For your consideration (but mostly entertainment), some sage advice on how to win an essay contest…

1. Surf the web with no explicit purpose during your writing time aside from procrastination

2. Find an essay contest that looks very interesting and get excited about it.

3. Get a few ideas for said essay contest almost instantly (because you’re full of many things, especially ideas)

4. Read rules of essay contest and calculate that today is Friday, the entry is due on Monday.

5. Furiously rough draft one topic idea. Allow draft to take you over 1,000 words despite contest limit being 300 words.

6. Set aside rough draft, thinking, “I have two days left to play with it.”

7. Awaken at 2:30 a.m. Friday night/Saturday morning and realize that your math and calculation skills are the reason you went into English teaching. Essay deadline is not Monday but Sunday. And you’re going to be gone almost all day Saturday.

8. Spend most of Sunday chop, chop, chopping words mercilessly, tightening prose, gritting teeth in anger because your idea that seemed so full of promise on Friday is just a weird, random, creative thought that can’t compete on the level of personal essay.

9. Submit the damn thing anyway late Sunday afternoon.

10. Get an email on Wednesday from the author sponsoring the contest to inform you not that reading your essay was a waste of time but that you WON FIRST PLACE (sorry for the shout. You’re a little excited!)

Now, mind you, every author’s experience is different. This is only what works for me

Think I’m making this up? Check it out for yourself: (no lemons were harmed during the writing of this essay)

True Genius Essay Contest First Place Winner at CreativityPortal.com

(or, “The Lemon Essay That Won Me the Contest).

Any advice you’d add for upping your chances at winning a writing contest? Or for getting the lemons out of your head?

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• Filed in Writer's Life, Writing Contests

By now, you should be a Twitter expert! (I’m sure there’s a word for that…perhaps ‘twexpert?’) Let’s wrap up the series with two more great ideas to add to your Twerpertoire (ugh!).

9. Network off the ‘net

I belong to a group of Twitterers who happen to be local. They’re all marketing, internet, business-type folks who know more about social networking that I ever plan to learn, but their ideas and energy are contagious. They’ve started meeting in places around the city to network and get to know each other (also known as Tweetups), and as soon as my schedule allows, I’m planning to join them. There’s always value in putting names to faces, so I’ll do it as much for them as myself. Who knows who they might know locally that can help build my writing career?

You can take this a step further by twittering your book signing information, writing group meeting and conference details and any other events where you’ll be out in public.

10. Have Fun!

When I began Twittering, I did so solely from my standpoint of an author. I wanted to network with other writers, editors and agents—anyone in it for the writing. Along the way, I’ve followed (and am being followed by) an amazing number of folks more diverse and colorful than a bag of Skittles. One of my non-writing passions is all things culinary, so I’ve added a few foodies to my follow list. I also follow local news anchors and CNN (great for learning how to condense a huge post into those nebulous 140 words), language experts (to feed my linguistic nerdiness), a fabulous tarot card reader and teacher (who uses her card spreads to plot her stories) and Ohio State football fans from across the country (O-H!). I don’t follow everyone who follows me, because as you’ll come to see, some Twitters are downright annoying, lewd or weird (just like real life). Since the whole social-networking idea is to connect with those you’d normally not connect with in the bubble of your daily life, adding Twitters from all facets of life I find interesting accomplishes just that.

Now that you know the inside secrets to using Twitter to your writing advantage, how are you making it work for you? Let us know!

Curious about how Twitter can help your writing? Stop by these posts for more ideas:

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

Several years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Deidre Knight at a writing conference and remember thinking that if I were ever in the market for an agent, she’d be an excellent choice. I enjoyed her energy, enthusiasm and obvious love of the romance genre–something you don’t get from everyone.

Visiting her agency blog, KnightAgency.blogspot.com, I discovered her current contest for the chance for 20 lucky authors to get a read by an agent and possible representation. All it requires is three sentences…certainly you can do that, right?

Don’t waste time. The contest ends April 20th.

