Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013

Once again, it's that time of year. Every February, I reveal my personal list of the best blogs for writers to read. These are personal faves, so I won't be offended if you know a great blog I didn't list. Please share it in the comments below, and I will review it for next year's list.

By the way, this year's list offers more than 50 blogs. In 2011, I listed 31 wonderful blogs for writers; in 2012, I listed 39 great blogs for writers; this year, the final count is 55. Who knows what the final number will be next year? As always, I'm human about putting this list together, so don't take a snub as a personal attack.

Brian Klems, double blogger at WritersDigest.com

Writer's Digest Blogs
As a Senior Content Editor for the Writer's Digest Writing Community, I'm rather partial to the blogs on the WritersDigest.com site. My poetry blog (below) has a home there--as does the best blog covering literary agents anywhere.

• Guide to Literary Agents, by Chuck Sambuchino
• The Writer's Dig, by Brian Klems
• There Are No Rules, by Editors of Writer's Digest
• Questions & Quandaries, by Brian Klems (also)
• Poetic Asides, by Robert Lee Brewer

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My All-Star Blogs for Writers
These are the best of the best as far as I'm concerned by single bloggers (tag-teams have their own list below). Their content is updated frequently, and it's of high value. Everyone, regardless of genre, should be able to learn something on these blogs.

• Jeff Goins blog, by Jeff Goins
• Make a Living Writing, by Carol Tice
• The Renegade Writer, by Linda Formichelli
• The Prosperous Writer, by Christina Katz
• Janet Reid, Literary Agent, by Janet Reid
• The Positive Writer, by Bryan Hutchinson
• Jane Friedman: Being Human at Electric Speed, by Jane Friedman
• Rachelle Gardner, by Rachelle Gardner
• terribleminds, by Chuck Wendig
• Silliman's blog, by Ron Silliman
• Mystery Writing Is Murder, by Elizabeth Spann Craig
• Wordplay, by K.M. Weiland

Not Bob, Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Christina Katz

Tag-Team Blogs for Writers
These blogs could just as well be on the All-Star list, but they're mostly assembled through a group effort. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, some of these are the best at covering their specific areas.

• WriterUnboxed
• WordServe Water Cooler
• Harriet, the Blog
• Copyblogger
• Write To Done
• Problogger
• Best American Poetry blog
• Freelance Writing Jobs
• Kill Zone
• The Writers Alley
• The Write Practice
• Romance University
• The Passive Voice
• Grammar Girl

Sandra Beasley, who digs poetry

Blogs That Rock for Writers
These blogs are just as cool as the others listed above, but they do it in their own unique ways. In fact, I'd say many of these blogs kind of have their own rocking attitude that the others above don't. If you can check them out regularly, you won't be disappointed.

• Chicks Dig Poetry, by Sandra Beasley
• Nathan Bransford, author, by Nathan Bransford
• Writer Beware blog, by Victoria Strauss
• Evil Editor, by an evil editor
• Red Lemon Club, by Alex Mathers
• Modern Confessional, by Collin Kelley
• InkyGirl, by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
• The Traveling Writer, by Alexis Grant
• Baggott Asher Bode, by Julianna Baggott
• Book of Kells, by Kelli Russell Agodon
• Jody Hedlund, by Jody Hedlund
• Kris Writes, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• Jessie Cary blog, by Jessie Carty
• The Creative Penn, by Joanna Penn
• Live Write Thrive, by C.S. Lakin
• Moody Writing, by mooderino
• dbqp: visualizing poetics, by Geof Huth
• The Writer's Inner Journey, by Meredith Resnick
• LA Screenwriter, by Angela Guess
• Wordgathering, by Margo Roby
• Dean Wesley Smith, by Dean Wesley Smith
• Anne R. Allen's blog, by Anne R. Allen
• The Other Side of the Story, by Janice Hardy
• Writing Forward, by Melissa Donovan

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog.
• 3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck.
• How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days.

3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck

The latest issue of Sprout magazine features an interview with yours truly. If you're not familiar with Sprout, it's an inspired and inspiring online magazine fun by Amanda Fall. Go check it out. Anyway, the first question Amanda asked was tied into how I went from unpaid intern to well-connected editor.

Confession time: I believe a lot of my success over the years has come from "lucky breaks." Even my unpaid internship position with the Writer's Digest Writing Community, it was a lucky break. Of course, I'm willing to take credit for hard work and taking advantage of opportunities, but many of my best opportunities found me, not the other way around. How did that happen?

Serendipity can play into making your own luck.

Three Keys to Make Your Own Luck

I've given this topic a lot of thought over the years, and then decided to tackle this subject after reading Nick Usborne's posts on catching lucky breaks around the end of 2012. Here are my three keys to how I make my own luck:

• Experiment
• Engage
• Share

Three simple words that I'll explain more below, but these actions are responsible for all my luck.

Experiment

If I wanted to use more than one word, I might also say this key is "taking chances." For instance, I was exclusively an expert on publishing--as the editor of Writer's Market--before I started building a reputation as a poet.

My appearance at the Red Clay Writers Conference...

