Hi, all! I'm baaack. Some pictures of my trip are posted over at Teen Fiction Cafe, if you're interested. Meanwhile, I'm honored to welcome this week's tipper, Tera Lynn Childs.
Tera is the author of unbelievably fun mythology-based YA fiction, including OH. MY. GODS., GODDESS BOOTCAMP, and FORGIVE MY FINS. 
You can check out her CITY CHICKS e-books, and be sure to watch for FINS ARE FOREVER in June, and SWEET VENOM, coming your way in October.Tera had a nomadic childhood, moving around more than my poor kids (don't ask), and has kept up her nomadic ways, jumping from Columbia to University of Colorado and back to Columbia to earn her bachelors in Theater and masters in Historic Preservation. (Hey, I think if you tried really hard, you could come up with some way those majors are related.) She settled in Houston for a while, but has taken up the nomad's life again. Who knows where she'll land next? You can follow Tera's writing and wandering on her website, on facebook, by following her on twitter, and by checking out her youtube channel.
Tera says:
When you get stuck and can't move forward, trying stepping away from the words for a bit and attempt something visual. Draw a moment from your story. Paint the view from your protagonist's bedroom. Or, my favorite, create a collage of magazine pictures that represent your characters. They don't have to be brilliant works of art, but the act of making your brain think about story in a different way might be just the thing your need to get back on track.
(Tera was kind enough to provide an example - this is the collage she made for SWEET VENOM.)
This week's link roundup:
Never too late to learn to read (Scholastic) Inspirational.
The Value of Saying Yes (AdventuresinChildren'sPublishing) Writers' best affirmative response
Finishing the Unfinished Novel (figment) Bonus - tips within the article.
The cure for Melodrama (Seeking the Write Life) Use the Mundane to your advantage.
Outlining: Strategize (Janie Bill) What are the core elements of your plot?
Inspiration: Maureen McGowan (Cynsations) On resources, hanging in there and writing
What are your Words Worth? (Rhiannon Paille) Don't sell yourself short.
EPIC: Trends in PB, MG and (mostly) YA (Mandy Hubbard) This wisdom of 37 meetings.
Cheryl Klein's Plot Checklists (Ingrid's Notes) Links within the link
Hiding the Football (Genreality) When revealing info to readers is better than not.
Do Stories need a Theme? (Jamie Gold) Helps stories resonate with meaning.
Reversals (Nathan Bransford) One of the most important writing concepts to master
12 Ways to learn to Write (Rants and Ramblings)
8 Ways to keep tension in those sagging middles (Laura Pauling)
8 Kinds of Tension (and why you should mix them up) (Chatterbox Chitchat)
7 Essentials for the 1st Page (W.I.P. It)
5 Ways to Avoid Infodump in your Beginnings (Magical Words) c/o Lucienne Diver
4 Ways to Create Endings that Resonate (Julie Musil)
3 Ways to Avoid Creating Unlikable Characters (Jody Hedlund)
3 Ways to keep your dialog Natural
3 Reasons Action is important (& 3 Reasons why it's not) (Victoria Mixon)
Now go. Write!
