L.M. Long's Blog, page 27

Toddlers, Tinker Bell, and Time Management

I have toddlers. To be specific I have four children under the age of four years and a six year old. Between meeting their needs, and there are a good number of “special” ones, maintaining my household, and keeping my sanity I struggle like most moms to find time for the pursuits that bring me joy and personal fulfillment. My father was great proponent of the maxim that you make time for the things that are important to you. And while I agree, I have never quite perfected or even got a hold on the kind of time management that allows for everything that is needful in a given day.
What does Tinker Bell have to do with this? So glad you asked. She is the means by which I carve out an hour of get-it-done time every day. Well, her and Winnie the Pooh. We don’t have television in our home per say, just movies and Netflix. And more and more lately I have been keeping the idiot box switched off due to that nagging sense that my kids need to play more and watch less. But this has meant that my get-it-done time becomes Mommy-builds-blocks-and-has-tea-parties-time. Wonderful good fun, to be sure, but it left me with more undone at the end of the day than an hour’s worth of dishes and tidying. My one hour in the morning was apparently worth two and half or three hours of evening time. I would start on dishes after dinner, tidy a few things and it would be 9pm. I would go to sleep at 11 in order to get in writing and reading time, but my kiddos are obscenely early risers. I just couldn’t keep up.
And then I made a discovery. I had been stringing myself out, trying to give too many things my attention all at once. I was multitasking myself stupid. It happened one day while I was trying to send an email, while listening to an audio book, while trying to get my baby to settle down and go to sleep on the bed next to me. He was having none of it. I was getting nowhere fast. In a fit of frustration I pushed the computer away and looked my little guy right in the face demanding with my expression to know what on earth he wanted from me. He smiled. I melted, picked him up, and spent maybe five minutes singing him to sleep. I then finished the email, and went back to listening to my book.
Sometimes we have to split ourselves. We are busy. We’re moms, multitasking is in our nature. But we cannot be our best selves, as mothers, writers, wives, or friends if we are constantly splitting our attention. And until alchemy successfully bottles time (anyone know if they are close yet?), there is only one solution that I have found. Give time.  Give it away to one activity for a designated amount of minutes. I have a little digital timer, and I will set it for say thirty minutes. For those thirty minutes it is play time. Mommy is here, no distractions, no trying to listen to talk radio while we play picnic, just me and my kiddos. Then in goes Tink, and mommy is cleaning or making phone calls or writing or baking or something.  It only takes a little. And the work and the calls to be returned are still there when the timer goes off.  When I give my kids the time they need from me, which only seems like a lot when I am trying to do too much at once, they, shockingly are more willing to play nicely with each other, sit and watch their show until lunch, and be the angels I need them to be for the next hour or so.
I am still strung out. I still demand quiet mommy time on Saturdays when it’s Dad’s turn to watch the kids. But during the week, thanks to my timer and Tinker Bell, I know that the things that matter most are getting the attention they need.Anika Arrington- Necessary Nurture

A Fresh New Start..............

Valerie J. Steimle

A while ago the four of us Mommy Authors were getting "cabin fever". We needed to get out of the house and move on with our writing.  We each had writing goals which  would take us in different directions and felt that our blog responsibility was getting very heavy.

So with much discussion and consideration, we all thought we would go our separate ways and shut down the blog.  I initially I agreed.  The next day I got back on the blog to take one last look and suddenly became very protective.

I knew we had worked hard to build up a great following and posted some great ideas and information about writing and being a Mom.  I didn't want to let it go!  I pondered and thought about what would happen if I took over the leader position and find more Mommy Authors to post during the month.  I suddenly became very excited and asked my cohorts in writing what they thought of the idea.  Everyone was in agreement so the search was on for eight new blog contributors.

It didn't take long after the post to our writer's group, American Night Writer's Association, to find eight wonderful writers who would take on this task.  Posting would only be once a month so it fit into every one's busy schedule.  Some of these ladies are published and some are not but are working on manuscripts and improving their writing. Most of them are moms and those who are not want to be. Some have adopted children, some have large families. All in all we have a very diversified group of wonderful women who will give us a great perspective and we will all learn from their experience.

So starting on Monday, we will have a new fresh start and I'm excited to see how it will go.  I hope you will all enjoy.

