Tag: blogger

My Weekly Update – It’s a New Day

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle3 Comments

I’ve been playing with my weekly line up and trying to create at schedule to include at least three weekly post consistently.  May still need a few more weeks to get organized, but I have some fun stuff planned for the future.

Flash 500

Flash 500 Cover

Nicole Pyles and Carrie K. Sorensen created this anthology based on their Wednesday Writer’s Blog Hop.  I took part in a few weeks and am happy to have four of my flash fiction pieces chosen for the anthology.  The blog hop happens every Wednesday and is a great way to get in some creative writing practice.  It also gave me a chance to try my hand at a few different genres.  Click on the cover to download the book for free and you can find my stories in the following weeks:

                        • Week of 5/9/2012
                        • Week of 5/16/2012
                        • Week of 5/23/2012
                        • Week of 6/6/2012

Post to Ponder

How to Use Your Logline, Tagline and Pitch to Create a Stronger Story by Marcy Kennedy a guest post on Jenny Hansen’s blog – I meet Jenny at #DFWcon and she was awesome.

How Does the Editing Process Work? by Tristi Pinkston, Editor – Interesting to hear how its done by a professional.

Jennifer Represents – cool agent blog (cool blog written by an agent) with great information.

Query Tip: Do Your Research by Ava Jae –

How to Write a Killer Pitch by Marcy Kennedy – Can you guess where I am at in this writing process?

Coolest Things – My chance to share with you some things I thought are pretty cool this week.

Iron Man 3 is finally available for our viewing and quoting pleasure. I loved it. I mentioned before Tony Stark is my favorite movie character of all times and he doesn’t disappoint. More on Tuesday when Sydney Quotes the Movies – Iron Man 3

Tiger Woods won The Player’s Championship yesterday.  His forth win this season.  He’s back.

Next Week’s Schedule
Tuesday – Sydney Quotes the Movies – Iron Man 3 – see the many sides of Tony Stark
Wednesday – Progressive Book Club – How to Write Good
Friday – Best & Worst Remake Blogfest

Z – Zzzz or the End

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

a-to-z-letters-zWhy does Z stand for sleep. I am getting quite sleepy right now just think about it. While I would love to take a break and get some sleep, but I can’t. I have way to much to do. To many things are coming up. Z also stands for the end, the final, the last. For my last post of the A to Z challenge, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite post from A to Z:

A – Avengers, Captain America and As I Am by Alex Cavanaugh – Come on, it’s a post about the Avengers. Nothing more needs to be said. 

B – Best Crying Scenes in a Movie at World of My Imagination – The Steel Magnolia and Pursuit of Happiness scenes get me every time.

C – Getting too Comfortable by BDevereaux – Don’t get to comfortable

D – Disaster Movies at Tossing it Out – Some of my favorites are on this list, Titanic, 2012, Poseidon Adventure

E – Energize Yourself to Write at World of My Imagination – How do you do it?

F – F is for Fear at Scribbling in the Storage Room – “The enemy of creativity.”

G – A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Tasha Seegmiller – on my to read list

H – How to Be a Good House Guest at Laugh-Quotes.com – read before you visit someones house

I – I is for Imagination at Tasha’s Thinkings – Synonymous with being a writer

J – Joy at Spunk on a Stick – You can’t steal mine. 

K – K is for King at The View Outside – my favorite author

L – L is for The Lincoln Memorial by Lara Lacombe- my favorite monument in DC

M – Memento by Alex Cavanaugh – Also includes the sign up for Alex’s Best and Worst Movies Remakes Blogfest, which is coming up on May 17th.

N – Never-ending at Wrote by Rote – Is your love never ending?

O – Oxford Comma by Margo Kelly – All you need to know about the dreaded comma.

P – A-Z Geek (P): The Favorites by Lynda R. Young – Prince Bride, enough said.

Q – Querying at My First Book – You can’t read enough about how to query.

R – What Makes Us Right? at The Madlab Post – Fair Game illustrates the point well. 

S – Sigma at Tara Tyler Talk – Great tips on show. 

T – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Tasha Seegmiller – On my to read list

U – Unified Theory of Writing at Moody Writing – Do you agree? 

