Blog Treasures 6-25

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the best Treasures I’ve found on the blogsphere during the past week. Glad you stopped by, enjoy!

On Publishing and Social Media

Round 2 of ROW80 (Round of Words in 80 days) is over and the next round is set to start July 4th. If you’re looking for a writing challenge that allows you to set your own goals and be supported by a great group of writers on the journey then this is a perfect choice. Hosted by Kait Nolan, be sure to check out ROW80 and join in.

Social Media is all about meeting new people. This week the fantastic Clay Morgan (Educlaytion) hosts Summer 2011 Repost Yourself! Place your favorite / most popular post in the comments and visit others. This is a excellent way to find new friends and be seen.

Looking for ways to liven your blog, Kristen Lamb has the best advice on the Power of Blog Themes. She is also offering two classes soon on empowering your blog, be sure to check out this incredible opportunity.

Recovering lawyer and Pale Writer of the Apocalypse, the brilliant Piper Bayard offers us a collection of the best rules for Twitter etiquette in Everything I Know about Twitter I Learned from Hospice.

Bob Mayer explores “gobsmacking” in the publishing industry. If I Write it, They will Read it, find out why changing deck chairs on the Titanic is not the best idea for survival.

Want to know what to do if you have a decent manuscript but the agents just aren’t biting? Randy Ingermanson has advice and suggestions at What if those Pesky Agents don’t bite?

On the Craft of Writing

Larry Brooks continues his deconstruction of “The Help” over at Storyfix. This is an excellent break down of the structure that makes “The Help” such a powerful story. Larry has a special “walk the walk” promotion at the end, be sure to give it a look.

In case you missed it, the Writers in the Storm hosted a guest post by the fabulous Kristen Lamb where she offers excellent advice on Developing your Unique Writing Voice.

Jeannie Campbell, The Character Therapist, delves into Dwight Swain’s (Technique for the Selling Writer) Motivation Reaction Unit (MRU) method in the Psychology of MRU’s.

WriteitSideways brings us an informative and helpful post on How Cliched is Your Writing? Take the test and sharpen your writing.

Interested in writing a series, how to plan for one or when the best time is to bring it to a close? Dee White (DeeScribeWriting) has an excellent post on managing series at How to Finish a Series.

Is that inner voice whispering to you that your writing may not be as great as you want? Aliventures offers us advice and inspiration to combat that evil inner voice at How to Recover Your Writing Confidence.

Jan Friedman hosts playwright Wolf Pascoe in an exploration of the Lerman Method, 4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Critique Group.

Fun Posts and Fan Fiction

Ever wonder how to feed an army with a single chicken? Jess Witkins has the answer and a couple of fantastic summer recipes at Bologna Girl Learns to Cook.

Ellie Soderstrom started her new blog this week, yeah! Clever and funny, Ellie takes us on an imagination adventure with Tall Tales.

A picture is worth a thousand words or stories. Mary Jo Gibson of ThisWriteLife takes us on a tour of the Walters Art Museum, including an incredible devil’s head vase! Check it out at Buy it All! Price is immaterial…

If you haven’t been following Mark Lidstones “Zombie” VYOA (vote-your-own-adventure) the action is heating up and the hero is seeking a way out. Will he find help and survive? You can help decide at Zombies. Also, for those that followed Jen Kirchner’s “The Relic” she has posted her Story Tree for the adventure. Her next series “The Sigil” begins on July 8th!

Remember when “Mom Approved” meant a box of sugar squares with a hint of wheat? Clay Morgan takes us back to when cereal was every kids morning jet fuel in Read this Post! Prize Inside!

If you need a moment to let your mind relax and feel the tensions slip away so that your writers soul can recharge, I’d encourage you to take a moment and relax with Catie Rhodes under the Blueberry Sky.