What’s hot for writers in 2008?

Maybe it’s the unusual chill in the Florida air (temp in the 20s tonight), but I had an uncommon amount of spring in my step this morning. I’d left the office early on Christmas Eve in a mess, having run out of time. Normally, I’d have dreaded returning to work. But once I took the hound out about 7 a.m. this morning, I was revved up and ready to go. Nothing like a little icy wind to wake up a Floridian.

Part of the reason I’m excited has to do with projects on the books. I just finished my first blog post, about business buzz words, for a new client, Beneath the Brand. I write about advertising and marketing for this site, so that’s sort of like plunking a bee down in clover. A newspaper editor assigned a story about a church that includes Christian rock in its services. I don’t know beans about Christian rock, so that will definitely be a learning process. And I’m working on a neat feature about writing.

I'm already looking forward to doing poetry at the SC Book Festival, participating in the Pure Poetry exhibit organized each year by South Carolina poet Janet Carr Hull.

Over the holiday, I came up with plans for the coming year. I mandated to myself that I finish both books that have somehow formed within the small confines of my home office.

Lots of topics intrigue me as possibilities for the coming year. These include the U.S. presidential election, the environment, alternative sources of fuel, American toys (courtesy of product recalls), and the omni-present topic of healthcare. Other possibles include stories about families whose loved ones are serving in the military, rugby league (because of the Australia Day match here in Jacksonville, an event that will put rugby league on the minds of many Americans), and the weather, always an ally because there’s always something going on in the sky. I may also write about legal scrapes writers get into; my last two installments of my column Web Savvy for The Writer deal with this subject.

Meanwhile, I opened two weeks of mail and sorted it, wrote and submitted two assigned columns and caught up my own blogs. I actually had a good first day back. That’s a benign sign for the beginning of anyone’s year.

Note: Yep, my laptop is resting on two pieces of scrap lumber left over from all the work we had done to the house. The bottom of the laptop gets so hot I figured elevating it would help. I looked at commercially available products, but a trip to our garage solved my problem and it didn’t cost me anything more.

Monday after Thanksgiving: Cash registers go ‘ding’ at malls; keys go tap tap in the freelance word factory

The first day back after any holiday always hurts. Like when you get one of those little paper slash cuts as you lick an envelope. You get the wince and the ouch. It hurts whether you had a good holiday or a bad holiday.

My Thanksgiving ended up Turkey Perfect. As soon as I closed the laptop last Wednesday, I managed to ditch every single work-related thought. I’d spent several weeks trying to get ahead so I could have 4 days off with family, friends and critters. By the time I started cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I had reached a sort of Nirvana populated by bowls, mixing cups and wire whisks. When I chopped fresh apple for breakfast muffins, the scent alone took me miles away from end of month billings, articles due and the hundreds of emails I never seem to catch up on. I cooked, we built fires (outside), we watched football and movies and took walks. When Sunday evening rolled around, I was already wincing.

Naturally, Monday morning got off to a rollicking start and I am already trying to set schedules so I can have even more time off at Christmas.

The freelance writing business is a stressful, labor intensive and sometimes lonely endeavor. And the best method I’ve found for coping is taking time off. The navel gazing my hound is doing in the photo above makes a great case for downtime. Creativity recharges, energy increases, and bliss comes from losing yourself in work. On the other hand, all that good stuff happens only after the initial paper slash feeling wears off as you stand there on Monday, wondering how you’re going to get it all done. When you dive in, that’s when the good stuff starts and the keys go to tapping. (Photo by Becky Day)

Five great Web sites for writers

Want to know which digital camera is best for your budget and your purpose? Or how to shorten that URL to an easier-to-remember Web address? Or whether a Web site has published your content without legal permission? How about finding information about fair poetry and writing contests? Or maybe just find a site with forums, markets and writer-bewares (not to mention a free newsletter). Here are five Web sites useful to writers.

1. PC World is a commercial site with information about tools and aids for the computer. There’s a great review of digital cameras. I looked at cameras on-site, and then quizzed an editor I knew about the best camera for my needs. Being able to take a good photo is a great asset if you’re providing content for Web sites or for newspapers. You don’t necessarily need the most expensive camera.

2. TinyURL.com is the site with a quick fix for a long URL. Visit the page to learn how to convert that really long Web address into something snappy and easy to remember.

3. Copyscape allows you to input a URL to see if your content has been used elsewhere on the Web.

4. Winning Writers offers a free newsletter and basic site access as well as a more expansive subscription at a modest fee for information about fair contests.

5. Writers Weekly is tops for general information, forums, markets and writer bewares. I’d say Angela Adair Hoy is probably one of the best independent advocates for writers on the Web. Free newsletter. The Web site also has a great comparison chart about print-on-demand publishing costs.

I’ve personally used each of these sites with great results.