Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012

As I said in last year's best blogs list, there are so many blogs out there by and for writers. The list below identifies blogs that I personally think are the best blogs for writers to read. If you don't agree with any of the selections (or think I missed a spot), then share your faves in the comments below. That way, I can check them out for next year's list.


Brian Klems, blogger/father/Reds fan

Writer's Digest Blogs
Many of you probably already know this, but I'm employed with F+W Media as a senior content editor. As a result, I'm rather partial to the blogs on the WritersDigest.com site. In fact, my poetry blog is hosted there (see below). So let's get these out of the way first.
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Build an Amazing Author Platform!

Whether you're just starting your writer platform or looking to push it to the next level, check out the Author Social Media Kit from Writer's Digest. This heavily discounted bundle of platform-building tools, includes webinars on blogging, social media, and earning money with Twitter, in addition to a copy of Get Known Before the Book Deal, by Christina Katz.

Click to continue.

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My All-Star Blogs for Writers
These are the best of the best as far as I'm concerned. They post frequently, offer great content, and have been around for a while. In my opinion, everyone should be able to get something of value from these blogs.

Debbie Ohi, aka InkyGirl

Great Blogs for Writers
These blogs may not be on my all-star list, but that doesn't mean these blogs are any less valuable to the writers who read them.
Blogs That Rock for Writers
Okay, I overuse the word rock, but oh well... These blogs do rock. If you can check them out regularly, you won't be disappointed.
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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

105 comments:

Marie Elena said...

Thanks for this list, Robert. I need to check out some of these.

So glad to see Margo Roby!!

Unknown said...

Nice list! I recently discovered Terrible Minds because of you, Robert, and I absolutely love that blog. I look forward to your recommendations.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi said...

Thanks for including me in your blog post, Robert! :-) I look forward to checking out some of the other blogs you mentioned that I haven't yet visited.

Andrea (Andee) Beltran said...

Thanks for your list, Robert! I discovered Jessie Carty because of you and I'm grateful! Off to explore. :)

Dana Dampier said...

Thank you for this awesome list of blogs!I can't wait to check them out.I love discovering new poetry blogs especially if they offer tips and advice!

Richard Mabry said...

Robert, I, too, follow a lot of the blogs you list. Great information. Thanks for sharing.

margo said...

Robert, thank you, both for the list and the mention. Made my day. I'm off to visit the others.

margo

Dina Santorelli said...

Excellent list! I read many of the blogs you've listed and will now check out the others. Maybe mine will make next year's list. :)

Angela Ackerman said...

I see so many of my favorites on this list! Thanks for putting this together :)

Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

Carol Tice | Make a Living Writing said...

Wow! I am darn flattered to be mentioned here.

I recently discovered Terrible Minds, too -- great reading.

I'd add Sean Platt's GhostwriterDad blog and Linda Formichelli of The Renegade Writer.

And I'm loving Jeff Goins' blog, who won Write to Done's Top 10 Blogs for Writers this year. And I don't just say that because I did a guest post there recently and got like 50 comments...no, seriously. Great stuff.

Young writers who're interested in earning from their blog should be reading YoungPrePro, by 18-year-old Nigerian blogger Onibalusi Bamidele. Think you've got obstacles to earning? He can't even use Paypal and his country is synonymous with the word 'scam,' but he's still rocking it.

Steve MC said...

Many favorites here.

And one you might check out is Janice Hardy's - lots of great tips.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/

MisfitWisdom said...

Geeeez.....I didn't make the cut again. What the heck do ya have to do to get any recognition around here anyhow? Oh yeah....write a blog about writing....hmmmm....I thought I just did that today.

MisfitWisdom said...

Geeeez.....I didn't make the cut again. What the heck do ya have to do to get any recognition around here anyhow? Oh yeah....write a blog about writing....hmmmm....I thought I just did that today.

Jonathan Barnes said...

Great list, thanks for the tip! It'd be nice if you and your readers checked Barnestormin, my blog, which has been around several years and covers everything from writing, news about Pittsburgh, journalism tips, personal essays, breaking news and more. http://barnestormin.blogspot.com
Barnestormin has been cited by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, NY Daily News writer Derek Rose, Huffington Post and many others. Essays in Barnestormin have been republished in the Sampsonia Way literary journal, Post-Gazette, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Pittsburgh Magazine and other publications. Enjoy!

Curtis said...

Wow. What a list. www.storyfix.com does it for me.
I clearly need to be careful with your site. My writing time would disappear into my reading time. A well stocked candy store here for sure. Great job.

Sandra Beckwith said...

Thanks for compiling this list! I'm looking forward to exploring those I haven't seen yet.

