Awesome posts for writers

There are a lot of posts out there claiming to help writers. While some truly do, others fall short of the mark. I’ve chosen these below with a careful, judgmental eye. In order to make the cut, they had to be clear, offer something valuable to a writer and deliver. I’ve included a summary and a little blurb on why they’re in this list. My hope is that you find them useful.

A great story only occurs with great characters and that means fleshing them out, making them complete, real. Here’s a great post from The Crimson League on how to do just that.

Now this post made its way to me, all by itself. I love it when that happens! It’s about how to make money with your blog…something I’ve heard about but never even considered. If you’re interested, it’s a great post, with steps and links (love them!) from someone who truly knows what they’re talking about. A huge thanks to AdNgin for this great post!

If you’re a writer looking for a way to increase your productivity, this post is for you. With clear ways to explain what works, tips and online tools carefully selected for each type, this post is a fantastic and very clear way to understand what works for you and what doesn’t. Don’t beat yourself up, sometimes it’s all about finding that right approach to get started. A huge thanks to Carson Tate from 99u for that great post.

I love the concept of simplicity and less being more. In that sense, I read this post by James Ball in Becoming Minimalist and loved the idea that giving books away creates space to love reading more. Sometimes, it takes giving something away to keep it.

I’ve heard ‘Show, don’t tell’ but I have seldom seen a clear way to fix that pit fall. Until this post in the Write Practice, that is. In it, I had clear examples and links to other resources in the subject. Loved, loved it!

Finally, something to make you laugh. This post on top ten things not to say to a writer made me laugh out loud. Absolute gold from Wise Ink.

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Those awesome posts

There are some amazing posts out there. I’ve collected just a few here that stood out in my mind. If I’ve missed one, give me a shout and let me know! I love to find new awesome posts.

This one comes from adpushup.com. They actually sent me their link! It’s a great article on 50 resources for bloggers. They have them by categories with links for convenience. Just awesome! A huge thanks to them for sending me that link!

A huge congrats to Winter Bayne for her first fantasy story in The Dragon Tempest. Winter Bayne is one of those incredibly talented writers on the rise. This is what she said of her newest work: “It is a story of discovery and realization both for the characters and readers. And I pat myself on the back for getting what I would consider a speculative (maybe paranormal) fiction romance into an Epic/ Dark Fantasy Anthology.” Check it out here.

If you’re a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt, don’t miss out this review of her latest book, Dearest Rogue by Penny Dreadful. If you haven’t heard of her, here’s a great chance to get to know one of the best writers of historical romance. Hands down.

For the writers out there, here‘s a great opportunity to share your WIP. Chris, the Story Reading Ape has this great blog with awesome opportunities, links and supports for writers. Check out this one from Britney Sahin, she offers her blog to promote your book!

This resource also came to me through email. It’s an amazing post with 51 Must-Visit Sites for Writers from Now Novel. Not only are there great resources, they’re classified by categories. An absolute great link to have handy. What a great post and a HUGE thanks to Now Novel for that link!

If you write historical fiction, might I suggest this site? The Historical Novel Society keeps a great selection of resources, reviews, features and news.

I really liked the post by Porter Anderson in Writer Unboxed titled In our CyberVillage: so much anger. Maybe because there’s a false sense of security in our anonymity online, there is a lot of anger out there. Whatever the reason, the result is hurtful and Mr. Anderson has a great, peaceful way of dealing with online bullies. I liked his suggestion and his insight.

Being married to a British man, this post on Nicholas C. Rossis hit close to home. Canadians are known for apologizing needlessly, but there’s nothing like a Brit to understate something. Check out this hilarious Translation of some usual British comments and what they actually mean.

Becoming Minimalist is one of those things I’m slowly trying to accomplish and the blog by that name is a huge help. This weekend, they had a post with carefully chosen articles to inspire simplicity and a selection of awesome blogs. Check it out!

Write to Done has a great post for those who procrastinate. It not only shares a great article on how to overcome procrastination but it has a diagnostic tool to figure out what type you are and then includes helpful hints for each type. I won’t mention which I am… *cough* perfectionist *cough*. 😀

There are absolutely great posts out there and simply not enough time for me to share all of them. Still, I had to mention this one. Just Gene’O is a blog I never miss and this post with its incredible metaphors is one of the many reasons why.

Finally, something to make you smile,

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Posts I loved this week

These are those posts that I adored this week. They moved me and I chose them because they were absolutely wonderful. Posts like this make me glad I’m online and I have a blog to write. They are such a gift!

So true, this post reminded me of what’s important, 7 Things that Shouldn’t Impress us Anymore. A huge thanks to Becoming Minimalist for that awesome post!

Know a new author? Want to help them out? Wise Ink has this great post with 5 ways to do just that.

