Good Links: June Edition

Hey, it must be revision and how to write list month. A lot of the links I came across this month that are worth mentioning have to do with editing. Or maybe it is because I have been editing all month and that is all I see now. You know, editing when I’m not automating a library, critiquing, or building a garage. Laundry? Nah, we don’t do laundry here anymore. There’s no time! There are tools in the fruit bowl, for Heaven’s sake!

Nathan Bransford over at Curtis Brown has a nice revision checklist which is a must-read for any newbie and will serve as a nice reminder checklist for those who have been in the game a little longer.

Along the same lines is a helpful list of rules as compiled by Elmore Leonard and sits over on Modem Noise.

Editorial Ass also has a post on editing and whether you should hire an editor or not. It sounds as though fewer and fewer publishing houses are including editing in their acquisitions. That means you and your agent need to have your puppy ready to publish. Career tip: if you are good at editing, there’s a growing market for editing!

Along the same lines, Rachelle Gardner, an agent with Wordserve Literary, discusses hot, great and good projects that come across her desk and how she reacts to them. So, if you are wondering why some folks get picked up and published in no time at all while you are finally getting a reply to your query a year later, this post might clarify things for you. She also has a second part posting to this topic.

And if you are wondering how to open that scene in a character’s viewpoint, Camy Tang has a great little article that gives you some do’s and don’ts.

Finally, because we all wonder this every day we write: How to Write a Bad Novel. A tongue in cheek look at mistakes to avoid while writing. It’s worth a read.

Best news of the month: critique partner Calista Taylor signed with an agent! Go Calista!