Posts Tagged ‘Writing’


Posted on May 31, 2010 - by

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 24 to May 30, 2010)

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 24 to May 30, 2010)

I almost forgot to do this with the long weekend, but here it is for this week. Be sure and look for past weeks Favorite Tweets for Writers by searching the blog or looking under Resources for Writers. Happy Memorial Day!

Please see the end of this post to see how to get your tweet included.

May 24, 2010

May 25, 2010

May 26, 2010

  • @KMWeiland “Help Readers Keep Your Characters Straight” New video post.http://tinyurl.com/rbfh86
  • @dirtywhitecandy Marketing Tips For Authors: 10 tips for overcoming stage fright if you have to give a talk http://bit.ly/cMAzCz
  • @RachelleGardner Many queries stop just short of being interesting. Try for 150 carefuly-chosen words in the pitch. http://dld.bz/eZDv
  • @p2p_editor New blog post: 4 ways to show character through conflict. Fight! Fight! FIght! http://bit.ly/cT0ANU
  • @NatalieWhipple Things I Strive For As A Writer: Perfection http://bit.ly/a67OS3
  • @bluemaven *Deep breath* Acknowledging my fears of submission:http://bit.ly/dmxxho
  • @elizabethscraig Just because you have a finished manuscript doesn’t mean you’re ready to be published: http://dld.bz/eVy9
  • @ProcrastWriter 4 Warning Signs Your Novel Isn’t Working: http://cot.ag/cjyYP1
  • @NathanBransford You Tell Me: which literary character do you totally have a crush on? http://bit.ly/ceZntz
  • @10MinuteWriter Need ideas? Need writing exercises? Try these: 10 Best Daily Writing Rituals  http://bit.ly/aE98Zb
  • @dirtywhitecandy Writing emotion without tipping into melodrama Novel Mattershttp://ht.ly/1PLQS
  • @AdvicetoWriters Never Get to Fancy http://bit.ly/9juHG4
  • @WritersDigest 8 Great Writing Websites – What Are Your Favorites? Plus, a Prompt http://ow.ly/17vCWp
  • @noveldoctor A blogpost about dealing with that unsightly middle…of your novel.http://bit.ly/93QPPX
  • @ProcrastWriter Stay Faithful to Your Work-In-Progress: http://cot.ag/bCpnEz
  • @PauloCamposInk New Blog Post: What People Griping About the End of LOST Can Teach Writers (no spoilers) http://ow.ly/1Q8zy

May 27, 2010

  • @lkblackburne There Are No Rules – The 3 Best Takeaways for Writers From BookExpo America: http://bit.ly/b92Ek6
  • @WritersDigest The 3 Best Takeaways for Writers From BookExpo America – I spent this week in New York at BookExpo America, the boo…http://ow.ly/17wCah
  • @ProcrastWriter How Online Writing Groups Help You Get Published: http://cot.ag/9nCC9a
  • @geekwriter1 Why I Love Bookstores and Libraries - http://bit.ly/bixq0Y
  • @VictoriaMixon 15 Things Your Characters Should Never Do http://bit.ly/avowjX
  • @indieauthor My Dialogue Sucks: Tips For Improving Dialogue In Your Novel http://dld.bz/fb7v
  • @AdvicetoWriters Artists are Spies http://bit.ly/9iNova
  • @elizabethscraig How we write: The phases of the writer– http://dld.bz/faKv
  • @NathanBransford What makes a great setting: http://bit.ly/aJvgvD
  • @KatZhang Article with great information on avg wourdcounts for a novel in today’s industry: http://bit.ly/bk8T0f (brought to my attn by @CA_Marshall)
  • @indieauthor 4 Steps to Managing Your Ideas Constructively http://ht.ly/1QGO5+ What is the “agency model”? http://ht.ly/1QGOV
  • @JodyHedlund How I’ve handled both the criticism and praise of my writing:http://bit.ly/diPCqJ

May 28, 2010

May 29, 2010

May 30, 2010

We all know I probably missed something, or lots of somethings, so please feel free to leave a comment below and share your favorite tweet for all to read. (It’s okay if you wrote it too!) Thx!