The Knight Agency’s Book in a Nutshell Contest

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• Filed in Writing Contests

I’m almost done sharing a full week of ways to boost your writing career with Twitter. How many have you tried?

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

7. Tease ‘em

You know you’ve always wanted to be a tease. Now’s your chance. Twitter is an excellent way to get your work to readers. Tweet an approved excerpt, title or blurb with a link to your site. If you’ve got a long excerpt, tweet a line or two each day with a link to your book, website or blog. Tweet your public appearances and book signings. Tweet an excerpt of your blog posts and link back to your blog.

An extension of this is to add Twitter updates to your social network sites and blog via plug-ins and apps, short for applications. You can do this by going to the “Settings” then “Account” tab at Twitter and following the “You can also add Twitter to your site here” link below the “More Info URL box. Likewise, you can also set up your Blogger, Facebook, MySpace, TypePad and other social sites to update twitter through the use of applications (apps) or plug-ins. If you can’t locate the necessary apps or plug-ins at your social site, try a Google search.

8. Challenge yourself

Sometimes you need a little extra push to get you over a hump or a mental block. Tweet that you’re putting yourself on a deadline or giving yourself a challenge, say, to finish chapter 12 by lunch. Work in a few periodic breaks to update your status (or download a Twitter app like TwitterFox for your browser to update your status without the temptation of reading Twitter posts) and let folks know when you’re done and if you met your goal. For some, this is just distraction, but for those who thrive on competition and public humiliation, it may just be the ticket. If you’ve got other writer-friends on Twitter, you may be able to convince them to join you in your challenge. Never hurts to ask.

What kind of writing challenge works best for you? Set page output? Finishing a chapter? A specific number of scenes? Just getting to your writing on some days? Do share–we love hearing about your goals.

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

For your consideration, two more Twitter-for-Writer tips, bringing our total to 6. Did you catch 1&2 and 3&4?

5. Practice writing short

I wasn’t joking when I said I saw you cringe at the mention of 140 characters or less. That’s all, folks. Cut through to the heart of the message. Like a Tootsie Pop, cut through the sugar and get to the chewy. (42 words right there. You can do this!) Practice makes perfect.

6. Cull writing prompts

Another benefit to 140 characters, from your perspective as a reader not a Tweeter, is the likelihood of another post sparking your own ideas. This is where following Tweeple and conversations that interest you personally is great advice. Any post is fodder for a story, a character or an article. A recent tweet about pancake syrup is stuck in my head, ready to be a story or character quirk.

Be sure to stop by the other 8 TwiTips for Writers…

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

What’s the most interesting Tweet you’ve seen recently? Fess up. You never know what it might spark…

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

Two more tips in the Ten Top Twitter Tips for Writers series up for your consideration. Did you miss yesterday’s tips?

Ten Top Twitter Tips for Writers, Part 2

3. Ask Questions

Everyone has an opinion, a thought, an answer or something to say about almost every topic. The most popular Twitterers are those who get discussions flowing by asking questions. Ask about research, craft, ideas, promo, marketing…anything writing-related to get Tweeple thinking and tweeting back. You can also pick the brains of experts on subjects you’re seeking info for if you hook up with the right folks. I’ve been fortunate to find a number of fellow Twitters willing to share advice and insight I’ve needed on topics as varied as cooking, website development, space travel and sports teams (not necessarily in that order).

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

I haven’t figured out why, but people find something mystical about the mind of a writer. Along with the normal questions (where do you get your ideas? How do you research? How do I write a query letter?), I’ve fielded some that really make me wonder (What special food do you eat? How can I get an editor to buy a book I haven’t written? What kind of ink do you use in your fountain pen?). The normalcy and knowledge of the writer’s life fascinates others, including our fellow writers. Tweet a glimpse of the writer’s life to keep them interested. Make sure it’s not too mundane, but don’t give away any of our magic secrets, either.

What magic writer’s secrets would you share with Twitterers if you weren’t bound by the author’s code of conduct? Comments welcome!

