Monthly Archives: September 2023

Writers’ Blogs That I Like

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There are lots of lists of writing blogs on the web. Probably the one that most people are familiar with is the Writer’s Digest annual 100 Best Websites for Writers. I choose several every year to explore. Sometimes I agree that they are a worthwhile resource, and sometimes they just aren’t that interesting or valuable to me.

I seem to keep going back to the same writers’ websites and blogs over and over again. Here are ten of my favorites:

  1. Writer’s Relief Blog. I’ve never used Writer’s Relief’s submission service, but I’ve found their blog articles to be informative and inspiring. I’ve even used some as guest posts on ARHtistic License.
  2. YA Outside the Lines. Ten authors of young adult novels post every month on a specific writing-related topic.
  3. Live Write Thrive. C.S. Lakin is a novelist who has also written several excellent books about the craft of writing. She’s also posted a bunch of wonderful downloadable resources on her site.
  4. Writers Helping Writers. Angela Ackermann and Becca Puglisi are the authors of a popular series of “thesauri” for novelists. That’s an oversimplification. Their books teach you to write so that readers experience your characters’ traits, emotions, conflicts, occupations, and your story’s settings intensely and intimately. Their blog focuses on the craft of fiction writing.
  5. Writers in the Storm. A team of five authors write much of the material on this blog, but are also supplemented with guest posts from awesome writers and instructors (such as Margie Lawson) on all aspects of writing.
  6. The Write Practice. I come to this blog for the excellent articles. At the end of every post is an assignment you can do if you want to explore or practice the techniques given in the article. You can also join the Write Practice community if you want to participate in their workshops and other perks.
  7. A Writer’s Path. This blog of writing advice was started by author Ryan Lanz. Over the years, he’s assembled a stable of guest authors (I’m one) who also contribute their insights. It’s clear that there is no one path to becoming a successful author. Each of us has our own journey, our own style, our own processes. You’ll find conflicting advice and alternative experiences on this blog.
  8. The Write Life. There is so much information on this site—about traditional publishing vs. self-publishing; freelancing; blogging; marketing; the craft of writing. They also offer services for writers.
  9. Jane Friedman is a publishing guru. She’s written ten books on the writing business, and her blog is a font of writing wisdom. She is a coveted conference speaker. She has a Sunday Business Sermons series on YouTube.
  10. Publishing . . . and Other Forms of Insanity. Author Erica Verrillo posts lists of interest to writers, such as upcoming writing contests, markets for various genres, new agents and what they’re looking for, writing conferences and workshops, and calls for submissions. If you have several ideas in progress and you don’t know what you should be focusing on, read this blog for opportunities.

There are tons of great writing blogs out there (and I hope you think ARHtistic License is one of them), and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite writing blogs? Share in the comments below.

Creative Juice #363

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Creative Juice #363

Writing tips and other interesting stuff.

Video of the Week: Wake Up! (poem)

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Wordless Wednesday/ Flower of the Day: Bougainvillea

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More FOTD.

Introducing Lily Gabriela

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Yesterday at 1:09 PM, after 26 hours of labor, Lily Gabriela came into the world at 7 lbs 5 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. She is the child of our daughter Katie and her husband Michael, and our third granddaughter. God is good. Baby and parents are exhausted, but doing well!

Two Art Challenges for October

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Have you wanted to get back into drawing, but need a little nudge to get going? How about starting on October 1, this coming Sunday?

Inktober is a drawing challenge started in 2009 by Jake Parker that involves making one ink drawing a day for 31 days in October. It’s strongly encouraged to post your drawings online, and Instagram is a popular outlet for this. I’ve participated since 2017, sometimes using the official prompt, or sometimes opting to use the Octangling prompt (see below). It doesn’t matter if you are an artistic genius or a beginner. The goal is to develop a drawing habit and to work on improving your skills.

Octangling is a tangle (think Zentangle®, but less official) challenge put on by a Facebook group I belong to, Tangle All Around. We use the prompt list devised by Stephanie Jennifer. I think this year I may just stick with this challenge, because I’ve gotten out of the habit of tangling, and I miss it. But, man, the prompts for regular Inktober are so good I might try some of those as well.

Monday Morning Wisdom #431

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From the Creator’s Heart #421

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You have sorrow now, but I will see you again and then you will rejoice; and no one can rob you of that joy (John 16:22 TLB).

Will There Be an OctPoWriMo 2023?

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Will There Be an OctPoWriMo 2023?

For many years I’ve participated in a yearly challenge, October Poetry Writing Month, which I believe was started by Morgan Dragonwillow. However, the old OctPoWriMo site does not seem operational anymore, and there hasn’t been any recent activity on Morgan’s blogs. I know she was going through a rough time the last couple of years.

Does anyone know if OctPoWriMo will happen this year? Has anyone seen any plans? Google was not much help. Please comment below if you have any information.

I’d Rather Be Dancing Some of My Favorite Folk Dances

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Today I’m not going to limit my dance videos to a single country, and I apologize if I’ve posted some of these dances before. I’m just selecting dances that bring me joy.

From France, Branle gai alsacien. Only two patterns. This dance can be done with a lot of energy:

From Bulgaria, Pravo Rhodopsko. Choreographed by the great Ives Moreau, who recently passed away. Only two patterns, and fits the music so well. Beautiful song, unaccompanied women’s voices:

Kreuz König from Germany. Pretty dance. If you’re light enough and your partner is strong enough, you might become airborne:

Tokyo Polka. I am not sure where this dance originated. The music sounds like it’s from a video game. At Phoenix International Folk Dancers, we do it as a four-walls line dance. This couple adapted it into a performance piece for this Christmas party:

Cine are noroc are, from Romania, has special footwork. There are three patterns, and patterns 1 and 3 feature an unusual toe-heel step:

Rumelaj, a Roma dance from Macedonia, is conducive to a little hip action:

Dorozhka, choreographed by Hennie Konings based on Cozzack steps. The music gives me chills:

Road to the Isles from Scotland. I love the turns in this (they’re fun to do!):

Valle Pogonishte from Albania:

Mališevsko Horo, from Bulgaria, choreographed by Gergana Panova, who is leading in this video. This dance is a lot of fun, especially if you are doing it with a group that knows it well and is not afraid to move it along: