scottberkun.com

Here’s a thought for the day…

We’ve heard from Scott before. He’s the author of Making Things Happen and The Myths of Innovation. A former manager at Microsoft, he’s now a public speaker and more.

At his blog, scottberkun.com, Scott pens thought-provoking posts worth reading (you can find the whole list under essays in his nav).

How to be a free thinker is his latest.

Enjoy…

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March Writing Blog Madness

The battle of the writing blogs.

Hosted at: The Writer’s Resource Center.

The Tournament: The blogs will be seeded in four brackets with eight blogs in each bracket. The blogs will be judged in the categories below. The field of thirty-two will be narrowed to sixteen, then eight then four. In the end, two sites will go head to head to determine which site is the writing blog of 2007.

The Categories: Archives, design, usability and navigation, purpose, personality, five most recent posts.

From the Writer’s Resource Center: As the judge I will determine who moves on, but as fans it is perfectly acceptable for you to root for sites and complain bitterly if your favorite doesn’t win. Also remember that the judging will be reevaluated after reach round. If someone fixes a problem between rounds, more power to them.

The Contestants:

• All Freelance Writing
• Be the story
• Bob Bly Copywriter
• Book Marketing Bestsellers
• Confident Writing
• Content Maven
• Copyblogger
• Crime Fiction Dossier
• C. Hope Clark
• Daily Writing Tips
• Editor’s Blog
• Grow Your Writing Business
• How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career
• I’d Rather Be Writing
• Jane in Progress
• John August
• Men with Pens
• PODdy Mouth
• Publishing Careers
• Quiet Rebel Writer
• The Book Sistah
• The Copywriting Maven
• The Golden Pencil
• The Struggling Writer
• The Renegade Writer
• The Writing Journey
• Words on the Water
• Write From Home
• Writer’s Notes
• Writers Write
• Writing on the Web
• Writing White Papers

Check out Game 1: Copyblogger Versus The Struggling Writer.

Index: The March Writing Blog Madness.

For sure, the critiques alone (writing, design, usability and navigation, purpose and personality) are worth the lurk.

Enjoy.

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Mark McGuinness

From Mark:
I’m a poet and a business coach specialising in the Creative Industries and professional artists and creatives. This blog is about creativity, coaching and business, how they fit together and whether the seams show.

Posts on Wishful Thinking:
If you’ve #1 scanned Mark’s Popular Posts and #2 read DWB for the past few weeks, then you’ll already know that there’s a good chance that I’d choose 10 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block to start. But since I’ve worried the subject a bit, I’ll move on (hitting my de.licio.us tab before I go).

Mark doesn’t offer posts by month (I’m not even sure why I do as it’s wasted space in a crowded sidebar) but if he did, I always pick from May. It’s a May Baby thing. Instead, scrolling down to his categories I select Emotional Intelligence (an interest of mine). I haven’t bought the book (yet), but EI is where I found his advice on 7 Ways to Stop Worrying When You’re Under Pressure.

I’m always under pressure. I’m always having to factor in a number of issues Mark writes about, such as Maintaining Enthusiasm and Creative Flow. I guess it wouldn’t be a mean leap to understand why, in addition to noting his posts in de.licio.us, I’d be bloglining and netvibing Wishful Thinking.

You should try it. It sure feels good.

Found at Wishful Thinking:
I was going to say Russell Davis’s Open Intelligence Agency, (Hi Russell!) but as I’ve already done that, I’ll go with another excellent site found at Wishful Thinking, NESTA

Discovered via: DWB’s MyBlogLog. And shortly after, over at Liz’s (there’s always a party going on over there).

If you are a MyBlogLog member, join Wishful Thinking’s Community.

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Pam Nelson

Triangle Grammar Guide

About:
Longtime N&O journalist Pam Nelson dishes on language use and misuse and answers questions about grammar and style.

Pam Nelson’s Triangle Grammar Guide is another I’ve selected for the Learn to Write series I embarked on a week ago. And as learning grammar is at the top of my to-do list, I’ve included Triangle Grammar Guide in The Plan, where I’ve written she “reminds me of my high school English teacher.” And she does. She’s very thorough and business like with a bit of fun thrown in. Only, this time I won’t ignore the lessons. I guess it helps that I won’t have the cutest guy in class sitting next to me, ‘helping’, with me not doing the lessons so he could. (deep sigh) What stupid things we do when in the throes.

Check out:
FANBOYS and commas and Changing usage

Found at Triangle Grammar Guide:
The Phobia List

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series: A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman

Are you a fan of Woe Is I? I am. Are you a fan of Words Fail me? Me too! Do you have a copy of You Send Me? Well, I don’t.

Not yet anyway (but it’s on my wish list, right there at the top).

About:
The Grammarphobia Blog has a selection of questions and answers from Pat’s mailbox. Stewart selects and edits

So, who ARE Pat and Stewart? The writers and co-writers of Woe Is I, Words Fail me and You Send Me. That’s who. I don’t know if you’re a fan, but I sure am.

Check out:
A female version of “avuncular” and On “troop” and “troops”

Website: Grammarphobia.com

Found at the Grammarphobia Blog:
Richard Lederer’s Verbivore

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series: A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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Roy Peter Clark

About:
Writing Tools: The Blog. It will make available, at no charge, the “Quick List” of Writing Tools, exactly as it appears in the book. Then, three times a week, I’ll offer a new example, a new tool, or a variation on one of the original 50.