Sandra Beckwith
http://buildbookbuzz.com

Steven Arellano Rose Jr. said...

A very abundant and helpful list! Thanks!

Chila said...

We just started a quarterly ezine through our indie press. Does that count? :)

Web address is www.beyondaries.com. First issue has just been released. And btw, on our roster is K. M. Weiland, author of one of those listed above as a "best blog."

:)

Donna Ballman said...

Great list! One that I hope you'll consider next time is The Write Report, http://writereport.blogspot.com. I'm a lawyer and I blog about using the law in writing. I use TV shows and books as examples and explain what they did right or wrong, and what they could have done differently. I also talk about some legal issues affecting writers.

Ladson said...

Good list. One I really like is As We Were Saying. It includes helpful tips on writing as well as writer interviews and novel exerpts.

Joel Orr said...

Thanks for this great list! Please check out my blog, http://joeltrainsauthors.com, for your next list.

Warmly,
Joel

Susan Tuttle said...

Great list of blogs to follow! It's fabulous to be able to start with the best and not waste time we don't have on those not worth our time... For next year, though, chck out Anne Allen's blog: annerallen.blogspot.com She also "rocks"!

misfitwisdom said...

Oh yeah...the MisfitWisdom blog about writing, posted today, is at http://misfit120.wordpress.com

Grandmommy said...

I folow this one by email.
http://cecmurpheyswritertowriter.blogspot.com/

Angela Guess said...

I'm excited to explore this list.

My blog is geared toward screenwriters: LAScreenwriter.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for taking the time to do this for us. Very nice to get home from work and have some blogs on writing to check out before I start the writing. You...ROCK! :)

Anonymous said...

Flash Fiction Chronicles should be number 40.

Rick said...

Here's one you missed - Dean Wesley Smith's blog: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/

Chila said...

Must the list be limited to 39? Why not "50 Best Blogs" or "100 Best Blogs & Ezines"?

Just a thought.

C

Ina Albert said...

Check out Sage Play and Godgrrl blogs. I think they are noteworthy. Godgrrl is cultural/spiritual critique. Sage Play is a wonderful blog on elder life and the growing philosophy about aging.

Gail Terp said...

Great list with lots to explore. One request - any writer blogs that focus on kidlit?

Sherrinda Ketchersid said...

Wow! Thanks for including The Writer's Alley! We are honored to have made your list, and I look forward to checking out some of the other great blogs listed.

Dianne said...

Can't wait to spend some time checking out your blog favourites.
One blog I check regularly is agent Janet Reid's. She is a bit scary, hilarious and trustworthy, and she thinks she's a shark.
A must-read for anyone trying to get an agent/get published.

Pepper said...

Thanks so much for including The Writers Alley on your list. We LOVE being a part of the cyberNook of writers! :-)

Monica-Marie Vincent said...

We absolutely can't forget Miss Snark's First Victim! She won by votes as the #1 writing blog on eCollegeFinder. http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

This site is AMAZING!! But I certainly will be checking out some of the others. I truly approve of Nathan Bransford's site since he's got some awesome content in there for us both from his agent days & now his own author days. Thanks for sharing this with my #wordmongering crew!!

Anonymous said...

Great list.
Thank you.
www.LTMPblog.com

Writer Jobs said...

Excellent post. Thank you for sharing.

Sarah Allen said...

Oh gosh, thank you for this!

*proceeds to go down the list visiting all the ones.

Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)

Jordyn Redwood said...

As one of the administrators of the WordServe Water Cooler-- I thank you so much for the mention of our agency blog. It means a lot to us!

Anonymous said...

I like the list. I'm a beginning writer and have been going to a blog called firstlinefiction.blogspot.com where the writer gives writing prompts several times a week. When I stuck, I have somewhere to start writing.

I didn't see this on your list.

Mario

catherinemjohnson.com said...

Thanks for the great list, Robert. Jody's and Rachelle's are my long-time faves. I look forward to checking some new ones out.

Elise Seyfried said...

Great list! I have two to add:

Rochelle Melander's wonderful Write Now Coach! blog. Rochelle is a terrific writer, coach and motivator. She recently published Write-a-Thon:Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It)
www.writenowcoach.com/blog

Another site I visit regularly is Anne Freeman's About Freelance Writing--lots of great, informative posts for the freelancer
www.aboutfreelancewriting.com

Elise Seyfried
www.eliseseyfried.blogspot.com

Julia M. Reffner said...

Another thanks for adding The Writer's Alley to your list. We're honored. I'm looking forward to exploring some new blogs!

Brian Clark said...

Thanks for including Copyblogger, Robert!

Unknown said...

