Sharing is Caring: My Weekly Finds

The posts here are a mash-up of interesting things I’ve found or learned from during the preceding week. This could be material from blog posts, articles, video clips, etc.  

Current (Pop) Culture Chattering

• Performance reality TV fans rejoice!  Season two of The Voice will start back on February 5.  TV Guide provides some additional details.  I can’t wait.
• Sadly, we now know the cause of death for Amy Winehouse.  It was severe alcohol poisoning, which further cements the tragic level of addiction that she was not able to overcome.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of my fave horror flicks of all time.  Catch up on where the cast is now.
• Both John Meyer and Adele have undergone surgery for throat issues and are on vocal rest.  Best wishes for them both.   

Wicked Writing Wisdom

Kristen Lamb asks Are Successful Writers Just Lucky?  Feeling overwhelmed prior to NaNoWriMo?  Putting in time towards your word count each day yet getting discouraged?  Prepared to be inspired after reading her post and understanding how many elements on the path to writing success are in your control.

In Momentum – The Writing Roller Coaster, Jennifer Groepl discusses the underlying drive of the writing process.

Continuing the focus on momentum, Natalia Sylvester’s Getting Through a Plateau When the Writing Falls Flat provides a comparison of how we can continue in writing blocks as we do with fitness plateaus.

How to Be Creative When You are Busy from Joe Bunting hits me where I am right now, as my life is a whirlwind of work for the day job.  I do his tip #2 a lot.

Making Media Magic

Following up on her post explaining the world of social media metrics for writers, Kristen Lamb brings us The Dark Side of Metrics–Writer Friend or Ticket to Crazy Town?

In Start Your Week Off Write: How Do You Vet Social Media Relationships, Kristin Nador provides some tip ideas for vetting those we interact with in the virtual social media world.

Roni Loren’s 13 Steps to Creating an Author Website Readers Will Love give some practical, step-by-step advice on making your site easy to navigate and accessible to fans. 

Frolicking Fun Finds

Ladies, if you aren’t familiar with Jillian Dodd’s Monday posts, be sure to check them out.  for Halloween, she put together some special editions and MANday: Vampire Edition – Bite me, make me yours is a mighty tasty treat.

Stant Litore, guest posting at SM Reine’s blog, brings us 3 Reasons Why We’re Not Bored of Zombies Yet and notes what it is that resonates for fans of zombie lore.  

Check out Carrie Spencer’s Woof! Crazy Cat Lady takes on the Dogs for a quick chuckle at some cute pooches.  

Imaginative, Insightful, Inspirational

In Wagons Ho! On the Trail with Jody Hedlund, Jody finishes her 52 blog hop at Bridgette Booth’s Somewhere in Time blog.  As part of the celebration, readers get to vote on where Jody will donate some copies of her books.  What a great idea for sharing and giving back!

In Time to Take a Chance, Dr. Wayne Dyer discusses returning our mindset back to the “original nature” risk taking of infancy.

I’ll have Michael Haynes’ 7 Things to Do When You Feel Like You’re Losing Your Mind on repeat read for the next two weeks.