I still remember the meeting in which Writer's Digest magazine editors were trying to expand their site by offering editorial blogs. While many editors opted out of this "extra responsibility," I immediately saw an opportunity to share my rekindled love of poetry with the WritersDigest.com community. So I pitched Poetic Asides, and here's the funny part...

...my reputation was so entrenched as a publishing expert for fiction and nonfiction freelancers that I received some push back on the idea. In fact, the poetry blog was only accepted after I recruited then Poet's Market editor Nancy Breen as my co-blogger (quick aside: I was already friends with Nancy and lucky to have her as a resource in the beginning). The rest of my poetry luck is history.

I went on to be named Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2010--hosting super successful poem-a-day challenges in April and November. I've been hosted as a featured poet at several events around the country, including the Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) and Poetry Hickory. My debut full-length collection, Solving the World's Problems, is due out from Press 53 on September 1.

Of course, there's more to that luck, which I'll get into below, but none of it would've happened if I didn't experiment by pitching and launching the Poetic Asides blog. Before that, I was receiving speaking opportunities as a publishing expert by absolutely zero opportunities in the poetry world.

...led to me being invited to the Blue Ridge Writers Conference...

Engage

Speaking of the Poetic Asides blog and the April PAD Challenge, the idea was simple enough: I would offer a prompt each day in April (along with my own attempt at the prompt) and ask others to write a poem too. I hoped to get some participation, but I really didn't know what to expect and even worried that only one or two people might show. But the poems came.

And came. And came. That first post is still up on the site, and there were nearly 300 comments. But it didn't end there. The response was so overwhelming through the whole month that I started sharing poetry prompts on Wednesdays and created a November poem-a-day challenge dedicated to crafting chapbooks of poems.

These are experiments that worked out, but I also truly feel they are an example of engagement. For instance, one way I've built traffic on My Name Is Not Bob is through challenges and shining the light on other bloggers and tweeps. I didn't ask for or expect anything in return, I just felt that engaging with others is the right way to do things.

This engagement has led to "lucky" opportunities, including invitations to read at poetry festivals and events. Those speaking opportunities led to face-to-face engagement opportunities that led to more speaking opportunities. For instance, I would've never been invited to Houston Poetry Fest "Out of Bounds" if I had not met Mary Margaret Carlisle at AIPF. My invitation to speak at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference came from speaking at the Red Clay Writers Conference and it (the BRWC) led to an opportunity to speak at Poetry Hickory.

...which opened up an opportunity to speak at Poetry Hickory.

I have so many similar examples, both online and in person, of engagement with others leading to lucky breaks and opportunities. These speaking opportunities weren't pursued by me; they were offered, because I was engaging with people--and they saw the opportunity for me to share my passion and experiences with their audience.

Share

There are many ways that sharing can lead to "lucky breaks." I mentioned Mary Margaret Carlisle above, and I met her at the Austin International Poetry Festival. She was a fellow featured poet, and we did a book swap--I'd recently self-published a limited edition chapbook of poems that have since sold out.

Without realizing it, my act of sharing set the wheels in motion for me to be invited as the feature for her Houston Poetry Fest "Out of Bounds" event--an event that raised money for me to come out, stay the night in Webster, sell some more chapbooks, and read my poetry before an engaged audience. I didn't expect anything to happen, but it did. And I've had other examples of this happening--without expectation on my part.

With Mary Margaret Carlisle at Austin International Poetry Festival.

Share your words, your thoughts, your ideas, and good things will happen. Don't spend all your time trying to trick people or get something tangible out of them. Trust that good works lead to good opportunities.

As one last example, one key reason the April PAD Challenge has been so successful from day one is that I shared my own example poem with the prompt. It's a way of showing that I'm in it with everyone else--writing horrible first drafts that more often than not never amount to anything. Sharing that vulnerable part of my writing process, I think, encourages others to then share--and we all benefit when that happens.

Have you experienced luck yourself? Or helped create luck for someone? Share your experiences below in the comments.

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Check out some other recent Not Bob posts:

• What are blurbs? Do I need them for my book?
• How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days.
• Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee Brewer.

Develop a Slogan to Help Your Author Platform

Over at Ad Age, Al Ries wrote a great piece on slogans in relation to political campaigns. Whether you voted for Obama or Romney, Ries shines the light on who had the better slogan--and why. (Click here to read the full article.)

The two main nuggets I got out of the article were:

1. A good slogan cuts both ways. That is, a good slogan builds up an identity (person, company, etc.) while also defining how you're different than the competition. Using Obama's "Forward" slogan as the example, it implies that Obama wants to move forward while his competition wants to go backward. Politics aside (and whether you agree or disagree), that's what the slogan communicates.
2. A good slogan communicates value. If you write cookbooks, your slogan should NOT be: Jane Doe, Cookbook Author. A more powerful slogan might be: Jane Doe, Helping the World Cook Better. Instead of Joe Smith, Thriller Author, try Joe Smith, Keeping Readers on the Edge of Their Seat.

Robert Lee Brewer, Helping Writers Succeed

 

Why Do Slogans Matter?