Wow! Great group to a part of. Thanks so much for mentioning Wordplay!

Rosanne Bane said...

Thanks for the list Robert! The timing is perfect - I'm adding to my list of writing-related blogs I want to follow and offer to write guest posts for when my new book, Around the Writer's Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer's Resistance, is released in August.

I humbly suggest you check out my blog, www.BaneOfYourResistance.com, which is designed to be a place for writers to share insight and information about the many forms of writer’s resistance (writer’s block, procrastination, distractions, looking for answers in the fridge, keeping yourself too busy to write, etc.) so we can stop resisting and start really enjoying our writing.

Arlee Bird said...

This is the list I need. I do read a few a these regularly, but now I see that I'd better familiarize myself with several more. Thanks for this great resource.


Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out

Deborah Brooks-Langford said...

this is so awesome.. Great idea.. keep me informed please..
debbie

Hannah said...

Thanks a bunch, Robert for the extensive list of really great blog sites. Time to explore! :)

Jane said...

This is great stuff. I've only read through a portion of the sites so far, but I'm already looking forward to getting through the rest! Thanks for sharing.

Lynne Matson said...

I agree with Maine: Another fantastic blog for writes that tackles both craft and publishing is The Other Side of the Story by Janice Hardy. It's awesome.

Likewise, Natalie Whipple's author blog has been hugely helpful too.

And on the trying-to-get-published front, a must-read is Miss Snark's First Victim.

Happy reading!

TraceyLPacelli said...

Would love for you guys to checkout my LittleRedWriter blog, if you have a chance, at: www.traceypacelli.com.

Thanks for that great list!...:)

Tracey L Pacelli
Author
Time Warped
www.timewarped.net
Gypsy Shadow Publishing

The One and Only Doc said...

Should probably check out The Passive Voice, which is an excellent blog about writing, writers, and disruptive innovations. I go there at least twice a day.

He's a lawyer and his wife's a writer.

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/

Cathryn Hasek said...

Hi Robert! Thanks for the list! I do keep up with several of these, especially Michael Hyatt's blog.

I also enjoy reading Jeff Goin's blog: http://goinswriter.com/ He is quite inciteful and knowledgeable about writing and blogging and how to platform build.

Best,

Cathryn Hasek

Sharon Vander Meer said...

Love the list! Robert's blog is right up there with the best of the best. Blogs can clog the brain. Having someone separate the worthwhile from the well-intended is a blessing.

Laura S. said...

Terrific list here! I'm definitely going to check out the blogs I'm not yet familiar with.

Cozy mystery author Elizabeth Spann Craig has a wonderful blog filled with straightforward and very helpful writing tips and advice. She was on the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers list in 2010 and 2011. This is her blog: http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

This is an an amazing list. Thank you for sharing!!

www.theclientslist.com

Lori said...

Great links and suggestions. Thank you !

Sweet Lily said...

Absolutely fantastic! ;)

Paula Todd King said...

Thanks so much for the list. There are so many out there its great to get a list that has been reviewed.

Karen Maeby said...

Nice list of blogs!

Kelly said...

Thank you for compiling such a helpful list!

Chuck said...

Thanks for putting terribleminds on this list!

David Nickell said...

I share all the others' enthusiasm for your list and your thoughtfulness in sharing it, Robert.

Even if I disagree with your choices -- it is, after all, a personal and subjective list -- all of us can always profit from what a respectable writer regards as instructive and worth our time.

I'm particularly interested because I'm in the process of building a blog myself -- hyphenman-dot-com -- and I hope I'm lucky enough to make the list next time around.

I do have one suggestion. Because all of us are pressed for time, especially if we are busy writing, it would be very helpful if you posted a sentence or two about the blogs you list. I'm not interested, for example, in poetry. Ditto for science fiction and fantasy. Some of those sites, of course, might have useful information about writing in general, and that, too, would be nice to know.

Also, I think it would be helpful to know if the recommended site is authored by a professional writer, a struggling writer, a wannabe writer or some combination thereof.

I know that would take more work and more time, of course, but I'm sure your readers would be very appreciative.

Thanks again. And please don't forget about me in the coming weeks.

Kasey Lyn said...

Awesome resource, thanks so much!

L.S. Taylor said...

Great list! Though I'm surprised Magical Words (.net, also by several contributors) wasn't on the list. It does for fantasy writers what Kill Zone does for suspense writers.

Jessie Carty said...

So thrilled to be included in a list with other writers I just adore! Thanks for giving such great info to the online writing community :)

Anonymous said...

Hi there Robert,
I've got another blog for you to check out. It's called Celtic Soul Living in Baja, here's the link:

http://celticsouldotorg.wordpress.com
Hope you like it!
Regards,
Caroline Aguiar
Celtic Soul Girl

Alex Bobl said...

