Monday, October 27, 2008

What are your favorite writing blogs or sites?

Aside from your own, of course.

<---Lookie over here, and down. Under "Writer's Resources." This section is in need of an update. Yeah, sure, these are helpful sites, but I think I need a few more. And some blogs I visit every day aren't even listed. So what writerly sites get you going? Two blogs I read every single morning while drinking my cup of coffee are by literary agents Kristin Nelson and Jessica Faust. I love that they update every weekday, and it's always about something interesting and insightful--plus both blogs just have a great tone.

Writer's Digest and Poets & Writers have fantastic articles, but they don't update enough to warrant a visit every day.

I also enjoy:
Nathan Bransford
Editorial Ass
Absolute Write (of course!)
The Swivet
Janet Reid
And even though I don't write for the Christian market, I like Rachelle Gardner's blog.

I recently found The Writer's Edge as well. It's a group blog, and the posts are informative, albeit a cold, hard reality check about the state of publishing today.

But I'm sure I'm missing some great blogs. What are your recommendations?

18 comments:

Janna Leadbetter said...

I don't have any you haven't listed, so I'll be curious to see what the others say. :)

colbymarshall said...

haha...you have my same list!

Joanne said...

I like to check in periodically at The Writers' Group blog
http://writersgroupblog.blogspot.com/

There's some great advice to be gained there as they chart their literary lives.

(Thanks for the research link, Wendy. Lots of great info there I was unaware of, have already put a copy in my files!)

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

There's a groovy writer's community called, Red Room. Below is the address to my site. You can all join and we'll have a big 'ole Red Room party! www.redroom.com/member/dlschubert

WendyCinNYC said...

Janna and Colby, I see a lot of the same links on the blogs I visit!

Off to check out Writer's Group and Red Room! Thanks.

Amy Sue Nathan said...

One of my favorite daily reads is Erica Orloff's blog http://www.ericaorloff.com/blog/index.htm.

So many writer/author blogs don't address writing at all. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. And that's what I want, not a diatribe of daily life -- although when that is intertwined with writing, it's quite nice.

I call it poopy diaper posts. When I mommy-blogged I didn't like those either, and didn't write them. Now I just want to learn from writers' experiences, and think about writing. That way when I'm procrastinating, I can justify it!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Wendy, I have most of the same as you, plus Writer Unboxed - http://writerunboxed.com/

I also love Erica Orloff's blog. She manages to tie everything to writing and I always learn a little something or look at things differently after reading.

Anonymous said...

I get bored easily. I used to love the agent blogs, but lost interest.

Unless I "know" the writer (via AW) I really could care less about someone else's writing journey. I have my own writing career to nurture.

On Mel's blog list their is a site called Dooce. I really like that blogger's writing style. Unfortunately, she writes about her daughter - it's a mommy blog - so I find her topics boring.

If I can find a blog with Dooce's style that writes about something I'm interested in, I would be all over it.

WendyCinNYC said...

Two more to check out! Yay. Thanks.

AC--I could see how one might lose interest in agent blogs after signing with someone.

And I'm shocked that Dooce is still blogging!

Anonymous said...

Wendy,

For clarifaction, I started reading agent blogs after I was approached for representation. I had an non fiction agent for two years. Then a few months ago, I changed to an agent who represents nonfiction and fiction. I lost interest in agent blogs last year.

That doesn't mean I don't read them from time to time. But it's not really "reading." I skim.

The posts I find my interesting are the gossipy ones. I remember a while back Janet Reid, I think, blogged about how an author dissed an editor at a luncheon. I enjoyed that post.

Hey what can I say? I'm petty sometimes.

:-)

WendyCinNYC said...

AC--Ah, I see. But I'm glad you read mine!

Rachel Burton said...

I think you guys have covered most of the good ones I know about. I like to pop in to Evil Editor's blog from time to time and submit Guess the Plots or Continuations when I'm stuck in my own writing and need a little creative boost.

And I definitely like a balance in my blog-reading between writing-related blogs and blogs on other topics. When I started blogging, I decided not to do the "my path to publication" thing because so many of you other writers were already doing it so well! (of course, if I ever do get an agent, I'm sure I will make an exception and shout it from my blog)

Angie Ledbetter said...

Thanks for the links and resources. Don't forget to check out The Rose & Thorn's blog. There are some really good editors' tips on there, book reviews, interviews, etc. http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Dooce does write about her daughter, but she also touches on politics and other things in her life. As she says, her blog is about her. One of my favorite posts was when they made an instructional video for cooking edamame. :)

WendyCinNYC said...

Rose and Thorn is a good one, especially for those interested in short story markets (like me.)

Who runs the Evil Ediotr blog? Or is it a mystery, like Miss Snark?

Rachel Burton said...

I think it's a mystery, but I've never done any serious investigating. It's been going for a while now, so surely he's outed himself somehow by now!

SarahMarian said...

For industry news, I definitely recommend mediabistro's galleycat and publishers' weekly's once-a-week "deals" column....

Anonymous said...

I really like Blood Red Pencil (http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com). Some great editing tips as well as covering all the basics.