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Locus Online Features: Cory Doctorow: Writing in the Age of Distraction

Locus Online Features: Cory Doctorow: Writing in the Age of Distraction
from Locus Magazine, January 2009 We know that our readers are distracted and sometimes even overwhelmed by the myriad distractions that lie one click away on the Internet, but of course writers face the same glorious problem: the delirious world of information and communication and community that lurks behind your screen, one alt-tab away from your word-processor. The single worst piece of writing advice I ever got was to stay away from the Internet because it would only waste my time and wouldn't help my writing. This advice was wrong creatively, professionally, artistically, and personally, but I know where the writer who doled it out was coming from. But the Internet has been very good to me. I think I've managed to balance things out through a few simple techniques that I've been refining for years. I don't claim to have invented these techniques, but they're the ones that have made the 21st century a good one for me. Cory Doctorow is one of a dozen Locus columnists and reviewers.

Suggestions please okay, there are some glitches and i cant retrieve posts from the new members forum. i guess that section of the site is being worked with at the moment.. i can offer you this thread, to the bookclub forum: here's another author to read: his writing is brutal, infective. plus he currently has three books out, and the forth releases this year! definitely give kiss me, judas a try. a great book, and the hard cover is cheap, like twelve bucks new at amazon. and it has a great first line: “I must be dead for there is nothing but blue snow and the furious silence of a gunshot.” (you'll flip when you read the opening pages of his third novel; fucking brilliant!) another writer, a list: okay, so youve blown through chuck's library and youre slightly depressed. like, what now? oh, and welcome to the cult. this place has the strong potential to change you, maybe even for the better -kabol

7 Ways to Use Evernote - Stepcase Lifehack Last week, Lifehack founder Leon Ho introduced me to the beta note taking application Evernote. Evernote boasts a variety of features that make it an excellent application, including automatic synchronization between the web and your other devices, tagging and sorting features, an online client that makes it accessible from anywhere, and a search feature that can even search text stored within images. From the developers themselves: Evernote allows you to easily capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at anytime, from anywhere. I’m a big fan of anything that keeps my data synchronized between devices, let alone totally automatically, so I was keen to give Evernote a try. It’s got a pretty unique set of features and fills a gap in my workflow I’d been looking to fill in terms of applications, so today we’ll look at seven ways to use Evernote to make life easier. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

33 Unusual Tips to Being a Better Writer Saugatuck Bed and Breakfast, Saugatuck Michigan Bed and Breakfast 37 Lectures Every Writer Should Listen To By Jessica Cortez Seasoned writers and complete novices alike have a few things in common: a shared love of the written word and the need for the occasional word of advice, wisdom or motivation to keep them going. While writing is a creatively gratifying process, it can also be one riddled with dead ends, late nights and loads of frustration. Whether you are studying for a liberal arts degree, have a career in liberal arts, or writing for fun, here are a few lectures that will give writers young and old alike some tips on writing better, getting published and promoting their craft as much as possible. Advice from Authors There are few people more qualified to offer advice to writers than those who are authors themselves, and that’s just what these lectures do. Improving Your Skills No matter how good you get at writing, you’ll always need to keep honing your craft, and these videos offer sage advice on making your work better every day. Inspiration and Motivation Getting Published Comments

10 conseils pour commencer à bloguer Il arrive assez souvent que des amis me demandent des conseils pour commencer un blog. Voici donc un article qui tente de répondre à ces questions. Comme ça tout le monde en profite 1. La veille est d’or, le blogging est d’argent Comprendre : la veille est le le préalable nécessaire au blog. Avant de lancer Tête de Quenelle, j’avais un premier blog que j’alimentais très occasionnellement, jusqu’à l’arrêter. Faire de la veille comporte de nombreux avantages : il permet d’observer ce que font les autres, repérer des techniques d’écriture, des pratiques, mais surtout, cela permet de trouver des sujets d’inspiration. 2. Chacun a bien sûr ses objectifs, certains voudront se concentrer sur un sujet très précis, mais d’autres (comme moi à l’époque) peuvent avoir des premières idées de billet sans avoir de vision à long terme. Le piège peut être justement de vouloir se lancer sur un sujet de niche, puis de se retrouver « enfermé » dans cette ligne éditoriale. 3. Vous vous sentez prêt ? . 4. 5.

Russian Felt Boots valenki - RusClothing.com Russian valenki is a precious gift for yourself, your children and family. Valenki are traditional Russian felt boots invented a long time ago as the best solution for cold Russian winters. First valenki were made centuries ago from sheep wool to keep feet warm even with 40 degrees Celcius below zero. Genius invention was to make felt from 100% natural materials always available in poor villages. Firm and high, they served perfect for many-many years in one family and were even given as heritage to younger generations. With the time people could not go without them. Russian valenki are to be worn inside and outside. We decided to devote a special section to Russian valenki since the demand on valenki is growing and our collection has more and more new featured valenki wool boots: Valenki boots for adults (13 items)Here you find classic sheepwool boots made according to unique technology at one of the best felting factories in Russia with amazing crochet and handmade decorations.

Ben Bova Writing Tips TIPS FOR WRITERS Ben Bova 1. Write Every Day.The most important thing for a writer to do is to write. Write every day. (In reply to an emailed question) The question, "Am I writer?" Ecrire pour le web: « C’est la structure, imbécile! » Comment faut-il écrire pour le web ? Souvent l’enseignement se résume à des techniques d’écriture et d’édition, et à l’usage que l’on peut faire des différents médias: texte, son, vidéo, infographie, etc. Cet enseignement ignore deux points clé: l’importance des liens hypertexte qui permettent de réunir dans un même ensemble des éléments d’apparence disparates et le fait qu’il soit possible de développer des récits non-linéaires, offrant la possibilité à chaque internaute de se construire son propre parcours de lecture. Pour ces raisons, l’écriture sur le web est d’abord une question de structure. Cette question a suscité de nombreux travaux depuis une quinzaine d’années. « Écrire pour le web » se résume souvent à quelques conseils rustiques: Style. Caricatural? « Écrire pour Google, c’est écrire d’abord pour le lecteur : faire concis et précis (titre et accroches efficaces) riche (liens externes, popularité, régularité), et accessible sur la forme (gras, paragraphes etc.). 1. 2. 3. 4.

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