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Can Mindfulness Be Applied to Writing?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

 

Food for thought! reblogged from Ryan Lanz

Source: Can Mindfulness Be Applied to Writing? by Sheree Crawford

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Be brave, throw caution to the wind and submit

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Or do you think short stories are dead?

I think there is still a place for them. Flipboard and StumbleUpon are going great guns and so are several other e-magazines. But where does a writer submit? Should we use the machine gun effect and scatter stories everywhere?

Hmm, that’s one way to get my stories out fast.

I’ll admit a couple of years ago I submitted a lot of articles and short stories. But this past year not so much. Only one or two, here and there. Why? Because I was busy publishing my books and life interrupted a few times.

However, I continued writing flash fiction and as a result, have a few stories I’d like to submit. So maybe it’s time to start the process again.

Now where to start?

  • Duotrope ($5.00 Mo.) To help you find the perfect match for your piece from thousands of current fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art publishers.
  • The Grinder  (Free) A submission tracker and market database for writers of fiction.
  • Poets & Writers  (Free) Database of over eight hundred literary magazines.
  • The Market List  (Free) The first fully comprehensive writer’s market guidelines index online. Also, offers free advertising for your published books.
  • New Pages  (Free) Provides news, information, and guides to literary magazines, independent publishers, creative writing programs, alternative periodicals, indie bookstores, writing contests.

And of course Google. That’s right you can Google contests, ezines, magazines and find places to submit your story.

Remember to sign up for emails and subscribe to the publication after you submit. Reading the publications will help in future submissions.

Do you have a favorite source or publication you like to send stories to?

Have you submitted anything lately? If not why?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

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Related articles

Write with confidence when you discover your strength

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell20 Comments

Identify what you’re good at and grow stronger.

That’s right. We stand a little taller and walk with confidence when we’re proud of something. So play to your strong stuff.

It’s also important to think about our weaknesses.

Me, my biggest weakness is tenses. I mix up the present and past tense all the time. Can’t help it so I’ve learned to accept this as a flaw and seek out help from grammar experts. Oh spelling, I’m terrible at spelling. Thank God for spell check.

A strength, imagination. I have a vivid imagination. Some of the crap that pops in my mind would get me committed to a state institution if I shared it all. LOL

But another weakness I have is finishing the damn story.

I’ve dozens of story starts, but like a coon dog with a good nose, I run off every time the wind blows a scent my way. There are dozens of files on my computer and several notebooks lying around with story ideas. Sigh…

So how does knowing all of this help make me a better writer?

We can write to our strengths if we know what they are.

In the article below by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod suggests that once we identify our weaknesses we can find workarounds or get help.

Becoming a writer: Why knowing your strengths and weaknesses MATTERS  by Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod

She gives a long list to get you started. I’ve shared a couple of my weakness and strengths, now what about you?

After you read her article, let me know what you think.

Did you find a strength or weakness on her list?

What is your writing strength?

Care to confess a weakness?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on. 

PS: If you’re in the McKinney area, stop by. I’d love to meet you.

Seeking Advice – Audio Book Creation

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Thanks to Don Massenzio for asking the question so many writers need to know!

And, big thanks to the wonderful community of writers who answered Don’s call.

Pop over and read: 

Source: Seeking Advice – Audio Book Creation

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon,  on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.

Please stop by and say “hey!”  I’ll leave a light on.