The Daily Port of Call: February 11, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of Call, you’ll find 5 ways to be a smart and gutsy writer, how to make good choices for your novel, and whether short stories get short shrift in the literary world.

Here are 5 ways to be a smart, gutsy writer.

You have a first draft, now what? The 3 stages of editing with 9 handy tips.

So many choices. How do you know if you’re making good decisions about point of view, length, or tense for your novel?

Please forgive this comparison. How is writing like vomiting? You need to get those words out.

Do short stories get short shrift in the literary world?

Reports of the death of public libraries have been greatly exaggerated.

The Daily Port of Call: February 10, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of Call, you’ll discover popular books about the Olympics, how to write historical fiction using method writing, and five voice tools to help you write when your hands are full.

Here are popular books about the Olympics for adults and children.

From an 1850 letter, find details of Herman Melville’s daily routine.

With historical fiction, method writing brings your story to life.

Is the literary world elitist? Salon’s Laura Miller responds to an essay by the Man Booker Prize winning author Eleanor Catton.

Do you sometimes want to write when you have your hands full? Here are five voice tools that will help you write your book without a keyboard.

Have you ever attended a silent reading party? “Unlike other book clubs, no one talks publicly or reads aloud. Instead the bar is full of readers quietly sitting by the fire and reading on their own.”