Where Normal Need Not Apply
Update below. No, I’m not talking about using Twitter to cheat in a relationship. (Answer: No, if for no other reason than nothing is ever as secure as you think it is.) I’m talking about whether you should cheat Twitter’s 140 character limit and use extended tweets. Ever since Twitter started, the 140 character limit […]
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In preparation for Valentine’s Day, a recent USA Today article (5/14 ETA: article no longer in USA Today archives) gave the relationship advice that a man should: “look into her eyes, focus on what she says and really talk to her.” Wow, earth-shattering ideas. Or not. The suggestion to treat a woman like a person and not just […]
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Every story begins with an idea. Sometimes this idea comes to authors out of the blue. Sometimes a dream provides the spark. Sometimes “people watching” or an overheard conversation will trigger the thought. But no matter where it comes from, the idea kicks off everything else, like a seed from which the story grows. These seeds […]
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Yesterday, the inimitable Tawna Fenske had a blog post about how reading outside our comfort zone can make us better writers. Her post got me thinking about a book I recently finished, Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Unlike my usual genres of paranormal or historical, Anna and the French Kiss is a […]
*gush alert* I got a Kindle for Christmas and it’s, like, totally the most awesome-est thing ever. *end gush alert before I gag* And judging by the comments on Twitter, I wasn’t the only person to receive one. So now I’ve been doing my best to fill it without breaking the bank. Downloaded a couple […]
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Today’s post is the unofficial “part three” of the results from my poll. I hadn’t planned this post, but the comments from last time inspired a new thought. In part one, we talked about how to help your blog readers find you. And in part two, we discussed the things that turn people off from […]
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My last post highlighted ways a blog can serve its readership. This post focuses on what not to do when designing a blog. Some of the answers might surprise you. Once again, I want to thank all of you who voted in the polls, commented, and tweeted me with feedback. And a big round of […]
First of all, huge thanks to everyone who answered my poll questions last week about how you use blogs. Hopefully, the high participation rate means the results will be helpful to all of us. In fact, due to the abundant and informative feedback in comments and tweets, I’ll be dividing my analysis into two posts. […]
Help! I need you. Don’t panic, I need only your answers on some polls. I think these questions could help all bloggers understand how their readers are accessing and using their content, and I’ll share the results once the poll is done. For those of you reading this via email or RSS, I ask (beg! […]
In my last post, I talked about the awesome and supportive writing community. Based on the comments, a lot of people agree. It’s great to have friends when you’re feeling up, down, or all alone. But what if you’re not sure how to join that community? Thanks to Laurie London, I found this: 9 Characteristics […]