V – V is for Villain (Best Movie Villains of All Time) by Reese Ryan – Who are  your favorite villains? 

W – W is for The White House, the Washington Monument and the World War Memorials by Lara Lacombe – Have you been to DC? 

X – X is for Project X at Blogging from A to Z – I have a project X, do you? 

Y – Y is for Young Ladies of Substance at Pensuasion – Love Jo March from Little Women the best. 

Z – Z is for Zola at The View Outside – Have you read Emile Francois Zola?

Thank goodness, I finished the A to Z Challenge. How did you do? What were some of your favorite post? 

EM, Why Do You Blog?

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

Back in June of 2012, I found EM’s blog and we met during JuNoWriMo.  I interviewed her back in June and found out she is from England (my favorite country) and lives in a castle (so cool) and a few months later, she asked me to read one of her short stories (talented writer).  She is amazing. 

So, EM, why do you blog? 

Thank you Sydney for inviting me to guest post on your blog!

Sydney and I both started blogging on March 1st, 2012, and I’m thrilled to be part of her first blogiversary celebrations!

Today’s topic is “Why do you blog?”

I’m a writer. I have been writing Fantasy stories for 15 years, and I’ve been thinking about getting one of them published for about 3 years. When I researched how to do this, it was clear from the start Internet was an invaluable information tool. So at first I just used the writing resources I found online to improve my writing and to research the publishing process, without having an online presence myself.

Then I came across – and followed – a couple of writers’ blogs. If you want to check them out, here they are: Elizabeth May, Susan Dennard and Claire Legrand. Month after month, these ladies documented the writing journey that took them from unknown YA writers polishing a manuscript to successful traditionally published authors. About 18 months ago, I wrote them an email, telling them how I found their blogs inspiring.

And they replied. And they wished me good luck with my own writing journey.

That was when I realised I was missing out on something there. I had always thought I wouldn’t need an online presence before getting published (because honestly, who on earth would want to read a blog written by me?!). Then I read Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer by the amazing Kristen Lamb. In her book, Kristen explains how having a blog, when you’re a writer, is as necessary as writing your book itself. Because in this day and age, getting a book published, then read, implies networking with readers, publishers, agents, editors and other writers. And the best way to do this is via Internet.

So I launched my blog. I started a Facebook page. I got on Twitter. At first, I was shy, and obsessed with the quality of my blog content. And in many ways, I still am. But I have also built an amazing network of writerly friends, who have all contributed to making me a better writer, closer to publication than I could ever hope.

I always say my blog is a way of “paying it forward”. I’m still not published, so I have nothing to sell. But I’m hoping all the people who stop by my blog, read my posts and comment on them, follow my blog or my Twitter feed, find something useful there. I relay news from the publishing industry, recommend books I like, share my writing tips and interact with whoever is kind enough to follow me. I cheer other writers on. I promote their books. I discuss trends with book bloggers. I give away books I love.

So why do I blog? Because writing is a solitary business. Sometimes you have to remember there are awesome book lovers out there. And Internet is the best place to find them. 

http://www.elizabethmaywrites.com/

http://susandennard.com/blog-2/

http://claire-legrand.com/blog/

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ (Kristen Lamb’s blog)

http://emcastellan.com/

http://twitter.com/EMCastellan

http://www.facebook.com/EMCastellan

D.C. Why do you blog?

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments
I met D.C. McMillen on May 18, 2012. She commented on a Sydney Quotes the Movies (SQM) post I did on the greatness of Peter Berg.  Her comment, “I’m not sure if I’ll watch Battleship but I will definitely look for Very Bad Things and The Losers. I wanted to see both of those but they just fell off my radar so…thanks!”
A few month later, she was featured on Tattoo Tuesday.  Check out her tattoo story.  
I was super excited to have a blog swap with her today. You can check out my guest post on her site were I delve into sex, pizza and writing.  But, first, let me ask D.C., why do you blog?

First, congratulations on your one-year anniversary! Second, thanks so much for inviting me to celebrate the occasion with you. It’s good that I get out and about, really, so I truly appreciate the invite.

