*This guy strongly suggests you read this post.*

Table of Contents is a series that collects stories from around the Internet that will inspire you to keep writing and reading. To share writing news with us, leave a message in the comments section or tweet us @WritersBone.

By Daniel Ford

Writing Hall

Teenagers at the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall are being encouraged to express themselves through creative writing by InsideOut Writers, a volunteer group that includes Hollywood executive producer Scott Budnick. "I'll be stressed out — I'll write about it," one of the inmates told The Los Angeles Times. "It's a good outlet. I don't have to fight somebody and dig a deeper hole." Powerful read that will further convince you of the lasting importance of words.

Turn That Soul Around

Michelle Huneven’s keynote address at Writing Workshops LA: The Conference, which took place on June 28, 2014 at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, is chock-full of wonderful writing advice. Here are a few of my favorites:

“To write, you have to turn your soul around. And then you have to turn it around again, and again, because there’s always slippage. Even after dozens of years of writing, there is slippage.”

“We have to accept the fact that there will be interruptions, and develop our abilities to get back into writing a little more swiftly each time.”

“Writers have to be able to delay gratification. To work without immediate pleasures. To delay gratification in general is the great sign of maturity. In writers it is absolutely essential.”

Camp Out

This is kind of a weird story in The New York Times about Jeff Bezos hosting an annual literary weekend in Sante Fe, N.M. Bezos allegedly invites a dozen or so writers to the desert and showers them with high-end gifts and food. This year’s event gave attendees some agita because of Amazon’s current battle with the publishing company Hachette. So many great, pretentious, writer quotes in this one. You can hear the whining and desire to be feted without any consequences.

Female Geniuses

The website Bustle points out that “there aren’t any women writers on the 2014 MacArthur list aside from graphic memoirist/cartoonist Alison Bechdel.” Tori Telfer gives a worthy list of female writers that should have been awarded a grant, which includes Marilynne Robinson, Louise Erdrich, Meg Wolitzer, and others.

Doesn’t Answer the Question: Where is the Booth?!

Remember when Sean Tuohy wrote about the mysterious John Swartzwelder, a writer for “The Simpsons” who may or may not actually exist? Well, apparently, an old pilot he wrote called “Pistol Pete” has surfaced on YouTube. It’s a western. That sound you hear is Sean’s head exploding with happiness.

For posts from The Boneyard, check out our full archive.

This is the debut of a new Writer’s Bone series that collects stories from around the Internet that will inspire you to keep writing and reading.

By Daniel Ford

Galactic Girl Power

Thor is set to become a woman, the new Captain America will be black, and Nicole Perlman made history by becoming the first woman to write a Marvel movie (this summer’s soon-to-be blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Think you’ve got problems trying to make it as a writer? Try being a female screenwriter interested in science fiction. Perlman recently spoke to Time about the hurdles she had to leap over to be taken seriously and how women can write “guy movies” just as well (if not better) than the fellas.

50 Shades of Learning

Texts I received from Stephanie Schaefer last week:

Sixty-year-old women on train are watching “50 Shades of Grey” trailer and making noises…#awkward

This movie looks like a piece of shit. I mean even worse than I thought.

All of this is surprising considering the source material won a Pulitzer and is being taught in classrooms around the U.S.

Wait, that’s not right…

However repugnant it may seem, trashy novels do have a place in the culture. At least people are reading and buying books.

If nothing else, writers aiming for the National Book Award can learn a few things from the God-awfulness of books like 50 Shades of Grey.

My favorite piece of advice from Roy Peter Clark’s recent Poynter post? This:

“The key to writing good sex (good anything) is original language.”

Self-Publishing for the Win

If NPR says that some self-published authors are raking in the dough, then it must be true.

A controversial report states that “self-published writers earn more money overall from e-books than authors who have been signed by the big five publishing houses.”

While that study might be flawed, we’ve interviewed several self-published authors who are making a living from their work (I’m looking at you Jacqueline Druga). But as multiple guests have pointed out, you need a plan off attack and the discipline to execute it. There are more channels out there for aspiring authors than ever before, but do your homework before deciding on which path is right for you.

Chase quality writing and powerful storytelling, not dollars.

These Are Some Good Writers, Eh

Mary Ann Gwinn, book editor for The Seattle Times, rounds up several Canadian authors you should be reading. I’m intrigued by her Alistair MacLeod recommendations. Perhaps it’s my French-Canadian blood talking, but I can’t resist a story about fishermen. Or dysfunctional families.

I also picked up Alice Munro’s Dear Life recently and have been waiting for the right to crack its spine. Maybe after I read the 567,897 books in my queue…

Book Hoarders

I didn’t click on this Los Angeles Times article because I have a problem or anything…

According to Hector Tobar, there’s a word for people who buy books and don’t read them. It sounds pretty badass! If it weren’t for crippling loneliness and obsessive-compulsive behavior, I would totally sign up to be one of these people.

Unfortunately, I actually read most of the books I buy. Okay, 50 percent of them. Fine, 25 percent.