These are the three things I can’t live without.
I feel like I’m a little late to this game, but I’m absolutely in love with Google Reader. It’s free, and it gathers all of the blogs I follow into one handy place that I can read no matter which computer I’m working on.
It automatically gathered the blogs I followed in Blogger, and it lets me easily add new blogs I come across
Why waste my time flipping through a paper dictionary when I can go online and search for correct spellings and synonyms and antonyms?
3. Text messaging
Inspiration strikes in strange places. Usually when I am nowhere near my computer. When I’m in the grocery store or walking down the street or (don’t tell the policeman) driving, I can capture it in a quick text message and send it to my personal email account. That way, the idea is there next time I turn on the computer.
I have a texting plan on my phone, so I’m not charged for each message. If you are charged per text, you can save each text as a draft, then set a reminder on your phone to check your drafts folder when you are back at your computer.
What are your favorite tools, technological or not?
Related Posts - Agents to Follow on Twitter Agents are besieged with bad book proposals from writers who usually make the same mistakes. You have many options to find out what those mistakes are so that you can distinguish yourself from the masses of queries. (You don't need to be told not to query a novel until it's......
- Writing Roundup, Aug. 14 So many great resources, so little time. Thus, I avoid preamble and move directly into this week's links. The Business of Writing 5 Reasons Pitches Can Be Detrimental Rather Than Helpful Jane Friedman, who took pitches at the Willamette Writers Conference, offers a little advice to writers making pitches: Don't......
- Top 5 Posts With the end of the year approaching, it seemed like a good time to look back at the year and see which posts you found most useful. Here are the top 5, based on traffic and repeat visits. (Side note: The writing roundups are typically the most visited pieces, but......
- Writing Roundup, August 21 We've got a lot of interesting news posts this week in addition to the regular blog suspects. The Business of Writing The Limits of Control This article from the American Journalism Review provides a good synopsis of the ethics policies and guidelines major newspapers are asking their reporters to follow......
- Blog Carnivals Blog carnivals can be a great way to introduce yourself to a new group of readers. You can submit your articles to various blog carnivals hosted around the web. Find carnivals at blogcarnival.com. Browse all carnivals, then select a category that matches your blog. Visit the carnivals you find, noting......
Related Websites -
Free Online Budgeting & Planning Software Tools With the unceremonious shuttering of Microsoft Money a few months ago, a lot of former Microsoft Money customers are looking for alternatives. If you were... - Blogging for Success Everytime you went and surfed through the internet, you probably noticed a few blogs here and there. In case you didn't know what a blog...
-
What is an RSS Feed and Why Syndicate Your Blog? Blog feeds or RSS feeds allow for feed readers to access a site that automatically looks for new content from all of their favorite blogs.... - Sunday Roundup: Blogging Tips and Resources Good morning Sunday readers! Are you looking for some blogging tips to help out your blog or thinking of starting one? Check out our quick...
- How to Gain #1 Listings in Google and Yahoo Within 24 Hours Doing Press Release Marketing Let me tell you a secret - - Press Releases work and can get massive traffic to your website. And they get you noticed on...
You know, I just got into blogging myself, and haven’t quite been able to figure out google reader, it seems good, but everytime I try to use it wants to log me into an account not attached to my blog and I can’t figure out how to delete it.
I am so with you with number two, I use that all the time. The text messaging yourself an idea is a great idea, if you have a full keyboard. Personally, I try to keep a notebook handy, for when that sudden inspiration hits, but I sure could have used the phone yesterday.
The only tool, I can really think of to add is music, 99% of the time I put some kind of music on in the background before I begin writing anything.
I always keep a notebook handy, but I’m also a big fan of GMail’s drafts feature. I’ve got 27 drafts now, most of them writing-related: plot ideas, brainstorming, lists of names for characers I may want to use, lists of agents I’ll want to query for specific novels, back-ups of novel files, names of actresses/models who act as a good visual representation of characters I have in mind, research-related links… It saves immediately and I can access it from every computer. It’s golden.
Haha, yeah. Google really is aren’t they?
You caught me. I do have a full QWERTY keyboard on my phone, so texting is easy.
I’m a fan of music, too. In fact, one of the tips Laura Whitcomb gives in her book Novel Shortcuts is to create a soundtrack to get you quickly in the mood for your current project.
Cory, Great tip. I also have a few gmail drafts saved. Google offers so many great tools, it’s no wonder they are taking over the world!