Favorite Books of 2012

I don't tend to follow the bestseller lists and keep up with all of the new "must read" books by Oprah. I'm a mother of a two year old and wife to my Dear Husband. I read what appeals to me in the moment and if I don't get to the latest books of 2012 until 2013 well, that's just the way it goes!

I debated making a list of books I think I should have read or a list of books I actually might have liked from the past year but decided against either of those. Instead my list of books is one of books or series that I am currently reading (or rereading in some cases.)
Continue reading on my blog...

Books From 2012 To Read Before the Mayan Apocalypse

I will admit that I didn't do quite as much reading this year as I usually do. I think it had something to do with my self-imposed denial of buying new books in order to save the moola, and the fact that my library down the street is only open at impossible-to-get-to-if-you-have-a-job type hours. But here it is anyway, my favorite books of 2012.

LC favorites of 2012

When I read our month’s topic, I hoped that I would at least have some good books to add. I have done enough reading, but it hasn’t really involved reading entire books. Mostly it has been an article here or chapter there…

There have been few books though, which have been rather nice surprise.

MGR: Favorite Books of 2012

We end the tour for 2012 on a fun note, discussing our favorite books of 2012.  Come see what was on my "Done Read" list this year.

Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour December 2012 – My Favorite Books for the Year

This month the discussion is on my favorite book or books of the year.  This last spring I was taking a course on How to Revise Your Novel (by Holly Lisle) and during one lesson she recommended a book by George R.R. Martin, The Game of Thrones. (Yes, the one that’s now an HBO series.) 

I’ve been reading Science Fiction since I was twelve and for some reason, I’d never come across one of his 

novels. 

Continue reading on my blog...

Zette's Favorite books

I have a confession: my reading fell way off this year, partly because of work stuff. I was so focused on getting things done that reading dropped to the last thing on the list, and usually slipped off it without me even noticing. Work and write and work some more -- anyone who has spent time in chat with me sees how things usually go.

Read more here

...A Few of My Favorite Things...

Favorite books - we all have ‘em, and this month’s Forward Motion Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour is about my favorite books of 2012. I signed up for the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, setting it at fifty books. I reached my goal and then some! (I really need to update this year’s reading list — it’s stuck at September.)

Head over to my blog, In Shadows to see my top five books of the year!

Best of 2012

I had three favorite books from this year’s crop: to find out what they were, go to Cowgirl in New England.

Erin's favorite reads of 2012

I read a lot of really good books this year. Some, I'm still in the process of reading, and others I think will be good (even if I haven't gotten to them yet). Come see what I think is worth checking out on my blog.

The State of the Industry

When I saw this topic at the beginning of the year I was sure I'd know exactly what to write. However, now that it's time to write it I find myself overwhelmed. The state of the industry is in such flux that it would be impossible to cover everything in one blog entry.

We've gone from the big six to the big five, and now there are talks of two more of the big publishers merging, which means we could be down to the big four soon. Read more HERE...

The State of the Industry- Mood Shoppers

I must admit I know very little about industry. It has always been something that is far away, out of reach or out of “I want this” obsession.

When I think of industry, the very old dilemma rises up in my heart that drove even Koontz to write his book – genres. Around Estonia, genre writing is a combination of hidden tactics. Unless it categorizes under youth, fiction, art or music, there really isn’t anything to follow. Finding something using genre search is difficult and anyone going for romance can end up with science fiction with a bit of it instead of the obvious book shelf that sits under the big sign “romances”. It is often criticized as something to avoid, writing under one genre.

I would like to disagree.
Read further...

Jean's November MGR Tour

This month we're talking about the state of industry.  Come read my thoughts on the subject.

Merry Go Round Blog Tour - My take on the state of Publishing

This is my first post for the Merry-Go-Round blog tour.  I’m quite excited about being part of this process.  This month the discussion is on the state of Publishing.  Since I’m a new writer, only a year since I started, I wasn’t sure where to begin. 

Continue reading on my blog...

The state of the industry

Okay, we all know the publishing industry has been going through drastic changes these last few years. When I first started publishing on line in 1998, people were shocked to learn there were even places you could find stories to read on the computer. Never mind ebook readers and the entire change they've brought about a few years later. We are in a whole new world for publishers, authors and readers.