Mommy Authors: Under New Management

Contest winner: Erika Name-Amonett has won our October Opening Words contest. Erika, please comment with an email address so we can send you your gift card. ***
The management here at Mommy Authors will be undergoing a major and exciting change as the new month begins.  As of next week Valerie Steimle will be blogging with a group of 8 new mommy authors!  The rest of the staff is, sadly, parting ways.  It has been a pleasure hearing from you and we hope that you will keep in touch with us each at our various other blogs.

Rachel has decided to focus her writing time on finishing her manuscript and actually making a post or two at her writer's site rachellarrow.blogspot.com.  She will be finishing out her "Book in 30 Days" series there, so make sure to stop by and read the final few posts.  Thank you to all of you and I wish you luck in your writing endeavors.

Ranee` has loved writing for Mommy Authors and connecting with all the great moms and writers out there, but as you all may know, she's got some exciting "mom" duties to keep up with for the next few months! So between a new baby and her own writing goals, she's made the tough decision to step away from Mommy Authors. Keep up with her at http://raneesclark.blogspot.com.

Heidi has enjoyed her brief time at Mommy Authors, but is looking forward to spend a bit more time on other writing projects and her personal blog, Frantically Simple. Be sure to pop in on her there.

Mummy Authors..........

Valerie J. Steimle
Today is Halloween and I am honored to write the post for this very spooky day. This writing is an excerpt from my next book which is being published as we speak..... or read.  Thoughts From the Heart: Writings from the Gulf Coast of Alabama will be available for purchase on Amazon in another week (so exciting).So without further ado....here is my post for all of you mummies and ghouls.......

The Evolution of Halloween

            Today is Halloween....and many might not know, but today is the celebration of “All Hallows Eve.”  There is a long history of this festive day throughout all the ages, but in our modern world we sometimes forget the reason why we do what we do.
             The story of Halloween is entirely too long to write here but suffice it to say that the British Isles had the market on this holiday way back to the 8th century. "All Saints Day" was celebrated on November 1st(which is tomorrow) and the people in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales created a “Day of the Dead.”  The dead were honored and a feast was held, not as those who are dead but as the living spirits of loved ones and guardians.  “All Hallows Eve” events also included dressing up in unrecognizable costumes and mischief making to get treats to eat.  As the early Americans adopted this tradition from their European ancestors, it evolved into what we know now as Halloween.  But something very interesting has happened.
istock photo
            Back in the day when I was trick-or-treating, (60’s and 70’s) many children participated in this fun, seemingly innocent activity. I remember how much fun it was to go from door to door in our neighborhood to get candy and Hollywood wasn't as interested in scaring you silly. The 80’s and 90’s came along and my children went trick-or-treating as well.  I noticed then that there weren't as many children knocking at my door.  The movie rating changed from “R” to PG-13 so we get more violence and horror in what used to be considered unsuitable for “under 17”.              Now it’s after the new millennium, the focus on Halloween is mostly celebrated as horror and ghouls. Some churches would rather not dress up to collect candy as it has taken on this ghoulish version of what used to be a fun costume party. Old time “Fall Festivals” have been popular in some areas.  It is sad that there aren't nearly as many trick-or-treaters as there were even ten years ago and the emphasis in Hollywood is ghouls and horror. We find more and more of the horror scene on commercials and in movieswhich reflect in children's costumes. 
            Maybe Halloween has decreased in trick-or-treaters because of the scare in the 70's and 80’s of neighbors putting drugs in candy and razor blades in apples. Maybe it’s because those parents from my generation of trick-or-treaters sees this holiday as a different celebration and don’t want to be sucked into the Hollywood’s idea of gruesome and ghouls.  Whatever the reason, Halloween has evolved into a time when community groups and churches promote fall activities and games instead of mischief and tricks and the few trick-or-treaters left have to get to houses by 9pm or else everyone is out of candy and has turned off the light.  It is amazing to me to see this metamorphosis take place and to think about what Halloween has become.            On the one hand, Hollywood sees Halloween as an opportunity to scare you to pieces, while on the other hand many communities want safe and fun festivals for their children to still dress up and give out treats. I wonder what Halloween will end up being ten years from now?  It makes you wonder.

Author Interview: Lisa Nowak

I love Halloween. Besides the chance to pretend to be someone (something) else for an evening, and indulging in all the candy I can eat (and then some), I love Halloween reading.
There is something about the return of Oregon's gray skies and cold drizzle that makes curling up with a creepy book feel like just the right thing to do.
On this Halloween week, I'm happy to interview Lisa Nowak, whose recent YA release, Dead Heat, is a perfect spooky read.