Writers have so much to worry about that I totally understand if they're wondering, "Why the heck should I care about slogans? Aren't those just for companies?"

Those are fair questions, but here's the thing: Once writers hang their shingles as freelance writers, that makes them businesses. Maybe just one employee. Maybe not super successful...just yet. But a business nonetheless. Still, why does a slogan matter?

For one, a slogan defines who writers are to their target audience--to literary agents, editors, book buyers, and ultimately readers. That's pretty important stuff.

Second, a slogan defines who writers are to themselves. It might seem like common sense, but most writers can't define themselves--especially in a way that explains their value--in fewer than 10 words. That's why developing a slogan is a super important exercise.

Incorporate Into Your Author Platform

Once you have a slogan that communicates value and cuts both ways, begin incorporating it into your platform building.

• Use it--or something very similar--as the tagline on your blog and/or website.
• Include it in the About Me sections of your social media profiles.
• Put it on your business cards.
• Include it in your e-mail signature.
• Work the slogan into any other messaging you can, whether an e-newsletter or print stationery.

Use it and use it some more. Remember: Consistency is key in brand building, and that's exactly what an author platform: It's building your brand as an author. Now, get to work on your slogan.
 
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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other helpful Not Bob posts:

• How to Blog and Make Money Blogging.
• How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.

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And if you want a way to improve make a super investment in your author platform, check out the latest offering from Writer's Digest: Author Platform Consultations. There are three different levels--from a basic package (that is anything but basic) to an 8-week program that involves 30-minute consultations each week. Click here to learn more.

3 Reasons Why SEO Matters: Improve Search Engine Rankings

This is why SEO matters: If you want to improve search engine rankings, there are two ways to make that happen, and both techniques have to work together. First, you have to write amazing content. Second, you have to employ sound keyword strategy.

I spent last weekend in Hollywood, California. It was a great trip for two reasons:

1. I was able to take a bunch of goofy tourist photos.
2. I was afforded the opportunity to help people understand the importance of SEO.

View from hotel room included the HOLLYWOOD sign.

3 Reasons Why SEO Matters

Here's the brick wall I usually hit when explaining the importance of SEO. Most writers are allergic to numbers and statistics. Some writers are completely against structure (these writers often fight against the idea of using outlines).

However, if they're going to get the most bang for their buck online, writers (and all professionals) need to optimize their websites for search engine. Here's why:

1. SEO leads to discover-ability. Most people who need to know the answer to something now go online to find the answers. Sites that aren't optimized for search engines will not display in the search results. If your site isn't on the first page of results, it's pretty much invisible. In fact, most sites that aren't in the first 3-5 spots on a search page will receive fewer than 5% of all clicks on a given search.
2. SEO leads to higher traffic. A common method for measuring success on blogs and websites is to look at traffic. That makes a lot of sense. One good method for increasing traffic is to post a lot of new content, but it takes a lot of effort for each new page or post. Any even better method is to post content that receives as much (or more) traffic on day 365 as the day it was first posted. This can be accomplished with great SEO.
3. SEO leads to improved content. Many writers point to content as the reason they object to learning SEO. They argue that targeting keywords leads to stilted language. Let me agree for a moment: Yes, it can. In such cases, keyword-loaded posts with stilted language do not perform well in search engine rankings. It takes a combination of great keywords and great content to consistently rank on page one.

Improve Search Engine Rankings

I'm only writing this post because I've seen the power of SEO first hand. I've spent the past two years experimenting with content on this blog, including increasing posts, linking to social media, and optimizing for search engines. Some experiments have worked; others have failed; and I try to share everything with my awesome readers.

As many long-time Not Bob readers know, I was posting nearly every day through the first five months of 2012. I'd driven traffic to my blog to new levels through many strategies mentioned in my 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic post. Then, life got in the way, and I was able to run a different type of experiment--a very passive experiment. I was able to see what my Not Bob traffic would be like without new content.

This is only my 2nd post since August 7 and 10th since May 31. In fact, I didn't even post in the month of September. Traffic on my blog actually increased during the months of June through September (October is still in progress) by 44.8% in 2012 over 2011. In the month of September (in which I didn't make a single post), my traffic increased 41.4%.

I'm not sharing these stats to make your eyes gloss over or to boast. I want to emphasize that the traffic to my blog in my absence was not due to new content. Instead, it was mostly through new readers finding me while searching for answers online. My combination of solid content and great keywords helped increase my traffic while I've been away.

Use SEO to Improve Your Platform

Whether you're a writer or business owner (and really, freelancer writers are business owners), search engine rankings are essential to your success online. Lucky for you, I've developed a 30-day challenge for improving your online platform. It's completely free and--from the testimonials I've received--completely effective in jump starting your process. 

Over the 30-day plan, I cover many tasks, including better SEO. I encourage you to start taking the challenge today (or this weekend) if you haven't yet.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other helpful Not Bob posts:

• How to Blog and Make Money Blogging.
• Top Tweeters for Writers to Follow.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.

