Jen's Writing Journey

Here is a sampling of the fun writing posts of the week. Let me know if the Friday schedule works for you.

Enjoy!

The Business of Writing

Pitch Appointments
What should you expect when you schedule a 10-minute meeting with an agent at a conference? Jessica Faust gives you the skinny. (Really? Did I just type that? Pardon the ridiculous cliche, please.)

Fiction

Reading as a Writer: Wintergirls
As a casual reader, I enjoy the story (or not, in some cases). But, now that I’m writing my own fiction, I read books more like I read the assigned works in college. I look at how writers craft their sentences, unfold their plots, and create their characters. Jennifer Hubbard provides an example of how she does a close reading of a new YA novel in this post.

People Watching
Author Jaci Burton describes a recent experience that allowed her to observe the human animal in its natural habitat. How do you use your everyday observances to enhance your writing?

Freelancing

Writing for Regionals
Julie Steed discusses one of the smaller markets that can be quite lucrative. Her lesson is wise. Many of us shoot for the national publications and their potentially large paychecks while ignoring the mid-level publications that are typically easier to get into. When planning your freelancing strategy, shoot for a range of publications to keep a steady stream of income.

Keeping Track
Sue Lick gives tips for tracking your submissions. Keep track of what you’ve sent where and when to (a) prevent embarrassment by submitting a rejected pitch to the same publication/agent and (b) maximize your submission time. Why waste time wondering if you’ve waited long enough to pull a pitch from one publication? Keep track, and you’ll know exactly when to move to your next choice.

General Writing Tips

Show vs. Tell
This interactive lesson in showing versus telling is presented by Charlotte Phillips, co-author of the Eva Baum detective series.

Just for Fun

A Review of The Elegance of the Hedgehog
In this guest post on The Swivet, this young reader has convinced me never to even look at this book, let alone read it.

• Writing Roundup, September 11 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Freemium for Writers Is Two Debates Don Holloway provides interesting insight......
• Writing Roundup, December 4 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing What Can I Expect of My Agent? Moonrat posts a nice description of what you can expect in your relationship with your agent. Read this post, then visit agent Kate Schafer Testerman's blog for a follow-up and......
• Writing Roundup I'm wishing you a happy Monday with a set of good read for the week. Enjoy!The New Austerity in PublishingLike other industries, publishing appears to be tightening its belt. Gone (for now) are the big expense accounts and annual raises. I think this is a temporary measure, and things will......
• Writing Roundup, October 9 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform Special Section: The FTC Rules The Business of Writing Letting the Market Speak The Waxman......
• Writing Roundup E-reads: Penetrating the Mystery of E-book PricingEver wonder why e-books are priced the way they are? Wonder no more. This article provides an interesting look at pricing models and their basis in print pricing models.IPod Touch, iPhone Join Kindle's Book ClubThe Kindle store is becoming slightly more inclusive by offering......

• Tips For Bloggers In today’s post, we discuss tips for bloggers that cover writing and optimizing for search engines.  Getting this combination correct can result in highly beneficial...
• Porn:  Some Industries Are Recession Proof (Safe To Read At Work) Note: I use porn and adult entertainment interchangeably.  Also, there are no pictures because it's impossible to find something worth publishing without screening millions of...
• Ways To Keep Up With Personal Finance Blogs - RSS,Carnivals, And More There are so many wonderful personal finance blogs out there dispensing great experiences and information - How does one keep up with it all? My...
• Ways Of Online Work What is the best way to make money in the modern society? Among the plenty of available ways to make enlarge your assets, we choose...
• Get Into Bed With Sabrina Jeffries (Author Interview) Boy, do I have a treat for LRP readers! I recently was able to interview Sabrina Jeffries after the RWA Conference. Amidst her busy schedule...