Alex is a machine whisperer. He can tell what’s wrong with a broken-down car with a touch. But his gift can’t save him from the brutality of his meth-addict father. For two years, Alex experienced kindness through Cole, his mentor. Now Cole’s dead, and the violence in Alex’s life is escalating.When Cole reappears as a ghost, Alex clings to the tenuous link. Then he learns Cole might’ve sacrificed his chance to cross over. Jade, the first girl to look beyond Alex’s past, assures him Cole can reach the Other Side—if Alex escapes from his dad. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced Alex it’s impossible. Unless he can find the courage to try, his friend may be earthbound forever.
 Hi Lisa. Congratulations on the release of Dead Heat. I saw on your blog that you are more proud of this than any other project. Can you tell us more about why that is?

I'm excited about this book for several reasons. For one thing, it deals with issues like child abuse and that controversial topic of what to do when you think reporting it might result in more harm to the child than letting it continue. I know this isn't a popular subject, but I think it's realistic. Secondly, Dead Heat features a protagonist with a learning disability, and the story is told in first person through his slang and limited vocabulary. This is just Alex's voice (imagine a modern day Huck Finn) and I didn't think much about it until my editor told me how glad she was to see someone up-ending the stereotype about kids like Alex.
Dead Heat is a bit of a departure from your other books. It's darker and has a distinct edge. How did this come about?

Dead Heat never would’ve come to be had it not been for an agent rejecting my book Driven because it “wasn’t edgy enough.” Teens, according to him, won’t buy a book unless it’s edgy. I reacted with an “I’ll show you edgy, buster,” and Dead Heat was born. I still think his opinion was bogus, but I owe him one for shoving me in a direction I never would’ve taken on my own.
Alex faces some very real struggles in his life, from dealing with a learning disability to suffering abuse from his meth-addicted father. Was is difficult for you to write about such heavy topics? 
Actually, it wasn't. I find it harder to read books like this than to write them. When I'm inside a character's head, I feel like I'm living his or her reality. And Alex doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't know anything different from what he's always lived, so as bad as it might seem to you and me, to him it's just normal.

Most of your books have male protagonists. Can you offer any tips for getting inside a teenage boy's head? For getting his voice right?
Honestly, I have no clue how I'm able to write from a teenage boy's perspective. It might be because I grew up as a tomboy and always wanted to be climbing trees, building forts, and getting into pinecone fights. It might be because when I was racing stock cars, I hung out so much with guys that I became very familiar with their behavior. Actually, up until a few years ago, most of my closest friends were guys. I suppose the only tip I can offer is to watch boys and pay attention to how they speak and act. If you don't have access to real live boys, watch TV shows and movies about them. One thing to remember about guys is that they don't come right out and admit to their feelings the way girls do. You have to convey what they're feeling through behavior and subtext. Which is what makes it so fun to write from their perspective, and also what makes it so rewarding to the reader.

I attended your summer workshop on different publishing models, and learned quite a lot. Thanks. Any advice for someone just starting to consider their publishing options?
Definitely. Your choice of publishing route shouldn't be about what anyone else thinks or what's going on in the industry. It should be about your personal strengths and what you want out of your publishing career. The simplest way I can put it is, if you have the skills and temperament to run a small business, you'll probably do well self-publishing. Otherwise, you'll be happier pursuing a traditional route. But there are some in-between options. I wrote a guest post about it on Literary Rambles a few weeks ago that provides a checklist to help you decide which path is best for you: http://www.literaryrambles.com/2012/09/lisa-nowak-guest-post-and-giveaway-of.html

Thank you for that link, Lisa. (Readers, seriously - go check it out.)
Do you mind sharing a little bit about your writing process? What is a typical day like for you?
That depends on the season, since I'm a landscaper nine months out of the year. But to keep things simple, I'll describe a winter day when I'm a full-time writer. If I'm being smart, the first thing I do after I get up is write. If I'm being stupid, I answer my email. :P I have no problem with making myself sit at the computer, so I can spend 8-15 hours there, but it wouldn't necessarily be productive (even if I could avoid the email/social networking trap). My best writing time is between 7 a.m. and noon, and between 4 and 9 p.m. Every once in awhile I'll get a second wind late at night and stay up until 2:00, but that's unusual. I've found that if I try to write during my down times, I don't get much accomplished, so I try to plan my social networking, emailing, marketing, etc. during those times. I'm an outliner, and I also tend to edit as I write. I know a lot of people advise against the latter, but it works for me. I only manage 500-1200 words per day, but I turn out very clean, tight first drafts, so it all averages out. My best tool for first drafts is taking a walk. I can spend all day at the computer and not squeeze out 200 words, then after dinner I'll go out with my digital recorder in hand and dictate 500-1000 words in a two-mile walk. If I'm on a roll, I'll walk an additional 1-2 miles. Sometimes I think I should spend the entire day walking around with my digital recorder. The bonus would  be that my pants would fit better. :P
One last question: Do you believe in ghosts?
I don't know. I don't disbelieve, but I've never seen one. After writing Dead Heat, I hope they exist.
Find Dead Heat on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barns & Noble.