 

Read More

The State of the Art

So, this month's Merry-Go-Round blog tour subject is on the state of the publishing industry. When I started to think about what one struggling writer could possibly contribute to this conversation, given how many industry blogs and articles are out there in the world, I started to think about one of my favorite musicals: Sunday in the Park with George.

There's a song in the second act where George, the great-grandson of George Seurat (the pointillist) is trying to sell his newest artistic production and he sings a song called "Putting it Together." Some of the lyrics include:

Art isn't easy.
Every minor detail
Is a major decision,
Have to keep things in scale,
Have to hold to your vision-
Every time I start to feel defensive,
I remember lasers are expensive.
What's a little cocktail conversation 
If it gets the funds for your foundation,
Leading to a prominent commission,
And an exhibition in addition?

(Continue reading "The State of the Art" on Once in a Blue Muse)

I am not the person to ask about the state of the publishing industry.

I was going to try to pretend I am. Post some pointers to good websites, summarize my opinions, and so forth. But I would be faking it if I did. The truth is, I pay very little attention to the state of the industry.

read the rest at Cowgirl in New England.

The Consummate Professional

I suppose when most people think of professional writers they think of people like Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and J.K. Rowling. Successful writers with more than one title on a bestseller list. My own idea of a professional writer is far more...elastic.

Continue reading on my blog...

When You've Gone Pro

Being a professional writer means different things to different people.  In the writing world, some writers have come to define professional as qualifying for membership in a professional writing organization. This often means you have to have been published by an approved publisher or magazine paying professional rates.

I'm going to be up front for a moment. I  do not believe you can solely judge professionalism based on who someone's publisher is or what magazine they were published in. How many of you, for example, consider Snooki a professional author? She would absolutely qualify for membership in one of those professional writing organizations.

Continue reading HERE.

MGR: Professional Writer

I had a little trouble with this month's topic, but I created something "on the fly."  Check it out, if you dare.

Man in a hut

I have thought long and hard over this month’s topic. For days I just wanted to pass this one, because if there is one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I’m not a professional writer. Differently from everybody else, I’m not sure if I’d ever want to be. But then I think I should elaborate the thought a bit more so we could all be on the same page on this.

You can continue reading here.

The Professional Writer

Professional Writer - there’s a nice title, huh? I’ve always wanted to be one, but it’s only been the last few years that I’ve discovered what the title means.

As a high school student, I had visions of lolling about the typewriter (yes, I’m that old) and attending conferences in a tweed jacket.
Come to think of it, that’s about all I could see at the time… Hmmm…

I considered myself a better artist than a writer, though, so my young adulthood was all about pen & ink, graphite and Prismacolor pencils. When I hit college in my late 20’s I fell in love with airbrush. I dropped my psychology major for a fine arts major in a hot minute.

(No, not really. It took three terms of serious soul-searching before I made that decision. I’m nothing if not anal retentive.)

To continue reading, head over to Redhawk's site, In Shadows

Professional Is as Professional Does

 The topic of being professional is one that I return to again and again. Not because I'm some great sage able to impart my wisdom to writers far and wide, but because in writing about it, I continue to refine my own thoughts about what it means to be professional.

In my prior life as a Physical Therapist, being professional meant holding to ethical practice, advocating for patients and their goals, contributing as a member of a health care team, and seeking out opportunities for assessment and continued learning.

For over 20 years, I practiced as a professional PT, learning and growing as a clinician, performing my job to the best of my abilities.

When I made my career shift from clinician to writer, many aspects of my life changed. Certainly, my commute got easier, if you don't count the traffic jam of two dogs trying to trip me up on my walk across the living room. Particularly hazardous when holding coffee! I can go to work these days in sweats or even PJ's. Hooray for writers working at home without dress codes! Everyday is casual Friday!
(Continue reading on Once in a Blue Muse) 

Defining a pro

I've talked about pro levels of sales on my blog before. Today, I'm just pointing out behaviors that make anyone professional, regardless of where they stand on the publication ladder. Read more on my blog

Blowing Your Own Horn--Or Not

   In our culture we are taught that we should not brag about our accomplishments.  We even have an old saying, “Don’t blow your own horn.”  (to continue click here)

Strengths and Weaknesses

 Over time and with great effort every writer strives to have more strengths than weaknesses.  Naturally the first step is to acknowledge your weaknesses and define your strengths. That being said, you are usually your own worst critic. Keeping this in mind I will list what I think are my most prevalent weaknesses. Naturally I think there are many so I will save you the boredom and only list three.

