Into The Mind of a Literary Magazine Editor

Seeded on Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:02 PM EDT (Virginia Quarterly Review Blog)

Ever wonder what an editor is thinking when they reject your submissions? In this essay, an editor explains why they reject the worst-matched "x-factor" stories.

arts, rejection, freelance, writing

Four Writing Articles You Can't Miss

Seeded on Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:57 PM EDT (Urban Muse)

This post on the freelance writing blog, Urban Muse, collects four essential articles for journalists and writers about the business of travel writing, press junkets, finding academic sources, and how to use social networking better.

arts, travel-writer, freelance-writing, freelancers, writing

How To Build A Cheap Digital Newsroom

Seeded on Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:40 PM EDT (PBS)

The brand new PBS website MediaShift Idea Lab has been chugging out smart ideas for citizen journalists. This suggestion from J.D. Lasica is full of great links...

arts, citizen-journalism, reporting, web-journalism

How To Write About Writing In Your Novel

Seeded on Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:46 PM EDT (Conversational Reading)

Conversational Reading has a guest essay by novelist Joshua Henkin about the fine art of writing about writers. It's a difficult style, but this is some of the most practical advice I've ever read about the meta-noveling:

arts, writing, novel, novelist, zadie-smith

Do Journalists Have A Duty To Read Newspapers?

Seeded on Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:44 PM EDT (yelvington.com)

Do we have a duty, as writers, journalists, or citizen journalists, to read the print newspaper every day? Some people think the new media shift has turned all of us into thoughtless, uninformed citizens.

arts, journalism, newspapers, citizen-journalism, poynter

How To Market Your Book In New Ways

Seeded on Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:53 PM EDT (Galleycat)

The website Galleycat reflects on a winning ad campaign for Jeff Somers' The Electric Church. It's a fascinating look at some pioneering ways to find new readers in these vast Internets. Learn some new tricks about promotion and find a new book at the same time.

arts, book-promotion, science-fiction, writing

Doris Lessing Reading List For All Us Slackers Who Need To Catch Up

Seeded on Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:49 PM EDT (Elegant Variation)

I've barely cracked The Golden Notebook, I'm sorry to admit, but the Elegant Variation has a reading list for us to catch up with the brand new winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

arts, doris-lessing, nobel-prize

Support Your Fellow Fledgling Writer

Seeded on Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:44 PM EDT (http://www.edrants.com/)

Book blogger Ed Champion is discussing the grim, cold relationships that many working writers have with each other. Why can't we all just support each other, instead of acting like this?

arts, writers, community, litblogs

Every Writer Needs A Friend, and Here's How To Find One

Seeded on Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:39 PM EDT (http://www.lwot.net/)

To prevent yourself from falling into the Depression Tar Pits that snag even the best fledgling writers, LWOT (Lies with Occasional Truth) magazine has a program to help you find your writing buddy have a nifty feature called Write Match--a way to be artificially hooked up with …

arts, writing, publishing, magazines

Win Fame and Fortune as a Six Word Story Writer

Seeded on Fri Dec 8, 2006 3:40 PM EST ()

Okay. Maybe not "fame" or "fortune," but you can win an iPod. This wonderful little literary journal is sponsoring a six word story contest. I know a lot of Newsviners loved writing those stories earlier this year, so I wanted to share.

entertainment, writing, publishing, contest, memoir, wordplay, artsvine

The Most Practical Way To Finish Your Writing Project

Seeded on Fri Dec 1, 2006 11:30 AM EST (The Outfit)

Novelist Kevin Guilfoile explains how he writes first drafts: quickly, without thinking about facts at all. Good advice when you are stuck in a story:

arts, writing, novelist, artsvine

Web Video and Storytelling

Fri Dec 1, 2006 11:16 AM EST

Steve Bryant just published an essay about a web video project called the Instant Talk Show. It's pretty simple: couple of guys run a lo-fi, hilarious interview program on a flimsy table in the middle of the street. It's citizen journalism that will make you laugh out-loud.

