What I Read This Week (aka Procrastinating Instead of Writing)

Not going to lie, I didn't do much reading this week. That's mostly because instead I did a lot of writing instead, albeit most of it after 10 p.m. I am a master procrastinator who has managed to turn not writing during the day into an art form. Lest I feel like too much of a slacker, I consoled myself by at least looking at websites about writing. And because the phenomena known as NoNoWriMo is fast approaching, there are a multitude of articles popping up right now about how to be a better writer. I've detailed before why I, personally, am not a fan of forcing myself to write 50,000 words in 30 days: I have a process for (both creative and professional) writing that involves a lot of hang-wringing and deliberation over the right word choices, flow, and narrative. Slapping a bunch of crap on a page or the sake of filling up the page has never been my style, and having tried NaNo twice, I know it's not one I'll ever be able to adapt to. Still, I do enjoy this time of year though because it's easier to find information about the art of writing on the internet since it's all bubbling up to the top, and people love to post how-to articles using various hashtags.

10 Grammar Mistakes People Love To Correct (That Aren't Actually Wrong) - io9

This is a quick, fun, educational read. For once, I actually enjoyed the comments section more than the article. That's where you'll find a ton of fun stuff, and useful tips.

Writers: Don’t do NaNoWriMo. Please. Don’t do it. - Sean Munger

Sean lays out a number of good arguments against the NaNo process that I tend to agree with. I would never want to discourage anyone from writing because it can be a vastly rewarding past time, but I would caution anyone thinking about jumping in to NaNo to read Sean's blog first to consider if it's really for him or her.

But like I said, the NaNo-verse does an excellent job of providing great tutorials and tips and tricks leading up to the event, and I would be remiss in not sharing them just because they're tied to the event.

NaNoWriMo Prep: Brainstorming the Hero Before You Start Writing - Writers in the Storm

NANOWRIMO Prep: Get The Set Pieces Down - Writers in the Storm

Plotting for Pantsers - Writers in the Storm

Dialog: Compressed and Essential - Live Write Thrive

8 Elements to NAILING Your Plot & Owning NaNo - Kristen Lamb's Blog

Series Writing: Not Just One Foot after the Other - Write On Sisters

How To Be Successful In Self-Publishing - The Creative Penn

An A to Z of Noah Webster's Finest Forgotten Words - Huff Post Books

How to Write a Gothic Tale - Writerly Life