Come read the rest on my blog!

Excellence in Writing

Having been asked my strengths in my writing, I imagine the whole list of my weaknesses. I have decided to look at the areas I excel at with writing to keep my mind on the positives. There is a time to explore where we need to improve by all means. When I begin a project, I want to be in the best frame of mind that I can be. This is the way I overcome my inner critic that loves to mess with us all. Undermining our confidence, making us edit as we go or making us just plain give up, the inner critic is a tricky little bugger....  Continue reading...

I Could Carry About 20 Books + My Kindle

Sorry for the title (which would make sense if this was about reading), but I didn't want to title it, "My Strengths As A Writer" because it sounds like one of those back-to-school reports we used to have to write in elementary school. "What I Did During Summer Vacation."

Continue reading on my blog.

It'll Knock Your Socks Off

We writers are often a mixed lot when it comes to how we see our strengths and weaknesses. I've met the raging egomaniacal writer who thinks "everything I write is a gold nugget of perfect prose" and "I'll knock your socks off with my awesomeness." On the flip side, I've met the self deprecating nervous Nellies who insist that everything they write is Read more...

My strengths as a writer

The fact that an elephant can learn how to balance itself on a small cabaret chair is probably just as hard to explain as is what I consider myself to be strong at.

Continues here...

MGR: What I Do Best (Writing-Wise)

Have you wondered what I think I do best in the writing realm?  Check out this month's post to find out.

What I do best in writing

There are so many ways to look at this kind of question. Yes, there are the basics: I always need to rework description and I overuse some words, but I do my best to edit those out. I'm good at dialogue, though. I'm fairly good at humor.

Read More Here

Writing Strengths - What Are Yours?

Writing strengths — every successful writer either has them or develops them over time. Sometimes it’s difficult for a new writer to see their abilities objectively, so here’s a list of mine. Not everyone will have the same ones, but the following qualities are major assets in my writing.

---

1. Discipline
2. Working Solo
3. Inner Eye
4. Inner Ear
5. Curiosity
6. Voracious Appetite
7. Grasp of Language
8. Enjoyment

1. Discipline —

I’ll be honest. I’m stubborn as all get-out. When I make my mind up, it takes an act of the gods to get me to change it. (Ask my mother… I once left a candy bar on the counter for weeks because I’d made up my mind not to eat it. My little brother eventually scored the chocolate.)

Even obstinacy doesn’t fully help with the primary skill all writers need to acquire. You’d think it would. Daily sitting my butt in front of the computer is a toughie!

Continue reading this article at In Shadows

The post I would have written

This month's Merry-Go-Round prompt is writing strengths.

I offer my apologies, but I wasn't able to put together a formal blogpost for it, due to a death in the family. What I would have talked about as my greatest writing strength is that I strive for emotional honesty in all my writing.

I am in mourning now, for my mother's passing.

I am not ready to tackle the enormity of what her loss means to my life and until I can, the words must wait.

Getting Along

Do you picture your inner critic? I do. Mine is a dominatrix in red leather, with short blonde hair, red lips and black nail polish, and a whip she knows how to use. Read the rest at Cowgirl in New England.

Dawn's Writing Strengths

Want to play the rating game? Go here. :)

My To Read List

My to read list for this year has been constantly changing. I try to balance my research-type reading with my "fun" reads. To that end I have complied a list and placed it below with a bit of reasoning behind each.

Come to my blog to read more!

To Be Read List

This is a long list at our house! We have well over 1500 books in our library at the moment. My to be read new releases are on another shelf in the living room. And the range of genres and books vary greatly! Some may think we have ADD when it comes to making book choices. Our last trip to the book store included buying...  To catch the whole list please head on over to Tip-Toeing through Metaphors

On the *To-Be-Read* Pile

Like many of you, I have an ever growing list of books I want to read. It's so bad, in fact, that not only do I have a bunch of books on my Kindle, but I have a list of books I want to read that I keep on my phone.  Continue Reading at The Quadrant

The Neverending To-Be-Read Pile

Every avid reader has a mountain of novels, magazines, and short story collections to hand just in case the apocalypse is upon us and we're stuck in our homes like Burgess Meredith in the end of that Twilight Zone episode (you know the one). Read s'more

What's on my reading list?

