This week’s writing links feature the finalists for the 2012 Arthur C. Clark awards, the return of Game of Thrones this weekend on HBO, new agents on the literary scene, a kickstarter project that could use your help and tips on how to create great secondary characters.
Game of Thrones will start up its second season this Sunday (4/1) on HBO and for those of you that have read ‘A Clash of Kings‘, you know that it should be a good season of television. There is plenty of madness and surprise in store for the poor inhabitants of Westeros. The first season was brutal (poor little Arry) but really well done, so hopefully that trend will continue (not the brutality part, although that will continue, but the relative quality of the show). I’m really hoping that this series will continue to set the standard for literary adaptations and elevate what is expected of them in the future.
In other news, after a long hiatus from John Steinbeck, I started reading ‘East of Eden‘ for the first time and was quickly reminded how much I enjoy his writing. Sure, some people can find his stuff a little dry and all his author photos may look like cigarette ads from the 1930s, but there’s a reason that people still read his books today. His work was just that good. If you forgotten his body of work, why not go back and revisit some of it today? Or if not Steinbeck, one of your favorite authors that you haven’t revisited in awhile. If it’s truly great work, you will quickly remember why you liked it in the first place and what it brings out of you either as a reader or writer.
Links:
– Game of Thrones: Introduction to Season 2’s New Characters (io9)
– Five (spoilerish) Things I Can’t Wait To See In Game of Thrones Season 2 (tor)
– Flavorpill’s March Staff Reading Picks (flavorpill)
– Everything The Hunger Games Movie Left Out (io9)
– Kickstarter Projects That Need Help: Best Friends Forever (kickstarter)
– AV Club Reviews Heidi Julavits’ The Vanishers (avclub)
– Why Literary Fiction Isn’t Boring (writersdigest)
– Creating Great Secondary Characters (io9)
– New Agent Alert: Paula Munier Of Talcott Notch Literary (guidetoliteraryagents)
– How To Find Rather Than Make Time To Write (writersdigest)
– 3 Worst Blog Writing Blunders (makealivingwriting)
– Universal Pictures Acquire Rights For E.L. James’ 50 Shades (usatoday)