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Friday’s Fun Find: WOW! Blogging and Social Media

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Whenever I go to writer’s conferences, an attendee will ALWAYS ask, “Do I need to have a blog?” and “Do I need to be on Facebook? Or Twitter?”

And the professional–editor, agent, publisher or author–will say, “It’s not absolutely necessary, but it’s a very good idea.”

That’s the short answer. The long answer is that first, what you write needs to be good. All the blogging and social media in the world is not going to make stinky writing smell nicer. But if you have sweet writing, then blogging and social media will give you a step up, will show professionals that you are a savvy writer as well as a good writer.

WOW!Women-on-writing’s issue this month is all about blogging and social media. What that means for you, dear writer, is a fun way to get all the info about this topic, whether you’re just getting started or you haven’t begun. Or even if you’ve been at it for a while and think you know everything (ahem) because now there’s Pinterest and really, shouldn’t you at least have an idea what that’s all about?

So.  The next time you’re at a conference, you can sit there, nice and smugly and in the know and skip the lecture about “Why Blogging and Social Media Are a Good Idea.”  Maybe you can pass notes to your friends instead (I recommend sitting on the back row).

Winning Flush Fiction!

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Whew! I had a lot of names to spin in the old random thingie but it finally spat out…DEBRA MAYHEW!!!! (I added those exclamation points, just for Debra.)

I know it stinks for the rest of you but I also happen to know that my friend, Beth Cato, is also giving away a copy of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Presents Flush Fiction. Rush over to her blog here and leave a comment ’cause she’s drawing a name on Friday the 13th. Maybe that day will be lucky for you, huh?

And speaking of poopyheads (not Beth, me), I completely forgot to mention TeacherWriter yesterday when I was blah-blahing about Twitter Finds. Because truly, Suzanne is the Queen of Twitter Finds.

Just last week, whilst checking in at her super informative blog, I came across this plethora of Twitter finds, all in one post. She even has the links sorted into helpful categories so you can go down the writing smorgasbord and pick what you want.  I don’t know how often you’ll find her Twitter Finds of the week, but it’s well worth checking out.

And when you do do tell her I sent you.

UPDATE: Beth says, “If anyone has trouble leaving a comment at her livejournal post for the Flush Fiction giveaway, email her at Beth.L.Cato at gmail dot com and she will gladly post for them and include in the selection process.” Isn’t Beth the best?

Great Big Gobs of Good Writing Stuff (Tuesday Twitter Finds)

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Whenever I flit over to Twitter, I always find a lot of good writing stuff. I don’t always read the good writing stuff because there comes a time when I must actually write the (hopefully) good stuff. But I mark the stuff that you might be interested in so that I can share. Thus, Tuesday Twitter Finds (at least, for this Tuesday. You know I won’t remember to flit over to Twitter every Tuesday, right?)

Biographile’s  (That’s such a cool name and a very cool site) having a Short Memoir Contest and giving away a Nook. A Nook Tablet, to be exact. So that’s pretty awesome for writing 1000 words or less. The theme is “Overcoming loss” and the deadline’s Monday, April 23. Get all the details and submit here.

Chuck Sambuchino’s celebrating the release of his new book (Red Dod/Blue Dog) with a sweet giveaway. Heck, you might even have a picture of your dog in his book (Oh! Let us know if you do!) But whether you do or not, you can win some swell writing books and a critique from Chuck if your name is randomly drawn. ‘Course, you can’t randomly win if you don’t randomly enter. So go here and leave a comment (and check out the cute dogs!).

And if you have a way cool literary tattoo, you’ll want to enter LitReactor’s Literary Tattoo Showdown. To be perfectly clear (in case the Beneficent Mr. Hall is perusing here) Cathy C. Hall does not have a tat. But if I were ever to get one (and that would assume that the Beneficent Mr. Hall was no longer with us), it would be a literary tattoo. I could see myself wearing a line from a favorite book, or even a favorite pic (one of the tattoos I saw for the contest was Scout in the ham costume from To Kill a Mockingbird. I wish I had the coolness to pull that one off.) Now, you don’t have a lot of time here (Friday, April 13) but if you’ve always wanted a literary tattoo, today might be the perfect day for a little ink. Assuming you are a not a member of the Hall household.

And finally, the last Twitter Find is a reminder to you about the contest going on here at my little ‘ol blog for a copy of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Presents Flush Fiction. You’ll want to comment here, on this lovely post, but you need to go here if you want your name included. And if you get a tattoo with a toilet on it, I seriously will send you a copy of Flush Fiction myself. (Assuming you are not a member of the Hall household.)

Finding Debbie Ridpath Ohi and the Twitter Info

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You probably know Debbie Ridpath Ohi because she’s amazingly talented and her talented stuff  is always popping up somewhere in the writing world. But just in case you don’t know about Inkygirl and her cartoons, or her incredibly useful website, crammed with tons of writer goodies, I’m here to pass along the word. Or links, as the case may be.

Go here and read her posts. (P.S. I think it’s odd that she’s opining about the same thing I opined upon over at Cathy C’s Hall of Fame just a few weeks ago. To wit, spending more time on the Internet than other writerish stuff. But I’d like it noted that I opined about it first. And with a totally cool pic of an inflatable monkey on a fern.)

Check out her Writer’s Guide to Twitter. (Yes, I know. That’s one of those Internet time sucks we both opined about. But Twitter has a place in your writer’s toolbox. Quit griping and learn how to maximize this tool.)

At least read a few of her comics. (Especially if you’re having one of those days where nothing is going writerly right.)

And if rejection is part of the worst day ever, read how rejection got Debbie her first book deal (And P.S. It all started with SCBWI.)

That’s my Debbie Ridpath Ohi primer. Unless you can think of other links I should have mentioned.(That is a Cathy C. Hall original cartoon above. Um, I probably need a little more time with the DRO primer.)

 

Finding a YA Keeper in my Mailbox (Among Other Places)

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Oh, how I love to get the mail! You just never know what might be waiting to surprise you! Like today, when I opened the package from David Patneaude and found my autographed copy of Epitaph Road!

I won this YA keeper just a few days ago, so I have to give Mr. Patneaude props for his due diligence. And I can’t wait to dig into his latest work (he’s written 8-or is it 9?-books!). Oh, and I won a query critique, too! YAY! But there’s a reason I”m sharing my Epitaph Road news, other than just gloating over my good fortune (and extolling the virtues of its author).

The thing is, I won these fab prizes through a contest that I found out about on Twitter. Which directed me to Facebook, where I could enter the contest and win. So, if you’ve been putting off joining Facebook, you might want to rethink that. And if you think Twitter is for the birds, you definitely need to rethink that. The more I flutter around Twitter, the more I learn about queries, agents, editors, publishers, YA and books. Just to name a few topics that might interest you.  Not to mention lovely contests. You just never know what you’re going to find, waiting to surprise you.

‘Cause you know what they say: Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers!

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