I could do it really short and say – school books. In longer version – anything but school books.

When I’m working on something, I tend to read a lot of scientific books how and why things work. It is important to me that if I give out the final work, it should be polished and shine. I’m far from perfectionism, but I very much enjoy fully thought through books, even if it’s mindless action.



Read more here.

We're talking about "To Be Read" Piles this month.  I talk about a small segment of mine this month.  Come see.

To Be Read

I admit it . . . I haven't been reading much fiction lately. I am in a crazed nonfiction mode for about a year and a half now, going through all kinds of odd things as the mood -- or the need for research.


Read more here

The Pile

Not many books actually stay on my reading list for long. I’ve got a robust county library with a healthy selection. Needless to say, if I can’t find what I need there, I have no problem using the interlibrary loan system. What a godsend in this time of recession, huh? I heartily recommend heading to the library if you can’t afford to purchase your own books.

Continue reading at Jordan Redhawk's site, In Shadows

The Daunting Challenge of Books Not Yet Read

It was bad enough when my book shelves got filled to capacity and I started having to pile them horizontally in the small spaces between the top of the books and the bottom of the shelf above. It was bad enough when my nightstand could be classified as a hazard, with a teetering stack of books crowding out the telephone and clock. It was bad enough when the boys started to exercise their own taste in books and brought home towering piles of their own from the library and our local bookstore.   (Read more at Once in a Blue Muse. . . )

The world's my oyster

I read far more nonfiction than fiction, and always have. I read far more short stuff than long stuff. I keep the latest issue of Scientific American on my kitchen counter and read articles while I'm waiting for the Foreman Grill to heat, while the microwave is reheating the soup, when I should be slicing tomatoes. After I'm done with that, it will be Sports Illustrated or the local paper...

Read the rest at Cowgirl in New England.

The Ever Growing Reading Queue

Reading is almost more important than writing. Think about it. Writers likely wouldn’t have the desire to write without ever having read something that sang to them. Readers, who spend a good chunk of their time poring over (and sometimes screaming at) what writers dream up and write down, are the targets of our writing. Without them and their love for the written word, writers would be worthless. Continue reading here.

My Earliest Writing Dreams

It's weird. I don't think that I've ever dreamed of writing. Its always been something I've done. I suppose that as I've grown older and my writing has become more...voluminous...and book worthy I have started to dream a bit more.

It started as a common tease between my husband (also a writer) and I. My husband seeing an older Jaguar car and my little response: "When I'm anonymously famous," or "When I write a best selling novel."

Come read more on my blog!

Reason for Words

Personally, I don't mind answering a question or two about my writing - to an extent. But most times questions never stop at one or two, especially from people who don't understand the profession ... read more on The Literary Hub

It all about the words...

Books, words, stories, plots, characters. These are all the things that have accompanied me as long as I can remember. Each night before bed, I would kneel before my bookshelf and run my hands over all the spines of my favorite stories and my friends. The likes of Mickie Mouse, The Littles, My Little Pony and, of course, The Berenstain Bears. My dad would sit on the edge of my bed and read the same beloved stories time and time again. As I got older, I started holding the books and reading along. Until one day, I was able to read them by myself. At that point, I never stopped. I would devour a book in an afternoon and pick up another. Then another after that one. It was a passion. An escape. The characters WERE my friends. I felt their pain and happiness. The butterflies fluttered in my tummy during Charlotte's Web. Their world was my world.

To continue reading click here and find out the rest of the story.

All of the Beautiful Horses

I was four-years-old when I fell in love with books. I have fond memories of my parents reading to me and me reading to them. I was sitting on the couch with a book the day my older brother and his friend started the field across the street on fire.  When I had to change schools in third grade, it was books that were my constant companions and friends.  By age eight I was reading the likes of Piers Anthony and Walter Farley.  By age nine I had already penned a series of  stories about horses. At age eleven I wrote my first novel, also a horse story, in pencil on lined notebook paper. By age 14 I’d read almost every book in the middle school library. By age seventeen I declared I would be a journalist and have my own column by the time I was thirty (which came true, incidentally) and by the time I was nineteen, I was in college for creative writing, penning more stories and articles and submitting to professional markets. READ MORE

Not-So Early Writing Dreams

©autiously drawn by B.C. Matthews

My earliest writing dreams, actually weren't writing dreams. As a young tween, I dreamed of joining a band, becoming a rock star, or later in my teens, of joining a symphony. I've even seen one of my early childhood drawings of a stage, a crowd of people, and a very awesome stick figure squeedly-meedly-squeeeeeeeeing on a guitar. Continue...

