Writing Advice: Take it or toss it! “Never take advice, including this.” I love that quote from the author Katherine Anne Porter because it is so dang true! We all need advice, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s good from what’s bad. Have you ever taken the wrong advice regarding your writing? I know I have! Most of the bad writing advice I get falls into 1 of 3 categories: 1. “You know what you should write?” I bet I’m not the only one out there who is constantly being told (usually by non-writers) what they “really should be writing.” This…
Tag: IWSG
Blog problems My blog has been giving me technical problems lately – and by “lately” I mean since last June. At the moment, it won’t let people leave comments, which is a bummer because blogs are all about two-way communication! Rethinking my blog Maybe it’s just frustration over all the time spent trying to fix my blog when I could have been writing, but I find myself wondering why I blog. Is it worth the time and energy? Does anyone out there enjoy my posts? Should I even bother? I owe a lot to my blog That said, I owe…
Making friends through writing I’ve been writing for decades, and getting paid for travel articles since 2006, but it wasn’t until I published Unexpected Texas that my writing began directly connecting me with readers. Sure, I knew people read my articles, but it ended there. I never made friends with any of my readers. Meeting people because of things I’d written? And not just online, but meeting them in person?!? As I said, this never happened when I was simply writing magazine articles! Sure, articles paid well, but even with a byline, it felt rather anonymous… like a message in a…
Is Gmail going senile? I’ve been happily using Gmail for years, but lately it’s been wonky. I wasn’t thrilled when they introduced the tabs feature a while back, but I got used to it. What’s got me troubled now is that all of a sudden, Gmail is tossing perfectly good emails into my spam folder! I know, I know… It’s a good idea to check your spam folder every now and then. Thing is, Gmail did such a great job for soooooo long that I fell out of that habit. Missed opportunities! It wouldn’t be such a big deal except…
Playing “Ketchup” this Week I know, I know… I didn’t get my IWSG up last Wednesday, and I can see from my blog stats that I’m not the only one who noticed! Sorry! I was just too dang busy prepping to sell my newest book, Paranormal Texas, at Dash Beardsley’s Wake the Dead Show down in Galveston. It was a frantic week, and I’m behind on a slew of things, so this week is all about playing “ketchup.” Better late than never, eh? (I’ll make the rounds of other IWSG blogs soon!) Everything’s easier the second time around! Y’know how the…
IWSG Check-in IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this: “Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh Belated is the New Black! Phew! Howdy, all. No, I didn’t forget about IWSG. I’m just pulling in a couple days late. And I hate being late…