zombies are traditional, everything surrounding them is not, from what brings them to life to Joanne's reaction and solution. Even if you haven't been following the series, this one is a fun read. And when you're done, go back and read the rest of them :).

Promoting/Submitting/Publishing

Some thoughts and examples of bad and good author websites.
http://thefutureofpublishing.com/blog/2009/09/what-makes-a-great-author-website/

A look at author promotion successes:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/23/AR2009092304603.html

A look at what a publicist can and cannot do:
http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/2009/09/what-does-a-publicist-go-for-these-days.html

Dealing with rejection letters:
http://www.gabrielle-edits.com/2009/09/24/dealing-with-rejection/

Tips on researching agents:
http://www.migwriters.com/2009/09/28/targeting-to-find-your-agent-mate/

Editorial acquisitions process explained:
http://helpingwriters.com/newsletter-archives/the-biggest-and-most-common-misunderstanding-about-book-publishing

A solid examination of copyright infringement's costs and excuses.
http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/writing/pirate.shtml

Questions to ask interested agents:
http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2009/09/next-set-of-questions-to-ask.html

The ten commandments of blogging. I'm still working on this one.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2009/09/ten-commandments-of-blogging.html

Tips on oral performance of written work
http://writeforyourlife.net/stand-and-deliver-five-ps-for-a-perfectly-acceptabl-performance

I've included links to instances when authors fail to respond appropriately. How fun to have one that is the reverse:
http://saturdaywriters.com/best-author-response-ever/

Writing

The nuts and bolts of creating sympathetic characters.
http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artsympathy.htm

Techniques for overcoming procrastination:
http://alisonwells.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/five-ways-to-procrastinate-your-procrastination/

When an editor requests a rewrite...
http://helpingwriters.com/newsletter-archives/when-an-editor-wants-a-rewrite

Some good observations about querying:
http://johannaharness.com/Johanna_Harness/Blog/Entries/2009/9/25_Seven_things_Ive_learned_from_querying.html

Suggestions for managing writing projects:
http://menwithpens.ca/how-to-finish-a-writing-project

On writing characters that are different from you:
http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2009/09/26/damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-dont/

A great evaluation of the value in a crit and how to find that value:
http://pattyjansen.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/please-dont-tell-me-its-wonderful/

Social

Mastering Twitter:
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/32-FE3-TimeToTwitter.html

Handling anxiety:
http://zenhabits.net/2009/09/survive-and-thrive-how-to-transform-anxiety-into-inspiration/

Reading

A manifesto against censorship:
http://bannedbooksweek.org/BBWManifesto.pdf

Science

A look at a 4.4 million-year-old ancestor:
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17894-ardi-an-in-depth-look
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/091001_ardipethicus

Friday's Interesting Links

Books I Recommend
(I only finished the one.)

Stakes & Stilettos by Michelle Rowen - How she manages to pull off a flippant, largely cowardly, main character, I don't know, but I love seeing what Sarah gets into. This novel largely resolves the relationship with her boyfriend Thierry (an ongoing thread of the series), and opens up a new plot to carry into the next book or two.

Promoting/Submitting

How to work with your local bookstores:
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=314301&ca=Writing

True Originality Is Overrated:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/04/on-concepts.html

New Scientist flash contest:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17779-new-scientist-flash-fiction-competition-2009.html

Tips on synopsis writing
http://mysterygal.bravejournal.com/entry/36718

Tips on crafting a good hook:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/05/how-to-craft-great-hook.html

Writing

A solid list of what to look at with revisions:
http://writing-novels.suite101.com/article.cfm/revising_a_novel

And a list of danger words. Remember that these are ones to pay attention to, not to eliminate out of hand. Even in the examples, there are cases to be made for the "bad" version in context as it changes the emphasis.
http://wordsharpeners.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/words-writers-should-delete/

A look at what makes up good writing:
http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2009/09/defining-good-writing-possibly.html

This is an interesting concept and of use, I think, to people who are struggling with the concept of plotting. It seems to provide a solid base for an outline:
http://www.2writeabook.com/plot-structure.html

Tips on ferreting out over writing, but also how to define over writing for that specific work.
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-mistake-3-over-writing.html

Quick review of show vs. tell:
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/09/showing-vs-telling.html

Goal setting and management for writing. What's interesting about this one is the wide variety of approaches represented in the author quotes:
http://www.kateelliott.com/default.asp?cmsnumber=1&page_id=75

A group of quick tips for things to look at to strengthen your novel:
http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/30-days-to-a-stronger-novel/

Nice list of what being a writer means:
http://authorculture.blogspot.com/2009/09/youre-not-writer-unless.html

Reading

SF flash:
http://www.newscientist.com/special/sci-fi-the-fiction-of-now

Harlequin free online reads. For those who want a taste of Harlequin, they post both shorter and full-length novels. Here is one example.
http://eharlequin.com/article.html?articleId=1224

Science

Weeblies wobble but they don't fall down...and now they scope out unknown territory:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327267.800-army-heliweeble-hops-to-avoid-rubble-trouble.html

