Shareworthy Reading and Writing Links May 8

A Shout Out to all the Writing Mamas

Mother’s Day dawned here under mostly gray skies that hung low and brooding with the threat of afternoon rain. As I write this, the first drops have begun to fall, turning the road dark and sending the birds at my feeder into a bit of a frenzy. Though I feel sorry for anyone who had outdoor or travel plans, I’m enjoying the cozy feeling that comes from being indoors with a steaming mug of tea to hand while the rain falls outside the window.

On this day celebrating motherhood, I’d like to send some extra love to all the writing mamas out there. Whether you are a relatively new mom in the throes of navigating toddlerhood or an empty nester who is discovering that a mother’s job is truly never done, it’s a challenge to carve out writing time in days that are full to overflowing with the responsibilities (and joys!) of parenting.

In order to make time to write, mothers must become masters of time management and manipulation, stealing writing time wherever they can find it. Even harder than finding time to write is finding energy. When my daughter was younger, there were many days when I barely had enough brain cells left to piece together a simple email, never mind work on an essay or a story. And yet,  inspired by other moms, I kept at it.

Ultimately, I know that being someone’s mom has made me a better writer. Tactically, the challenges of writing while being a mom have helped me develop almost superhuman levels of patience, focus, and efficiency. People often marvel, for instance, at my ability to get actual writing done while sitting in a noisy coffee shop. Mom Writer Training, I tell them. I’ve also had clients comment on my ability to juggle so many projects and deadlines with apparent ease. Moms don’t have time to mess around, I tell them. We just need to get the job done.

Intellectually and emotionally, motherhood grants me access to insights and feelings that I would never otherwise have known or experienced. It broadens my perspective, deepens my empathy, and improves my sense of humor. Being a mom keeps me grounded, while at the same time enhancing my powers of imagination and creativity.

I am grateful that my life includes both writing and motherhood. While the combination creates challenges, it makes each day an adventure with new chances for discovery.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

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While I’m only midway through the book I’m currently reading (hoping to share next weekend!), I do have some Internet reads to share.

My Favorite Blog Reads for the Week:

CRAFT

• Your story matters. But does the audience know that? by @jccabel
• Writer’s Voice — What It Is, and How to Find It by @mythcreants
• Writing Suspenseful Fiction: Reveal Answers Slowly by @janekcleland

PUBLISHING & MARKETING

• The Blog Post Checklist for Cranking Your Search Ranking by @FeldmanCreative
• How (and When) to Develop Multiple Streams of Writing Income by @aliventures
• 6 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Blog by Will Nicholls
• What It Takes: The Social Media Skinny by @CallieOettinger
• The Powerful Case for Developing Your Fiction Writing Platform by @EmilyWenstrom
• Print Only Products: Turn Your Book Into A Notebook Or Workbook by @TheCreativePenn
• Audio Content Made Easy: Fantastic Apps for Podcasting by @kerrygorgone

INSPIRATION

• The 5-Step Process that Solves 3 Painful Writing Problems via @copyblogger
• Why Learning to Write Is the Toughest and Best Thing You’ll Do by @pamelaiwilson
• 7 Quick Journaling Exercises That Will Improve Your Fiction Writing by DanielleLHanna
• Pixie Dust by @DonMaass
• How to Think Like a Great Writer by Michael Mahin

THE WRITING LIFE

• The Difficult Art of Happiness by Carrie Brown via @glimmertrain
• Writing Longhand by @elizabethscraig
• Writing as a Small Sturdy Boat by Bethany Reid
• A conversation with the world’s leading authority on the English language about Google ngrams & language change by Daniel McMahon
• The Accidental Essayist by Allison Green

Sundry Links and Articles:

A Little Piece of Fantasy History

As a long-time fan of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, my little geek heart skipped a beat when I came across this little tidbit:

Last year, a map of Middle-earth, annotated by Tolkien himself, was unearthed in a copy of a book owned by illustrator Pauline Baynes. The map’s now been purchased by Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, who very kindly put a full, authorized, version of the full map online, which is sure to be pored over by fans forever and ever.

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Book-to-Course Summit

I came across this free, online event via Jane Friedman’s excellent blog. Though I cannot vouch for all the presenters included on the docket, I have always found Friedman’s content to be of the highest caliber.

The 8-day, virtual event takes place May 11th – May 18th and is free to participants thanks to sponsorship from Teachable, an online course development and management platform. If you’ve ever thought about creating an online course, you may want to check this event out for some inspiration and tips. Since it’s free, you’ll likely have to sit through some sales pitches, but you may learn something worth knowing.

Finally, a quote for the week:

Here’s to the adventures of writing and of motherhood and to the way they collide to create new perspectives and dreams and realities. Write on, mamas!
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Jamie Lee Wallace Hi. I’m Jamie. I am a content writer and branding consultant, columnist, sometime feature writer, prolific blogger, and aspiring fiction writer. I’m a mom, a student of equestrian arts, and a nature lover. I believe in small kindnesses, daily chocolate, and happy endings. Introduce yourself on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. I don’t bite … usually.
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