Rebecca Dodson

Mood:

(It's both. I'm a writer. It's always both.)

#writingcommunity #amquerying #amwriting #writerslife

Prologues: yay or nay?
I've heard conflicting advice, usually boiling down whether it's just for scene-setting/world-building. I've *also* heard conflicting advice on the use of timeline headers in the opening chapter, as essentially a prologue by a different name.

#writers #amquerying Thoughts?

A person sitting in front of a wall of books. The caption reads, "reading can seriously damage your ignorance."

This lesson I learned in the Marines will help you succeed at work A former marine officers shares the secrets to leadership success

This is slanted towards more traditional workplace environments, but the message? "Real strength comes from struggle." 💜 "Research also confirms that grit—not talent—is what sets high achievers apart."
www.fastcompany.com/91335417/why...
#writingcommunity #writersky #amquerying

Sometimes perspective is hard when it's all full of horrible numbers/probabilities. Finishing a draft, signing with an agent, interest from a publishing house, getting all the way to publication, and 2% of all of THOSE sell more than 1000 copies (or whatever soul-crushing percentage it is). Sigh.

They say to start writing your next book to stifle the misery of the query trenches. Well, I'm almost done with my 4th.

(by 'done,' I mean a draft written from beginning to end. Still: 4th book. Each letter I type drains another tiny bit of my soul.)

#amquerying #writersky #writingcommunity

When I finally have some quiet after everyone goes to bed, even if I'm tired, too, I tell myself to give it half an hour. If I can get in a rhythm in the next half an hour, I'll let it roll as long as I can.

#writingcommunity #amwriting #writers

A Close Reading of the Best Opening Paragraph of All Time One hundred and one years ago today, Shirley Jackson was born. During her lifetime, she wrote “The Lottery,” and The Haunting of Hill House, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the …

This isn't new, but I love it: a dissection of the opening paragraph of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson.

"... in a few scant lines, a strong impression of an unusual character ['s voice], and also presents all of the major themes of the novel."
lithub.com/a-close-read...

It is rare that social media makes me actually snort, but this just did:

😆

Chicago Paper Publishes 'Summer Reading List' of Fake Books Created With AI 10 of the 15 books on the list are completely fake.

🤦‍♀️ Cheese and rice, people. Be better.

gizmodo.com/chicago-pape...
#booksky #writersky #authorsky #writesky

Writer and editor Shelby Hinte on how to handle creative feedback – The Creative Independent Writer and editor Shelby Hinte discusses when art goes from private to public, staying off the internet to focus, and deciding when it's right to listen to advice

"It’s easy to go and get a dopamine hit by checking Instagram, and it takes longer to get that dopamine hit from writing, but the high lasts way longer."

thecreativeindependent.com/people/write...

Or should we just say "Thursday"? 😑

This tracks.

Just here to say I've deliberately polluted my targeted ads by clicking exclusively on trendy jewelry. Now, all social media pushes at me is more snake earrings. 10/10, would recommend.

#staysane #writers #writesky #writingcommunity

I LOVED this!

9/10 👍

Congrats to Scottie Scheffler on his third major. Hot take: people who shout "get in the hole" every time a golfer takes a shot are the same people who clap every time their plane lands.

Sure would like that TikTok engagement, tho... 😆😆

This.

Preach.

What we call writer’s block is usually one of two things. Either you haven’t spent enough time away from the keyboard thinking about what happens next (so do that) or you’re afraid what you write won’t be good enough (it won’t be. That’s what editing is for. No one gets to see it until it’s ready.)

Hard agree.

This sounds amazing, ngl. A five-day stretch like that is a dream to an introvert like me.
Also, though, it's easy to forget how important it is to read almost as much as you write. Read and listen, because hearing a book is a completely different experience than reading it.

If your literary organization lost an NEA grant this week, I'd like to hear from you for a story I'm writing for the LARB.

DMs are open, email is adam@thefrontlist.org.

Meetings are now live for non-members! Choose from 60+ kind, thoughtful, insightful agents and editors here: manuscriptacademy.com/consultations

And you can search by genre + age group + availability here! manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-memb...

I love multiple POV stories because I enjoy a holistic view, but there's so much to be said for first person, where the reader only knows what the MC knows.

It seems like a ton of recent bestsellers have been in the first person. It would be neat to see stats on that.

Nonfiction Proposals: What Agents & Editors Want - The Authors Guild What are agents and editors looking for in a nonfiction proposal these days? Join us for a discussion about the current trends, the elements that matter most, and the common weak spots that can lead t...

What are agents and editors looking for these days?

This Friday, join @janechunlit.bsky.social, Robin Coleman, @agentismita.bsky.social, and Ariel Curry for a discussion about the current trends, common weak spots that lead to rejection, and more.

Register FREE: authorsguild.org/event/nonfic...

First Look at Stephen King’s ‘The Long Walk’: The Dystopian Coming-of-Age Story He Considered Too “Merciless” to Film ‘The Hunger Games’ sequel director Francis Lawrence finally brings the “walk or die” tale to the screen after many other attempts stumbled.

www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...