March 1, 2010

Blogs . . . Blogs . . . and 10 More Blogs for Writers

I love it when readers suggest blogs I should visit. Here are ten little gems that my writer friends have suggested. Enjoy checking them out, and then don’t forget to comment with your own recommendations.

1. Martha Barnette’s . . . Orts
Martha is one of the co-hosts of NPR’s “A Way With Words.” If you’ve listened to this weekly show, you already know that it presents lively and interesting discussions about slang, grammar, old sayings, word origins, regional dialects, family expressions, and speaking and writing well. On her blog, Martha posts “orts” about language. (She defines “ort” as "a fragment of food left over from a meal . . . figuratively, a fragment, esp. of wisdom, wit, knowledge.")

2. Six Sentences
Polish your flash fiction skills on this creative site for writers. What can you say in six sentences? Have fun reading the entries.

3. Questions and Quandaries
Brian A. Klems answers writers’ questions on this blog from Writer’s Digest. Also, check out these other Writer’s Digest blogs: “There Are No Rules,” by Jane Friedman and Alice Pope’s CWIM Blog. (Children's Writers and Illustrators Market)

4. The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar
If you think this is going to be a stuffy, academic blog, think again. The grammar mistakes featured here are sure to make you laugh while improving your spelling, grammar and punctuation skills.

5. Writer Beware
Every writer should be aware of this blog by Victoria Strauss. It reports some of the scams, schemes and pitfalls of publishing. Another similar site is Preditors and Editors. Add these to your must follow list.

6. The Artist’s Way
This isn’t a blog in the true sense; it is the official web page of Julia Cameron. She posts monthly inspirational comments here. If you haven’t read Julia’s book, The Artist’s Way, please put it on your reading list. It’s a great tool to spur your creativity.

7. Cec Murphey’s Writer to Writer
Christian author Cecil Murphy offers words of wisdom learned from his career as a writer. Don’t miss this week’s post on avoiding the passive voice.

8. Michael Hyatt’s Blog
This is one of my favorites. Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. His posts are always interesting and informative, and he writes often about blogging, social media, leadership and books.

9. Fiction Matters
This blog for fiction writers includes writing tips, industry news, suggestions for useful writers’ tools and more. This week, they’re wrapping up a series on “pantsing.”

10. Fuel Your Writing
A blog chock full of tips, news, articles, inspiration, and tools for every genre of writing; also named one of the top ten blogs for writers 2009-10. Click here to see the other nine winners.


Are you interested in blogging statistics for 2009? Click here to read the 2009 State of the Blogosphere.





Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

4 comments:

Karen Lange said...

Great links, thanks! Am bookmarking this post.

Jean Fischer said...

I'm glad you found them useful, Karen. Thanks for stopping by.

Jane Friedman said...

Appreciate the shout-out! Thanks so much.

Jean Fischer said...

You're welcome, Jane. Loved the Chico Futuracho clip.