Links to Writing & Marketing Blog Posts

Instead of running yesterday, I biked. First time I’ve been on a bike for several decades. Let me just say that I did better than I would have done if I’d been on a horse. Yikes, I hate to think of how sore I’d be today if I’d gone horseback riding.

Although I looked rather dorky in my son-in-law’s helmet and my Hoka running shoes and fuel belt, I didn't care. I was with my grand kids and my daughter and they love me regardless of how silly I looked, especially when I wobbled. I couldn't figure out how to shift gears so I could ride up hill without feeling the burn in my thighs. I stopped, fiddled with the gears, which caused the chain to jump the rear chain ring. My hands got greasy putting it back on, but I fixed it and didn't have to walk home and tell my son-in-law that I messed up his fancy bike.

By far, it’s easier to maneuver through a crowded park on two legs than two wheels. But I enjoyed biking enough to want to buy one. If I do start biking regularly, that will put me one step closer to eventually trying a mini-triathelon. Now, if I could just remember how to swim. Oh, that’s something else you don’t forget how to do. It’s called muscle memory. If I had to relie on my regular memory, I’d be out of luck.  

My daughter kept telling me, “You’re doing well, Mom.” That reminds me of her reaction to my writing. “You’re a good writer, Mom.”

Our families see us as few other people do. That’s why having good critique partners and beta readers make us stronger writers. We need folks to challenge us to dig deeper, to find stronger verbs and nouns instead of those fallback words we use on every page. Don’t worry about looking dorky. Push yourself today to up your game. Find new words to use. Remove a few “thens” from your sentences, and cut extra words that add nothing but filler to your paragraphs.

Write tighter. Write smarter. Write better.

That’s my goal for today as I finish this round of edits before sending the manuscript to one last beta reader.  

Happy writing & running (or biking or swimming), Kathy

~*~

If you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they are again: 

1. Do it yourself? 10 tips for beginners from top self-publishing sites | Darla Writes http://ow.ly/nC1A5
2. The Other Side of the Story: She's Such a Character: 8 Tips for Creating Characters http://ow.ly/nC1QF
3. Blood-Red Pencil: Setting the Pace http://ow.ly/nC1Iy
4. That's Another Story: Keep Your Writing On Track by Making Lists http://ow.ly/nC1Xi
5. 7 Tips for Brainstorming http://ow.ly/nC1ZQ
6. The Ongoing Story: Twitter and Writing : The New Yorker http://ow.ly/nC22O
7. The Other Side of the Story: Make it Stick – The Art of the Chapter Ending http://ow.ly/nC29
8. Spunk On A Stick's Tips: How to Identify a Popular Blog for a Blog Tour http://ow.ly/nC2d0
9. iTunes users spend a lot on apps and music, not so much on ebooks (chart) — Tech News and Analysis http://ow.ly/nC2fK
10. YAtopia: Am I trendy enough for you now? http://ow.ly/nC2j3
11. 101 Quick Actions You Can Take Today to Build the Writer Platform of Your Dreams | Your Writer Platform http://ow.ly/nC2o2
12. Business of Screenwriting: Furthering Your Career as a Writer - Script Magazine http://ow.ly/nC2q8
13. How to Delete Your Facebook Account Once and for All http://ow.ly/nC2rK
14. Tips on Writing Deep POV by Barbara Wallace | Romance University http://ow.ly/nC2uj
15. Will readers buy a title they can’t pronounce? http://ow.ly/nC2wx
16. Work in Progress » Blog Archive » How to Have a Career: Advice to Young Writers http://ow.ly/nC2BJ
17. Patricia Stoltey: How to Write a Crappy Blog by Colby Marshall http://ow.ly/nC2DQ
18. The Business Rusch: What they don't tell you when you start out as a writer « Kristine Kathryn Rusch http://ow.ly/nC2Gk 

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