This comic illustrates my concerns with some of our assumptions so perfectly I think it belongs under science:
http://xkcd.com/638/

And dinosaur news...I couldn't pass it up :).
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090918_raptorex

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17804the-body-of-raptorex

For a road-trip junkie like myself, this comes as no surprise, but it's an interesting look at the US roadmap:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17691-follow-the-roads-if-you-want-to-look-for-america.html

Possibility of new answers in Mayan Ruins:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2009-09-19-mayan-collapse_N.htm?csp=Tech

Social/Psychological

An interesting look at depression from another direction
http://maudnewton.com/blog/?p=9551

Why Twitter for writers:
http://www.migwriters.com/2009/06/25/10-ways-twitter-can-help-writers/

Balancing life and work at home:
http://www.deadlinedames.com/?p=1675

Crafts

Quick and easy tied-quilt. Though I like piecing and quilting mine, I'm thinking of adopting the edging suggestion for sure.
http://tipnut.com/tied-quilt/

Friday's Interesting Links

Books I Recommend

Note: Trying something new since I'm so slow in writing up book reviews. The books/magazines I list here may show up in a more complete review later, but I want to share the ones I really enjoyed.

ShadowLight by Lynn Viehl - I've already reviewed this, but it still deserves a mention. This wonderful dark fantasy is coming out in October and is worth the trip to get it :).

Hawkspar by Holly Lisle. My life has been complex enough in the past few months that I let this gem slip into my to-be-read pile and get buried. Where I think Holly stretched and grew with Talyn, Hawkspar shows the maturity of that development. It's political, philosophical, sociological, and romantic all mixed into a grand, nail-biting adventure...with ships! Seriously, I started reading and got so sucked in that I came up with excuses to read just a little longer.

A Most Lamentable Comedy by Janet Mullany. I won this book in a blog contest that I joined because I had to know how a romance centered around scoundrels would turn out. The answer is a lovely, funny, poignant Regency romance that is not what you'd expect at all, and yet it just works. I'll be seeking out more of Janet's writing for sure.

Reading

If all the different "punk" genres have gotten confusing, here's a clarification:
http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/guide-to-sci-fi-punks.php

Publishing

Guess I should be focusing on the Urban Fantasy I wrote, eh?
http://www.timholman.net/posts/urban-fantasy-confirmed-undead/

An in-depth look at digital publishing:
http://booksquare.com/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation/

A look at young adult literature:
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=54897

And a behind the scenes look at the printing press process:
http://www.stevelaube.com/book-manufacturing/

Information on Creative Commons
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/09/13/creative-commons-what-is-it-and-how-can-it-benefit-you/

Explanation of book sales numbers by Noah Lukeman:
Link to his newsletter

Just what is women's literature as opposed to romance novels?
http://www.writing-world.com/romance/craig.shtml

Lucienne Diver's take on the state of publishing:
http://varkat.livejournal.com/117113.html

Promoting/Submitting

Colleen Lindsay breaks down query letter failures:
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-i-may-have-rejected-your-query.html

A look at what the issues around an author blog are:
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2009/09/14/ShouldYouBlogAndIfSoWhatAreBestPractices.aspx

Why you should promote your book:
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-you-should-help-sell-your-book.html

A look at how to choose your genre when starting out:
http://www.bigbadbookblog.com/2009/09/10/walk-the-line-seven-guidelines-on-genre-and-market-trends/

Clear breakdown of how to write a great query letter from agent Noah Lukeman
http://www.writeagreatquery.com/

Writing

A good, quick list of making description character focused (highlight to avoid the black background):
http://www.socialpolitan.org/articles/entry/DESCRIPTION-How-To-Filter-Description-Through-Your-Characters

A series of posts about writing for the Harlequin Presents line:
http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2009/08/28/so-you-want-to-write-for-harlequin-presents/

While I don't believe in the write every day rule, this analysis of writer's block is solid to my experience:
http://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/journal/2007/10/no-such-thing-my-dears/

I believe passive voice has its place, even in fiction writing, but this post makes a good case for why it should be avoided...at least most of the time.
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/20

Writing dialogue (note that I think people talk to themselves more than most people admit to, but besides that, solid advice :D).
http://www.socialpolitan.org/articles.php?action=viewarticle&articleID=770

Good breakdown of basic story structure and plot:
http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Structure&Plot.htm

Three breakable grammar rules, along with why. And yes, I agree with all of them :D.
http://3000messagesblog.com/2009/09/14/three-grammar-rules-that-are-okay-to-break/

This article segues nicely sums up something I told another writer recently. It's important to remember why you write:
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2009/09/16/YourFriendsFamilyAreWrong.aspx

Social

How to protect your valuables:
http://lifehacker.com/5357929/top-10-tactics-for-protecting-your-stuff

Science

Apparently they have found the part of the brain that contains the "what if?" ;). Actually I'm kidding, but it's an interesting study still, though would have been more compelling with very young children.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17796-human-brains-better-tooled-up-than-monkeys.html