December 15, 2008



I was going to write about (the mythic) writers' block this month, but I didn't have the time. I'd like a break from writing resources this month, it being holiday season and all, and so I'm doing things a little differently. Meanwhile, don't forget to take part in Litmas.

What you will find in this news article:The Best of 2208 | Resource news | Read this | Literature Daily Deviations: November 2008 | I need your feedback

The Best of 2008

I would like to mention a few people who have produced some excellent resources this year. While quality is more important than quantity, many of these wonderful people have written more than one article. My thanks go to the following people as well as to those I have unfortunately forgotten to mention and to those who have written resources before 2007.

in alphabetical order

`Beccalicious organised one of the most exciting and successful month-long projects this June: Scriptwriting Month. Contests and challenges were supplemented with resources articles.

Scriptwriting- why not start?
Exposing Characters
Considering Audience
From Page to Stage
What is in a name?

~Cei-Ellem wrote an excellent essay on characterisation this year, which has achieved mythic DD status.

Murdering Mary Sue

=DarcKnyt posted a whole bunch of helpful articles this year.

The Use of Adverbs in Fiction Writing
An Overview on Point o' View
YOU LIE!! -- Or do you Lay??
Dots and Dashes -- The Em Dash and Ellipsis

As Gallery Moderator (then Director) in charge of projects, `GeneratingHype took it upon himself to produce several news articles on non-fiction, romance, revision and other topics. An interview with `GeneratingHype

So, You Think You Can Romance?
An Epic Battle: The Editorial vs The Rant
Writing Reviews on dA
A Nose for the News ("How to Write What You Read in the Newspaper")
A Brief Look at Feature Writing
What is Revision?

Besides hosting the Spring Haikuthon this year, ~Iscariot-Priest does a lot of DD suggesting, and recently, wrote a resource of his own.

Reading symbols: kigo

`jade-pandora has always been an enthusiastic member of the lit community, always assisting `Laurence55 with his projects. She hosted a workshop of her own this year, on senryu.

Senryu

Ms =Keraness wrote several helpful little memos for us this year.

A Memo On Katuata and Mondo
A Memo On McWhirtles
A Memo On the Kyrielle
A Memo On Haibun
A Memo On Elegies
A Memo On Renga

~LaMonaca collaborated with Mr 'Hype on his revision project, hosted her own workshop on punctuating poetry, and posted various resources for us to use.

The Writing Process
Questions and Conversations
Be Someone's Critical Friend
A Revision Revolution
Puntuating Poetry Part One and Part Two
Paraphrasing Done Right

`Laurence55 has been writing about various Japanese concepts in poetry for a while now, and they have been of great benefit to the community. An interview with `Laurence55

Tanka: Introduction, Aesthetics and Pivot Points
Haibun: Introduction, Structure, Linkage and Modern Haibun
Renga: Introduction, Structure, Basho linkage and Modern Renga
Haiga: Introduction, Principles
Found Poetry: Definition, Approaches, Treatments, Copyrights

=Mattiello did much to popularise the villanelle this year, with a contest and a writing guide.

How to Write Villanelles

*phantom-inker made us neat, colour-coded resources.

Top Ten Grammar Errors
Punctuation's Most Wanted

At her club account, *Trashrock, which she admins with ^StJoan, `poprocksandcharlotte compiled three issues of The LitRock Review. She also held a workshop on crime writing, for which she made a resouce deviation.

The Genres of Crime Writing
The LitRock Review Issue 1
The LitRock Review Issue 2
The LitRock Review Issue 3

One of our newer seniors (hah! oxymoron), `PunknEra, wrote a guide on how to get through National Novel Writing Month unscathed.

10 Tips for Novel Writing

It's only been a few months since their inception and *simplyprose has already produced a spate of writing guides and resources. (I should also mention that the admin who's getting all this work done is *ThornyEnglishRose.)

Voices... For and About Kids
Common Errors: Lose and Loose
Common Errors: Lead and Led
Common Errors: Then and Than

~SOLARTS is one of those people (actually, they are a group of people, but I am referring to them in the singular), who, when it's HaikuWriMo time, will come around, leaving long, encouraging comments on people's work. Check out his extensive article on haikai no renga.

Haikai no Renga

Critic extraordinaire and forum wonderwoman, `SparrowSong decided to let out a few secrets on critique/revision. An interview with `SparrowSong

How to Revise or Critique

*WordCount continue their excellent track record with the following articles.

Punctuating Dialogue: A Guide
So You Wanna Be a Writer?

~writingresources has a collection of resources in their gallery and favourites gallery. Here is one example.

The Sonnet

_{Note that I have scrapped the 'Recent finds' section this time because all of those articles are included in the list above.}

Resource news

Continuing with interviews, last month, I interviewed `fllnthblnk. You can read the interview here. This month, I will be posting an interview with *diamondie, so look out for that.

Resource Central: Part One and Resource Central: Part Two have been updated.

THE LIT LIST: Issue No. 6 has information on recent contests, prompts, workshops and other lit activities.

Congratulations to our latest lit seniors: `leoraigarath, `Flutterings, `smoking-mirrors and `BerylAlexandros.

Read this

Eight Rules for Writing Fiction by Kurt Vonnegut

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them -- in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Source: Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons 1999), 9-10.
Online Source: [link]

Literature Daily Deviations: November 2008

Poetry - Fixed

His Never-Wed Bride by ~GothiqueHobbit (Mature Romance)
Upon Milan by *Oleem (Sonnet, Other Romance)

Poetry - Haiku & Eastern

Surrender by ~Danteholic (General)

Poetry - Open

Scrutiny by ~aillesdors (Philosophical)
a crate of stars by ~blue-strawberry (General)
stop ruining autumn. by *estallidos (Narrative)
7,107 by `fllnthblnk (Family Life)
Musashi Miyamoto's Poetry by ~lula-vampiro (Nature)
Manuscript by ~nonamepsalmist (Other Romance)
Lament of the Plastic SCUBAMan by `PinkyMcCoversong (General)
Pain by *salshep (General)

Prose - Fiction

Natural Responses by =BreakInTheSun (Science Fiction)
The Fractal Man by ~Bulknowt (Satire)
In Action and Apprehension by ~Lady-Az (Transgressive)
the rest of god's name by =livingcomforteagle (Life Stories)
omg lol by =neekko (Satire)
vacant. by *Pretty-As-A-Picture (Life Stories)

Prose - Non-fiction

How To Write by `Bringa (Essays)
The Genres of Crime Writing by `poprocksandcharlotte (General Non-fiction)
i am falling with you by :devprairedaisy: (Biographies)
Voices... For and About Kids by *simplyprose (Editorial)
How to Revise or Critique by `SparrowSong (General Non-fiction)

deviantART Related

Lit: Chapters + Annotations by ^allhopeislost

Some of these Daily Deviations were suggested by ~Alimari, ~BlueSpartanOfVGC, `GaioumonBatou, ~hartofthewud, =Innuendo-media, ~Kitz-the-Kitsune, ~LadyOichi, ~LesCheveux, ~popsicle-culture, `Rushy, ~sarydactl, *TheFavoritesProject and *vix0r.

_{Sorry if I have missed anyone out. It was not intentional. Let me know and I will rectify the mistake.}

Previous Write news articles: Write #1: Proof it! | Write #2: Why haiku? | Write #3: To publish or not to publish | Write #4: Figuratively speaking | Write #5: Caricature vs character | Form(ing) poetry

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How can this news article be improved? What topics should I tackle next? Is my resource central missing certain articles? Have you a question or answer for me? Note me! -- ^lovetodeviate