Miscellaneous Monday

Does it feel or look like spring in your neighborhood? I hope you've had at least a glimpse of sunshine and warmth so far. To celebrate spring, I thought I would share a few links - perhaps they'll spark a little creativity. :)

In the mood for a contest? Check out the Writer's Digest 85th Annual Competition. Grand Prize is $5000, among other goodies, and the twelve categories include inspirational, magazine articles, poetry, children/young adult, and more. Entry deadline is May 6. Check out the details here.

Many of you know that I took courses from The Institute of Children's Literature years ago. Despite my initial hesitation, (I'd found their brochure at the grocery store.) the classes were excellent. They covered the writing and submission process from A to Z, in a professional and friendly manner. ICL combines top notch instruction with quality materials. I'd highly recommend them to anyone considering writing for children.

The Institute of Children's Literature has a sister school, the Long Ridge Writer's Group, that features writing classes for adult fiction and non fiction. While I haven't had personal experience with Long Ridge, I've heard good things and suspect they maintain similar standards as ICL. I've seriously considered taking classes there as well.

Even if you aren't interested in taking classes, both schools offer help for writers on their Rx for Writers page. You don't have to be a student to subscribe to their newsletter, which offers articles with tips, advice, and success stories for all writers.

Has spring weather hijacked your creativity? Jennifer Brown Banks offers advice on how to get back on track with Has Your Muse Become a Recluse...?

Fiction writers - having trouble nailing the conclusion to your story? Author Jerry Jenkins shares his thoughts in Secrets to Writing a Captivating Ending.

Are you a fan of uncommon vocabulary? Jean Fischer of Something to Write Home About invites us to guess the meanings of 26 interesting words in Quiz: Can You Guess the Meaning of These Unusual Words?

What are you working on this week? Are you enjoying spring weather?

Happy writing,

Karen


Photo credit: Free Images

Miscellaneous Monday

Happy mid-August! Hope you are staying cool. Couldn't resist sharing the latest fun and fabulous finds. :)

Lay versus Lie, how do you know which one to use? Brian Klems explains here at The Writer's Dig. He even provides a handy chart to help keep it straight.

Fiction writers, having trouble getting those scenes just right? Check out Live Write Thrive's post where Rachel Scott Thomson shares How Fiction Writers Can Ramp Up Tension and Pacing.

Looking to write for magazines? I recommend Carol J. Alexander's new course, Break Into Magazine Writing. Class begins late September 2015. Visit Carol's site for details. 

What is the definition of canoodle? How about goombah? Jean Fisher defines these and other interesting words in Twenty Five of the Funniest Words.

Do you use idioms in your writing? The Grammarly Blog highlights common idiom meanings in You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar We Love Idioms and It's a Barnyard Full of Animal Idioms.

And finally, this made me smile: "A metaphor is like a simile." Author Unknown  Yes, it sure is!

What are you up to this week?

I'm taking a break until 9/7/15.  Enjoy the remainder of August! :) 

Happy writing,
 
Karen 



Photo credit: Free Images - En Choo

Monday's Fabulous Finds

Monday is a great day to share fabulous links, right? Here are a few of my recent discoveries:

You don't have to have a published book to your credit to appreciate the Seven Most Useful Apps for Authors. These apps can address needs for any writer.

Did you know that a hyphen can change the meaning of a word? C.S. Lakin elaborates in Using Hyphens to Avoid Confusion.

What's the best way to market your work without being a pest? Check out Jennifer Brown Banks' advice in 5 Tips to Selling Your Works Without Working People's Nerves.

How do you know you're a writer? Jean Fischer's recent post invites us to finish this sentence, You Know You're a Writer When...

I'll be back on Thursday with a link to a guest post on my publisher's blog. If you can spare a minute, I invite you to stop by!


What are you up to this week?

Happy writing,

Karen

Miscellaneous Monday

There is an endless supply of great resources waiting to be discovered! Here are a few that I've found lately.

Now that 2015 is in full swing, are you in need of writing inspiration? Jean Fischer shares a few quotes on her blog to lend help for the journey...one day at a time.

Have trouble with active versus passive voice? Check out this post on Marsha Hubler's blog. She offers a great breakdown with helpful examples that illustrate the concept nicely.

Need help managing your email? Check out 3 Tips for Purging Your Email and Your Mind over at Susan J. Reinhardt's blog.

Are you wasting readers' time with apologies? Edie Melson makes an interesting point regarding taking time off from social media over at The Write Conversation.

What are you writing these days? Have any links or tips to share?

Happy writing,

Karen

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

August Inspiration and Links

In good writing, words become one with things.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you agree with Mr. Emerson? I do, and believe that we paint pictures large and small for our readers. Not an easy task always, but one that satisfies our need to communicate with others.  

Here are a few resources that might help your words become a grand image and inspiration for your readers:


Feeling unproductive and uninspired? Carol Tice offers advice for freelancers in this post, 5 Super Easy Ways Freelance Writers Can Stand Out.

Here's another "5" post from Brian Klems that might offer a boost - 5 Writing Lessons Inspired by Famous Writers.

Do you know the differences between writing for the middle grade and young adult audiences? Brian Klems breaks it down in The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs.Young Adult. 
 
Need a break from the routine? Check out Jean Fischer's Fun Friday - 6 Quizzes for Writers. Interesting stuff!

Have you or anyone you know self published a book? The 2nd Annual Writer's Digest Self Published eBook Awards offers a grand prize of $3000 cash. Hurry, deadline to enter is September 2, 2014.

Are you a poet? Writer's Digest has a contest for you too. Their Poetry Award contest offers a $1000 grand prize. Early registration deadline is October 1, 2014, regular deadline is October 31.  Click here for details.


What do you think of Emerson's quote? Do you have any links or tips to share? What are you writing this week?

Happy writing,
Karen


Photo credit: Stock Exchange