The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2015

The Write Life has published a list of what they consider to be the top one hundred websites for writers.

I didn’t look at all one hundred, and I most definitely didn’t attempt to weigh up all the pros and cons between them and rate them all, but the top ones certainly appeared helpful to me.

They’ve broken the list into eight categories: blogging, creativity and craft, entrepreneurship, freelancing, literary agents, marketing, publishing, and writing communities. The sites are listed in alphabetical order within each category, and the numbers are included for easy tracking rather than as a ranking.

Whatever your interests in the writing arena might be, it’d be worth checking out the top blogs in that category.

The post is here: http://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-for-writers-2015/

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Cut “should” from your writing

Marisa Goudy has written an interesting article on removing the word “should” from your writing. She says it’s preachy and divisive, telling people where they have failed instead of suggesting ways to improve.
She advises people to substitute a more evocative, specific word and watch their writing take on a new tone that invites people to learn more from the writer – the compassionate, down-to-earth authority who is always there to help rather than criticize.
The article is well worth reading and can be found here: http://marisagoudy.com/want-to-connect-with-your-reader-cut-should-from-your-writing/

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Self publishing: WARNING NSFW link

This is an excellent article about the mistakes authors continue to make in self-publishing. Just one note the writer uses a lot (and I do mean a lot) of swear words to make his point. Close your mind to the bad language and pay attention to his points. They’re worth noting.

Among his points are: Ensure your work is edited properly, lay out your pages properly, get a good cover, have interesting and accurate back matter, and work on your craft. Making the book the best it can be is up to the author. Authors need to take every step of the process seriously.

Here is the full article:
http://johnhartness.com/2015/05/21/why-your-self-published-book-looks-like-a-pile-of-ass-and-wont-ever-make-you-any-money/


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Seven Books Every Writer Should Read

Allison Vesterfelt has written a great blog on what she considers are the seven books every writer should read. A couple of them might surprise you. One of them is one of my particular favorites, by Grammar Girl (aka Mignon Fogarty).

The books she lists are; “The Artists Way” by Julia Cameron, “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott, “Thinking Write” by Kelly L. Ston, “Why We Write” edited by Meredith Maran, “The Story Within” by Laura Oliver, “Zen and the Art of Writing” by Ray Bradbury, and “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Every Writer” by Mignon Fogarty.
For her reasoning and the full article, go here: http://allisonvesterfelt.com/books-every-writer-should-read/


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.