Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Blog, page 151
June 30, 2010
Insurance Company Owner Responds To My Writing Contest Warning Post
In response to my post, Writing Contests: Always Read The Fine Print, one of the owners of the insurance website wrote:
Hello Debbie,
My name is Mike Kim and I am one of the owners of Affordable Insurance Options Online. I am writing this comment in response to the "warning" you posted regarding the essay contest we are currently holding.
First of all, I greatly admire the sense of duty you displayed to your visitors by creating this post, and the time and energy you put into it. It's...
Finding the balance between the feel of a real book & the digital world
From Christopher Herz at The Huffington Post:
As the publishing industry struggles to find that balance between the digital world and the feel of actually handling a book, perhaps a look towards the emotional connection is the bridge.
Right now, while we all follow twitter feeds and become fans on Facebook, what might be getting lost is the fact that reading a book is an extremely intimate and personal experience. To give travel notes of the journey is a benefit to both writer and reader...
June 29, 2010
Please help me with my book proposal!
The bulk of my Squarespace move is finished, though I still have quite a few tweaks to go. Still, it's SO GOOD to finally get back to my own writing! Also a relief to Google my name & Inkygirl pages and NOT get pharmaceutical hacked info. But back to my own writing...
More and more people have been inquiring about where they can buy a print collection of my comics, so I've (finally) written a nonfiction book proposal featuring compilation of my best Inkygirl and Will Write For Chocolate
Writing Contests: Always Read The Fine Print!
I was recently encouraged to promote this "Affordable Insurance Options Essay Contest" to my readers. The website name was already setting off alarm bells in my head, but I decided to check out the rules out of curiosity.
At first glance, it may attract some writers: there's no entry fee, and the site offers cash prizes of $50, $100 and $200. However, if you read ALL the submission guidelines, it becomes clear that even if your entry about the importance of insurance coverage doesn't win...
June 28, 2010
You're never too old to start writing
From Robert McCrum in Guardian.co.uk:
...The ruthless cut-off of 40 does not address the complex trajectory of creative growth: for every novelist or poet who explodes skywards with a first or second book, there are many who only achieve mastery as they reach the shady side of the slope. The onset of middle age, or the approach of oblivion, is perhaps as sharp a spur to literary effort as the intoxicating self-belief of youth.
June 24, 2010
Writers: avoid these clichés like the plague!
If you want to keep your writing from sounding too predictable, read this post by Delia Cabe from Boston.com about over-used pet words, phrases and devices.
How do YOU avoid getting distracted by the Internet?
Some writers are able to switch off their computers and stay off e-mail and the Web all day. Freelance writers who rely at least partly on client work for income, however, sometimes don't have this luxury. The Internet can be a wonderful resource for writers but it can also be a major timesuck.
To those who DO have to go online at least a few times a day: How do you manage your time online? Do you limit the amount of time you spend on social networking sites? What tricks and tips can you...
June 23, 2010
June 21, 2010
Wordcount Challenge Check-In: 250, 500, 1000 wds/day
Haven't heard of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge? The goal of this challenge is to help provide goal-oriented inspiration, with flexibility to avoid giving up in frustration. Please click on any of the buttons above for more info.
Every Monday, I'll post a Wordcount Challenge Check-in to see how you're all doing with your challenges. You don't have to post, of course, but I find that encouraging and receiving encouragement from others is inspiring to me as a writer.
So...
June 20, 2010
Cartoon Caption Contest Winner: John Hewitt
Thanks to those who entered my cartoon caption contest. The winner: John Hewitt of Poewar fame. I've been a fan of John's Writing Career Center (it had a different name back then) since its early days.