THE FINE PRINT: I keep getting asked why some tweets don’t make it. Well, here’s the deal with Tweets for Writers. I don’t include short stories, poems, flash fiction, quotes (occasionally I will include one that stands out). Primarily I include tweets that link to blog posts that include a great article/post about something pertaining to or helpful to a writer. Yes, sometimes I miss some. I am not picky about genres, or writing style, I will include everything.  If you feel like your tweets that fell during the week this post was created did not get included and should have, don’t get upset. Sometimes I do miss them. I don’t sit here 24-7, and I do a lot of backtracking and still I miss some. Just leave a comment in the field below with a link to your post (not your twitter account) and we will still go visit.  If you regularly tweet posts that you have written that are primarily for writers, send me a message on Twitter (@simplywriting) and make sure I am following you. I am making a twitter list with the people who tweet for writers most often, and I’d be happy to place you on it – this way I don’t miss as much. :D

Popularity: 15% [?]


Posted on May 25, 2010 - by

I Write Books… and stuff.

keyboard

I cannot remember a time I didn’t want to be a writer. I also cannot remember a time when I didn’t write. Thankfully my mother kept a collection of letters, stories, poems and other such things from my very early childhood through my teen years.
I remember thinking many times throughout the years, that writing was the only thing I was truly good at.

My parents, teachers, mentors, etc., always told me how gifted I was at writing. I can remember hearing all the same things, over and over again. “You should write a book.”, “How do you find the words to say all this?”, “Did you write this?”, and my favorite, “Have you ever had any of your work published?”. When I was a kid and early teen, I really hadn’t been published, unless you consider having your essay/story/poem featured in talent shows at school and such.

It wasn’t until high school that I finally got a taste of what it was like to be published in our school journal, which was a big deal at the time (at least to me it was).

I’ve grown up and moved on, and tried all different styles and genre’s of writing, but I come back to fiction every time.

I don’t mind writing articles, and do so occasionally. I also have a non-fiction book that is in its final stages of editing. So, I’m not opposed to writing non-fiction, but more often than not, I enjoy the gratification I get from telling a story that lives inside the depths of my brain and is just waiting for me to put fingers to keyboard and churn out several thousands words.

The saddest part is, that if I counted every WIP (work in progress) that I have, I would say that I am in different stages of completion and editing on at least 45 different stories. Some of them are terrible, I know this – it’s why I haven’t gone back to work on them again. Some of them are amazing, and those are the ones I long to get back to, and work on.

My question for you is, how many WIP’s do you have saved on your hard drive, back up drive, in notebooks, slips of paper, whatever…
Am I the only weirdo that has so many different WIP’s?

Tell it how it is, in the comments.

(Oh, and let me know what you think of the new design – new header images coming very soon!)

Popularity: 8% [?]


Posted on May 24, 2010 - by

Favorite Tweets For Writers – May 17-23, 2010

Favorite Tweets For Writers – May 17-23, 2010

It’s that time again. I began keeping lists of tweets mainly so I could go back and re-read the articles or tweets or reference them at a later time. After so much time, my list got way too long and it became impossible to find anything. So I decided to start sharing my favorite tweets for writers in one blog post, every Monday morning.

May 17, 2010

  • @JodyHedlund: Moving beyond doll-house characters to ones that feel so alive we’d like to meet them. http://bit.ly/bAJEwt #amwriting
  • @writelies: Breaking Your Comfort Zone: http://wp.me/pTHiv-1N calling all writers! #writing #writingtips #bycz #amwriting
  • @alleypat: AP changes style making website OK http://tinyurl.com/y3a52y9 #writing #amwriting #writetip #writechat
  • @CassandraFrear Feel Discouraged? Read “Why There Are No Setbacks in Writing” http://ow.ly/1LXCe by Cindy R. Wilson #amwriting #writetip
  • @pages2type: There are two states of liquid matter: Coffee and Notcoffee. #amwriting #amrewritingthelawsofphysics #caffeine
  • @simplywriting How To Get Ahead When You Are Behind On Your Word Count http://bit.ly/9CxJuN
  • @JohnBetcher Is “Print on Demand” really a bad idea? See my blog post: http://ow.ly/1Ma4V #amwriting
  • @CassandraFrear Feel Discouraged? Read “Why There Are No Setbacks in Writing” http://ow.ly/1LXCe by Cindy R. Wilson #amwriting #writetip
  • @JodyHedlund: Moving beyond doll-house characters to ones that feel so alive we’d like to meet them. http://bit.ly/bAJEwt #amwriting
  • @alleypat AP changes style making website OK http://tinyurl.com/y3a52y9 #writing #journalism #journalists #writers #writetip #pubtip #dfw #dfw_writers
  • @VictoriaMixon The 1 Big Secret Behind Why We Write. http://victoriamixon.com #amwriting
  • @JohnBetcher Kurt Vonnegut on writing style – http://ow.ly/1M851 (via @joe_roy and @Wecoachwriting.// A good read. #amwriting
  • @CreateWriteNOW: Food for your journaling habit. http://ow.ly/1KnTD #JournalChat
  • @JournalChat Creative writing prompts from Journal Buddies. http://is.gd/cceNl #JournalChat #Journaling #kids