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And if you want a way to improve make a super investment in your author platform, check out the latest offering from Writer's Digest: Author Platform Consultations. There are three different levels--from a basic package (that is anything but basic) to an 8-week program that involves 30-minute consultations each week. Click here to learn more.

The Importance of Word Play

I'm pleased to welcome Khara House to the house (I'm sure she hasn't heard that one before). She's covering one of my favorite subjects: playing with words! Khara is a poet, freelance writer, and educator. She just finished her first year teaching at the university level, teaching First-Year Composition and an Intermediate Poetry Workshop. Khara says, "I have been writing for as long as I can remember, though only recently have I started working to share it more seriously, and more widely. I am currently focusing a lot more on both my poetry and my blog, through which I hope to share many of the rich experiences I have been blessed with through writing." Find Khara online at www.kharahouse.com.

Khara House, poet, freelance writer, and educator

When I walk into my poetry class, I hold a small pile of poems in foreign languages. As class begins, I pass out the poems, tell my students to pick one, and begin translating it. For a moment, I am met with disbelieving glances that tell me my students are officially convinced I'm insane. But then, as I lower my head and begin my own translation, I hear a few murmurs, a collection of giggles and groans, and finally the movement of pens over paper.

Poetic Serendipity
Word play is, for me, one of the essential tools in a writer's toolbox. When I talk about word play in a workshop, I usually also talk about poetic "serendipity"—that is, letting words guide you rather than you trying to guide the words. Too often we, as poets and writers, try to force words—or characters, or scenes—into line when all along the words are just waiting for us to let them do what they do.

There is a story about Michelangelo that I think speaks to this process of letting creative juices flow as they will, when they will. A man came into Michelangelo's studio and found him staring at a block of marble (that, the story says, would eventually become his statue of David). When the man asked Michelangelo what he was doing, Michelangelo simply replied, "I'm working."

When I asked my students to do the translation exercise, I was asking them to become Michelangelo and simply wait on the words within them to form themselves: to stop worrying about what the poem should mean, and instead allow themselves to express themselves freely. An exercise like this, and word play in general, allows us to step outside of the world of sense and engage in a world of play. It practically forces us to accept that sometimes the best poems are the ones that are completely out of our control; they will only settle into what they are supposed to be when we stop trying to force them into being.

Sample translated poem (in Armenian)

Same Poem Different
As the activity ended, my students and I took turns reading our poems. After discussing the prompt's purpose, I revealed my "big secret": despite the fact that they worked with ten different languages, they had all been translating the same poem … and it was one I had written! What made it such a fun surprise was that when I read them the original, one student pointed out that even my translation was different than the original! This only further emphasized the point of the exercise: stepping out of the familiar, and letting the mind run wild.

I encourage you, whether you are a writer of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, to take some time and step out of your writing's way. Free write for an hour. Write a fake dialogue with a character; let yourself be surprised by what he or she has to say. Play with the words you are writing—you'll find they make excellent playmates!

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If you think you have a great guest post to share (on writing, parenting, or better living in general), click here to learn how to get the conversation started. I'm sure if you think it's important, I may too.

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Check out previous Not Bob posts:

• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days.
• Where Should I Focus My Time? Tips for Social Media Use.

Advice for Writers: 036

This past week was sort of weird with Jane Friedman running out of advice (for now anyway--and good luck to Jane in all she's about to accomplish with VQR), but I've still been able to hunt down plenty of great stuff for writers.

• 25 Things You Should Know About Writing Fantasy, by Chuck Wendig. Another 25 things list from the king of 25 things lists.
• How We Choose the Best Publisher, by Rachelle Gardner. Rachelle shares how literary agents choose the best publisher for each project they represent.
• New Literary Agent Alert: Linda Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency, by Chuck Sambuchino. Chuck is always sharing new agent alerts, how I got my agent stories, and more. Best agent blog from a non-agent.
• Are You Writing Your Novel Too Fast?, by K.M. Weiland. I do it too; that is, I start a project wanting to get it finished as soon as humanly possible. But writing is often better when we take a moment to breathe (and consider).
• How to Maximize eBook Royalties and Minimize Hassles, by Ray Rhamey. Ray shares the best way to get the most out of your DIY eBook project and explains what works best for him.

Also, I'm starting to get more active on my recently launched WritersMarket.com blog. The top picks from this past week include how to write a query letter and a query letter sample list of awesomeness.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
• The 8 Jobs of Modern Writers.

Advice for Writers: 035

Since my last Advice for Writers post (on May 21), I've been slammed with work (and other projects) and only have 4 posts to show for the past month of blogging. However, I've nearly reached the end of all that crazy and am ready to get back on track. As my first offering, check out some of the recent best advice for writers online:

• There Are Two Kinds of "Busy." Is Yours the Right Kind? by Joanne Tombrakos. One of the lines I love the most from this post: One of (technology's) big downsides is that it can create the illusion that we are so much more important than we really are. This is a nice post on trying to find balance in work and life (and realizing it's a moving target).
• The 10-Step Guide to Fixing the Writer Website Fails That Cost You Clients, by Carol Tice. From no website to no about page, Carol offers up 10 common fails for writer websites. If you plan to make a career out of writing, you need a website--and this list is a good guide for mistakes to avoid.
• Ode to the Editor, by Chuck Wendig. As an editor, I'm including this post as a way of reminding writers of the importance of editors. Like writers, we're human--and many of us want the same thing: great writing to share with an audience.
• Why Publishing Your First Novel Is Like Running for Student Body President, by Michelle Haimoff. To prove her point, Michelle includes 40 ways the two are similar.
• The Top 25 Ways to Blow a Book, by K.M. Weiland. Great post. Another list of no-no's. Maybe that's the theme of this week's advice.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• The Second Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do: 5 Ways to Experiment as a Writer.
• How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.