Continue reading this entry ...

web-video, journalism, artsvine, writing

A Good Example for Citizen Journalists Everywhere

Seeded on Fri Nov 17, 2006 1:59 PM EST (Xeni.net/trek)

Xeni Jardin just touched down in Guatemala, my favorite country in Central America. I lived there for two years, and I've read her Guatemala reporting ever since. No matter where we travel, all us fledgling writers should follow her example.

travel, citizen-journalism, writing, journalism, guatemala

"Please kill me in your next book"

Seeded on Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:48 AM EST (Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind)

The mystery writing journalist Sarah Weinman just blogged (with a little prodding from her friends) about the major mystery novels she's appeared in. I kid you not, she makes cameos in books by Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and Sparkle Hayter.

odd-news, mystery, writing, novel, bookvine, artsvine

You Have 60 Seconds To Write...

Tue Nov 14, 2006 12:36 PM EST

Sometimes I can waste an entire weekend "preparing" to work on my novel. I'll futz around, read my book, or watch movies, hoping to put my head in that writing frame of my mind.

Continue reading this entry ...

writing, artsvine, publishing, artsvine-group, wordplay, arts

How Will We Write in the Future?

Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:50 PM EST

Over five years ago, Mark Z. Danielewski published the sprawling novel, House of Leaves. Sifting through all the footnotes, fonts, and obsessive passages buried in that book, I felt like I discovered a whole new country.

Continue reading this entry ...

bookvine, artsvine, publishing, writing, artsvine-group

How Do You Use (Or Not Use) Profanity in Your Writing?

Seeded on Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:05 PM EST (Media Bistro)

How do you decide if your characters swear? How do you write it. Over at MediaBistro, Claire Zulkey asked a whole bunch of writers the same question. Here's a sample answer...

writing, artsvine, publishing, artsvine-group, wordplay

Looking for New York Stories...

Tue Nov 7, 2006 10:18 AM EST

Last month, Ardith created a huge list of ideas of how to create homegrown artistic communities, and I wanted to get involved. This idea stuck in my brain: "Organize a storytelling session for people of all ages to share personal tales at local bookstores, libraries, or schools."

Continue reading this entry ...

arts, artsvine, writing, storytelling, artsvine-group

Fifty Free Novels

Mon Nov 6, 2006 2:43 PM EST

Well, I completely missed the fact that the world's biggest e-book publishing challenge was happening right under my nose. I'm worried that newsvine readers might have missed this wonderful opportunity too.

Continue reading this entry ...

entertainment, bookvine, artsvine, artsvine-group

What Music Do You Listen To While You Write?

Fri Nov 3, 2006 3:42 PM EST

What do you listen to when you write? That's one of the most important questions anybody can ask you about writing.

Continue reading this entry ...

entertainment, artsvive, artsvine-group, writing, music

Rocketboom vs. Ze Frank

Seeded on Fri Nov 3, 2006 11:41 AM EST (Reel Pop)

A great essay about the recent spat between two major video-bloggers. Underneath the debate is an important question about how we should use the Internet to find readers...

technology, ze-frank, social-media, rocketboom, youtube, video

Blogged Tribute to William Styron

Seeded on Fri Nov 3, 2006 11:27 AM EST (The Elegant Variation)

Yesterday The Elegant Variation blog did a nice tribute essay to William Styron, complete with links about the novelist's work and life.

writing, publishing, artsvine, william-styron, bookvine

Calling All NaNoWriMo Writers

Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:11 PM EST

Last year I wrote a 50,000-word novel draft in November. The NaNoWriMo writing marathon (which launches tomorrow) changed my life.

Continue reading this entry ...

arts, nanowrimo, writing, publishing, artsvine, creative-writing

Video Site Is Paying Readers for Content

Seeded on Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:51 PM EST (Reel Pop Blog)

This might be crazy. This might be genius. Either way, it's worth paying attention to. It's exciting to hear about freelance web content producers earning money.

entertainment, metacafe, reel-pop, video, artsvine

Cartoons in Wartime

Seeded on Sat Oct 28, 2006 3:08 PM EDT (The Washington Post)

The Washington Post just published a long, fascinating profile of cartoonist Garry Trudeau. His world-famous strip, Doonesbury has focused on Iraq, and the story takes a heartbreaking look at the cost of war.

politics, garry-trudeau, doonesbury, iraq-war, cartoons, comics

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