This week’s writing links feature the sci-fi writing prompt for the week, a best blogs for writers to read in 2012 list, 6 tips to resuscitate a dying author blog and a review of Elmore Leonard’s new book Raylan.
The art included in this week’s post, which was designed by Lorenz Hideyoshi Ruwwe for Joe Vasicek’s e-book Desert Stars, comes from io9’s sci-fi writing prompt for the week. Their prompt tasks you with creating a story based off the featured concept art. It’s a really nice piece of art and I’ve spent a considerable amount of time checking out the sites for both the artist and the author, which I would really encourage people to do if they have a couple of free minutes.
In other news, there has been a lot of rabble recently that it’s only a matter of time now before Amazon finishes off all the remaining bookstores on the planet, creating a storeless utopia where disenchanted souls mindlessly impulse buy romance novels to pad their already backlogged Nooks and Kindles. Amazon’s response to this charge? They added more networks (MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon) to their streaming service (which I happen to be a member of) and continued to deliver all my packages in a timely and generally satisfactory fashion.
I wish Amazon could give me more reasons to hate them, but other than the complete and utter wastelanding of brick and mortar bookstores, they haven’t given me much ammo. As penance for my notable dependence on Amazon to deliver 3-D Imax blu-rays about space to my doorstep, I have made a resolution for the coming months to do my best to go out of my way to support brick and mortar bookstores, whether they be Barnes & Noble or some of the Chicago locals. Maybe if we all do our piece, we can give them a second wind.
Links:
– Concept Art Writing Prompt: Night At The Edge Of The World (io9)
– Best Blogs For Writers To Read In 2012 (robertleebrewer)
– 6 Tips To Resuscitate A Dying Author Blog (writersdigest)
– Av Club Reviews Elmore Leonard’s Raylan (avclub)
– The 10 Best Charles Dickens Characters (flavorwire)
– Frazen And The Ebook Bubble (jakonrath)
– Sf Signal Reviews Mind Storm By K.M. Ruiz (sfsignal)
– 7 Ways To Get Freelance Gigs Flowing (makealivingwriting)
– New Agent Alert: Dawn Michelle Hardy Of Serendipity Literary (writersdigest)