Advice for Writers: 034

Here are this week's nuggets of knowledge!

Learning to Embrace My Limits, by Kristan Hoffman. Here's a little reassurance for writers who don't feel they're ready (or even ever want) to go pro. Personally, I spent close to 15 years writing before trying to get published, and I still considered myself a writer without making a single submission.

Why Self-Conscious Writers Are Doomed, by K.M. Weiland. Of course, if you are writing to get published, then it's good to have an idea of who your audience might be.

25 Ways to Earn Your Audience, by Chuck Wendig. Many writers think, "If you write it, they will come." However, that's rarely the case--even if you've written the most amazing thing ever.

4 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Book Marketing Efforts, by Jane Friedman. These are all great tips, including leaving the hard-selling to your blog or website. Hard-selling on social media just doesn't produce great results. At the same time, it alienates social media connections.

What I Learned About Writing From My Lunch With a Dead Woman, by Carol Tice. What I like about this post is that it gives a little more perspective than just write-write-write or promote-promote-promote. Worth a read by all creators.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• The Second Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do: 5 Ways to Experiment as a Writer.
• How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.

I'm so honored to have Maribel Steel on the Not Bob blog today. Maribel is a writer and blogger from Melbourne, Australia. She was diagnosed at 17 with a degenerative eye condition (Retinitis Pigmentosa) in the late 70s. She is the mother of four children and is currently writing a collection of short stories for publication. She was one of the judges two years running for Vision Australia's Dickenson's Literary Awards. Her other passion is music and Maribel works with her partner in their recording studio in her role as "big ears." For more stories from a vision-impaired perspective, visit: http://www.gatewaytoblindness.blogspot.com/.

Maribel Steel, Australian writer and blogger

Writing Blind: How Blind People Manage to Write

Have you ever wondered how a writer with vision-impairment or total blindness is able to operate a computer without seeing the screen? How do they move around in Cyber-space without cursing the cursor? How do they craft their work writing blind?

With patience and persistence like every other writer – and with a keen ear filtering the incessant dialog of a know-it-all computer program called JAWS (Job Access With Speech).

Bye-bye Braille

Gone are the days when Braille was the only option available at their fingertips. Nowadays, it is hard to keep up with all the technical advancements and handy gadgets that help them to function independently in a visual world. Fortunately technology today is so advanced, people like myself, with little or no sight can link with others through the World-Wide-Web.

As a vision-impaired writer I compose stories, store documents to folders, read and send e-mails, create posts for blogs and surf the Internet – all without being able to see the screen on my laptop.

Hello JAWS!

Once upon a time, in the dark ages I used an electric typewriter and magnifying glass to read and write with – but in 2000, my writing ability soared to new heights when I took part in a series of training sessions for blind computer users. This is when I was introduced to the 'guy' who likes to run the show, JAWS – a screen-reading program with a robotic synthesized voice.

He may lack a warm tone and natural human inflection but I will give him due credit for guiding me through the computer maze from start up to shut down. I don't even have to use a mouse – or a rat, or even a cute koala – because the keys on my laptop have been assigned special functions. It is remembering them all that is the fun part!

Maribel using JAWS

Learning How to Use Job Access With Speech

Like every new skill, learning all the correct keystrokes and finger commands was overwhelming. The hardest thing was getting used to the speed of the robotic mono-tone voice: left ear on my trainer's instructions, right ear on JAWS, my brain scrambled somewhere between the two.

After a year or so, the process became easier and more logical – JAWS was my inseparable office buddy: zipping through computer tasks which in return boosted my confidence as an independent writer.

No matter how rapidly I scoot around my files today, JAWS is right there with me, not missing a beat. So how does it all work?

Basically, for every single key I tap on the keyboard JAWS announces its name and function out loud. You could say I push his buttons and he takes it like a trooper! He announces streams of information like, "Menus…leaving menus. File…edit file…leaving file…not connected, wireless networks are available. Windows explorer, W. Enter – library documents …items…view…list box…Robert Brewer blog post …edit. Do you want to save your changes?"

My favourite one is when I accidentally tap the key to shut down JAWS and in a surprised tone he will announce, "Are you SURE you want to quit JAWS?"

Then there are special combinations of keys that will get JAWS to read one word at a time or one line or just one paragraph: he can jump around inside a web page, flick between open windows or announce selected text. It is like having a verbose parrot perched continually on one's laptop. JAWS will read lashings of codes and numbers not even present on the screen (so I have been told) and thinks it very helpful to read headings in my Inbox several times until I thump the Control key which shuts him up – but only briefly.

