Some Reading To Curl Up With This Weekend

On my nightstand is some Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes (homework for the novel I'm working on in the chick lit genre) but I have plenty of work plus a BBQ to attend so I shan't be doing much curling up but decided to spend some time in the blogosphere tonight and read some words of wisdom from some other writer's blogs. Here are a few really good posts worth reading.

Here are a few great reads:

-Do you make these mistakes when you write? Wisdom from Copyblogger.

-Rice-A-Roni & Writing. I can SO relate to this one and commented about my similar experience

-Do you need to hire an editor Sage advice (as always) from a friend and mentor, Suzanne James.

Have a wonderful weekend!

My Brag

Today I was reviewed on my favourite writer's blog, Get Paid To Write Online.. I am so lucky that Sharon Hurley Hall hasn't initiated a restraining order because I've been stalking her since April of 2006 when I found her blog on Writingup. She politely referred to bumping into me at numerous places online but yeah, that's becuase I follow her around like a lost puppy. LOL.

In all seriousness, thanks Sharon for the plug. I have learned a lot from you and continue to do so from your blogs, your topic at inspiredauthor.com and from becoming friends with you. Sharon set my wheels in motion on the fast track when she once posted a list on her blog of everyone she works for and I proceeded to apply to every single one of those places and that's how I accelerated my writing career. Many people pay a fortune to learn how to break into freelance writing. I got all the info I needed for free! Checking Sharon's old writer mentoring blog used to be as second nature to me in the mornings as pouring a coffee. Sharon has taught me a lot about freelance writing as well as her specialty of self promotion. She's a true guru on seo and self promotion!


Thanks again, Sharon for not filing that restraining order & for being such a great mentor!

Some Fave Writing Spots

Here are places I tend to visit every day that help me with my writing career:

Get Paid To Write Online, hosted by writing mentor Sharon Hurley Hall.Sharon also does a Writing Lab newsletter. Subscribe & you won't be sorry.

Inspired Author, owned by Suzanne James and contributed to by myself, Sharon Hurley Hall, Nikki Leigh, Donna Sundblad, Sue Jeffels and some other writers who share information about writing.

Work At Home Mom. Visit the "Moms Who Write" section. This is a great resource for industry information, leads and to chit chat with other writing Moms and professionals.

Communati is a community of bloggers who met at www.writingup.com but now the site is growing above and beyond that. It's a great environment to write and be read at.

Writer's Weekly. Angela Hoy runs this website, forum and a useful newsletter with loads of helpful information about POD writing, jobs for freelancers, her "Whispers and Warnings" section that helps you find out who might be trying to swindle writers and useful articles.

To become a professional writer when you are alone in your home office, can leave you feeling isolated. Visit these sources and communicate with other writers and you'll be among friends, learn a lot and find that those connections will help you with your writing career!

Writer Tools of The Week

Here are my finds for the week. Happy Canada Day this weekend to all my fellow Canucks and Happy 4th of July to my U.S. buddies next week.

Here's a great blog I recently came across called Writingforfood.com. There's some great info here!

I also came across a great list of paid blogging resources at Six Figure Writers

And, I'm happy to say my health blog is starting to get some traffic and indexing. To help it along a little further, I think I'll show myself a little link LOVE

Some great things are coming in a few weeks with my www.inspiredauthor.com role. Watch this blog for more details. The site is getting a face lift and I'm finally launching my 'Get Started' topic there that shares the journey of a newcomer to freelance writing. Mosey on over if you want to check out the work of some of my talented writer friends like Nikki, Sharon, Suzanne, Donna, Lori and Sue. Once our site is live, I'll stop back here to link their names to the new profile.

Happy Friday everyone,
Cheers,
Dana

Get Paid To Write Online

I often post about writer tools. Here's some link love that's well deserved and that you won't be disappointed in, if you follow my advice.

Sharon Hurley Hall has just moved her blog to its own home...something I might do if the lady who has my preferred dotcom lets it slide next year when it expires...

Sharon's new digs look awesome and her blog is a must read for any freelance writer or wannabe freelance writer. Sharon is someone I've followed around like a little shadow for the past year and who has been kind enough to not only mentor me through her blogs but on a one to one level as well. It's through Sharon that I found many of my sources of work and I also regularly look to her for guidance. We share clients, we collaborate on other projects and I also work for her on a regular basis.

Once you blogroll or bookmark her, be sure to subscribe to her free monthly Writing Lab newsletter as well for some great tips.

Shameless Plug for My New Health Blog

Today I'd like to plug myself. I have found the most rewards come when I write about health. Two of my regular clients are on the lookout for health related work for me so I guess my enjoyment of the topic must shine through. I write the odd post about health on my other blogs and have found lately that they are not only the most rewarding but the most lucrative as well so I recently started a new blog called HealthNiche
Just wanted to share some link love with myself and tempt people to drop by for a read. It's early in development but I'm hoping to share useful information that I come across both as a result of my interest in health and wellness, natural remedies and news about health as well as from my research that's work related. I ghostwrite for a naturopath on a monthly basis as well as have done plenty of articles and projects for health related clients.

If you favourite my new blog at Technorati (http://healthniche.blogspot.com) or create a link to my new blog, please let me know here and I'll be sure to return some love by giving some link love for you here within the next week.

Cheers,
Dana

The Value Of A Mentor In Writing & Link Love

As a writer, I have had a few key mentors in the last year who have helped me substantially.

Today I want to give some link love to Suzanne James. I've also written about Suzanne and her many projects,some of which create writer communities and pool writer knowledge, talents and skills to create great websites like inspiredauthor.com and inspired author blogs

Suzanne has been a great mentor to me and has recently released a book here .

If you want to take advantage of her sharing nature, she hosts a weekly writer's chat on friday nights at 7:pm EST in the chat room at www.inspiredauthor.com.

If you're new to writing, align with a mentor asap to help you. My mentors have helped me avoid a few mistakes, been there for me when I didn't avoid them and have given some great wisdom.

Plugging Novel Writer Magazine

My publishing debut (other than online) was a book review in Novel Writer Magazine.
Novel Writer Magazine is run by Grace Publishing's owner, Suzanne James.

Suz also owns www.inspiredauthor.com where I blog and am developing a writer mentoring topic. inspiredauthor.com offers free writers classes and informative articles on writing for writers.

Suz has been a huge inspiration to me. She is one of the two people I have leaned on the most in my first year in freelancing (the other is Sharon Hurley Hall.)

Suz writes extensively for writers wanting to get into publishing and freelancing on her blog and holds free chat workshops on friday nights at the chatroom at
Enspiren Press
Suz is building a monopolist's empire (in a good way!) as she's not only a full time freelancer but she owns a writing school, novel writer magazine, Enspiren Press Publishing and does other things as well (including write books, e-books and teach classes online)
This is someone you need to familiarize yourself with if you want knowledge to help you launch a freelance career or if you want to be published.

Yesterday, Suz invited me to join her new website, Novel-Writer where you can get very involved in a writer's community. It's in the early development stages today as I write this but have a look at inspiredauthor.com, enspirenpress.com, Suz's blog and the novel-writer.com site.
I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
I consider myself very fortunate to be working on several of Suz's collaborative projects.