Wednesday links: Being blind to your faults, doors that open when you’re published, and Buffy characters

I love regularly reading tips and advice articles in certain subjects — particularly writing and publishing. I don’t always need the information right then, but I know that it’ll eventually come in handy. Or at least, I hope it will.

I know there are a lot of other people out there who feel the same way I do, but sometimes it can be difficult to find every useful advice article that’s out there. So I thought I’d bring you a few.

Here are the tips and advice articles that jumped out at me the most over the past week.

1. Why Writers Are Often Blind to Their Own Faults, from Jody Hedlund: Writers, of course, aren’t the only ones who are blind to their own faults, and much of this list can be applied to others. But there is an important lesson writers can take from the list. Excerpt: “No one ever sends their manuscript off to an agent thinking, ‘There goes that horrible piece of junk. Boy am I glad to get that worthless manuscript off my desk.’ ”

2. A Few Cool Doors That Open When You’re Published, from Live Write Thrive: Regardless of whether you reach a high level of success, being published comes with its perks. Excerpt: “Writers who follow the publishing industry already know full well that creative success and commercial success have, at best, a complicated relationship, and even the most carefully considered marketing plans include no guarantees. When my novel, The Listeners, launched in late 2012, I knew from my own seven years in publishing that the top of the New York Times bestseller list was pretty unlikely, and I was going to have to fight like hell even to make anyone aware of my book.”

3. Everything I Need to Know About Character, I Learned From Buffy, from Writer Unboxed: As I’m sure many fans can attest, Buff The Vampire Slayer was a very well written show. Its characters, in particular, were diverse and well-developed. Oh, and this post does contain spoilers, so click with caution. Excerpt: “Like much in the Buffyverse, the characters in the Gang are sometimes a little over the top.  Yet they remain coherent, always interesting, and often beloved.”