Miscellaneous Monday

How is November treating you so far? Hope all is well! Thought I'd kick off the month with a few links:  

Want to promote your blog/business/book/etc. in a non intrusive way? Would you like to remain genuine and true to yourself? Author Susan J. Reinhardt shares 3 easy tips in her recent post, How to Promote Without Being Obnoxious. Her guidelines can help you promote in an organic and authentic manner.

Do you get your writing related mail sent directly to your home address? In 5 Reasons Freelance Workers Should Own P.O. Boxes, veteran writer Jennifer Brown Banks offers her experience and advice regarding privacy and safety for the freelancer.

Have you ever been asked to offer feedback on someone's writing, knowing that your input might not be well received? How to Give Writing Feedback that's Constructive, Not Crushing provides helpful insight that may help you navigate these waters.

Are you interested in writing humor? Jerry Jenkins' has great advice about writing anecdotes in his post, How to Write an Anecdote. This seasoned author highlights 6 time tested tips to get you started in this department.

Need help creating characters? Author Laurel Garver knows how to create good ones, and lends her expertise in Five Things You Must Know About Every Character in Your Novel. Sage advice, for sure.

What are your November plans? Participating in NaNoWriMo? Has fall weather arrived in your area?

Happy writing,

Karen



Photo credit: Pexels

6 Ways to Manage the Demands of Blogging

As you know, blogging is a wonderful way to meet people, sharpen writing skills, make connections, and market services and books. There's no getting around it, though, blogs require attention and care. Writing content, posting, general site upkeep, responding to comments, visiting others' blogs, etc., it can get overwhelming at times. How can we keep stress to a minimum? Here are 6 tips that have helped and inspired me.

1) Keep posts short.

Long posts are great, but short ones can offer good info and interaction too. It doesn't hurt to take the pressure off sometimes, sharing brief thoughts, a quote, or simply asking your readers one question. A high word count doesn't guarantee quality content or reader engagement.

2) Schedule posts in advance.

This is probably the best thing since the invention of the blog. Whether you're going away, looking ahead to a super busy month, or have an idea for a July post strike you in February, scheduling ahead can be a lifesaver.

3) Offer regular features.

Author Susan J. Reinhardt's Friday blog posts share interesting links and info. Ask the Expert, a staple at veteran freelance writer Jennifer Brown Banks' site, offers great interviews. Regular features here include Meet the Blogger and Miscellaneous Monday. These types of posts provide good content and can be scheduled in advance.

4) Post less often.

There are no blogging laws dictating post frequency. Sure, you want to be consistent so that readers know when to expect good content, but that doesn't mean you must post every day. When I began blogging, I posted twice a week. I'm down to once a week now with an occasional extra post as necessary. This better suits my schedule, as I suspect you prefer a sane Karen over an overworked, scattered one. 

5) Find a good time management balance.

This is an ongoing challenge, with family, work, social media, and other demands. But we need to find and maintain our right balance. It's tricky, but it can and must be done to be healthy and productive. Allow yourself space and grace, too, when things don't go as planned. In ten years, it won't matter if you miss a post or forget to tweet. 

6) Take a break.

A little time to regroup, refresh, and catch up on other things is therapeutic. Plus it gives you time to stock up on chocolate or other necessities. I hate to say it, but the blogging world will manage in our absence. And that's okay. They'll miss us, of course, but they'll soldier on until we get back.


Basic tips? Yes. But ones worth revisiting when feeling uninspired or overwhelmed. At least for me, anyway. :)

How do you manage blogging's demands?

Happy writing, 

Karen 

 Photo credit: F. Turco

Miscellaneous Monday

Have you had snow this winter? I suspect many of you have. The second portion of the winter here in north central Kentucky has been colder, with more snowfall too. Not complaining, I don't mind the white stuff as long as the roads are clear in a timely manner and I can get out to replenish my dark chocolate stash. :)

For those of you who don't care for winter, take heart. Spring always comes! Here are a few links that might help take your mind off the chilly weather.

Who doesn't love great characters? Creating them however, is another story (no pun intended!). Jerry Jenkins shares his insight in 3 Ways to Create Unforgettable Characters.

Speaking of characters, do you know what head hopping is? Susan J. Reinhardt explains how to avoid this pitfall when writing fiction in this post, What is Head Hopping?

Looking to step up your freelancing game? 125 Quick Tips to Sharpen Your Copywriitng Skills might offer the assistance you need.

Dual versus duel - Laurel Garver helps us keep these tricky homophones straight in With Me or Against Me? Using Dual and Duel. 

How do you handle transitions when writing? My guest post, Making the Transition, discusses this topic at my publisher's blog. If you have a moment, please hop over and check it out!

What's the weather like in your part of the world? What are you working on this week?

Happy writing,

Karen

Photo credit: Free Images

Visiting a Friend

 
I'm a guest at Susan J. Reinhardt's blog today!

If you have a moment, hop on over.

We'd love to see you!


Do you plant flowers in the summer?

Have you spent time with good friends lately?


Happy writing,

Karen :)



Image credit: Stock Exchange