Writing Tools: 50 Essential strategies for Every Writer, purchased recently, is one of my cherished books. By cherished, I don’t mean I take care of it as in handle like a baby. I’ve only had it a short while and the paper cover is close to falling off from being in and out of taxis, planes, luggage, cars, backpacks and airport buses. And that’s just the cover. I plan on dog-earing and underlining the darlings innards to death in every way possible. Yes, it’s that good.

If you don’t have Writing Tools and can’t buy a copy, go to Roy’s generous online version of the Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List. Print it out. Stick it to the wall next to your monitor, next to your bed even. If you are into sound, you can listen online or download 2 minute podcasts of the tools.

About Roy Peter Clark:
Roy Peter Clark is America’s writing coach, a teacher devoted to creating a nation of writers … he is widely considered one of the most influential writing teachers in the rough-and-tumble world of newspaper journalism. With a deep background in traditional media, his work has illuminated, on the Internet, the discussion of writing …

Check out:
Dr. Ink on the power of short writing and The Death and Life of Donald Murray

Found at Poynter Online – Writing Tools:
Someone Once Said… More Words to Write by for a New Year

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series – A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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Business Writing

One of the reasons I chose Lynn’s Business Writing blog for the New Year’s Resolution: Learn how to write series is because I have her in my bloglines so I’m familiar. The other is due to her post, New Year’s Resolutions–More or Less. Most New Year’s resolutions have to do with more and less.

So very true. Some of her suggestions apply to my situation, some don’t. I made note of the below for future reference.

2. Write less. Cut your documents by 10 percent.
One of my problems is that I put way too much in my emails. Learning how to trim will save myself and the recipients valuable time. If anyone has tips on cutting the fluff, please share.

3. Be more understanding and empathetic, and communicate those feelings in your writing.
Valuable advice which I’m trying to bring into my writing. Problem is, when I cut out fluff empathy is the first to go. Practice, I know.

4. Plan more.
This suggestion has been on my mind since reading Patsi’s post, Writing Better Articles: 10 Steps.

9. Guess less.
I’m pretty awful when it comes to hyphens and all, so I now depend on New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors: The Essential A-Z Guide to the Written Word, which sits right here beside me on the couch. (It’s a new purchase so I have a ways to go before I’m proficient).

10. Give yourself more help.
At this time, taking a writing class is out so I have armed myself with books and online resources, as well as a few kind friends.

As with exercise, don’t overdo it. Pick just one of these suggestions and try it–today. Thanks Lynn, I’ll give it a try on Monday — ‘the’ day when all of this starts for real.

About Business Writing:
Why Blog?

Check out:
Proposals–Where to Focus and Understanding Flamers

Website: Business Writing Courses
Just what I need, and I’m even going to be in Seattle this year but there won’t be enough time for a class. Maybe next year?

Found at Business Writing:
A beautiful list of Business Writing
Books

Business Writing is by: Lynn Gaertner-Johnston

Discovered via: My Bloglines

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series: A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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Tom Chandler and Spouse

Excellent, I was wondering who else to feature during the Learn to Write series, when Google Alerts led me to The Writer’s Reference List: The List of Sites You Absolutely Positively Need to Save. Thanks for the plug Tom.

I’m so familiar with The Copywriter Underground, I swore I’d already featured you. The WP search says otherwise, but, if it lied, no real harm done.

About:
Copywriting Beyond the Words :: Modern Marketing Strategies for Copywriters & Businesses

Check out:
Pen and Paper: The Essence of Writing and The Writer’s Almanac: Quality Writing, Delivered Daily

Website: Chandler Writes. You Profit.

Found at The Copywriter Underground:
moleskinerie (and not for the first time – I keep meaning to buy a Moleskine as they come highly recommended)

Discovered via: Google Alerts

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series: A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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Nancy Friedman

This week I embarked on a surprise (to me) series tied in with my New Years Resolution (another surprise). Going with the theme, for good reason, Nancy Friedman’s Away With Words is at the top of the things-I-need-to-read to fulfill my dream of writing better.

An additional plus, Nancy also covers branding, another subject DWB features.

About:
Names, brands, writing, and the quirks of the English language.

Check out:
If You Can’t Say Something Nasty and When Brands Go Generic

Website: Wordworking

Found at Away With Words:
The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk

This has been a part of my New Year’s Resolution: Learn to Write series. The index can be found at the Learn to Write: Recap. You can also access all posts via categories, under Writing Resolve.

Three pages were created from the series: A Designer’s Resolve, A Designer’s Resolve: Resources and A Designer’s Resolve: Complete book list.

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notebookism

Today I was sludging down in my research for the writers section in the Working With series, so I took a break into bloglines to shake out my brain.

I’m a creature of habit so my first stop is usually Liz’s Successful Blog as there’s always a conversation, or a writing post, or resources to invigorate.

Bingo. Invigorate it did. Today was Week 59 SOBs, which Liz has loaded down with writers blogs. Not that I’m dissing the rest, but it’s writers I’m researching this time around.

There’s the CONTENT DONE BETTER BLOG and The Vocabulary Reclamation Project and Writing Great Ezines & Blogs from Patsi Krakoff as well as The Copywriter Underground.

The Copywriter Underground posted Putting Pen to Paper: the notebookism Blog. So here we have it, a Writers WILDhair, and more juice for the writers section of the WW series. Thanks Liz!

About:
This is Notebookism. We all share a pleasant affliction – the urge to create on paper.

Welcome to Notebookism. This is the place to indulge yourself with kindred spirits.

Check out:
Pencil Art and A pen for your thoughts

Found at notebookism:
Dragonfly Press | Where the dragonfly unfurls her wings…

notebookism is by: Armand B. Frasco

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