May 18, 2010

May 19, 2010

May 20, 2010

  • @KMWeiland “Creating a Functional Writing Station” http://tinyurl.com/288chm3
  • @writingadvice What I Learned About Writing This Week…from Dreams http://bit.ly/cg0Zxd
  • @inkyelbows A Writer’s Guide To Twitter | Inkygirl: Daily Diversions For Writers http://bit.ly/zRW8n
  • @jamiec611 Quotes about writing to jump start the day for all of you freelancers: http://ow.ly/1NAQd
  • @jamesscottbell: A story starts with a character’s response to a disturbance. So why not make that page 1?
  • @writingadvice My newest, on the special loneliness of being a writer: “This is Going to Sound Strange….” http://bit.ly/9h50PK

May 21, 2010

May 22, 2010

  • @AdviceToWriters Kurt Vonnegut explains #drama: http://bit.ly/XG9k6 #writing #writechat
  • @EvaMcWriting #Writetip: Don’t label #writing frustrations as “writers block.” The pressure only increases. Consider it a time out to look for inspiration.
  • @AdviceToWriters A Writer Writes with His Instincts: http://ht.ly/1OKPW#writing #writechat
  • @elizabethscraig How Writing Can Be Like Great Sex: 17 Hot Tips– http://dld.bz/eATz

May 23, 2010

We all know I probably missed something, or lots of somethings, so please feel free to leave a comment below and share your favorite tweet for all to read. (It’s okay if you wrote it too!) Thx!

Popularity: 6% [?]


Posted on May 23, 2010 - by

How Do You Live a Writer’s Life?

tech-writer

I heard the most absurd thing the other day. I had a neighbor at our door (and then in our living room) that I don’t know very well. She lives much further into the neighborhood, and I’ve seen her at my children’s school, but have really never spoken to her. At any rate, she was standing on my door step selling candy bars for some fundraiser for her daughter.

We got to talking and she asked me where I worked. I told her at home, and when she looked confused, I said, “I’m a writer.” That question typically warrants responses like… “Oh, what do you write?” or “Who do you write for?”. But nope. Not this time.
Her response was direct.

“Wow, you don’t look like a writer.”

I won’t lie, I was slightly taken aback, but then I just smiled and asked her, “Well, what does a writer look like, exactly.”

I probably shouldn’t have responded that way, but when people say stupid things, I can’t help but respond that way. I’m not sure she thought about it before she asked it, but she cleared her throat and had nothing to say after that. She did tell me she was surprised, since my house didn’t look like I worked at home. (Is that a compliment? – Is it because it is clean? Is it because I have four dogs, a cat, four mice that I call my little muses, and now one tiny turtle? What does that mean exactly?)

I work at home. I spend the entire day while my kids are at school on my laptop churning out thousands of words, mostly on the novel I am working on, but occasionally I still do a sprinkling of articles. So what am I supposed to look like?

I purposely use a laptop so it is mobile, and I have been known to take my iPod with me to do some writing when I am in waiting rooms, etc. I actually enjoy writing on my back patio more than anywhere else (with the exception of the occasional park or coffee houses when the mood strikes).  My house probably doesn’t look like a “work at home house” since there isn’t a separate office, though I do have a space set up in the back corner of the living room. It houses a small desk I never sit at, with a plastic organizer that holds pens, pencils, highlighters, tape, a stapler, post-its, index cards, notebooks and other misc. writing aids and I have a library of writing books on a book shelf nearby that would put any writing section at the local book store to shame. Let’s not even talk about how many actual reading books are in my house. That’s another post. And if she had bothered to look a little closer, on the left side of the desk (which is not visible from where she was standing), there was a plate with crumbs from a snack I had eaten earlier that I set there as I hadn’t quite made it back to the kitchen yet, and two empty cups that had once held my liquid gold – coffee, which sadly I need to sustain my writing throughout the day. Now that I think about it, I’m glad she couldn’t see that.

So, what exactly did this woman expect to see? How am I supposed to be living a writer’s life? What should I have looked like to her? What was missing?