Why I am a writer

The most typical response to this question would be “Because I loved to tell stories from the moment I learned to talk”. In reality, it’s more difficult.

I began writing in 1996. I began many things on that year and to me it is my second birthday, the moment everything changed. But I didn’t think back then that my future ambition would be writing books as thick as on the shelves of libraries. I wanted to be a cook, or my first love – become a cow keeper! And no, I’m not joking, this has been my dream since I learned to speak.

Read more here.

Jean's Earliest Writing Dreams

I have not been writing since I was a toddler.  Being an author was not my earliest dream.  But it wasn't too long after that when I began dabbling in the literary arts.  Want to read more?  Go here.

Why I am a writer

This is a question I had to think about before I could answer it. I knew when I started writing. I knew many things which influenced my writing. But why did I start? What pushed me that way?

Read More

Elliott

3rd Grade

I always loved story time as a kid. My mother read me Grimm’s Fairy Tales before bed every night. (I’d sneak the book down from my dresser sometimes to look at the woodcut illustrations in our edition.) You can never have too many stories about elves and shoemakers, you know.

In 3rd grade, my class was given the assignment of writing our very own short story! Up until then, I’d never actually considered the fact that people wrote these things…they just existed in my world. What a novel concept! (Pun intended.) I promptly went to work.

Head over to my blog, In Shadows, to read more...

Why I do this crazy thing.

 "Why couldn't I have wanted to do something easy, like brain surgery or theoretical physics? No, I had to be a writer. Sigh."

That was something I posted on twitter earlier this summer. I don't even remember what, if anything specific, triggered my frustration. Maybe it happened after staring at a blinking curser and a blank page for some time. Maybe I wrote it, taking a break from a difficult scene or edit. Regardless, I can tell you that writing has been both the hardest job I've ever done and the one I'm most passionate about.

(read the rest on the Once in a Blue Muse Blog)

Why Am I a Writer?

I never dreamed of being “a writer,” whatever that is. It’s just something I happen to be good at. I turned it to writing for a living the same way I might have turned an aptitude for math into a programming degree...

Read the rest at at Cowgirl in New England

Earliest Writing Dreams - And What Has Happened To Them

When I was younger, I didn’t dream about writing and being a writer; I just wrote. My first story was when I was six, written on the back of 3×3 yellow luggage tags. No one understood it but me, but it pleased me. Continue reading DMBonanno.

Erin's early writing dreams

I can remember a time when I was not a writer. It wasn't until middle school that I thought of writing a book. If you want to learn a little more about my journey and why I write, read about it on my blog.

Merry-Go-Round Series: Balancing Writing and All Else

It’s such a coincidence that the Merry-Go-Round’s focus this month is finding balance. My February blog touched on my struggles since starting work and promised to give an update, this seems the perfect opportunity. Finding balance is no easy feat, I must admit. Big grin to all writers achieving this. Continue reading on The Literary Hub

Life's a balancing act

From the minute we are born, we must learn to divide our time amongst different tasks. The young baby has only a few things to balance: sleep, eat, cry... It is simple and the baby never has a worry because these things settle in well together. That is until they grow and need to learn new things like crawling, feeding themselves, walking and talking. The lesson begins...

Read more...

This post is based on this month's topic of balancing life and writing.  Tomorrow's stop brings us to G R Colorado at the Literary Hub.  Check it out. 

Please visit Tip-toeing through Metaphors for more of my ramblings and insights.

Balancing the Writing Life

Balancing the writing life means different things to different people. A lot of writers have children to look after, so not only are they trying to balance a day job and family life, but also writing. Truth be known, I have a profound respect for those folks who juggle all of that. Me – I can’t really complain. The writing life has always been easy for me to balance. Long story short — I don’t have children so ever since I was nineteen, if I wasn’t working, reading, or spending time with friends or family, I was writing. Read more...

Balance: Moderation in All Things?

Can you do it all?  Do you even want to?

