Writers' Roundup: July 9

My favorite links from this week:

• Journalist David Farley tells MediaBistro’s GalleyCat how he turned his travel reporting into a book deal. Travel memoir folks, listen to this one.

• Eleven important elements of a novel or memoir, from literary agent Michael Larsen.

• When backstory helps your writing — and when it hinders it. Solid advice from author Mary Carroll Moore.

• Chris Brogan on the importance of Confidence and Conviction. Always a good reminder. I’m a big believer that this can make or break you.

• At The Art of Non-Conformity, a beginner’s guide to travel hacking. In other words, how to travel cheaply.

• Another one from GalleyCat: The Best Book Club Resources on Twitter.

• A post at The Fearless Journalist about personal freedom verses loneliness: Free to be lonely. Made me think.

• Oh! Almost forgot to add: I’m at Marianne Elliott’s blog this week talking about building a writing community.

Check back here Monday for Part II of Blogging 101!