Lots of great links to start your week:
- “You should put THIS in your book!” and other things not to say to YA authors.
- Great post by Libba Bray on the despair of writing or, as I like to call it “BURN IT ALL, EVERYTHING SUCKS.”
- A little history on the paperback.
- Ellen Oh and Tanita Davis have excellent posts up about the sad state of diversity in children’s books (both in terms of authors/illustrators and characters). More posts on this important issue at bookshelves of doom.
- Also at bookshelves of doom, kickbutt YA heroines without a major romantic plotline; make sure to check out the comments for all the great suggestions.
- I would fully support a Dalloway Day.
- New favorite Tumblr: Actual Teen vs. Adult Teen. (Because Dawson’s Creek gave me unrealistic expectations about how high school guys look.)
- Interesting look at what makes a great speech and how that’s changed (or hasn’t) over time.
- Roundtable on the strange, compelling story of The Little Mermaid.
- English majors know how to analyze and communicate. So many jobs can benefit from those skills.
- I love seeing original bad reviews for classic novels.
- How to use secondary characters and make them feel as real as your main characters.
- Going to keep this post in mind when people ask “Your book still isn’t out yet?“
- Love the idea of a ReReadathon! It’s been a while since I read Harry Potter…
- These childhood drawings by famous authors are adorable. (My childhood drawings would feature a lot of rainbows, unicorns, and people without necks.)
- Now that it’s a classroom staple, it’s funny to see the initial horrified response to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.”
- Bad spelling doesn’t make you a bad writer–just ask these beloved authors.
- Like dystopian societies, internet memes, rice, and being prepared for the end of the world? Of course you do! Then you should donate to two awesome shoes–Paper City Phoenix by Walt McGough and The Burden of Not Having a Tail by Carrie Barrett. Both shows are going up this summer and I can’t wait to see them.