Owner: Freelance & Fiction Writing Blog URL:http://michysthoughts.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:31:53 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Freelance author and novelist Michelle L Devon writes about how to make money writing, freelancing, and information about fiction writing for fun and money too! Site statistics:Click here
The Semi-Finalists of the Last 2008 Accentuate Short Story Contest 2008-11-11 18:44:33 I won't even bore you with saying anything else except, good luck to those who are moving on to the final round of judging and congratulations!The semi-finalists are:340 - Lucinda Gunnin549 - Lucinda Gunnin7789 - Lucinda Gunnin9012 - Derek Odom777 - Elle Chasseur490 - Laurie Darroch-Meekis 0078 - Eric Patterson0151 - Eric Patterson0418 - Robert Arend622 - Penny Molinario681 - Eric Patterson692 - S Read more:Contest
, Short
This Post is Just for Lindsay 2008-11-11 11:02:00 This post is just for Lindsay
.This post contains the number 703. See ----> 703.Of course, that doesn't MEAN anything, but she wanted a post with the number 703 in it and far be it from me to deny her that simple pleasure.Love and stuff,Michy=================================================================Michelle L Devon
Why I Love Our Writers Forum 2008-11-11 10:51:24 If you want to know what it is about my writers forum that I love so much, all you have to do is go to this thread: read...You see, the semi-finals are today for our last anthology short story contest of the year, with the $300 prize for first place, and folks are anxious to see if their stories are moving on to the next round of judging.In the meantime, they burn up bandwidth and we all laugh and Read more:Forum
, Writers
New Content Sites & The Freelance Writer - And Exposing NeoWide 2008-11-10 11:32:14 I repeatedly tell freelancers to be very wary of new content sites that pop up on the internet. It's always best to research these sites thoroughly prior to investing too much time into one. It's okay when a site is new to go ahead and sign up and put one or two articles up just to see how the process goes. However, don't put much time into a new place until you know what's going on with the back Read more:Content
, Freelance
, Sites
, Writer
Accentuate Writers 2008 Poetry Contest 2008-11-09 04:49:49 The Accentuate Writers
Anthology will be a trade fiction paperback book, of approximately 400 pages, separated into four or five sections. Between each section, and at the beginning and end of the book, we would like to include filler poetry, around which we will put black and white vector image designs as section breaks, so the poetry will be very highly featured and easy to see by just flipping Read more:Contest
, Poetry
I Feel Guilty When I Write Fiction 2008-11-07 12:28:03 Making the shift from being a nonfiction article freelance writer to fiction novelist, I had some issues with how I spent my time. First, fiction writing was so much fun! I mean, when you enjoy something so much, it can't possibly be work, right? And secondly, fiction writing wasn't making me any money.There was a time when I had to work my tail off, writing as much as I possibly could in a day, i Read more:Fiction
, Guilty
, Write
2008 Accentuate Anthology Contest Now Closed 2008-11-05 18:31:39 I want to thank all of the people who entered in the contests in 2008. We are on the last stretch of the 2008 contests, but we're not quite done yet. Tonight, I'll announce it on the forum, and then tomorrow, on my blog, but we are going to have the announcement of the Accentuate Writers Poetry Content.I'll be putting filler poetry in the pages of the anthology, and we will be choosing anywhere f Read more:Anthology
, Closed
, Contest
Michael Crichton, Bestselling Author, Dies at age 66 2008-11-05 12:08:37 After a battle with cancer, 66-year-old Michael
Crichton unexpectedly died yesterday.I enjoyed reading his books.May he rest in peace.He will be missed and remembered.=================================================================Michelle L Devon Read more:Author
Lots of Stuff to Cover - Contest, Video, Helium, and More 2008-11-03 05:18:19 I've got a lot to cover in this blog this morning because I've been a bit under the weather again so I have to limit myself to absolutely necessary - which means video games, my forum, and eating chocolate get top priority. Everything else takes a backseat.All right, let's get down to business. Let's start with the contest running in the forum right now. Due to one of the judges from last contest Read more:Contest
