Rachel's Resource Roundup no. 3

As an editor, education and awareness are ongoing endeavors for me. Grammar rules, spelling, and style preferences get updated; plot trends are constantly in flux; industry operations are changing rapidly these days; publishers, agents, editors, and organizations are interacting with "the public" like never before, offering up-to-the-minute insight; and I try to stay abreast of it all as best I can.

Here are some of my favorite clicks from last week:

• "This Pronoun Will Make You Irresistible to Women": I bet you didn't know "whom" held so much power, even when used incorrectly! (Slate)
• "From Pathetic to Professional: 8 Ways to Beat the First Draft Blues": Not only is this a super great article by Ruth Harris covering the same issues I routinely discuss with my authors, she also includes links to resources for improving dialogue, making reverse outlines, and more. (Anne R. Allen's Blog)

• "Inside Amtrak's (Absolutely Awesome) Plan to Give Free Rides to Writers": This is AMAZING. The power of social media + Amtrak = a fabulous new program. If I wrote--and didn't live in Hawaii where, ya know, we don't have Amtrak--I'd be all over this. (The Wire)
• "What Your Friends Can't Tell You About Your Self-Published Book": Although this article might be a little negative toward self-publishing in general, which I am not, it nails some self-publishing pitfalls and highlights why it's necessary to approach self-publishing in a professional manner. (Huffington Post)
• "Ask the Editor: Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them": Omnific Publishing's editor Kimberley Blythe gives some sage advice on Point of View issues, lack of evidence, mistaking style and grammar, sex scenes, and copyright violations. (Nicki Elson)
• "How Does the Classic Marriage Plot Stand Up in 2014?": Francine Prose and Dana Stevens take a look at the evolution of one of storytelling's core elements. (The New York Times Sunday Book Review)
  
• "Kindle Worlds Expands": I have a soft spot for fanfiction, so I find Amazon's Kindle Worlds program pretty interesting. (Publisher's Weekly)

Did you find any of these links helpful? Have you stumbled across some goldmines of your own this past week? I'd love to see your comments!