In addition to being a YA author, Lisa is a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass. She writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are.


Connect with her here:
Website: http://www.lisanowak.net/Blog: http://lisanowak.wordpress.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LisaNowakAuthorTwitter: http://twitter.com/Lisa_NowakNewsletter: http://bit.ly/LisaNowakNewsletter

All's Quiet on the NaNo Front?

As the self-proclaimed, Mommy Author resident NaNo WriMo expert, you all might be wondering why I've been so quiet on the subject lately. Do I not realize that it's mere days away? Surely I have a plot and outline all ready? I probably did it in September!

I do. I don't. I didn't.

I'm not doing NaNo WriMo this year.

*Gasp.* What? After last year when I bugged out early because my novel flopped and then I decided to make my kids presents for Christmas, leaving no time for last minute scrambling to meet my word count goal?

Yup. And I have a pretty good reason for failing two years in a row. If you hang around my twitter, blog, or Facebook, you might have picked up that I have some exciting things happening in the coming weeks. (I'm writing this post early and crossing my fingers that by the time it actually posts, it will have already happened ...)

I'm expecting Clark Baby #3. (And I'm not just being vague about the name because this is the internet and all -- well, that too -- we actually don't have a name locked in yet.)

That's no excuse, you say? Yeah, normally I'd agree. I wrote my first full-length NaNo WriMo (and first finished novel) when my second was only six months old. But this baby is different. I waited a long time for this baby (without getting into specifics, it wasn't related to my health. :D) I really just want to spend November (and December, January, February, March ...) sitting in a rocking chair and staring at him. So I'm going to. Because I can.

But you guys should all do NaNo. Really! I'm here to cheer you on and we even have a NaNo Mom-O forum for you over at the Goodreads group, so you should go check that out. I'll stop by to shout encouragement from my rocking chair. And perhaps toss out an idea or two, since I won't be using them. :D

And, because I have to know -- What's your bright NaNo idea this year?

How often should I clean my house.....

Valerie J. Steimle
This is a different topic for today........but everyone needs to think about it some time or another... I wrote this seven years ago and it still pertains to me today........
How often should I clean my house?

            Dog hair! Toys! Dust!  A home that is well lived in with people and pets has to be cleaned.  But how often?  As the mother of nine children with two black lab dogs at home, I know about messes and the battle of keeping a house clean.
            As writers and busy Moms this is a never ending quest. Sometimes cleaning isn’t on the top of my list and dust piles up WAY too much but if you follow this organizational cleaning guide and get children to participate, then your house will look and feel much better.
            Whenever I have organized my cleaning time in a new home, I would make a master list of what needs to be done to keep a clean house: wash windows, dust furniture, mop floors and clean toilets. Take a thorough tour around your house to find all the jobs that need to be done so nothing gets unnoticed and write them down on a master list.
            Once this list is established then chores are organized by time frame.  Everyone knows that a carpet with pets running free needs more vacuum time than a home with no pets so think about the needs you have and plan accordingly. Group cleaning jobs by what needs to be done daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-yearly and yearly. Be sensible about cleaning tasks by what gets the most traffic in an area. For example, my children’s bathroom needed to be cleaned twice a week because of all the traffic. 
            Once you have divided your master list up by time frame, you can keep a chart in a useful place of all the daily and weekly tasks for all family members to see.  Monthly, biyearly and yearly cleaning tasks are best kept on colored 3x5 cards.  Buy a pack of colored 3x5 index cards and list all monthly, biyearly, and yearly jobs together on a card or two with any details needed about the job. Then using different colored cards, write the months of the year—one on each card---and list on that month what cleaning job you have decided to do.  Punch a hole at the top left hand corner of the card and place a metal ring through the hole. You can even tab the cards by month so you can find them easier.
             Now you have all of your cleaning jobs listed by month and what needs to be done so you don’t forget.  You don’t even need to keep the master list you wrote because they are all listed on your cards and/or job chart. The worry of what gets done when and how often is already decided and you just follow the cards you made for a clean and stress free life.
 