And now I’m curious… how do you live a writer’s life? (Interpret that theme anyway you wish)

Popularity: 15% [?]


Posted on May 17, 2010 - by

How To Get Ahead When You Are Behind On Your Word Count

How To Get Ahead When You Are Behind On Your Word Count

This has always been one of my top blog articles, so I thought I’d do a repost and slight update of the article. Here it is again, with a few minor changes.

Everyone gets stuck, gets busy or for other reasons, falls behind on their word count from time to time. Whether it is a self-made goal, a deadline, a contest or something like nanowrimo, it is frustrating to say the very least. So what do you do?

Do you call your editor?
Do you throw in the towel?
Do you give up and say, I just can’t be a writer?
Absolutely not.

Here are a few ideas that might help.

  • Word Wars. Try participating in a word war with someone. Set a specific amount of time and write your heart out. Try not to stop and keep it focused on what you need to happen in your story. I’ve come out of many writer’s blocks by participating in word wars, and then I’ve also wound up with whole sections I needed to delete at the end, but for right now – they are still part of the story.
  • Chapter Hop. Try writing ahead. Try writing a particular scene or situation that you know you want in your story. Even if you aren’t there yet, sometimes it will help you go back and fill in the gaps down the road. Last year I did this, and in one writing session I wound up with over 5000 words on one chapter that I was dying to write. I was able to then go back and it was much easier to fill in the gaps leading to that scene.
  • Try a creative writing exercise. Find a word prompt or just write something creative from the viewpoint of your character. Who knows, perhaps at the end you can use it in your novel, and if not, you might feel more prepared to begin writing again.
  • Take a break. Try watching a half hour of TV or reading a book. Don’t just sit and mindlessly stare at the TV. Think about the plot of whatever you are watching. Think about the characters. Think about what you would have changed or written differently, if you had been the writer of the show or author of the book.
  • Try using Write or Die. If you’ve never used it before, many NaNo’ers swear by it. It keeps you writing non-stop and sometimes you can even come up with new material and your characters can take you in directions you didn’t see happening. And now there is a desktop version. You don’t even have to be connected to use it, keeping the distractions at a minimum.
  • Plan a vacation for your characters. Take them somewhere new. In your story, have them go on a short vacation. Even if it doesn’t fit in the theme of the book, you can have them win a weekend getaway or something similar from a local radio station or library or something. Taking your characters on vacation could be just what the doctor ordered – for them AND for you.
  • Take a walk. Consider going for a walk. The park is usually pretty interesting or inspiring with the nature all around you. Pay attention to your surroundings and just let your mind be. Or if you feel like you need to stay busy, do some people observing and create new characters in your head. Or use the setting for a scene in your book.

Popularity: 8% [?]


Posted on May 17, 2010 - by

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 10 – May 16, 2010)

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 10 – May 16, 2010)

I began keeping lists of tweets mainly so I could go back and re-read the articles or tweets or reference them at a later time. After so much time, my list got way too long and it became impossible to find anything. So I decided to start sharing my favorite tweets for writers in one blog post, every Monday morning.

This weeks was a little different than most weeks, because I got married (yes, I said married – see previous two posts). So I was absent from twitter about 48 hours total (yes, I missed it terribly LOL). So I did some scrounging and was able to find some excellent tweets that took place during those missing 48 hours. Here’s this weeks favorite tweets for writers.

May 10, 2010
@elizabethscraig – Settings R Us–Generic or Unique? http://dld.bz/cMhY
@elizabethscraig – The “I can’t get published unless I’m published” myth:http://dld.bz/cGUD
@WritersDigest Can Writers Get Creative With Facts? – http://bit.ly/c9dyD1 #amwriting
@elizabethscraig – How to write crisp titles: http://dld.bz/cMn7
@WritersRelief Nine questions to ask a literary agent before you sign: http://bit.ly/9XurlC
@literaticat: On the blog: About Pre-Queries and Follow-Ups – Don’t do ‘em! http://tinyurl.com/2be8q8b
@JFbookman What Every Writer Ought to Know About Fair Use & Copyright: http://bit.ly/bk0tjm | You need this
@JaneFriedman What should fiction writers blog about? A few ideas, plus would love to hear your suggestions/models: http://bit.ly/a7BKmp
@WritersRelief Fire Up Your Muses: http://bit.ly/9Ub7FU (tips for jump-starting inspiration to write)
@elizabethscraig 3 attitudes to help yourself find the time to write: http://dld.bz/cV6M
@JFbookman It’s not that hard: 26 Ways to Win at Self-Publishing: http://ht.ly/1IVDA | We’re up to 50+ Come and add yours
@BubbleCowAre You Meant to Be a Writer? http://bit.ly/bIedMz
@elizabethscraig Writing synopses: http://dld.bz/cVU4
@BubbleCow Are you a distracted writer? http://bit.ly/9BxoNp
@elizabethscraig To Conceive a Successful Nonfiction Book, Create a Pitch Before You Write– http://dld.bz/cT7F
@4KidLit Are your characters novel worthy? Character Worksheet Part 1 http://bit.ly/bWd98a #writers #writingtips #amwriting #amrevising #yalit