Do this.  No, do that.  Momma, I want.  Honey, can you? Meals, dishes, housecleaning, work schedule, laundry, errands, kids, husband (or wife).  However do you find time for creative endeavors, (continue reading here)

Balance in life is like climbing up the Christmas tree with nothing more than your bathing suit on. It is wonderful to go up, but it’s hell to come back down.

I might be young, but there is one lesson in the course called “Balance” that I have already obtained – plans work out only if there is enough sleep. Being one of the folk, who sings with the owls, I consider myself lucky for the extra few hours that I get in the night to work on the stories, but I have also realized how important it is to know yourself so the rest of the world can play with you too.

More on my blog.

Jean's June MGR Post: Balancing Writing with Life

Please join me as I explore Balancing Writing with Life over at Rantings and Ravings of An Insane Writer.

Balancing: Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour #12

The balance in life isn't always about time or taking away from other things.

Read More

3 Ways To Balance Life & Writing

The Balancing Act

It’s a pretty sure bet that we all balance our workload with life. Everyone who’s ever “worked for the weekend” is aware of the vicious cycle we’re drawn into when we hold down full-time jobs and still desire to spend time with loved ones. (It’s the American Dream, go figure.)

You slave away for the boss to collect that check. You pay your mortgage or rent and have a little extra to get the oil changed or buy a DVD to watch with the family. Vacations, birthdays, holidays all revolve around work.

Blech.

Continue reading at In Shadows.

Balancing Act

Photo by Thomas Hawk, used with attribution, cc license

Balance is something I think we all struggle with, whether we write or not.  The very fact that our time in this world is limited means we must make choices and prioritize.

When my children were younger and I had a busy physical therapy practice, and stories bouncing around my head, life felt less like I was juggling and more like I was spinning plates. (An analogy I first heard from one of my work supervisors.)  If you haven't seen plate spinning, it's a pretty amazing feat.  (Read more here. . . )

What really matters

Life balance is one of those things that’s supposed to be a goal for any healthy adult: work, family, creativity, spirituality, social life, community activity, et cetera, et cetera. All you need in order to do it all is a good schedule and the will power to stick to it. The assumption is not only that we can have it all, but that we should try to have it all. Read the rest at Cowgirl in New England.

The Challenge Is On: Finding Balance

I think I balance fairly well, but I can do it better. Want to join me in my quest for balance? Can I really do it all? Continue reading here: DMBonanno.

In the balance

Balance -- a topic near and dear not just to every writer's heart, or anyone who has a day job and a creative pursuit, or any person with a family and a job and interests of her own -- well, okay, that probably includes all of us. Yes, it's time to talk about how I balance everything I have to do: wife, mother, freelance worker, writer, blogger, person . . . If you want to read my ideas on the subject, continue reading on my site.

Line of the Dead!

I’ve always loved a deadline. I’m one of those people who thrives on deadlines. I do some of my best work under pressure. When I decided, at the tender age of seventeen, that I was going to be a professional journalist, it was the adrenaline rush of the deadline that made me think I’d love working for a newspaper. Read more on my site...

Deadlines send a shiver of dread up the spine of many folks.  Ack!  I have to have this done by next month, next week, tomorrow!
Contine here.

Deadlines: Like A Boss

 Deadlines feel a little like a mental flogging. Smack. Get it done! Smack, smack. You're behind now! Smack, smack, smack. You're in serious trouble of not meeting The Deadline. THE DEADLINE. Dead and line. End of the line. Do or die. There is no try. Read more about The Boss...

Jean's May MGR: Deadlines

We're talking deadlines this month.  Head on over to Rantings and Ravings of An Insane Writer to get my take on deadlines: http://polarbear60.org/randr/2012/05/19/mgr-deadlines/

Deadlines

When I first started associating with published authors back in the 1990's, I quickly recognized one problem which seemed to pop up very often in the crowd: Deadlines. . . .

Read More

Deadlines: Love 'Em or Hate 'Em

What’s not to love about a deadline? (I’ll answer that one later.) To be honest, it was only when I started getting somewhere in my writing career that deadlines came into existence for me. Because of that, I think deadlines can be a great thing — it means I’m getting somewhere!

To see the rest of this article, check out my site - In Shadows.

Deadlines: Love AND Hate

Deadlines, all the time. Sort of, but mostly self-imposed. I will write 500 words before midnight tonight. I will finish this damn story on Saturday. Things like that. They always sound great when I write them down. They're achievable, do-able even, and I know for a fact that I can do this. Read more...

