(Bibs and bobs?  What can I say.  Every once in a while I pretend I’m from somewhere else…Poorly.)

So, I have a few random links to share that I thought might be useful to folks.

First, do you write inspirational romance?  If so, you should read this link, because this agent is looking for you.

(On a side note, I spoke to someone recently who thought they’d just break into that market because they’d be a big fish in a small pond.  They failed.  Miserably.  So, you know, keep that in mind.)

Second, a post by Hayden Trenholm that’s worth reading (at least the second two sections).  It probably deserves a full post to itself, because he says some really interesting things, but I know I won’t get to it if I sit on it.  So.

A quick quote:

“Personally, I learn more by reading books that challenge my world view, that propose alternative ways to think and feel, that present a different culture, life experience….it makes me a better writer and a better person. Everyone should read a good book they hate at least once a year. Then they should try to explain why it’s a good book to someone else. If you can’t – then maybe you need to question whether you really have anything of value to say in your own writing.”

(On a side note, I would’ve loved to get a piece into his Strange Bedfellows collection, but didn’t manage it.  Today is the final day for submissions, though, so if someone is sitting on a political science fiction piece, you could still squeak in.  I think it’s going to be an interesting read when it comes out, too.)

Third, a post on Writing and Loneliness by Nathan Bradford.

This ties into the writers and depression issue as well.

Here’s a good quote from the post:

“Characters aren’t substitutes for people, and it’s important to balance your writing time with meaningful relationships and time away from the computer.”

And, finally, a useful thread about mistakes you’ve made that’s a good reminder that the rules are not carved in stone.  They’re tools, just like anything else and you should use them when they work and ignore them when they don’t.

I recently critiqued someone’s work and one of the things I noticed was a pathological avoidance of “had” and “like”.  To the point that it stood out to me as a writer.  I have no doubt this was a result of writing advice this writer had received somewhere along the way.

True, you don’t want to write like you know you’d like want to like do sometimes.  But the occasional simile using like is probably okay.

(Or not, if that’s not you’re thing.)

At the end of the day we each need to find what works for us and what allows us to connect with our readers.