May 11, 2010
@MaryDeMuth: Is writing inspiration or perspiration or both? http://bit.ly/9IaD8H
@Jolina_Joy: Nice post on why writers should use Twitter, from @AlexisGrant: http://dld.bz/ddWE (via @RachelleGardner) #writing #writetip
@WritersDigest: Top 10 blogs for freelance writers, according to @MichelleRafter: http://bit.ly/aniPnG
@elizabethscraig – Avoiding negative self-talk as a writer: http://dld.bz/cMkY
@MyschaTheriault When I #amwriting & feeling stumped, I need all the strategies I can get. Here r some from @islandstyle29 http://bit.ly/9uyaSq
@StephanieCowell: A fantastic article about WHY WE WRITE: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY (IS IT?) http://tinyurl.com/2bkx4oj #writers

May 12, 2010
@Writers_Life Natalie Goldberg on accessing our energy in writing http://ow.ly/1FKmP #Writers_Life #amwriting #litchat
@BubbleCow Why is is essential to get you book’s genre right – http://bit.ly/baD2i0
@4KidLit Cole Gibsen: When Rejection Feels Like a Punch in the Face – Wow Weds Survival Tips http://bit.ly/dsD5X3 #writingtips #yalit #kidlit
@gator1965 “A Writer’s Block Buster!” #Writers Thought for Today http://alturl.com/tnap Fix writer’s block #amwriting
@KMWeiland “Improve Yourself, Improve Your #Writing” http://tinyurl.com/rbfh86
@grammartips Fall Back Phrases http://bit.ly/boE5RP #writing #writechat #writetip
@AdviceToWriters Updated Twitter Chats For Writers (http://bit.ly/writerchats) with #tuesdayserial, hosts: @Doublelattemama & @TonyNoland (via @inkyelbows)

May 13, 2010
@Writers_Life The Writer’s Life: Tidbits & Knick Knacks http://ow.ly/1LtgW #amwriting #Writers_Life
@ MuseInks Note to self: You Cannot Edit What You Haven’t Written. Stop tweaking early chapters & finish the blasted MS. #amwriting #amnotediting. Yet.
@NathanBransford: How to write a one sentence, one paragraph, and two paragraph pitch (and the importance thereof):. http://bit.ly/cUtQ7e
@BookEndsJessica: Is there a reason for agent guidelines or is it just a bunch of hoops to keep authors jumping? http://ow.ly/1K10E
@ckingwriter: What’s your real genre (multiple choice quiz)? http://bit.ly/bGCV8b via @10MinuteWriter
@PublicityHound: #Fiction #authors, blog about these 19 topics (great for #nonfiction writers, too) http://ow.ly/1KluJ #writetips
@packratx: New Blog Post: Does Google Say You’re a Writer? http://bit.ly/cjLmTK #amwriting
@brrbach When Does Your Novel Become Real? http://bit.ly/bwHt8I #amwriting
@VictoriaMixon: 21+ Things Your Characters Shouldn’t Say–add your own. http://victoriamixon.com #amwriting

May 14, 2010
@Writers_Life Christina Baldwin on the Power of Story http://ow.ly/1FKsT #Writers_Life #amwriting #writing
@UltraMorgnus 10 New Ideas for Getting Inspired to Write http://ow.ly/1KQyU
@CPatrickSchulze: Developing a Protagonist – http://bit.ly/aC7hbS #writing #fiction #writers #writetip
@ZiggyKinsella: How to win friends and influence people – 10 tips for online authors http://bit.ly/cqWsjJ #writetip #amwriting
@Bob_Mayer: Is Traditional Publishing Dead? http://bit.ly/15amJH #amwriting