Deadlines, To Do Lists, and Expectations, Oh My

I'm a compulsive list maker and setter-up of organizational systems to keep track of them that I ultimately don't or can't use.

I fact, I'm probably the most organized disorganized person you'll ever meet.

(read more about my chaos here. . . )

I have a love-hate relationship with deadlines, and in the broader sense with schedules of any kind. In any project that affects other people (such as the software documentation I used to work on in an earlier life), you have to have a schedule that everybody either sticks to or agrees to changes; otherwise, half the work is undone when the other half is ready to ship.

Where is this going? Find out at Cowgirl in New England.

Deadlines and me

In my freelance work, deadlines are a fact of life. Every project comes with one, and I know exactly how much time I have to complete the work. Writing's a little more complicated . . .

To see the rest of my thoughts on deadlines, continue reading on my blog.

Not One, But Many

I cried and laughed alongside some of the best books, tossed some against walls for being empty and picked some up again and again wishing the hero do as I bid. Read more at The Literary Hub

I Gotta Be Me...

So in this month’s Merry-Go-Round blog post we were asked to talk about who influenced us as a writer. Next to that, in parenthesis, it said: (i.e. who would you like to be compared to?) When I was a teenager back in the late 80′s the answer would have been, hands down, David Eddings. I idolized David Eddings. But that’s not who I ended up being compared to. Nope. Continue reading on my site...

My Writing Influences

It's hard to single out only a few influences on my writing because everything I read and do becomes a part of me.  Every book, every short story, every song, every conversation, every sermon, every activity, every article--well, you get the picture.  Everything we experience becomes a part of who we are. 

continue here

Jean's Influences

I'm late posting here, but my Blog Tour post went up on my site on time (sorry about not getting the link to you here!)  Without further delay, here you go:

What Influences My Writing

There are many things that have influenced my writing, and not just my favorite authors. Sure, I may have attempted to write my very first book in the fourth grade, which was a weirdo mash up of  Piers Anthony's Xanth books, space opera with time-travel, and a fairly Narnian cast of half-monsters and annoying siblings. But more influences my writing than just my inner bookish fangirl. Read more...

Influences: Out of reach

Fortuna is a tricky lady - sometimes she just sets things so that she takes the one thing that could satisfy you the most out of your reach. Forever. But sometimes, those forbidden, out of reach fruits do taste the best. You can read more from my blog.

Influence

Like many writers, I am influenced by everything I read and especially what I enjoy. There is always the little 'how did the author do that?' moment when I finish a book and try to analyze how everything came together and why it affected me the way it did. For actual story generation, I'm more likely to be inspired and influenced by nonfiction history and science books these days. However, for the types of stories I write there is one author who has had the most lasting influence on my writing.   

(Read More)  

Writing Influences

Welcome to the latest installment of the Forward Motion Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour! We’ve gathered several writers from amateur to professional, and we discuss one topic for the month. This month’s theme is about my influences. There are a lot of people (some of them even writers) that I’d like to be compared to, people that I’ve attempted to emulate in my life and work. I think everyone searches for heroes and role models. It’s human nature and, depending on the hero, a positive thing. Here are some of mine.

Influences

Here, you may read about what I read, and what kind of literature makes me tick.

Magpie Scribblings

According to Wikipedia, the Magpie is an "opportunistic omnivore".  That's how I see myself as a writer and a reader.  I'm a collector of interesting facts, information, and stories.  Like the Magpie, if it's 'shiny', then I want it.
Read more. . . 

E is for Everything

I have a pack rat of a brain. It runs off after anything moving, anything shiny, anything with cinnamon in it, anything playing music, anything written down or made up, anything new and exciting or old and familiar...It has no taste or discrimination whatsoever; popular romance and Edgar Rice Burroughs rub shoulders with Shakespeare, Shelley (Percy and Mary both), neoclassical sculptors, anime movies, and the last conversation I overheard at the coffee shop. Where is this going? Find out at Cowgirl in New England.

Creative Influences

What would it be like to be compared to a great writer? I’m not sure I’d ever believe the words if I heard them Read on here.

