Friday Link Pack 08/01/2014

Hooray Friday! It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know!

Writing:

Pulse On Pacing: How Smooth Transitions Keep Your Story Moving
Handy tips from the folks over at Writers Helping Writers on keeping readers moving through your prose.

Publishing Industry Reels After 9M Fewer Books Are Given As Gifts In 2013
An interesting look at the number of physical books bought and the number of books given as gifts. I think this is a trend we’ll only see increase as time progresses.

Accidentally Going Digital
Peter Damien observes his slow evolution from book reader to ebook reader. Having once be adamantly opposed to reading digital books, I can relate. Just wait until it becomes your go-to platform.

Is Selling Direct Worth It?
A few weeks ago I shared an article about HarperCollins pivoting to sell ebooks directly. Publishers Weekly asks a real good question: does it worth?

Be Ruthless…
In case you missed it, last weekend I highlighted this fantastic quote from Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling.

Art:

Game of Thrones Transit Maps
I love these fantasy subway maps from my friend and fellow designer Michael Tyznik. His attention to detail is superb. If there’s one this Westeros could use it’s decent public transportation, might actually keep everyone from fighting. Buy posters of these maps over on InPrnt.

I Love Summer
A great series of high-speed photos by photographer Krista Long showing folks emerging from water slides. They make me want to visit a water park this weekend.

70’s Sci-Fi Art
I love the 70s, I love art, and I love science fiction. So I was excited when I discovered this blog highlighting the strange and surreal sci-fi art from the 1970s.

Random:

The Southern Pole Of Mars Is More Beautiful Than We Ever Imagined
io9 ain’t lyin’. Is it odd that this makes me want icecream?

A Victorian Coast Defense Fort Is Transformed Into A Luxury Hotel
Welcome to Spitbank Fort, once built for coastal defense, not a place to kickback and relax. Future supervillains take note, this is an incredible lair.

The Akodessewa Fetish Market
Atlas Obscura takes us deep into the heart of West Africa where the practice of vodoun—known to us as voodoo—is still thriving. Here you’ll find a market that caters to the practitioners. Here you can find anything from leopard heads to human skulls, and more. [NOTE: There’s nothing super gross here, but if you’re easily disturbed best to avoid this link.]

What If All The Ice On Earth Melted?
What would happen to some of earth’s most iconic landmarks if all the ice on the planet melted tomorrow?

Lovecraft Story of the Week:

The Green Meadow
Written by H. P. Lovecraft and Winifred V. Jackson this short story tells the tale of a mysterious meteorite that crash lands in the ocean off the coast of Maine, and the strange discoveries therein.