I want to start this week’s writer link soup with two author success stories from the Shooting Stars blog: Sarah Wylie and Mary Lindsey.  Check them out; their story could be your story someday!

At the suggestion of her son, Becky Levine digs into the metaphorical Professor Umbridge, while Kelly Morgan of Distracted By The Internet gives us an intriguing peek into her writing process.

Heather Singh writes in her Composition Book about the Top Ten highlights from the Novel Writing Retreat at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, while John over at BookFox gives into the “evil meme” and presents his list of the Top Eight books that have influenced him.  I may give into this fad myself soon.

Les Edgerton advises writers to avoid “as” and “-ing” phrases, while Lydia at The Sharp Angle discusses how to use micro-themes to bring energy to your writing.

Juliette Wade at Talk To YoUniverse explains how to let your characters use their social skills, and Liesl at Writer Ropes and Hopes kicks off her Contradictions series (a very clever idea, by the way) by navigating between showing and telling.

And big THANKS to Jade Smith for including my “In Defense of Coffee Shop Writers” in her latest link wave!