Under the influence

I think it's fairly clear that I've been influenced by everything I've ever read. "Matchmaker" shows off my familiarity with some Regency romance tropes, while my latest novelette demonstrates my love of Gilbert & Sullivan (I'm hoping the editors love it as much as I do!). Cozy mysteries, scientific prose, space operas -- everything has been added to the mix. If you want to read more about my thoughts on influence and whom I'd like to be compared to, check out my blog.

Alex's Early Influences

As with most writers, my desire to become an author grew out of my love of reading, especially from fantasy authors of the late 70s and early 80s.

To find which one of the many many great authors had the biggest impact on me, head on over to AlexWorld.

Finding the Write Place

I used to sit at the kitchen island and type my little eyes off, but as I got older that became somewhat uncomfortable. Bar stool chairs hurt my rear and I often found my feet falling asleep. Since I have a laptop I thought to myself, It goes on your lap, silly. That’s why they call it a laptop.  So I started leaning back in my favorite living room chair to write. It was after several months of this that I began to notice a slight problem. Continue reading on my blog.

Where Is My Favorite Writing Space?

My favorite writing spot happens to be among the giant coastal Redwoods of California and on the cold and overcast beaches of the North Coast. I can't tell you how many times I've dipped half a leg in the freezing waters of the Pacific, paper and pen in hand. Read more...

MGR Tour: My Favorite Writing Place

Welcome to another installment of the MGR Blog Tour.  Come on over and hear about what I think of my favorite writing place.

Welcome to Z Command Center

Hi there! I'm Zette's Muse, and I thought I'd take a few minutes away from tormenting . . . inspiring Zette to show you her work area. So, welcome to the spot where Zette spends the majority of her time. We'll tour the various controls and additions to this location. Please also note that while most assume the 'Z'  in Z Command Center stands for Zette, people should realize that Zaphod (present in the photo) disagrees. Though he has accepted the title of 'Second in Command' this may be a misnomer since Zette doesn't appear to be in charge of anything at all.

(Read More)

World Cup Coffee

Welcome to the latest installment of the Forward Motion Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour! We’ve gathered several writers from amateur to professional, and we discuss one topic for the month. This month’s theme is my favorite writing place. As you can probably tell from the title, mine is a coffee shop. But not just any coffee shop! On, no! Mine happens to sit inside the biggest new and used bookstore west of the Mississippi! Powell’s City of Books. Read more at In Shadows!

my favorite writing place, or lack thereof

I meant to publish my post first thing this morning, but then daylight savings time closed my eyes with her melancholy fingers and here I am at noon with my essay finally written and posted for the whole world to see. Read it here.

There's No Place Like Home

When my kids were rug-rats, this narrow, little room off our living room was their playroom. It was a hodgepodge of books, toys, games, and art supplies for about 12 years of our life in this house we've lived in for the past 19 years. When the kids got old enough that their 'toys' became gaming systems instead of matchbox cars, they took over the finished side of the basement.  I refer to it as 'the man pit.'  I claimed the room they no longer used as my office.
(Read more on the Once in a Blue Muse Blog)

Strange Places

When I started writing seriously, I had an interesting, involving career and three kids, the youngest still in preschool, so finding time to write or edit was a challenge. I had access to a computer at work and my company didn’t mind a certain amount of personal use, but that gave me only a few minutes a day. So I learned to write in snatches... Read the rest at Cowgirl in New England

Writing Places

My favorite writing place? :) It isn't at home... read on here.

My not-so-little room

I do most of my writing at the computer -- currently, the family computer, which is positioned in the living room so I can look out the front window to rest my eyes if need be. For more on where I write -- and where I'd like to write -- read more on my blog.

Procrastin…. Squirrel!

Many years ago I heard someone say that procrastination is not the cause, but rather the symptom of something else. I tend to agree. Think about it – when you’ve procrastinated there was probably something more pressing requiring your attention. Or perhaps some truth you were trying to avoid. Let me explain.  Continue reading on my blog.

King of Excuses's Court

Trying something a bit more creative this time around, so come see the Court of the King of Excuses, to see what things he's heard from writers to avoid writing!

http://swordsvspens.blogspot.com/2012/02/court-of-king-of-excuses.html

Looking Forward to Tomorrow's Tomorrow...Tomorrow

My mother claims that I hold the honorary title of World's Worst Procrastinator, and seeing as I've neglected to place my car's registration sticker on my license plate for the past four months now, I have to wonder if she's right. Read more...