The Roundup Episode 06: Random!

So I read a lot on the web every week.  A woman actually called me a sponge during an interview and asked me if I would ever not be taking classes, if there wasn't something I wasn't completely fascinated by.  I honestly replied that I just didn't see that in the cards: I like learning,  and I like knowing.  And yes, I'm a bit ADD, so at any given point in time, I'll have ten different articles or tutorials open (right now, it's only two: a jQuery list and one of the links I plan to share today.  This may be a record).  So instead of making a themed Roundup this time, I think I'll just toss some random links your way.  Sound good?  If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably already stumbled across some of these thanks to my Twitter feed, so I apologize for any repeats.


First off, Ayefah shared this rather interesting article with me about writing fast from Slate.  Any time I see a variation of the phrase "There are two kinds of writers on the planet," I cringe because every writer, to me, is different.  And frankly, I'm different from myself on any given day (just ask mxpw; he can tell you the horror stories).  But I found that this Slate article has a lot of truth in it, so it's an interesting read:

Slowpoke: How to be a Faster Writer

A few months ago, I started reading the wonderful blogs of Dean Wesley Smith and his wife, Kristine Rusch. I especially like Rusch's work, as I'm not business-minded at all and she breaks things down very well about the publishing industry in her Business Rusch column.  Her latest entry into that is just fantastic, and it covers storytelling vs. literate writing, which I think I've talked about on CI before.  Worth a look for anybody interested in publishing (c'mon, I know there are a few of us out there!):

The Business Rusch: Comparisons

(Also, if you enjoy Rusch's article, you might enjoy this post from Sarah Hoyt that compares ebook shopping to...reading fanfiction and picking out toothpaste)

Following up on the Business Rusch entry, here's something that explains a phenomenon I was wondering about earlier this week.  BDaddyDL is working with ChuckThis to put together a set of polls over the summer that have to do with fanfiction (they're great; you should vote, as a lot of CIA entries are on there!).  A couple of my short stories made it onto the list, but not the ones I would think.  I've always been puzzled about why I think some stories are some of the greatest stuff I've ever written and then people like the other stuff, things I may not like, more.  So Ayefah linked me to this article, and I have to say, I hadn't quite thought of it that way, but it's brilliant:

Popularity and the Claw

(It asks for age validation at the beginning, but never fear, nothing obscene or inappropriate in the article itself)

Miscellaneous Stuff:

• Found a great collection of S1-3 screengrabs here.
• If you liked Fringe's S2 soundtrack, that's all here (thanks, crystal.elements!).
• Interesting article about conflict.  Brief, but worth a look.
• Hey, want a new ebook? How about quistie64's great Sarah vs. the New Car?  Yeah, has this been sitting on my hard drive for two months, collecting dust?  Pleading the fifth on that one, mates.  Get it here!
• WriteOnCon is next week, for the crazier among us.
• Great writing advice from Neil Gaiman. No, seriously. It's GREAT.
• How about a great old Eddie Izzard sketch, just for kicks and giggles?  Jeff Vader! (warning, some language)

So that's a bit of a roundup of some of the things that have crossed my path. I'll try to remember to do these more often, but, well...ADD.

Toodles!

Frea