Crap crap crap

 Look at this blog!  It is from a woman who claims to be giving advice on how to write and get published, but is really all about her. 

Well, this week, I know for sure we have solved that annoying little Internet tracking problem that we discussed the last couple weeks. Because now we have more people participating in the weekly blog prompt than ever.

Check it out here.

Go, us!

And just so you know, I don’t always tweet your posts in real time, but I do tweet them before the next issue goes out (indeed some get retweeted twice or thrice because of this imperfect science).

Oh, well. I figure no one will mind. Right?

If you would like to follow me on Twitter so you can retweet the blog prompt posts, I’d love it. Follow me

here, I’m @thewritermama.

This week, my writing wheels are greased and humming along. I’m going to be putting in a lot of long hours at the computer over the next few months.

But don’t worry, you won’t be neglected. Because writing these weekly e-zines is one of my favorite things to do.

Other favorite things to do include:

• Writing my book
• Podcasting from my first two books (learning this!)
• Working with my Dream Team students (we just started a new session!)
• Teaching classes (starting September 8th)
• Speaking and teaching live (bunch of these coming up and more rolling in all the time)

And, just to, you know, challenge myself, I’m going to try and have something new to share with you guys every week if I possibly can. This week it’s my first book podcast! Look at me podcasting!

If you would like to hear me reading you the introduction, “A Pep Talk” from Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, just click here. (The recording will start write away.) I haven’t figured out the fancy lead-ins or anything like that yet. But I’m almost on iTunes. Stay tuned!

Thanks for subscribing!

Write your own happy ending,

There’s a Glitch in my Pitch (via READY, SET…PITCH!)

Okay… yet again Jojo Jenson has actually given me good advice that is useful. I compare this to some of the totally crappy things I’ve been seeing from others and I am SOOOOO greatful.

There you are, sitting across the table from an agent or editor getting ready to start your pitch and you freeze.  Your heart pounds, your throat closes and you can’t seem to squeak out a word. You are choking big time. Been there. Done that. Have the humiliating (and hilarious) memories to prove it. So when we get caught up in our nerves, how can we re … Read More

via READY, SET…PITCH!

What the… (via READY, SET…PITCH!)

Back to the theme of good and bad blogs…. this one is really excellent! Funny and informative to anyone who wants to get published.

I’m a pest.  I bug my agent friends to peek at their query submissions because I refuse to believe that the majority of the queries they receive are undecipherable pap. Sigh.  It sucks being wrong. Have you checked out SlushPile Hell?  This daily (M-F) snark-fest is pee-your-pants-funny that publishes snippets of query letters and the response the agent … Read More

via READY, SET…PITCH!

Books about Writing by Authors Who only publish Books about Writing

I don’t know if anybody else has recognized this, but there seem to be a HUGE number of How To Get published books out there by authors whose only publishing credentials seem to be books on How to Get Published.  I mean… really. 

At first, from what I could tell, the best way to get published seemed to be to write a book about how to get published….  then I started doing some research.  Turns out, most (if not all) of these people got their books-on-how-to-get-published published because they were already part of the publishing industry.  Yes indeed, they were all editors and/or assistant editor or agents or the like. 

Now, that’s not to say that it isn’t important to get an editor’s viewpoint on how its done, but I’d also kinda like to hear how someone who was just a writer did it.  You know, someone who got published based more on the merit of their work rather than nepotism?

The rest is sort of equivalent of taking a seminar on how to become a millionaire from someone who inherited their money… if you know what I mean.

iPad: Publishing revolution or stylised propaganda? (via Samow)

Here is another good blog. It gives a considered opinion about a topic and takes a good nuetral stance on it.

The purpose of this article is not to discuss the iPad's technological advances or short commings.  Neither is it a hit piece on Apple or a Steve Jobs Blow-a-thon.  What I want to consider in this post is whether or not the iPad represents a revolution in publishing, or whether it is really a hi-tech, shiny piece of propaganda. The Internet, generally, has been a pain in the ass for newspapers and magazines.  Worldwide, circulations are plummetin … Read More

via Samow

WINTER CLASSES BEGIN JANUARY 13TH! (via The Writer Mama Riffs)

Now here’s an example of one that’s not so hot. I mean, I understand the need to market yourself, but really? Every other post is a Here’s classes you can take with me! Those are followed by articles by other people?

I guess that’s why she dropped the blog.

  Writing and Publishing The Short Stuff Especially For Moms (But Not Only for Moms!) With Christina Katz NEW: Now includes both regional and national markets! Class Begins January 13, 2010 Prerequisites: None Finally, a writing workshop that fits into the busy lives of moms! You will learn how to create short, easy-to-write articles-a skill that will make it easier to move up to longer, more time-consuming articles when you’re ready. Try your pe … Read More

via The Writer Mama Riffs

SERIES REVIEW: Dirigent Mercenary Corps, Rick Shelly (Ace Books) (via The Archaeologist’s Guide to the Galaxy.. by Thomas Evans)

Here’s another good one… it gives a well thought out opinion, but doesn’t go into the author’s own trials and tribulations…

Grade: E — Readable in genre, but you could probably do better.  In brief: This series follows the career of a young soldier in the far future, from his days as a Cadet to his eventual rise to being a Colonel.  In that sense, it is vaguely reminiscent of a science fiction version W. E. B. Griffin’s Brotherhood Of War series.  the Dirigent Mercenary Corps (or DMC as I will call it) starts strong with its first volume,  Officer Cadet and has a goo … Read More

via The Archaeologist’s Guide to the Galaxy.. by Thomas Evans

15 Minutes (via READY, SET…PITCH!)

Here is a great example of a good post! It gives good advice and is by someone who actually knows what she’s talking about!

Stephen King in his book On Writing talked about spending hours everyday writing. I wish. I'm lucky if I can sit down long enough to let a sandwich digest. I'm more in love with the story of Marc Acito who said he wrote his book How I Paid for College between stop lights. Now that's a schedule I can follow. As writers, creators of something out of noth … Read More

via READY, SET…PITCH!

A Blog about blogs

Not a new idea, I know… but basically, most blogs piss me off. 

I mean, what do I care about the personal lives of people I’ve never met, or the opinions of people who have no real credentials or experience on a topic?

So, I thought I would put up a site that reposts blogs… either good or sucky… and makes occasionally snarky comments because I can…