S.L. Viehl's Blog, page 238

Two Years on Scribd

This week marks the second anniversary of moving my virtual library over to Scribd.com, and while last year I had a lot of positive news to report, much changed with the site over the course of 2009 that didn't improve the service. The two primary changes that happened last year: 1) Scribd Twitterized itself, wiping out the helpful e-mail correspondence service it provided for me and replacing it with social media "scribbling" that I can't use because it's incompatible with my VRS, and 2) Sc...

20Ten

Ten Things to Help You Start 2010

Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

If you'd like to take some writing courses online but don't have $$$ to spare, check out this page of 50+ Open Courseware Writing Classes from the World's Leading Universities.

Need some new business cards? You can design and generate them online with DeGraeve.com's Business Card Generator (it will generate a .pdf with 12 ready-t...

Darkyn Strips

Click the image to see larger version; go here to make your own comic strip online.

Define Yourself

Five Questions About Branding

All About Me: Tomorrow you'll write your autobiography (or someone else will write a biography) with a focus on your writing life. What's the title?

If I write it, Cacoëthes Scribendi (read the poem on Bartleby.com)

If someone else writes it, That @$!* *&$!@# @*&%$#!

Catalyst: Your writing triggers a new literary movement. What will it be called?

The Unmoved

Symbolic: Your marketing department asks your for something animal, vegetable or mineral that they can co...

Welcome 2010

Next Year

2010 is almost here, and while it's always tempting to make some resolutions, I'd rather focus on keeping my options open. In part it's because I had to end so many things in 2009; I probably have a mild case of enditis. There are plenty of things I want to do, both personally and professionally, and I hope I have the chance to try, but I'm not inclined to make a list this time around. What I want most in the next year is not to commit to anything except PBW and writing. That should give ...

Dear Future Me

To: Future PBW
From: Past PBW

Re: Stuff

Dear Future PBW,

I know you're probably feeling better than I am right now, or you've at least gotten over this rotten respiratory infection we contracted over the holidays. I also know you have the same e-mail address because you haven't changed it in ten years; what's another twelve?

Did you remember to finish all the UFOs in the closet under the stairwell? What about donating that crazy quilt to the folk art museum? Don't tell me you forgot it...

Last of the 2009 Freebies

Ten Things You Can Have for Free

Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

Architect Roger Berent offers The 5-Hour Home Office a free e-book on Scribd that describes and shows detailed illustrations and photos on how you can build a home office/work space for $300.00.

Artweaver is "a simple Freeware program for creative painting, i.e. Artweaver makes all artistic effects, which you need for your work. Y...

Sub Ops

Ten Submission Opportunities for Writers

Absolute XPress is looking for "quality novel and novella length science fiction, fantasy and horror submissions. Sub-genres of these categories are also acceptable. We also occasionally publish books on self-promotion, genre history and writing technique. Submissions for genre related books on self-promotion, history and writing technique are currently not open. Please query us first. We are not interested in young adult, erotica, romance, religious ...

Best of PBW 2009

Thanks to the economy 2009 was a tough year all the way around. Too many friends lost their jobs; too many businesses closed their doors (although I and a bunch of non-writer friends were able to help keep one from going under.) Publishing had more than its fair share of new problems along with the usual turmoil and squabbling. I don't think I'll be alone when I happily kick 2009 out the back door for good.

On the career front I had many blessings: wrote six books, sold rights to five, finis...