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Can Karma Help You Become a Better Writer?

Arrows in a circle

Yesterday, author Jody Hedlund had a blog post about why most writers are blind to their own faults.  The first reason she mentioned really resonated with me: We naturally view our work through our maturity level. When we first start any new project, writing or otherwise, we don’t know what […]

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April 5, 2011

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Is a Blog Like a Query Letter?

Acrobatic Alphabet

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 […]

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December 21, 2010

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Poll Answers: Part Two – What Makes People Avoid Blogs

Line of stop signs

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.  […]

December 16, 2010

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Poll Answers: Part One – How People Access Blogs

Chart graphics

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 […]

December 14, 2010

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Can Blogging Train Your Muse?

Hourglass Timer

Should authors blog?  We’ve all seen this question in some form or another.  Some wonder if agents expect it.  (Not yet but close.) Others want to know if it will help build that elusive platform.  (It can.) But I propose another reason to blog: training your muse. My regular readers […]

December 9, 2010

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Poll: How Do You Use Blogs?

Checkbox

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 […]

December 7, 2010

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How to be a Twitter Ninja

Ninja Eyes

To prevent being overwhelmed by Twitter, one suggestion you’ll hear over and over is to use a program like TweetDeck to manage all those tweets by creating lists.  But did you know you can also use lists to become a Twitter Ninja? It’s true.  But before we get into the […]

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December 2, 2010

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How to Make Online Friends

Puppies

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, […]

November 18, 2010

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What Are You Willing to Risk For Your Dream?

Nametag Badge

I leave today for the RWA National Conference in Florida.  After weeks of planning, shopping, and packing, and after spending way too much money on  airfare and a new wardrobe (my usual Arizona t-shirt and shorts wouldn’t cut it at a professional conference), I find myself wondering if it’s all […]

July 27, 2010

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