I’ve been thinking about 2010 plans for my blog and there were a couple of ideas I had for guest posts this year. Also, I wanted to update my bloglists in the sidebar (which is always a work-in-progress), and so I’m working on that in the next few days, too.
1)I’ve been interested in hosting guest posts on different series of topics. There has been some interest in writing processes lately, and I’m always really interested in other people’s ideas on the subject.
What I thought I’d do is to open it up to guest bloggers. What’s your writing process? And to make the series run more logically, I think it would be great to divide it up into:
Prewriting (What you do to prepare.) This could include brainstorming, research, reading writing reference books, how you decided on your genre, finding and refining your original idea, and—if you do it—outlining or storyboarding. Or anything else you do to prepare for writing.
Writing (The actual process.) This could include how you schedule it into your day, what your writing goal is, how you develop characters or plot, etc. Do you start at the beginning? Do you hop around as you write? Or you can write about any other part of your writing process.
Revision. Do you revise as you go along? Do you revise after your first draft is done? Do you revise for grammar and spelling errors first or for global changes like more character depth, etc. Do you mostly reword during revisions, or do you slash out extra verbiage? Do you find that sometimes you need to add text? You can also write anything at all about your revision process.
I’d like to have them run on Fridays. It doesn’t matter if we get 5 people writing on pre-writing and then 8 people writing on writing, and 10 writing on revision. That will work out fine because we all have different approaches.
You can include links to your blog or website, pictures, etc.
If you’re interested, please email me at elizabethsguestpost@gmail.com and let me know which part of the writing process you’re interested in covering. I’ll try arranging them in order—first prewriting, then writing, then revision. I’ll make sure the posts are Tweeted and out on Facebook, etc.
I’ll email you back to work out the details and date for your post to run. It might take me a few days to work it out (and I’m under a revision deadline right now), so bear with me. :) It will probably be next Friday (Jan. 22) that I manage to launch the series.
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2)Also, if you have a new release coming out this year (and I know a couple of you definitely will) then I’m open to guest posts with book covers, buy buttons, and author photos. Let me know your release month and I’ll get it set up. Again, if you could shoot me an email at the above address.
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3)Finally, I’m doing some bloggy housekeeping. If you’re a blogger and read “Mystery Writing is Murder,” is your blog in my blogroll in the sidebar? If not, let me know in the comments and I’m happy to link up to you. If you lurk—no problem! I’m a lurker myself, so feel free to pipe up once and return to lurking if you’d like. It’s just that sometimes I think my linking falls through the cracks, and I don’t want to miss anyone.
Thanks everyone!
Elizabeth – How interesting that you’re planning to have a real “writers’ community” about the writing process! I know I’ll learn a lot!
Thanks, Elizabeth. Look for my email.
I love your plans for your blog – it will be great to hear from other writers about their writing process.
You already have The Conscious Cat in your sidebar, thank you! I also have your blog in the sidebar of the blog on my Buckley’s Story site: http://ingridking.com/blog/
Elizabeth-When you say sidebar, do you mean bloglist or something else?
An excellent idea, Elizabeth. I think it will be great to have so many voices on writing together in one place. I’ll be reading!
~ Corra
from the desk of a writer
I do enjoy your blog Elizabeth. I came to it from Lesa’s.
Sounds like you’ve got some great things planned for your blog. I’ve always found it to be most informative and always entertaining. Looking forward to the new changes too.
Thumbs up for your new feature! Great idea!
Great ideas! I love the idea of having the perspectives of different writers – sounds fun!!
Margot–Me too!
Corra–Thanks!
Kay–I love Lesa’s blog! She always makes my To Be Read list get longer over. :) Thanks so much for coming by.
I think it’s a great idea, your one of the blogs I read everyday. As for what you should put on your side bar? I have no ideas.
ann
GREAT ideas! Like I needed MORE reasons to read Mystery Writing is Murder!
I love the idea of tagging fellow author’s new or soon-to-be-released books. That would really help me keep up with them all.
Updating and improving your blog can be addictive. I have to remind myself that it’s the real writing I should spend th energy on. But these are all fabulous ideas.
Thanks,
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
I’m a devoted reader of your blog, and often link back to your posts on mine – I’d love to be on your sidebar.
Deb Salisbury, Magic Seeker
Suzanne–Thanks! I’ll look for it.
Ingrid–Thanks for the link to Buckley’s Story and for linking to me. :)
Ann–Thanks so much!
Judy–The blogroll in the sidebar. Sorry for the confusion! I’ve amended my post to make it less confusing.
Definitely interested and would love for you to guest at my blog as well!
Elizabeth–you have great plans for your blog. You are inspiring me to be a little more organized with mine. Thanks!! I’ll look forward to those Friday posts.
Elizabeth-I would love to have my writing blog on your blogroll. I’m never sure which url shows up when I comment, Sixty is Just or A Creative Writer. I guess you can tell which one I want added. lol Thanks!
Now I can’t wait for Fridays!
I feel like I’ve learned so much already from reading your blog… feel my brain starting to form new neural pathways!
Thanks!
(don’t think I see my “ponderings” in the sidebar?)
You have a plan for your blog in 2010? Huh. How about that. I guess my plan was something like: ramble on about this and that, post some flash fiction, revise, indulge in stream of consciousness rants… Y’know, things like that.
Maybe I should consider being more organized…
My slightly disorganized blog.
Hi again Elizabeth ~
This is just a quick note to let you know I left you an award at my blog:
from the desk of a writer
All the very best,
Corra :)
You are a super star at organization, you know that? I think this is great of you to plan ahead and expand the networking ability for all of us.
I am a reader, and I am also in the sidebar, so all is good.
Great idea! I’m looking forward to reading the series.
What a totally great idea, and a fun way to build community. Thanks for putting me on your blogroll!
Diane–We’ll set it up! I need to the the touring blogger this year…looks like I should have 2 releases.
Mason –I’m trying. After seeing how you’ve got your blog set up (and all your ideas), I started thinking about my own! And I’m looking forward to guesting on your blog next week.
Sally–Got you covered in the sidebar. Thanks so much for visiting me!
Simon–Just a spring cleaning sort of thing. It was almost 60 degrees F here today, so I was in a springlike mood. :)
Dorte–Thanks!
Jemi–I’m looking forward to it!
Corra–Thanks so much! I love the award you’ve designed.
Michele–Thanks! I think blogging is a good warm up exercise for tackling the WIP…but you’re right. If we spend more time thinking about the next blog than the next chapter, it starts to be a problem!
Deb–I’m linking you now. And thanks so much for linking to me! :)
Paul–Sometimes it’s just time for a little housekeeping, you know? Blogs get dusty after a bit…at least mine does!
Judy –Got you added. Thanks! :)
Hart–Thanks! I’ve mulled this over for a while and finally decided to try and pull it together. Networking is a good thing, for sure.
Lorel–Thanks!
I’d love to be added to your blog roll! I’m working on my first murder mystery…it’s a novel that is halfway through, I haven’t touched it in a year and have finally dusted it off and started work on it. Since it is my first mystery, I will be very interested in what you have in store for the coming year.
I’m a new follower and would love to be listed on your blog roll. I’m also looking forward to learning about others’ writing processes.