Links Useful to Writers

I've taken the rather unwieldly list of links from the sidebar and put them here with a little additional info about each one. Unfortunately, I am having trouble grouping these meaningfully, so I'm using the rather imprecise labels "Publishing Stuff", "Writing Stuff", "Romance Stuff", "Fantasy Stuff", "Linky Stuff".

Publishing Stuff

The Knight Agency Blog
The Knight Agency specializes in romance and women's fiction. This blog mainly covers new releases from the agency, not advice, but it's great for the authors they represent.

Miss Snark, the literary agent (archives)
Miss Snark, the anonymous literary agent, dished out advice (with a big side of snark) on the publishing business to clueless newbies. Her selfless and pitiless contribution will not soon be http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifforgotten.
(Kelly McCullough over at the Wyrdsmiths has indexed Miss Snark's blog, to make it easier to find what you are looking for.)

A Kossack's guide to book publishing
Part 1 - Why bad things happen to good books
Part 2 - Avoiding publishing scams
Part 3 - Literary conventions (with an emphasis on SF Conventions)
Part 4 - Book packagers
Part 5 - Submitting a manuscript
Part 6 - Publishing lists
Part 7 - Literary agents
Part 8 - Copyediting
Part 9 - Marketing and publicity
Part 10 - Outlining
Part 11 - Editing
Part 12 - Ideas
Part 13 - Contracts
Part 14 - How Writers Get Paid
Part 15 - Worldbuilding
Leigh Ronald Grossman, under the moniker Swordsmith, is a regular contributor over at Daily Kos, in additional to writing novels and teaching writing and literure. Here he tries to help break down the publishing (and to some extent writing) process into manageable chunks for the unitiated.

The Sobering Sage of Myrtle the Manuscript
Tappan King follows Myrtle the Manuscript along her labyrinthine trip through a publishing house. See what really happens to your baby when you send it out into the world!

Kit Whitfield: The Publisher-Dating Dictionary
A clever phrasebook based on Kit Whitfield’s personal experience as an editor: "Imagine that the editor or agent is a woman standing on her own in a bar. Your letter is a man approaching her with the aim of asking her for a date." She takes the kinds of language found in query letters and "translates" them into the more familiar language of dating.

Marg Gilks: How to Write a Synopsis
Basic information on writing your synopsis.

Dee-Ann Latona LeBlanc: Writing a Synopsis from the Ground Up
More information on writing different types of synopses.

Writing Stuff

Kit Whitfield: The Lexicon
Collected terms to describe some common issues in writing. Sections are titled “Points of Style”, “Scene-Setting”, “Structure”, “Handling Character”, “Series and Sequels”, “Influences”, “Critics and Feedback”, and “Living the Life”.

Debbie Notkin: Varied Ways of Looking at a Manuscript
She talks about various kinds of feedback writers look for, from critiquing to editing.

Short Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers

Douglas Clegg’s Journal
“Three Selves, Writing Resistance, and PW”
Douglas Clegg writes about his writing process, and how it always includes a period of internal resistance before he is able to buckle down and put pen to paper.

Megan Lindholm: "How I Became A Famous Writer (A True Story"
Who knew cats could be so insightful?

Confusing Words
"Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused."

Columbia Journalism Review: Language Corner
Resources for English usage.

Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust
Various articles on writing, including "Advice to New Writers", "Grammar", "Translations from the Editorial", and "Why Did My Story Get Rejected?"

Romance Stuff

Romancing the Blog
“What if someone put together a group blog where readers, authors, and industry professionals with established blogs of their own came together to discuss topics relevant to today’s romance? And what if it was done out of love for the romance genre and not for the purpose of blatant promotion?”

Charlotte Dillon
"Charlotte Dillon's Resources for Romance Writers"

Maria Zannini: "Creating the Sizzle in Sex"

Jenna Peterson/Jess Michaels: The Passionate Pen
"Welcome to The Passionate Pen, a resource for Romance Writers who are pursuing their dream of publication."

Fantasy Stuff

David J. Parker: "The Fantasy Novelist's Exam"
"We think anybody considering writing a fantasy novel should be required to take this exam first. Answering "yes" to any one question results in failure and means that the prospective novel should be abandoned at once."

Wyrdsmiths
"A weblog for the Twin Cities area speculative fiction writers' group"

Charles Coleman Finlay: the prodigal blog

Elizabeth Bear: they must need bears

Holly Black, No Longer Dry Like a Martini