Archive for February, 2008

My Favorite Writing Quotes

I’m snowed under this week.

Figuratively, not literally - I’m in Texas and it’s supposed to be over 70 degrees today, so it’s not actually snowing here.

I am buried in work, though. So, I decided to participate in the You Are a Part of My Life meme. The meme challenges each blogger to:

Post a quote that speaks from and to your heart and dedicate it to at least three other bloggers.

I’ll share not one, but three, of my favorite quotes about writers:

It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer - E. B. White

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. - C. S. Lewis

If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. - Stephen King

Feel free to say what you think about the quotes. I’ll come back later and tell you why I like them.

Mig already picked Lillie and Yvonne to dedicate her post to, so I won’t pick them again (although they both deserve to be chosen). It’s hard to choose just three bloggers to dedicate the post to (because there should be so many more), but I would have to pick Vivienne, Matt, and Nikki.

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Have Your Say!

What do you like to see on a writer’s blog? This is your chance to have your say!

Not only will the results help to make WritingThoughts a better place, they will also help me to select “Of Note” blogs that are of interest to all of us.

Of Note: Writing The Cyber Highway

This week’s blog “Of Note” is Michele L. Tune’s Writing the Cyber Highway.

Michele is a freelance writer with a great portfolio who uses her blog to “provide useful resources and inspiration to fellow writers.”

Some of Michele’s recent posts include:

• My Amazon Shopping Spree - What does a writer do when given an Amazon gift certificate? She buys books, of course. Here, Michele shares which books she bought and tells a little about each one.
• When Your Writing Well Runs Dry - a great discussion of what to do when you can’t think of anything to write.

Writing the Cyber Highway is a fun and friendly place to visit. Michele has done a good job of meeting her goal of providing resources and inspiration. If you haven’t ridden on this piece of the cyber highway yet, then you might want to give it a try.

Last week’s “Of Note” blog was WritingWorld. You can read my review of WritingWorld here.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in “Of Note” yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. I know there are a lot of great blogs out there; I discover more new ones each day. (So many blogs, so little time …)

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

9 Things That You Should Take Note of Around the Writing Blogosphere

Yesterday, I listed some must-read blogs, so I realize that you must already have a full reading list. I’m not going to add more to your must-read list today. Instead, I’m going to share some links to blogs and posts that I’ think you’ll enjoy.

I follow a number of blogs that are related to writing, and as I read various posts naturally I find some that I want to share. Here’s what I found this week:

1. Dazzling Dogs Story Writing Contest at IdeaWeaver - You could win the $50.00 grand prize. All you have to do is download a trial copy of IdeaWeaver and use it to write your dog story. See the site for a complete copy of the rules.
2. Group Writing Project - Describe your love affair with writing and win a copy of Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg. Be sure to read a complete rules at Joanna’s site.
3. List of Ways to Overcome Blog Writer’s Block - A very comprehensive list of ways to overcome writer’s block.
4. Fiction series at Men with Pens (formerly Web Content Writer Tips) - Men with Pens is starting a series on writing better fiction. I don’t see a lot of blog posts on fiction writing, so this is definitely something that you won’t want to miss.
5. Magical Thinking Series - Speaking of series, Lillie Amman has been writing a series on Magical Thinking over at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye. While the entire series is an enjoyable read, this post pertains specifically to writers.
6. Grand Re-opening - I am very pleased to share with you that the popular Writers Cafe at Grow Your Writing Business is having a grand Re-opening. You won’t want to miss this special opportunity to hang out with other writers.

This list of noteworthy things to read wouldn’t be complete without listing some of my favorite marketing and advertising blogs. While I don’t have any specific posts to link to, each of these blogs consistently provides high quality and informative content. If you haven’t already bookmarked them, then you should do it now:

1. Versa Build Wealth through Smart Marketing - Not only does Vivienne share noteworthy ads, slogans, and logos - she provides an excellent commentary on what she shares. If you do any kind of copywriting, then you will learn a lot from this blog.
2. PamilVisions e Writings - The discussion is always lively here. Mig shares her perspective on everything from social media to personal growth to Google.
3. Marketing Should Be Fun - What I love most about this blogger is that he DOES have fun on this blog. He does a good job of covering marketing topics and manages to add his own sense of humor and originality into his topic. Visit him today and they’re talking about sex. (Really!)

That’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this peek around the writing blogosphere!

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Web Content Thursday: Five Blogs That You Should Already Be Reading

Usually we talk about writing web content on Web Content Thursdays. Today I’m going to turn the tables a little bit. Instead of talking about writing, we’re going to talk about reading - specifically, what blogs you should be reading as a web content writer.