May 15, 2010
@amyknichols: New blog post: Not Just Writing, but Writing Well: http://wp.me/pBmxU-eI #amwriting
@kjhatch: The difficulty of understanding and writing truly evil villain characters http://bit.ly/a7WZfS #writing #writetip
@MadMan459 New blog post: What Kind of Twitter User Are You? http://bit.ly/cHj14i
@elizabethscraig 5 tips for authors who blog: http://dld.bz/dMwu
@AdviceToWriters Six Ways #Twitter Can Make You A Better Writer: http://bit.ly/cMJ8Uc #writing #writetip

May 16, 2010
@AuthorAlchemy: Is your writing any good? How can you find out? http://robin-hoffman.com/Test/wp/blog/?p=218
@__Deb 10 Things JK Rowling Taught Me about Writing: http://bit.ly/dcAedY
@pathauldren Which is which and that is that, but which to use where writing is at? http://ht.ly/1LKO4 #examinerAE #writing #writetip #writers#authors
@BuyoneersBooks What questions you should ask your literary agent: http://bit.ly/cKWzNp #amwriting #writetip
@Shara_ Blog Post: “SEO for Your Writing Blog or Website, Part 1″ – http://wp.me/pTLSY-K #writing #writechat #SEOtips
@ZiggyKinsella Budding author? 10 top tips for developing yout online presence http://bit.ly/bT1MAg #amwriting
@elizabethscraig An author shares her Ebook royalty figures (and how much she spent on promo): http://dld.bz/dPpu

An a few that just made me giggle, that I needed to share:
@sjaejones Dear writers: it’s “bawl” not “ball.” “She balled” means something entirely different from “she bawled.”
@danish_novelist I’m in love with the semi colon. One day we’ll marry and have a lot of kids ;;;;;;;;; #amwriting #editing

We all know I probably missed something, or lots of somethings, so please feel free to leave a comment below and share the tweet for all to read. Thx!

Popularity: 3% [?]


Posted on May 11, 2010 - by

25+ Favorite Twitter Hashtags for Writers (clickable list)

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UPDATE: Please go visit the NEW, UPDATED version of this page: 60+ Favorite Twitter Hashtags for Writers (clickable list) and please RT the new one. Thanks!

This morning I posed the question, what are your favorite hashtags for writers on Twitter. These are the responses I got in order of votes (mentions).

1. #amwriting
2. #writechat
3. #yalit or #yalitchat
4. #amediting or #amrevising
5. #Writers_Life
6. #writetip or #writetips
7. #LitChat or #kidlitchat
8. #writers or #writer
9. #writing
10. #nanowrimo or #scriptfrenzy
11. #publishing or #selfpublishing
12. #FridayFlash
13. #thepennydreadful
14. #askintern or #askagent
15. #journalchat
16. #StoryStarters
17. #pubtip
18. #writegoal or #editgoal
19. #fiction or #nonfiction
20. #wip
21. #authors
22. #ac or #examiner
23.  #articles
24. #copywriting
25. #weblit

Let me know if you can think of any others that I missed or that you love.

Popularity: 55% [?]


Posted on May 10, 2010 - by

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 2 – May 9, 2010)

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (May 2 – May 9, 2010)

Every week I come across some of the best blog posts, advice and tweets for writers. I am an avid re-tweeter over on twitter, and it came to me one day to start collecting them and sharing them. I used to share them on my facebook page, but then I realized my blog had a broader audience, so here I am over here every week now. Here are my favorite tweets this week on twitter – specifically for writers:

May 2, 2010

@chipmagregor – What a novelist needs to know about marketing  www.chipmacgregor.com — would love your thoughts.

@KMWeiland – Cleaning Your Copy: Follow this course to learn how to edit your own writing - http://tinyurl.com/35l36l5

@JodyHedlund – Self-Editing: When is Enough, Enough? http://bit.ly/bi01zr

@InkyElbows – Ranking of Literary Magazines for Authors. http://bit.ly/ (via @dogboi)

@bubblecow - Three Vital Steps To Writing A Novel http://bit.ly/dBbzvY

@bradvertrees – 6 Ways to waste your time as a writer http://bit.ly/dBtPlt

May 3, 2010

@BookEndsJessica – some truths about self-publishing http://bit.ly/22Mnxl

@bookbench – The post-print apocalypse. http://nyti.ms/ahTO3u

@Writeitsideways – Did you start your novel in the wrong place? http://bit.ly/cwPVbP

@RachelleGardner – Ever wonder what’s in a publishing contract? Here’s a quick overview: http://bit.ly/bjl5ip