Sometimes, JAWS darts around open files and I have to work out which one he has disappeared into by striking the Tab key to find him again. (Maybe this is revenge for my earlier request to quit JAWS?).

He picks up most spelling errors and dares to offer suggestions for new words – thanks JAWS but that's not the word I am looking for.

How I Write Blind With a Computer

It is all very fine and wonderful – until I want to make friends on Facebook. Nope. For some reason, JAWS announces all sorts of details that make it impossible to know where he is and who's wall we are looking at? What happened to my helpful, chatty friend? Oh well, I guess it's good to know his limitations, he is 'human' after all.

And so, this is how I write blind with a computer – but there is just one last thing I would like to mention. As amazing as it is to be able to do all these things with JAWS, I still rely on my supportive family who take time to look over my work, attach photos to files and set default settings within documents. Because sometimes, you know, it is just easier than working with a chatterbox!

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Pro Dictation Software
Since Maribel has such a glowing endorsement of JAWS, I'd definitely suggest checking out the link above if you're looking for a great program to help for writing with a visual impairment. However, if you're now interested in dictation software (as I admit I was) after reading this post, then you may want to check out the Philips Digital Pocket Memo with Speech Exec Pro Dictation Software. For writers who aren't always able to sit down and type, this software affords them the ability to speak their writing and transfer it onto a computer.

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If you think you have a great guest post to share, click here to learn how to get the conversation started. I'm sure if you think it's important, I may too.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• The Death of SEO: Can We Forget About the Search Engines?
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.
• Overcoming the Fear of Failure: You Can Beat the Odds to Find Happiness.

Advice for Writers: 033

Let's see what I could find this week.

Dare to Suck, by Keith Cronin. It takes a lot of courage to suck, and the rewards can be...well...rewarding. Seriously.

The Death of Blogging and ... Blogging, by Julianna Baggott. For those of you who question whether blogging is a good or bad thing, here's a post to help muddy the waters even more.

Writing & Illustrating a Picture Book for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Part 1), by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Inkygirl (as Debbie dubs herself) is going to chronicle the entire process of creating a picture book for S&S--from the initial idea development to the finish line. It promises to be a very intesting series, especially if you're not familiar with how picture books are made.

The Best E-Publishing Resources, by Jane Friedman. I don't think there's anyone who has a better understanding of the best online tools for writers than Jane. In this post, of course, she's focusing on e-publishing.

9 Steps to Take When You Loathe Your Own Blog, by Ryan Barton. Anyone who's spent enough time blogging runs into this problem, and Ryan shares some strategies for overcoming the self-loathing.

Poem Types: A List of Poetry Forms, by Robert Lee Brewer. I don't usually link to my other blog, but it would be a crime if I didn't share this post that includes more than 30 poetic forms. For any poets out there, this is a post that should provide hours of poeming fun.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• The Second Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do: 5 Ways to Experiment as a Writer.
• How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.

What Is a Writer Anyway? Time to Change What It Means to Be a Writer

I don't know about you, but I've been questioning what it means to be a writer over the past few years--and I'm not talking about whether to label a writer an "author" or "content creator" or "letter assembler" or whatever. No, I've been questioning what the responsibilities of a writer are.

What the Heck Is a Writer Anyway?

Jane Friedman's post (Distinguishing Between Straight-Up Advice and Paradigm Shift) today helped me figure out how to start getting my thoughts more organized on my blog about this topic. Many writers--and I can be guilty of this myself, though I try not to be--see platform and writing as two separate selves: Often, writing plays Dr. Jekyll to the platform-building Mr. (or Ms.) Hyde.

But I've increasingly come to feel that writers should not slice themselves into pieces (see my 8 jobs of modern writers). Instead, writers should embrace that platform-building goes hand-in-hand with writing, just as freelance writing is not possible without making writing pitches and proposals (or filing taxes after you start raking in the money).

Think More Creatively

Here's the thing: I feel like many writers (and yes, I've been there too) make assumptions about what it means to be a writer. Or they feel like they know what it means. Then, when they hear about the new definitions of being a writer, they want to do one of two things:

1. Argue the new definitions. They want to fight against the change that is happening in the publishing and media industry. They'll say things like, "Well, I don't think people really want to read digital books," or, "I want to shop in a real bookstore, not on a website." By the way, I can totally relate with those feelings, but it doesn't change what's happening.
2. Quit writing altogether. All the changes are like a wrecking ball to the image of what writers imagined for themselves when they decided to become writers, get published (in book and/or magazine print format), and have a bookshelf full of printed writer validation. This wrecking ball leaves some writers with nothing but a huge void that overwhelms them into quitting (or keeping their writing to themselves), which is unfortunate.

As writers, we're supposed to be creative types. So it's always a shock to me when other writers are so close-minded to what being a writer could mean. I think all writers would benefit from applying their creativity to not only their words--but also to what their words could end up becoming.

