It is once again that time of the year — the Goodreads Best Books of the Year awards have returned to the Web for 2014. They of course contain a lot of really rad books (Annihilation! The Girl With All The Gifts! Cibola Burn!) Alongside some great authors (Marko Kloos, John Scalzi, Jonathan Maberry, Scott Sigler, Laini Taylor, Laurie Halse Anderson, Stephanie Perkins, Richard Kadrey, Ann Leckie!).

For my mileage, it’s also missing some super-good books, too.

Where is Kameron Hurley’s Mirror Empire?

Or Lauren Beukes’ Broken Monsters?

Or Cherie Priest’s Maplecroft?

So, this is also your annual reminder that during this first round (which runs until November 8th), you can write in candidates across the many categories.

And this can also serve as your annual shameless tap-dancing by me where I casually elbow you in the throat and remind you that, hey, I might have some books that are eligible for said write-ins, including The Cormorant, and Blightborn. No pressure, of course. Except the pressure that reminds you that I actually physically die if I don’t get onto the Goodreads Awards every year, and my resurrection is always an ugly, viscera-caked mess, and nobody wants that. NOBODY.

*stares*

What I mean is, go vote for cool books.

Because yay, books.

*rises from the gore pit, screaming*

In which I pose two writing-related questions (with various related sub-queries).

First: what are your strengths when writing? What do you feel that you do well? Why do you do it well? How would you tell others that have trouble doing what you believe you do well?

Second: what are your weaknesses? What gives you difficulty? Why do you think that is? How can you improve this thing that gives you the shivering shits and the fretful fits?

(Writing can be about the language, but I’m also including storytelling in all this.)

I ask these things in part just to evaluate what we do, and how we do it.

I also ask because maybe, just maybe, you can help each other.

Community, and all that.

*hands out straitjackets and thorazine*

*locks the asylum doors*

DISCUSS.

The fine folks who run National Novel Writing Month asked me to do a pep talk.

They liked it well enough to make it the lead piece kicking off the month.

So, here goes:

Imagine being allowed to do something you’re not supposed to do.

Imagine you’re given the keys to a mud-bogging Bronco, or a dune buggy, or a Lamborghini. And then, you’re pointed toward a field. A soccer field outside a high school, or maybe just a wide open grassland. Nobody there. No kids playing. No animals frolicking.

In fact, right now, nobody is here to see you at all…

Read the rest at NaNoWriMo.org.

This week: no flash fiction challenge.

(Don’t worry — next week, we’ll be back!)

This time around, feel free to use this post as a general one-stop shop for discussing NaNoWriMo — and, even better, if you’re so willing, to link us to your wordsmithy in the first week. Show us what you’re writing! Doesn’t start till tomorrow, of course, but you can still use this as a crossroads for sharing conversation, content, difficulties and progress reports.

If you’re in — say hi!

Go forth and rock.

Hey, look.

A new writing book.

All original.

Nothing taken from the blog.

From the book description:

30 Days In The Word Mines takes you on a month-long journey of writing, offering pages filled with practical writing tips, motivational throat-punches, and ruminations on the craft of writing and art of storytelling. Whether you’re running with National Novel Writing Month or just want to hunker down and write to see just how far you can get, this book will help you every step of the way with a new tip, trick or thought every day of the month-long journey. From the mad mind behind terribleminds comes an original companion book to help you navigate the maze of writing every day. Good luck, and art harder.

Wanna check it out? It’s $2.99 at:

Amazon.

B&N.

Or buy direct from Payhip.

Buy 30 Days In The Word Mines!

Or — or! — I’m offering it as part of my Gonzo Big Writing Bundle.

Twenty bucks gets you (now) eight books.

Buy Gonzo Bundle!

And that’s the deal.

Hope you check it out — this one’s a bit of an experiment for me, given that it’s a little more focused in terms of content, and again, is not material that originated at the blog. (The exception is the appendix, which features my Big 350 zero-fuckery writing plan.)

Enjoy!

*climbs into submarine*

*descends into the ink-sodden sea*

You don’t mess with Atlanta Burns.

Everyone knows that. And that’s kinda how she likes it—until the day Atlanta is drawn into a battle against two groups of bullies and saves a pair of new, unexpected friends. But actions have consequences, and when another teen turns up dead—by an apparent suicide—Atlanta knows foul play is involved. And worse: she knows it’s her fault.

You go poking rattlesnakes, maybe you get bit.

Afraid of stirring up the snakes further by investigating, Atlanta turns her focus to the killing of a neighborhood dog. All paths lead to a rural dogfighting ring, and once more Atlanta finds herself face-to-face with bullies of the worst sort. Atlanta cannot abide letting bad men do awful things to those who don’t deserve it. So she sets out to unleash her own brand of teenage justice.

Will Atlanta triumph? Or is fighting back just asking for a face full of bad news?

Releases January 27th, 2015.

Pre-order now!