@GalleyCat – What sort of speculative fiction content appeals to literary writers and editors? http://bit.ly/9payJr

@bookbench – Will erotica save the publishing industry? http://bit.ly/cvca9N

@WritersRelief – Nine questions to ask a literary agent. http://is.gd/bOWUn

May 4, 2010

@WritersRelief – How To Find And Choose A Writing Critique Partner:http://bit.ly/bWUGhW

@KMWeiland – “Take Full Advantage of Your Premise” http://tinyurl.com/23re3hu

@ChuckSambuchino – Writing your query letter? Want to make it AWESOME? Let me help! This Thursday, I’m critiquing letters.http://tinyurl.com/233g7a7

@MichaelHyatt – How can you comply with the FTC’s new guidelines for bloggers? Here are five templates. Re-post: http://bit.ly/83eCOe

@AdviceToWriters – Don’t Tell Anybody What Your Book Is About:http://www.advicetowriters.com/

@colleenlindsay – Agent Kristin Nelson asks “Are you starting your novel in the wrong place?” http://bit.ly/d3Z0BD

@bubblecow – 6 Ways to Waste Your Time as a Writer (Hint: Don’t Do Them!) -http://bit.ly/bLIKgM

May 5, 2010

@badbadbad – Writing Tips: 13 Don’ts on the Writing & Publishing Trail from @DanielNester http://cot.ag/chPKPL

@Rachelle Gardner – Check out these cool writing tips from Dave Cullen, author of Columbine: http://dld.bz/cp5e

@Bookgal – Great new blog: Why (some) Authors Fail- http://dld.bz/cqye A must read!

@JFbookman – 26 Ways to Win at Self-Publishing:http://ht.ly/1I3TC

@JennJohansson – just posted about wanting to kill my story. Have you ever been there? http://tinyurl.com/2czy645

@elizabethscraig – What should I write? http://bit.ly/dbgEbi

@elizabethscraig – Writing characters–must we stick to what we know?http://bit.ly/bq9pxA

@elizabethscraig – Writers and the internet (can authors survive it?) :http://bit.ly/dCKKfq

May 6, 2010

@NathanBransford – When it comes to queries, your current project should always be the star of the show: http://bit.ly/bRagO8

@MichaelHyatt – So you can’t seem to land a literary agent. Now what? I offer 8 actions you can take NOW. Re-post: http://bit.ly/aMPKlj

@bubblecow – The Self-Publishing Blueprint - http://bit.ly/caKfGU

@JaneFriedman – Writing under pen names & do you need to maintain multiple online identities? What’s your experience? http://bit.ly/9q8eRf

@thecreativepenn – Impt news: How Google Editions And New Google Search Affects Authors And Their Books http://dld.bz/c7Gy

@elizabethscraig – What makes a writer a professional? http://bit.ly/bfzoXo

@elizabethscraig – 8 basic writing blunders (Writer’s Digest): http://bit.ly/dBiuok

@elizabethscraig – 5 articles on writing with voice: http://bit.ly/aC5MZP

May 7, 2010

@WritersRelief – Word Count Guidelines for Genre Fiction: http://bit.ly/BGN57

@JennJohansson – just posted about pulling emotion from your reader. No, I don’t mean screaming and throwing the book away ;) http://tinyurl.com/2flm6mo

@litdrift – What sort of speculative fiction content appeals to literary writers and editors? http://bit.ly/9payJr

@RachelleGardner - What are you willing to give up in order to pursue your passion? http://bit.ly/aM8PJP

@AdviceToWriters – Find Your Optimum Hours for Writing:http://www.advicetowriters.com/ #writing #writechat #writetip

@elizabethscraig – Living in a world where most writers suck: http://dld.bz/c83p

@Writers_Cafe – 7 Things from novelist Kate Rockland funny, but veeeery useful tips! http://networkedblogs.com/3AD2d

@colleenlindsay – Writers, if you read no other blog post this month, read this! Agent @ChrisRichman on pitches of 25 words or less: http://bit.ly/bfX4ON

@JaneFriedman – An important message for writers: Never avert your eyes:http://bit.ly/adKW52 (guest post by amazing @ficwriter)

@JodyHedlund – Writer Moms, do others expect you to be Super Mom?http://bit.ly/bTUk8o #amwriting

May 8, 2010

@thecreativepenn – On Efficiency, Or How To Get Everything Done As A Multi-Tasking Writer http://dld.bz/c68Y

@MichaelHyatt – How can you increase the number of blog comments you receive? Here are 7 strategies. Re-post: http://bit.ly/59nBEY