Thanks. Interesting list. Got something to read and think.

José said...

Great list, thanks for sharing!

Mark S. R. Peterson said...

Thanks for posting. I've been waiting for a list like this to come out. Keep it up!

BarbieAnn said...

Wow, your list is fantastic and will be very useful to me...Thank you so kindly.

Jane Louise Newhagen said...

Super lists! So little time; so many blogs.

Katy McDevitt said...

Robert, I'm clearly behind in my reading for 2012... but will be able to catch up now, thanks to your handy lists!

I also recommend Jody Hedlund and there are several others on your list I'm going to check out. Thanks for sharing.

Norma Huss said...

I found a blog post from 49writers.com (all from Alaska) about E.B.White visiting there in 1923. Works on two levels - something about a writer, and connects to my dad's memoir I'm about to publish when he, too, went to Alaska in 1923, as a 19-year-old to work in mines. Shared it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I guess I ought to write a new post for my Goodreads blog as well.

sunny said...

great blog

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing! This is a great resource you've compiled.

Anonymous said...

This is a great resource you've compiled; thank you so much for sharing!

William said...

Thanks for the list!

Dr.Depak Muniraj said...

Great information. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the list! Much appreciated!

Chad said...

Great List. I checked out several of these, great info and very entertaining.

Essay Writing said...

Its a great list.
And it helped me a lot.
thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

The two sites I use most are Critique Circle and Grammar Girl. If you ever do a re-post of this article, you should definitely include those two sites.

While you're at it, check out my English Handbook blog by clicking on my name. It's helpful too.

pinkflamingo said...

Nice list! But I do believe you are missing one blog that I really love, it's called writingforward.com

Check it out!

Easyguide said...

Iam very glad to read your post, Robert. I think you will contribute more in the future.

Unknown said...

Check out Sage Play and pakjobs blogs. I think they are noteworthy. pakjobs is cultural/spiritual critique. Sage Play is a wonderful blog on elder life and the growing philosophy about ageing.
link http://www.pakjobs.pk

Lashateh said...

Thanks for your share with this list. I hope that I will see many more blogs.

Unknown said...

Your blog is really helpful to me and amazing! could some blog-followers have a quick glance at my blog and maybe leave a comment please? its about writing.

Joshua McCaw said...

Excellent list! Very informative as well. As an aspiring writer, this really helps and I plan on checking all these links out. Thanks!

-Joshua McCaw
JoshuaMcCaw.blogspot.com

Cynthia Herron said...

Robert, thanks for the great list! The Books & Such Literary Agency has a great blog for writers. Of course, I'm partial. :)

C.L. Broadnax said...

Hi, "My Name is Not Bob "! I am the author of a new blog called Young Writers Blog. Young Writers Blog is where young writers can learn how to write fresh, new novels. I really think that you would be interested. So check it out @ www.youngwritersblogdotorg.wordpress.com
I'm also on twitter @clbroadnax.

-C.L. Broadnax

SaraSherrell.com said...

Thanks for the post! Can't wait to start checking them out!

Victoria Tran said...

I have read it and I love this blog, Robert. Keep you up working.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all this.
Have a look at Living Large in Rural Perthshire (Blogger.com)

AMcK

Unknown said...

Robert,

I hate to sound like everyone else, but I needed this list as quality blogs for writers are hard to find. There are too many to sift through, and it's helpful to have the best ones collected in one spot.

Best,

Darin L. Hammond

psychochef said...

Robert,
Thank you for compiling this list.

Karen
www.fatgirlboxing.com

Energy Patent Lawyer said...

Very helpful post! I really enjoyed reading it. So wonderful to read a blog that's written in good English! I am going to surely be back for more from now on. Thank you.

Pat said...

You might want to add www.epublishabook.com as a nice resource for writers who want to self-publish.

lots of useful infos and updates about changes in teh publishing industry.

Linha Pink said...

More people will visit blogs that everyone can see advantages of them in the posts.

Jennie said...

You should check out 5writers.com!

Amy said...

I'd love for you to check out my blog...
wanderingstorytellers.blogspot.com

Great list! Thanks.

Vietnam tour said...

I like your blog. I also have one blog: http://vn-minmax.blogspot.com/

Vietnam travel guide said...

Thank for your list, good and useful.

Dr. Worden said...

Great list!

I just posted an essay on blogging, which you might be interested in. Is blogging a Marxist activity? Is Blogging a Marxist Activity? ( http://thewordenreport.blogspot.com/2013/09/is-blogging-marxist-activity.html) at The Worden Report