So now you want to know why I blog. Well, if you ask my boyfriend, he would tell you it is because I am an overly motivated, internet addicted nerd who simply isn’t happy to just relax and watch television with him for two or so hours every evening. If you ask my mother, it is because I simply must find an outlet to exude my creative genius. You gotta love moms but boyfriends can be pretty damn annoying, especially when their version of the truth is slightly more accurate than your biggest fan, the one who just happened to raise you.

I blog about shit that interests me, funny stuff that happened over the course of my day, ridiculous memories that just won’t die no matter how many extra-dirty martinis in which I try to drown them and, of course, my writing. In fact, my boyfriend sometimes asks me what I’m blogging about (not often but always during a commercial) (Doesn’t that sound like a Dos Equis ad? I don’t always ask her what she’s doing but when I do, it’s during a commercial). If my answer to his question is, “my latest release,” he will respond with something along the lines of, “You’re writing about your writing. Do you know how lame that sounds?” to which I usually respond, “It only sounds lame when you’re saying it, Buttercup. Now go back to watching Mythbusters.” But I digress….

What my boyfriend doesn’t get is that writing is an especially important marketing tool for a writer. It’s also a good warm up to get you through that inevitable writer’s block. It’s a great way to make connections and friends with writers and readers, practice your skills (especially editing skills, an area in which I need all the help and practice I can get, likely evidenced here by my overuse of parenthesis) and it’s a shitload more interesting than watching grown men wrestle gators or whittle duck calls on television. For me, it also helps me keep my good humour. When something stupid, annoying or otherwise unpleasant happens, the first thought that pops into my head is not a negative one. Instead I cheerfully think about how this is going to make a fantastic blog post.

So there it is. Why I blog!

Wait.

Since I’m here, and I did briefly bring up the whole a blog is a marketing tool thing, how about I plug my soon-to-be-released naughty little short story before I go? The Wedding is going to be available on April 5th at all of the usual online book retailer places.  Here is the blurb and, if you’re interested in winning a copy before the publish date, please leave a comment below.

The Wedding

TheWedding_500Karen is not the type to attend a wedding with a guy she’s only slept with once but, in a rare display of empathy, she agrees to accompany her new landlord Allan to this sure-to-be-boring function. Fortunately, Karen knows how to have a good time, and she’s pretty sure she and Allan can make their own fun…even if they have to do it in the outdoors just steps away from a couple hundred stuffy wedding guests.

Vikki, Why do you blog?

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle22 Comments
Here’s another addition of my 2nd year celebration. I would like to introduce you to Vikki Thompson from The View Outside. I first met Vikki on May 2, 2012. She commented on a blog post I wrote called Distracted, Again. Her comment:
“Hi :)I am sooooo distracted right now in my writing that I really am not one to offer advice lol. So I’m just stopping by (via the Insecure Writers Group) to say I know exactly how you feel :( There just aren’t enough hours in the day lol Good luck!!!!Xx”
She has been super support ever since. So, Vikki, why do you blog?

When Sydney asked me the question Why Do You Blog? I turned to Molly Greene for inspiration. These are the reasons Molly suggests as to why writers blog:

  • To connect to readers.
  • To practice craft, discipline, voice and style.
  • To form relationships with other authors.
  • To establish an effective platform.
  • To blog a book or 2.
  • To build an e mail list.

All valid “writerly” reasons, but none of these questions sum up WHY I (in italics BIG letters lol) blog (although the 2nd one is definitely something I’ve benefitted from).

At first I started to blog for my own selfish reasons, to keep a record of my writing journey. The things I learnt about writing, so that I could see progression (if there was any!) in my work. But what i discovered is that overnight, I became part of a community. A community of “writers” and i was accepted in with open arms. That was a bit of a shock. People commenting on MY Blog? Really? Why? It took me ages to get my head around that one lol.

You see, for me, Blogging = a community of like minded people who all share the same fears, hopes and dreams. I love the fact that chats, discussions and ideas cross oceans and time zones. I get support, a shoulder to cry on (when required) and a pat on the back just when I need it the most. In return, I do the same 🙂

So why do I Blog? Because no other social media gives me such a sense of belonging as my little corner of WordPress. I may not have thousands of followers, but i don’t care. Each and every one of my followers are part of writing family 🙂

That includes you Sydney! Happy Blogiversary xx

What about you? Why do you blog?