, Cover
Streeeeeeeeetch Yourself 2008-10-30 13:16:51 I have to apologize to my forum members today, because I was supposed to do this yesterday. As a few of you know, and most of my board knows, I ended up with another flare and the infection is fighting me again - or am I fighting it? I forget anymore..., so yesterday, in the middle of typing up a blog post here for you guys, I fell asleep! Yes, hands on the keyboard snoozing.Sheesh.So, today you'r Read more:Yourself
Freelancing Writing Backward (Learn to Write Well First!) 2008-10-24 19:34:43 With the internet making writing content online for pay so easy, there are many people who are stumbling into freelance writing as a career choice who never would have considered it before. Yes, these people are contractors to these web content sites, and yes, they are legitimate freelance writers, but they are not by any means a traditional freelance writer.What's the difference?Back in the day, Read more:First
, Write
A Challenge to Fledgling Freelance Writers! 2008-10-19 21:12:01 On the writers forum, there's been a lot of talk recently about branching out into higher paying markets, print markets and the like.I know from my stats here on page views that I get a lot more visitors than people who are on my forum, so I decided to do this both on the board and on the blog. I hope you'll consider joining up and doing this with us if you're not on the board already, but if you Read more:Challenge
, Freelance
, Writers
This Ends Now! 2008-10-16 23:02:43 I've been working on a book I started almost a year ago to the date... seriously, I first wrote the outline for this particular story almost exactly one year ago today.I had a good story, I knew that, but I had no ending. I was compelled though to write it, and so I have been, working on it, pounding it out, page at a time, yanking parts of it from my like pulling teeth and then others times flowi
Passion, Talent, Skill: Of these, Passion is the Greatest 2008-10-15 18:05:18 There was some talk the other day on the forum about why people write, what they get out of it, what sparks inspiration, etc. I sort of grew up thinking that everyone wrote. I mean, don't we all write? But then later I learned that while we all have to write for work or school, it is very difficult for some people to write.My son is one of these people. He can tell amazing stories, but the minute Read more:Greatest
, Passion
, Talent
Flip Flopping Fiction & Nonfiction 2008-10-11 19:35:57 I have to admit, my first love of writing is actually creative nonfiction - personal essays, similar in style to blog posts, only a bit more formal. I call them 'ramblings' but they usually have a point to them. Usually. After that, it's fiction all the way. While I enjoy freelance writing nonfiction articles, it's not my love or passion. It does, however, at least for now, help pay the bills. For Read more:Fiction
, Nonfiction
Writing Motivation: What to do when you don't feel like writing. 2008-10-09 14:50:45 It's a very common thing to see in writing
forums for a writer to come along and say, "Sorry I haven't been around, but I just didn't feel like writing recently." Then in the same stroke of the keyboard, they'll tell you they want to be a writer for a living.I wonder how your boss at your J-O-B would feel if you sat at your desk one day, surfing the internet, and said, "I really don't feel like wo
Congratulations: Everyone's a Winner! 2008-10-07 10:03:58 As my faithful readers know, my writers forum has been hosting a fiction short story contest the last half a year or so, and we are currently in the process of our fourth contest, and the last one for 2008. In 2009, the first Accentuate Writers Anthology will be released as a trade paperback. We'll be having some contests and giving away free copies as well, so it's going to be a lot of fun all th Read more:Congratulations
What If Rowling Didn't Write Harry Potter? 2008-10-05 19:05:26 Okay, so let me ask you guys something... I write a lot on the topic of writing, editing, improving writing, how to make a living as a writer, freelance writing, etc. Many of you read me because you know that I actually DO all those things, so that while I might not be an expert so to speak, I do at least speak from a place of experience. You also know, I hope, that I write all my own blog posts a Read more:Harry
, Potter
, Rowling
, Write
It's NaNoWriMo Time! 2008-10-05 18:30:41 Every year in October, while everyone else is out celebrating Halloween or working on parties or getting ready for Thanksgiving, I am at home getting myself prepared for the NaNoWriMo