Day 32: Revealing Your Novel's Theme

In the process of writing your novel have you once stopped to ask yourself, "What is the point of all of this?"  I don't mean the point of you spending hours upon hours neglecting house and family, serving up frozen food or takeout and using paper plates so you can avoid any dishes.  I mean have you ever thought about the purpose for telling your story?

Photo Credit: kirstinmckeeYou may have started out with a character you cherished and hoped to share with the world, or a scene that haunted you, following your every movement until you'd explored it and found it's resolution, but by now that original idea has developed into a full-fledged novel with character arcs and plot turns and hero's journeys.  You've had this story sleeping in bed beside you, drinking coffee with you, heck, even (or if you're me - especially) taking a shower with you.  You two have hung out together enough that you've discovered there's something deeper and richer behind that flirty little face that first caught your attention.  Can you identify (with a clear, succinct phrase) exactly what that deeper, richer, thematic element of your novel is?

Finding Your Theme

"The proper time to think about theme in your novel is now, as you begin wrapping up your story and are able to draw conclusions about it in the context of the larger world.  As you begin to see theme emerge, you'll be able to go back and more consciously direct the novel toward it in the process of revision, streamlining the story so that the events that take place lead the reader toward thematic meaning" (Joseph Bates, Write Your Novel in 30 Days, page 83).

If you're at the cusp of writing your resolution, yet are still struggling to find your novel's theme, try using the following exercise, called the Theme Spider Worksheet (scroll down to page 273), from Victoria Lynn Schmidt's Book In a Month.  All of the questions posed on the worksheet are great, but for our purposes I think the four main questions you should work on answering are these:

Why did you write this story?What is it you like about this story?What do you want your readers to get out of the story?What is the personal message you want this story to convey?

I won't guarantee this for everyone, but I will venture to say that most anyone who is impelled to write a novel will have a "moral to the story" already evident in their plot, even if they weren't intentionally writing with one in mind.  This is because we have read books and learned the natural rhythms that a story should have.  Joseph Bates says it best in Write Your Novel in 30 Days:

"When we start out with a clear character, with clear wants and limitations, and begin putting him in situations that test him as a person, we begin to see theme naturally emerge from the chain of events as a result of our curiosity and questioning as novelists" (page 83). 

Your job now is to browse through your story and figure out exactly what that theme is.

Strengthening Your ThemeOnce you've found your theme (or if you've known what theme you want your story to have even before you began your project) there are a few things you can do to make sure your readers can find your theme too.

"Pretend you are a reader of your novel.  First, write a short essay (no more than 500 words) that explores the theme(s) of your novel in progress.  Where do you see evidence of this theme?  Be specific...

"Now revise a minimum of three scenes -- your novel's climax and two others of your choosing -- with a specific and critical eye toward further developing your themes" (Sarah Domet, 90 Days to Your Novel: A Day-by-Day Plan for Outlining & Writing Your Book, Page 248).

Victoria Lynn Schmidt suggests finding at least one scene per Act in which to reinforce your theme, with an additional emphasis in the Resolution portion of your novel.  (Theme Revelation Check - scroll down to page 285).  She says,

"Before you write the resolution, the final piece of your story, make sure you have paid off the theme.  If you haven't, then you need to be prepared to work it into your resolution.  This is where most themes are paid off" (Book in a Month, page 209).

In her book, 90 Days to Your Novel: A Day-by-Day Plan for Outlining & Writing Your Book, Sarah Domet suggests using the climax as the scene in which to act out the theme in a visual format, but the resolution as the scene in which the theme should be clarified or revealed.

 "If the climax dramatizes the themes of your novel, the scene immediately following the climax should underscore or reiterate this theme.  But a word of advice: Don't be too obvious.  That is, your reader can glean your intended message without your protagonist overtly explaining "I have been changed dramatically by the events of the climax, and here's how."  By this point in your novel you've included several scenes that reveal the emotional core of your characters -- and subtlety is often the best path to tread.  Check yourself to make sure you aren't being too heavy-handed in the scene following your climax" (Page 219).

She goes on to support Schmidt's suggestion of infusing other scenes with theme, offering the following examples:

"...Several of your other scenes should deepen the themes in more subtle ways, such as through a character description, the use of a minor character, a particularly illuminating image, a clearly rendered setting or pertinent symbol" (page 248).

