Friday, January 21, 2011

Be an Internet sponge without losing writing time

Today when everyone has a blog it is easier than ever to learn about the writing craft, how to write your synopsis and get many opinions on queries and the industry. But how can you be the ever growing sponge and soak up this information without spending the entire day on blogs and not your WIP?

Easy....just like you have a writing routine set a reading routine. I have a few blogs that I automatically read every morning just after I read my daily news. I've posted them below for you to see. I find them informative and well organized. Now that does not mean to ignore the articles/blogs that you see advertised on Twitter throughout the day. Twitter is a great way to find a few great pieces to read in a short amount of time. The trick...follow well informed and educated people in the areas that you want to grow in. Then when you need a tiny writing break (we ALL need those from time to time) hop on Twitter and click on a few blogs that catch your eye. NOW DO NOT READ THEM NOW. That's right I said it. Highlight the links and then email them to yourself. Then get them off of your browser so that you are not tempted to read them. Why wait to read them? You already took the time to find them. Get back to your WIP. At night when you've reached your daily writing goals that is the time to open your email from yourself and enjoy some hopefully helpful information.

This is the system that helps me. It is easy to spend hours browsing the web for helpful blogs and articles. They are out there. But if you spend hours reading then that is time when you are not working on your writing. And your writing is your best tool at breaking into this hard and growing industry of publishing.

Now stop reading what I say and get to writing :-)

Sites that I recommend:

Kidlit.com

Write It Forward

Pub Rants

Guide to Literary Agents

Adventures in Agentland

Kristen Lamb's Blog

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