Help me give Crystin Goodwin a hearty congrats for the snazzy new look!  Like the banner? That’s Winter Bayne’s work. That blog is smoking!

If you’re plotting and need some help, Heather Jackson from Write On Sisters, explains just what a good hook is and the 4 components it needs here.

Just in time for International Women’s Day on March 8th, last year’s Feminist Friday posts have been collected, with easy-to-access links, in an e-book and is available on Amazon for 0.99 cents. For more details, check out this post by Comparative Geeks for all the information or check out this post by Natacha Guyot, who edited the book!

Wanna earn a few good Karma points? If you’d like to help out a talented author and all around good guy, why not leave a review or two at Amazon for Luther M. Siler’s two books? If you haven’t tried them, I couldn’t recommend them more highly. Just check out his blog to understand how funny and talented his writing is.

In an incredibly courageous post, Suzie81 shared that she just quit her DayJob. I read the entry in awe. If you’d like to give her some support, her blog is Suzie81 Speaks.

If you’re looking for editing tools, check out this post from Interesting Literature with the best tools out there just for you. A huge thanks to The Story Reading Ape for finding the post in the first place!

Are you into historical romance? Here are the Royal Residencies of the Georgian Kings then and now. An awesome post from Regency History.

Absolutely uplifting, this post by Natacha Guyot got me smiling and helped make my Wednesday brighter. I loved the positive message and the quotes. A huge thanks to her for that wonderful post…and the adorable kitten!

Another uplifting post, Comparative Geeks lists the positive things we get from having the internet. While I would hate not having it around, I never stopped and thought how many positive things come out of the World Wide Web. What an insightful and positive post!

Looking to do some book marketing? Check out this great post from Darla G. Denton on how to do just that with a timeline and great pictures. A huge thanks to her for that great post!

I always love posts that announce what’s coming up next in a blog. I get to check out their new schedule and see new ideas that I’d love to read about. If you’re like me, read about what’s coming up in Natacha Guyot here. Exciting and fresh ideas along with old favourites!

If you’re wondering why it’s so hard to handle the roughness of a first draft, take a look at this insightful post by Steven Pressfield and hang in there!

Finally, a cute little picture of two readers.

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Posts I loved this week

It may be March but it’s still freezing and snowing around here. Thank goodness the blog posts rock. They cheer me up and keep me going through our endless winter. A huge thank you to everyone for their fantastic contributions!

A post that definitely caught my attention was The Most Anticipated (and Likely Best) Books of 2015 from Gawker Review of Books. Incredibly, the authors are all women!

I loved this post on Decluttering. It has 10 Creative ways to do it and I loved the ideas. A huge thank you to Becoming Minimalist!

Looking for a good laugh? Check out this post by Norm 2.0 where he lists the 7 reasons he hates listicles. I laughed out loud. Sooo good!

I’m always on the look out for tips on blogging. Here are 5 to make blogging easier! A huge thanks to ProBlogger for that great post!

Hilarious, check out this post by Pecked to Death By Chickens, 31 Reasons You Made Your Preschooler Cry. So true and just so good. A huge thank you to Pecked to Death by Chickens for that wonderful post!

On that subject, here’s a post with 10 Tips for writing Posts Faster from She Owns It. If you’re still eager for more, here’s a great post with 39 Blogging Tools from Buffer Social.

The #1000Speak on Compassion might be over but Just Gene’O is organizing a way to keep the idea growing organically. Check out this post at Just Gene’O and add your link!

Not only true but definitely very funny, this post on How to Survive a Relationship with a Writer made me laugh out loud. A huge thanks to The Writing Chimp for that gem and to Mishka Jenkins for referring me to it!

For the dog-lovers out there, this post is for you from one dog-lover with an intuitive mind in The Silent Eye.

Another funny one, You Know You’re a Writer When made me laugh out loud. Those great pictures didn’t hurt either. A huge thanks to Happy Messy Life for that hilarious post!

Are you trying to market your book and you find it painful? Check out this post from Writers In the Storm with 4 Pain-Free Tips to Market your Book.

A great new blog I just discovered, Ronovan Writes has a great initiative for Wednesdays (BeWow – Be Wonderful on wednesdays) along with great posts with blogging tips. A huge thanks to Natacha Guyot for finding and sharing this great blog and while you’re reading, check out her blog news here!

A fantastic step-by-step description of the writing process from Winter Bayne, this post made me want to take down notes. It’s part 3 bu with two other parts also filled with great tips. A huge thanks to Winter Bayne for those great tips!

#1000Speak is not done, there’s a blog (here) and you can find them on Facebook (here). This month, the focus is bullying. Find out more from this great post by the Qwiet Muse.

Just because she’s right, and puppies do make everything better, check out this post by Rose B. Fisher. Awwww…puppies!

Finally, a couple of bookworms reading away,

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