Have you ever struggled to find your novel's theme?  Have you ever started a particular work because you had a theme you wanted to make the world aware of?

For more on theme see Martha Alderson's post Theme As a Touchstone For Writers and her excellent video series on Plotting A Novel's Thematic Significance. 

Why You Should Be On Twitter

I'm going to make a pretty bold statement. Consider yourself forewarned:

If you are at all serious about writing, no matter what stage of the publishing process you are in, you should be on twitter.

I can hear some of you twitter naysayers already: But why twitter, Heidi? I'm already on Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, and Instagram. What is so special about 140 characters?

Read on and I'll tell you.



Twitter can make you a better writer
Honestly, isn't that enough of a reason right there? See for yourself:

Your characters need to lose something they can never recover. Something that changes them, or the story's pointless. #editortips
— Adrien-Luc Sanders (@smoulderingsea) October 15, 2012

There should never be a part of your book you label "boring, but necessary." If it's necessary, make it interesting. #editortips
— Adrien-Luc Sanders (@smoulderingsea) October 9, 2012

If you start thinking "Well I need to explain all this before the story really starts..." Stop. Look at what you wrote. Delete. #editortips
— Adrien-Luc Sanders (@smoulderingsea) October 9, 2012

Note: Adrien-Luc Sanders give amazing writing tips. Go follow him immediately.

Don’t describe your characters’ outfits as ifyou were filling out a missing-person report. One telling detail is enough. #FE2
— FakeEditor (@FakeEditor) September 26, 2012

Twitter gives you all the good dirt.
From contest information, to what agents and publishers are currently dying for - or sick to death of, query information, and even tips on other items of writerly importance, twitter spills it.

1hr left to sign up for #SpookPitch! Window closes @ 12:01am EDT tonight! …swritersworldplotbunnies.blogspot.com/2012/10/spookt…
— Jamie Corrigan (@saphirablue84) October 17, 2012

Someone PLEASE send me a really good witch story. Something unique, dark and rich. YA or MG. Thank u.
— Georgia N. McBride (@Georgia_McBride) September 25, 2012

Writers waiting on requested material: My clients come first & they just gave me quite a bit to read. Thank you for being patient.
— Sarah LaPolla (@sarahlapolla) October 16, 2012

FYI, the query box is 100% empty as of this moment. Requery if no response. Fulls, however, go back as far as 8/27.
— Mandy Hubbard (@MandyHubbard) October 17, 2012

In case you missed the news last week, I'mtaking a query hiatus until 2013, or the world ends, whichever comes first. michellewittebooks.com/agent/submissi…
— Michelle Witte (@michellewitte) October 15, 2012

Also. WRITERS (published and not): Excellent site on tax info for YOU: taxsolutionsforwriters.com
— Kathleen Ortiz (@KOrtizzle) October 16, 2012

Writing can be isolating. Twitter is where your friends hang out.
At least that's where mine are. Want to be a member of the club?

@franticsimple Congratulations, Heidi! Just read your fantastic news! You must be over the moon.
— Kim Baker (@kim_bak) October 16, 2012

@aprilmwall Well done. You have forced me to LOL.
— Heidi Schulz (@franticsimple) October 16, 2012

@franticsimple Hooligan
— Paul Adams (@adamspaulr) October 15, 2012

There are a lot more reasons why twitter makes sense for writers. I didn't even get into #AskAgent,  #WriteClub, or #indiechat but you can figure those out on your own. Just get over there and get tweeting.
Not too much though, you do still need to save time to, oh, I don't know, actually write something a bit longer than 140 characters.


 
PS: If you could use a twitter how-to, Business 2 Blogger recently posted a handy primer. Pop in and check it out.


PSS: If you'd like to follow me on twitter, I can be found here, saying things like this: 

What I said to my good friend today: "I'm sorry I kicked your cat. Please know that it was not as violently as I would have liked."
— Heidi Schulz (@franticsimple) October 16, 2012

Falling Into Fantasy Giveaway Hop

Fantasy. I adore fantasy. So I'm so excited that Mommy Authors can be part of this blog hop! 
We are giving away a paperback copy of THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING, a recommendation by fabulous Heidi.
And to enter, it's SO easy! You can get one or more entries in the following ways:1. (Mandatory) Be a follower of the blog.2. Like our Facebook Page.3. Join our Goodreads Group.4. Follow us on Twitter.4. Leave a comment about your favorite fantasy book you read growing up. (Mine is the "Narnia" series, and I still love them today!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to drop by all the other blogs hosting giveaways!