@VictoriaMixon – 9 Secrets You Don’t Know About Your Story (It’s Cheating on You)http://tinyurl.com/33ubqlz #amwriting

@VictoriaMixon – 13 Things You Should Have Known About Your Characters Beforehand http://tinyurl.com/38l2qrp #amwriting

@VictoriaMixon – 107 Things You Should Know About Being a Published Author.http://tinyurl.com/34qkpdl #amwriting

@elizabethscraig – How to write crisp titles: http://dld.bz/cMn7

@elizabethscraig – The “I can’t get published unless I’m published” myth:http://dld.bz/cGUD

@elizabethscraig – Avoiding negative self-talk as a writer: http://dld.bz/cMkY

@elizabethscraig - Settings R Us–Generic or Unique? http://dld.bz/cMhY

@4KidLit – Creating Memorable Characters Part 1- Character Worksheethttp://bit.ly/bWd98a #kidlit #yalit #amwriting #amrevising

@AdvicetoWriters – By the End, You Should Be Inside Your Character:http://www.advicetowriters.com/ #writing #writechat #writetip

May 9, 2010

@MichaelHyatt - Do you make these 10 mistakes when you blog? Re-post: http://bit.ly/6jUwO0

@WritingAgain – EXCELLENT post on generating story ideas by @merrileefaber: http://trunc.it/7q47r #CreateWS

@LukeRomyn – Always remember that every single great fiction author throughout history started out with a dream and a few written words.

@elizabethscraig – On idioms in our writing: http://dld.bz/cPCe







Popularity: 4% [?]


Posted on May 2, 2010 - by

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (Apr. 25 – May 1, 2010)

Favorite Tweets For Writers This Week (Apr. 25 – May 1, 2010)

Twitter for WritersThis week I found some great tweets for writers, that linked to some amazing articles (and a few funny ones) that I couldn’t help wanting to share. I hope that you find them useful, and if you discovered any, or you have a similar blog post on your blog, please feel free to link to it in the comments field.

For a laugh and/or inspirational:

Helpful:

For Freelancing:

  • Freelance Writing Guide: How Writing Online differs from Traditional Writing. http://dld.bz/5k4
  • RT @MomieTullottes: Why I Recommend #AssociatedContent to All Writershttp://ow.ly/1zjMh

And already today, I have had about six really good ones come through my twitter feed – next week’s should be a good one.

Popularity: 4% [?]


Posted on April 19, 2010 - by

Promote the Novel You Haven’t Written

Promote Your Novel

Promote Your NovelThanks to the wonderful world of Twitter, I came across this article via @FionaRobyn written by Gina Holmes (@Ginawrites), suggesting it is a good idea to promote your novel (which is really just to say – get your name out there) as early as possible. After reading the article in full, I thought it was well written, insightful and why wouldn’t you want to get your name out there from day one?

After reading the article, I was planning a blog post about it, but before I did, I hopped back on twitter.

In case you’re not on twitter, let me explain what I did. On twitter you get 140 character messages. You can RT (re-tweet) something that someone else has shared to pass along to all of your followers (chances are you have some that are not following the original poster).

I did this with the article and then returned to my blog to begin the post I wanted to write. I hopped back over on twitter a short bit later to get Fiona’s twitter URL and I found the following response waiting for me.

LucidGlow: @FionaRobyn @simplywriting that’s so useless as expected, just more kissing up to the industry.

At first I was startled by the response, because it was obvious that she didn’t agree with the article at all. Being that I thought it was a good article, I was confused as to why, so I asked her. This was the response:

LucidGlow:@simplywriting It’s the entire general attitude/approach. @HoodedMan is right on the money with his article(s): My Fifty Cents.

So of course I went to read the article. I found myself agreeing with much of what amos (@hoodedman) said (based mostly on my conversations with other writers/authors and knowing what a few of the real life authors I know went through. However, with that said, I am having trouble understanding how the two posts actually relate to one another.

Am I missing the bigger point? It seems to be that they are clearly speaking about two totally different things. And why would a little early publicity for yourself, and the ability to get your name out there, actually be a bad thing?

So I decided to post this on my blog and open up the comments so we can talk about it (mostly because 140 characters on twitter does not allow me to ask questions or say what I need to say). So please, take the time to read both articles and then come back here and tell me what you are thinking, if you agree with one or both, if you disagree with one or both and just generally tell me your thoughts. I promise to respond :)

Popularity: 7% [?]


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