Challenge in November. That link will show you how to prepare for NaNoWriMo, but let me tell you a little bit about what NaNo is.Na - NationalNo - NovelWri - WritingMo - Month.NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Mont
Pen Names for Branding Fiction & Nonfiction 2008-10-03 12:40:44 If you're a writer or you're going to be a writer or you aspire to write at some point in the future, the question of pen names is probably going to cross your mind at some point. I had been thinking about writing a blog about pen names, but it wasn't clicking in my head. Then this morning, EzineArticles' Chris Knight wrote a blog about pen names. Not one to turn away from a 'nudge' from the univ Read more:Branding
, Fiction
, Names
, Nonfiction
You Don't Have to Pay to Be Published! 2008-10-02 16:50:05 I am still amazed after all these years of being in this writing and publishing industry how many aspiring authors are taken in by the scammers and the vanity presses, to the point that a lot of people think that all authors pay to have their books published, and that paying to be published is normal, industry-standard practices.I had one lady on my writers forum even tell me that Dan Brown and St
Is Guilt Ruining Your Writing Career? 2008-10-01 12:02:05 Yesterday, my best friend, who is a self employed contractor (though not as a writer), had stayed home instead of going out to client sites. We were chatting along on IM and she mentioned that she was having so much fun chatting and goofing off, and working on a short story she's writing for the short story contest the board is hosting that she felt guilty about not working that day.I had to laugh Read more:Career
Do You Want to Be an Editor? 2008-09-28 22:16:54 I'm currently working on two copy edits for a small publisher. I'm almost finished with both, just doing that 'let it sit' and one last review. I love editing. I really do. Especially when the story is really good or when it's really bad. Usually, I do developmental editing, substantive, where I look for plot problems, character consistency, weak dialogue, etc. This publisher is the first one I've Read more:Editor
Dreams Don't Work Without Action 2008-11-25 06:37:10 Early this morning, the series finale for the series Roseanne played on Nick-at-Nite. I will admit to having loved that show so many years ago. For those who have never seen it or don't remember it, I won't go into details, but what I want to remind you of is the fact that Roseanne, on the show, was a writer - sorta. Back when the kids were little, Dan built her a 'writing room' in the basement, c Read more:Action
, Dreams
Naysayers & Negative Nellies 2008-11-25 05:23:14 My grandmother used to use that term, "Negative
Nellie", anytime we didn't want to do something or we thought it was too hard. When I wanted to be a writer, back when I was a kid, I ran into a lot of naysayers who I then allowed myself to turn me into a Negative Nellie where writing is concerned.With the holidays coming up, thoughts turning sometimes not so pleasantly to having family around for t
And the winner is.... 2008-11-21 16:23:25 This was, by far, the most difficult short story contest to judge that we have had yet. The entries this time were absolutely fantastic. The judges and I discussed the finalists until we thought we would go crazy.Interestingly enough, the first place winner
was selected as first place by three of the four judges and was selected as second place by one of the judges, and after I read it, I have to
2008 Final Short Story Contest Finalists Announced! 2008-11-19 19:12:54 Well, my forum members have been waiting, no so patiently tonight, for me to announce the finalist. I have to apologize for the late announcement, but I pretty much blew off the entire day to - sleep - yes, sleep. Darned meds.But I'm here now, and we've sat around the IM conference tonight and we've narrowed the finalists down to 8... yes, EIGHT finalists.We've also determined the honorable mentio Read more:Contest
, Final
, Short
Writing to Deadlines 2008-11-18 17:15:47 How's everyone doing on NaNoWriMo? I'll admit, I haven't done nearly as much as I had hoped. My story last year was so compelling to me, and the first part of it was almost like writing straight from my heart, that it just flowed so well for me. This story I'm writing this year is a fantasy novel. Fantasy readers and science fiction readers are some of the hardest readers to write for. They are ve
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