Around the Web: Top Stories and Words of 2018, Famous Author Drafts, and Novel Writing Advice

Happy Friday and a pre-emptive happy New Year to you all!

Since this is the last Around the Web post of the year, I’ve got a few 2018 wrap up lists for you to check out and some writing inspiration and advice to get your 2019 started right.

Read on and then share your 2019 reading and writing goals with us!

Lit Hubs Best Stories of the Year

The end of the year means tons of best of lists and Lit Hub has a great one; it’s their countdown of the top 50 stories of the year. Start with 50 to 41 and make your way through the whole list.

Merriam Webster’s Top Words of 2018

If you’ve been watching or reading the news this year, it’ll probably come as no surprise that Merriam Webster’s word of the year is “justice.” The concept of justice—criminal, social, economic etc.—has been at the centre of many discussions this year. The news, and prominent figures in politics and entertainment, has also prompted many of the other words on Merriam-Webster’s top words of 2018 list. Check it out and let us know which words you think Merriam-Webster may have missed.

Famous Author Drafts

BuzzFeed collected some images of drafts from famous authors that might be of interest to you. These include hand-written poems on envelopes, typed pages with notes in the margins, and more. They’re particularly interesting as they show the evolution of some famous works and the writing processes of writers like Oscar Wilde, Emily Dickens, Joseph Conrad.

How to Write an Above Average Novel

Some of you might be deciding on writing goals for 2019, so I figured it’s fitting to share some writing advice for those of you taking on novels. This ten step list for making your novel stand out from writer K.M. Weiland gives you some important ideas to consider.

That’s it for 2018, folks. See you in the new year!