Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Nine Writing Things: Great Blogs Run By Writers For Writers

When I first decided to self-publish, I did a lot of reading. A lot. I found a ton of great articles, started a blog, and started following a bunch of bloggers who were writing about writing. Not just self-publishing, but writing in general. I've written long enough to know that I don't have to do what everyone else tells me to do, but that other writers--especially older ones, more experienced ones, and ones published in genres I don't read--generally have valuable things to say.

For today's Nine Things post, I'm going to share with you nine of my favorite writer's blogs. 

1. Joe Konrath - A Newbie's Guide to Publishing
 Joe Konrath has been blogging since 2005 and he has a wealth of industry-specific knowledge, tips, and tricks that he regularly shares. He also has some pretty strong opinions about issues within publishing and self-publishing and he is very good at articulating those opinions. I read his blog regularly just so I can feel smarter. 

2. Chuck Wendig - Terrible Minds
I devoted this week's Blog Roundup post to Chuck and for good reason. His blog is a nice mix of writing advice, industry knowledge, anecdotes, writing exercises, and information about his work for those of his readers who are fans. There's something for everyone there. 

3. Stella Deleuze - Words by Stella Deleuze
Stella is, in addition to a writer herself, an editor. So with her blog, we get both sides: the writer and the editor. She is also a reader, a gardener, a hobby chef, and a conscious critic of self-publishing and indie authors. I like Stella personally--she's straightforward and kind and not afraid to express herself--and I enjoy her blog. Her rants give me a lot of ideas about what not to do. 

4. Laura Bradford - A Writer's Notes
I love the minimalist design of her blog and her relevant, easy-to-read posts. She doesn't update as frequently as most of the other bloggers on this list, but when she does, she offers things like posts about knowing your audience. 

5. James Killick - James Killick's Blog
Usually, James offers a nice, concise post of writing advice weekly. He understands the total writer package, that being a writer is about more than raw talent and specialized interests. He understands that most of us want to be read and liked. His posts display that understanding and generally offer advice to reconciling all parts of the writer self. 

6. Kate Aaron - Only True Magic
The thing that makes Kate's blog unique among the writer blogs I read, I think, is the fact that she regularly writes about gender and sexuality issues in writing, the industry, and in reading. I like that. I almost always learn something new, or at least learn to look at something in a different way. 

7. Lynn Viehl - Paperback Writer
Resources! Lynn has been a professional writer for fourteen years (according to her blog heading) and while her blog may be light on the advice, it's definitely heavy on the resources. She offers tips, tricks, programs, websites, submission information, and all kinds of other useful resources. Reading her blog is like reading a morning paper written just for writers. 

8. Aimee Salter - Seeking the Write Life
Like Joe Konrath, Aimee is very brusque, very matter-of-fact, and not even a little bit afraid of sharing her opinions. She's smart and she has plenty of advice for the persistent writer, advice that runs the gamut from how to improve query letters to how to beta read to how to not be one of those indie authors giving the rest a bad rap. I stumbled across her blog by accident one day and have been following ever since. I may not always necessarily agree with her opinions, but it doesn't matter, because her input is valuable. 

9.  Sierra Godfrey - Sassy Sassafras
Sierra follows blogs I don't follow and I don't have to because she does a weekly blog roundup, too. I like her casual, friendly tone and I like that she includes real-life examples of what she's talking about. This blog is an easy, useful read and I really enjoy heading over there to check out what she's offering each week.

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