Here’s a list of five must-read blogs for any web content writer:

1. The Leading Blog In Your Genre - It’s a good idea to keep up with the leading blogs for your particular type of writing. If you aren’t sure what those are, Technorati can help. Use this link to find a blogs only search engine. Type the name of your writing genre (for example: copywriting, fiction writing, travel writing, etc.) by the search button. For authority select “a lot.” The search should bring up the high authority blogs for your type of writing.
2. Leading Blogs About Blogging - If you blog, then you need to keep up with what’s going on in the blogosphere. Some of the top blogs to help you with this include: ProBlogger, Dosh Dosh, Daily Blog Tips, The Blog Herald, and Performancing.
3. Your Client/Employer’s Blog - Do you really want to be the last one to know that your client/employer is having problems? Whether you have one major client, or many - if they blog, then you should read it. I might not always leave a comment on my clients’ blogs, but you’d better believe that I read them.
4. Any Blog That Links to Yours - Don’t you want to know what they’re saying? (If not, why not?)
5. Your Own Blog - Yes, it’s important to go back and reread your own blog from time to time. There are a number of reasons to do this. First, you might find old typos that need to be corrected (ugh!). Secondly, you might remember some projects that you started and never quite finished. Third, you might find some posts that you’ve changed your mind about or that need updating.

So, with this list of must-read blogs in mind, what’s in your feed reader?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

WAHM Wednesday: Do You Call Yourself a Professional Writer?

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with the mother of one of my daughter’s friends that I only know casually.

The conversation when something like this:

Her, in a pitying tone: So, are you writing a novel from home?

(If there had been one of those cartoon bubbles over her head to show her thoughts, it probably would have read something like this: poor deluded thing, she thinks that she’s an author…)

Me, somewhat surprised at her tone: Actually, I do all of my writing for businesses. I write study guides and tests for business professionals, create content for companies that have websites, and develop instructional manuals for software systems. I have also done some newsletters.

(I didn’t even attempt to explain what a blog is to her.)

Her turn to be surprised: So you really do stay busy…

She sighs: I need to find something that I can do from home and get paid.

Unfortunately, her response is not all that unusual. When I tell people that I’m a writer they typically ask to read one of my books. That’s because, for most people the occupation title “professional writer” seems to be synonymous with the occupation title “book author.” Most people think that writing a book is the only way that a writer can get paid.

I ran across this post from my blogging friend, Nikki, that asks when you should call yourself a professional writer.

My opinion is that you are a professional writer if you are earning your living from writing, but I’m curious to find out what you think.

What do you think? At what point can you call yourself a professional writer?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Of Note: WritingWorld

A few weeks ago I discovered the WritingWorld blog by Amber McNaught and found it to be right on target for the freelance writing blog niche. It’s obvious that Amber knows her stuff.

(Of course, I also couldn’t help but be impressed by the slogans in her banner which include: “Writing well is the best revenge” and “why won’t they pay me?“)

Some recent posts that I enjoyed at WritingWorld include:

• Bad PR # 1: The PR who wants to dictate what you write in which a public relations official of a shoe company simultaneously creates ill will and loses a customer.
• What employers look for in freelance writers, which lists some criteria that clients use to evaluate contract writers.

Amber also publishes job listings for freelance writers.

As a writer, I can relate to Amber’s stories. Her blog is both informative and entertaining. If you want to learn more about freelance writing, this is definitely a resource that I can recommend.

Last week’s “Of Note” blog was Copyblogger. You can read my review here.

Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in “Of Note” yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. I know there are a lot of great blogs out there; I discover more new ones each day. (So many blogs, so little time …)

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Web Content Thursday: Are Forums Dead?

A few weeks ago I read this excellent post by Randa Clay on reasons every blogger should participate in forums.

I have to say that I agree with Randa’s list of forum participation benefits. My own experience with forums has been extremely positive. In fact, I might not even be blogging today if it hadn’t been for those that I ‘met’ through online forums.

Yet, just a few days after reading Randa’s post, two of my favorite blogging forums closed down for good.

Now, I have to admit (with some degree of guilt) that I had not been paying enough attention to said forums. I’d allowed business to get in the way.

I fully understand that forums require a lot of work. Forum moderation, in and of itself, can be a full-time job.

I have to wonder, though, were the closures more than just a coincidence? Were these closures a sign of a coming trend? Are forums and message boards on their way to becoming a thing of the past?

What do you think?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

WAHM Wednesdays: Has Your Blog Helped You To Get Back In Touch With Old Friends?

Something that I’ve wondered about is whether or not anyone has ever been reconnected to old friends through blogging.

Personally, it hasn’t happened to me yet. I’m a little surprised, though. I keep half-expecting to get an e-mail from someone that says: “are you the Laura Spencer that I knew at XYZ college?” Or, “are you the same person that I worked with at ABC company?”

On the one hand, you’d think that this would happen all the time. On the other hand, my blog probably doesn’t really have that much reach.

However, I’m curious as to whether or not this has happened to any of my readers.

Has it? Has someone that you’ve lost touch with contacted you through your blog?

Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved

Why It’s Important to Be In Touch With Other Writers

One of the best things that you can do for your writing career is to find one, or more, writers with whom you can share career goals and milestones.

Your relationships with other writers are unlike any other relationships that you’ll have.

Other writers will sharpen your skills. They’ll inspire you. They’ll teach you. They’ll encourage you. And yes, they’ll provide much-needed constructive criticism.

Read more.