More food for (Twitter) thought:

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

Today’s tips are simple yet effective ways to get yourself started on Twitter:

1. Build networks and personal relationships

This is a no-brainer, considering it’s the main reason for the existence of social networking. The thrill of push-button publishing can sap your attention away from doing real work on Twitter and replace it with ridiculous accounts of your life that interest no one but yourself. Instead, seek out fellow authors, readers and even editors to connect with and follow. Make your networking time about establishing your online persona if you want to stand out from the crowd. A bonus to adding followers to your Twitter list is that many of them network cross-platform, meaning they may also follow you through Facebook, MySpace, your blog or other virtual connections (these folks are fondly referred to as Tweeps).

2. Get involved in conversations

There’s value in living as a lurker as long as at some point, you get yourself off the couch and into the game. While some people tweet for the thrill of instant gratification, others post to get a reaction, a thought or involvement. Give ‘em what they want by talking back. Skip the long response—short and personal is what they’re seeking. The more value you find with others’ tweets (and tell them), the more they’ll be likely to interact with yours.

Want more? Check out the other articles in the series:

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

How do you use Twitter as an author? Share your insight…leave a comment.

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

This week, I’m kicking off the first topic in a series of writer-related articles on social networking in general, social networking programs in particular. Each day, you’ll get two more tips to make the most of your social networking time.

I’d love your thoughts, ideas and suggestions–as comments–sharing how you use social network sites to advance your writing career. Let’s get started with Twitter.

Ten Top Twitter Tips for Writers

Even if you’re in-the-know about social networking, keeping up with all the twists, turns, apps and add-ons can be enough to make you mad. Tweet this, Stumble that, Blog him, Facebook me…. Taking hungry middle school students on a field trip to a candy factory is less overwhelming (and far more De.li.cious).

If you’re overwhelmed by all the ‘net terms being tossed about like Dum Dum suckers at a holiday parade, don’t despair. The social networking boom is good…actually, great…where writers are concerned. Think of every new bit and byte of technological connection as an open invitation to bring readers, reviewers, editors and colleagues to your virtual doorstep. The world is a huge place, and these programs have the potential to make your career more than just a name or a website—they create a ‘person’ in the minds of those you’re networking with.

Twitter, in a candy-coated (nut)shell, is a service that allows users to send and receive ‘Tweets’ (posts/updates) of 140 words or less. Yes, that’s correct: 140 words or less—I saw you cringe. That’s the beauty of Twitter: short and sweet.

Signed up? If not, visit Twitter.com and get yourself a free account. Once you’ve established your Twitter-self, check out these 10 ways to maximize your Twittering time. (two new tips added each day! Come back for all the good stuff!)

1. Build Networks and Personal Relationships

2. Get Involved in Conversations

3. Ask Questions

4. Share the Writer’s Mind

5. Practice Writing Short

6. Cull Writing Prompts

7. Tease ‘Em

8. Challenge Yourself

9. Network off the ‘Net

10. Have Fun!

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• Filed in Twitter, Writing Resources, Your Writing Career

I originally thought I’d fling open the WIP doors on April 1st, but I stayed up so late last night watching the Buckeyes (unfortunate loss) to Siena that I managed to get about 95% of the work done here that I wanted to accomplish prior to shouting the news.

Aside from a few minor tweaks that I’m still working on* (such as the custom header being designed and the gi-normous UNCATEGORIZED tag in my tag cloud getting smaller as I go through each and every past post), I’m basically up & running.

Don’t think I’ve just been mired in themes and .css. I’ve been developing good content too. I’ll be kicking off this new place with an article series on Twitter for Writers next week, so get over there ——–> and subscribe yourself now!

I’ll also be hosting a contest based on a contest I just won. OooooOooooh, the mystery. Guess you’ll just have to subscribe for all the juicy details!

If you’re on Facebook or Twitter, check out my sidebar ————> and join me!

Back to the design. Here’s to lots of great posts in the future….

Beth

*anyone familiar with the Thesis theme and can tell me: how to color the sidebars and/or how to create an avatar & favicon? I’d be eternally grateful and glad to give a shout-out!

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• Filed in Writer's Life