Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

I have been encouraged with my progress in the writing world over the last few months, and it has prompted me to try to break out in print once again.  I pulled out the novelette I wrote earlier this year for a writing contest (it unfortunately didn't win) and spent some time over the last few weeks trying to figure out how to get it published in another literary magazine.   Among all of the suggestions from other writers who are in much the same boat as I, one of the most interesting and easy to use resources I found was the Duotrope's Digest .  It is a listing of hundreds of publishing options and there is something for everyone including poetry, short shorts, short fiction, non-fiction, novelettes, novellas and full length novels.  By simply plugging in the type of writing you are trying to publish, the genre it falls in and some other specifics (like pay vs. no pay), Duotrope's Digest will create a list of print publishers that are looking for the type of writin...

In another feat of pen and paper, I am pleased to announce that I have been approved as a featured Business & Finance contributor on Associated Content.  I look forward to the opportunity to explore and share my knowledge of small business management and financing with the Web, and hope that I am able to continue to expand my offerings to both Associated Content and the Yahoo! Contributor Network. I also had my very first article redistributed to a new web source this week; an article I wrote reviewing RedBox back in September for Associated Content was purchased and re-run on Yahoo! Movies.  You can see the new home of the article by clicking here. Every little jump in exposure and opportunity to be seen somewhere new reignites the excitement of writing, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Now that we're all out from under the pressure of National Novel Writing Month ( Nanowrimo ), it's time to take a look at the creations we've made.  In truth, I was not a winner this year but I am looking forward to giving it another shot next year.  The month wasn't all a wash though as Nanowrimo DID spur me on to write the first two chapters of my second novel, inspire me to move forward with finishing the manuscript of my first and give me the kick-in-the-pants I needed to apply for featured writing spots with Yahoo! and Examiner.com. Add to the mix a bout of flu, a head/chest cold, a somber death in the family and a busy Thanksgiving and it's easy to say that November was crammed as full as it possibly could have been.  Although life certainly didn't take a break through this Nanowrimo, it did show me that I can keep plunking along on my writing projects even when things are crazy.  My new goal?  To have novel #2 written and in editing by the time the next...