For instance, Alexis Grant recently shared her thoughts on the newest way to make money as a writer. She explains how she's used digital products to earn more revenue as a writer.

Then, there's Carol Tice. She's created an entire freelance writing community that pays her to help them grow as writers and make more money freelancing. She delivers results and content in a way that's unique and effective. Isn't that the epitome of creativity?

What Is a Writer?

I suppose we've all got our own definitions of what a writer is. It's like defining the term "love." Sure, you can find the definition in Webster's, but what it really means is unique to each of us.

That said, I hope more writers begin to expand what it means to be a writer in their own definitions. Not because I want writers to take on more responsibilities or get side-tracked by duties that aren't purely writing. Rather, I want to see more and more writers break free of the shackles of what a writer has traditionally been expected to accomplish and earn.

In the new world of writing, the most creative writers will not only find new ways of telling stories; they'll also create new ways to reap rewards from their creativity--making money that writers today assume is impossible.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.

Advice for Writers: 032

After a weekend in Ohio, I'm excited to get back into the groove of things. That's right; I'm excited for Monday!

Does Quality Always Win?, by Jane Friedman. Important post to get people thinking on a Monday morning. Personally, I fall on the side of quality doesn't always win. I mean, I've read some incredible poems by well-published, yet still obscure poets. I've read amazing novels by authors who had horrible sales. Anyway, it's worth reading and considering Jane's post that was inspired by her first visit to the National Magazine Awards.

Are Your Scene Breaks Rude?, by K.M. Weiland. In this post, Weiland shares one way writers often confuse their readers with scene breaks, why it confuses them, and how to fix. It's a simple fix and an easy mistake to make. So check it out.

What If My Agent Doesn't Like My Next Book?, by Rachelle Gardner. Okay, okay. Here's my question: Why are all this week's post titles in the form of questions? Isn't that kind of weird? Anywho, I've had writers ask me this question (from Rachelle's post) several times over the years, and Rachelle has a very simple answer.

Can You "Read" an Audiobook?, by Brian Klems. As long as we've come this far, I might as well provide some other question-titled posts of greatness for writers. I really like this one from Brian, who's been on an audiobook kick lately (which is understandable with three girls, training for a half-marathon, writing a book, and working a full-time job). He wonders if it's all right to say you've "read" an audiobook.

Are You Letting Sleazebag Freelance Clients Get You Pregnant?, by Carol Tice. Seriously? Even Carol is using the question title thing? This must be some kind of new trend in blogging or something. But seriously, Carol defines a real problem many freelancers encounter. Then, she provides some tips on how to avoid getting knocked up.

25 Realizations Writers Need to Have, by Chuck Wendig. The question-titled post streak has been broken, but it's for good reason. This is an incredible post. Wendig is a personal favorite of mine, because he knows of which he speaks. His advice is nearly always right on the money. So check out this list of realizations.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• The Second Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do: 5 Ways to Experiment as a Writer.
• How to Monetize a Blog: How to Blog and Make Money.
• The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell.

Don't Worry About What You Don't Know: Some Words of Advice

As many of my regular MNINB readers know, we're in the midst of a month-long platform challenge right now. It's been a pretty incredible experience for me to throw out a task each morning and see how everyone responds. Plus, I love it when my ideas are challenged or improved upon, as well as seeing people offer completely new advice. It's great.

Are you focusing on what you don't know?

Notice that I am not upset when I don't know everything. Also, notice that I consider myself in a perpetual state of learning from others. And after you notice these things, I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your writing, your writing career, and well, your life.

In the comments on this blog, on social networks, in our recent Twitter chat, I've seen writers comment upon how they don't know X, Y, Z, etc., and say how hopeless they feel that they don't know certain things. I understand wanting to learn more, but please realize you will never know everything.

That's not a threat or a put down. It's just completely impossible to know everything (unless you're this guy).

So what can I do?
Here's my best advice: Treat the process of improving your writing skills and building your career as if it is a process. There's no finish line. There's no set in stone checklist of things to complete. It would be nice if such things existed for writers, but the playing field is always changing.

If you treat your career as a process, you'll constantly spend some time learning new skills and applying those skills toward advancing your writing career, while spending a huge chunk of your time writing and producing great content. This is true whether you write fiction, nonfiction, copywriting, poetry, or greeting cards.

The trick is to change your focus from what you don't know and what you haven't done to building upon what you do know and what you have done. It's a small change in wording, but it's a huge difference in mindset and worldview. If you're currently doing the former, try out the latter. I think you'll like the change in scenery.

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Use social networking tools to succeed in publishing!

Jane Friedman and Alice Pope lead the webinar Using Social Networking Tools to Succeed in Publishing. This webinar covers how to test ideas using social media, learn preferences of editors and agents, stay up to date on trends, build your personal brand, and more.

Click to continue.

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Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.

How I Handle Social Media: Time Management Tips

Writers are busy people. If you don't believe me, check out my list of the 8 jobs of modern writers. We have to do our own promotion, networking, accounting, sales, negotiating, filing, and, oh yeah, there's that writing bit too. And if we're not robots, we've probably got real lives too--and maybe even a day job to pay the bills. How do we fit in social media?!?

Is there a way to add an hour to the day? Like leap hour?

As a parent of five kids between the ages of 10 years and 10 months (and split between two states) who has a day job and a real life, I can totally relate to this situation. Now, I think everyone has a different angle or strategy for handling time management, but here's what I do.

The Power of Making Lists
First, I make daily task lists--with each day's tasks on a separate piece of paper. It's taken some time, but I've figured out how much I can comfortably complete each day--with a few unexpected daily surprises thrown in for good measure. I try very hard to avoid overachieving each day, because that practice usually backfires and causes me a lot of stress.

When I finish each task, I cross it off my list. Then, I allow myself a few minutes (up to 15) to check my social media accounts. I'll jump on Twitter and Facebook to see if anyone's contacted me first. Then, I also do a quick scan of what's happening in the world via my social media streams.

During these small breaks, I might link to a blog post from one of my blogs. Or I might share an article from another person. Or respond to a tweet. But when my time is up, it's up; and I have to jump back into my tasks list. (By the way, this blog post is on my tasks list--as is my Cub Scouts leaders meeting later tonight.)

It All Adds Up
Over time, these small breaks add up to a big investment in social media. Plus, they are more meaningful, because they are spread throughout the day (as opposed to an hour of social media power).

I consider social media just one part of my day, kind of like checking my e-mail (which is a-whole-nother story altogether). In fact, it's such a routine and minute part of my day that I don't even include it on my task list. I just know that I'm going to do it.

How about you? Do you feel you're investing too much time in social media? Not enough? Be sure to share in the comments.

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Also, here are some other time management strategies that I've found helpful:

• The Secret to Finding the Time to Write, Market, Promote, and Still Have a Life, by Jane Friedman
• How I Became a More Productive Writer by Doing This One Simple Thing, by Carol Tice

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

*****

Use social networking tools to succeed in publishing!

Jane Friedman and Alice Pope lead the webinar Using Social Networking Tools to Succeed in Publishing. This webinar covers how to test ideas using social media, learn preferences of editors and agents, stay up to date on trends, build your personal brand, and more.

Click to continue.

*****

Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:

• 25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic.
• Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012.
• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers.

Let's Write Together: Use a Collaborative Mindset to Improve Your Writing

I'm so pleased to share Jo Sparkes with the Not Bob crowd. She's had experience working in collaborative writing environments and is sharing the benefits of that process and mindset today. Jo has written scripts for Children's live-action and animated television programs, a direct to video Children's DVD, television commercials and corporate videos. She's been a feature writer on ReZoom.com and a contributing writer for the Arizona Sports Fans Network; where she was called their most popular writer, known for her humorous articles, player interviews and game coverage. Jo was unofficially the first to interview Emmitt Smith when he arrived in Arizona to play for the Cardinals. She has adjunct taught at the Film School at Scottsdale Community College, and stood in front of the camera for a video, "Stepping Above Criticism," capturing a popular talk with her students. Her new book, Feedback How to Give It How to Get It, shares her lessons learned with writers, and indeed everyone dealing with life's criticism.

For me, the criticism a writer gets is the hardest part of writing.

Working in the corporate world, feedback never bothered me. If I made a mistake, I just fixed it. If someone had a better idea, great. I suppose there wasn't a lot of little emotional attachment.

Letting Go of Ego and Perfection
Writing is different. There's a part of the soul out there, so it's tougher not to take it personally.

And having fallen in love with writing scripts, I think it was even worse. All writing is subjected to criticism, but scripts are not written for a general audience. They're a blueprint for other artists, used by those artists to construct something new. By their very nature, scripts are a target for criticism and change. It's a collaborative art.

It's a tough gig.

Gradually you either find a way to survive, or you move on to other writing. I survived with a combination of a new mindset and a process.

The mindset was seeing the scripts as work for hire, and the various people involved as clients. Most of my work was corporate videos or commercials, so it wasn't a difficult leap. I'd been brought in to write something, and I knew it would take several iterations, and that everyone involved would have input.

The shift came in realizing there was no 'right' answer, no perfect script. Early on I thought if I was really a good writer, it wouldn't need fixing. That I would have it perfect the first time.
Collaboration Isn't So Bad
But collaboration really isn't so bad. Each artist brings his/her own view, own experience to the table. A set design and a clever wardrobe add the right hint of flavor. A director has to make it his/her own, bringing personal experience to bear. Without that there is no passion.

Really. Otherwise the piece is flat, lacking soul.

Of course the writer has to have passion. Of course we have a vision, a story to tell. But that vision need not be myopic.

It helps, greatly, to be the one to make the changes. To be a part of that collaboration process. And to do that, you have to be part of the creative team, not the roadblock in the path. I honestly believe that's why writers are often banned from the set.

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If you think you have a great blog post idea, click here to learn how to get the conversation started. I'm sure if you think it's important, I may too.

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Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.

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Check out previous Not Bob posts for writers:

• 3 Tips on How to Get Published If You're a Writer.
• What I Got Out of Self-Publishing.
• 11 Google+ Tips for Writers.