owned and maintained by Joanna Penn

What this blog is about

This website focuses on four main areas: writing, self-publishing, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

The topics covered in the blog include:

• author entrepreneur 
• creativity 
• eBooks and technology 
• marketing and promotion 
• publishing options 
• writing

It's for writers and authors who want to self-publish but either don't know how or don't have enough confidence to try. TheCreativePenn.com has been voted one of the Top 10 sites for writers three years running. The blog features both a podcast and YouTube video series.

Watch Joanna's Welcome to The Creative Penn video on YouTube.

About Joanna Penn

J.F.Penn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers on the edge, as well as bestselling non-fiction for authors published under Joanna Penn. She is a professional speaker on creative entrepreneurship, digital publishing and internet marketing, and was voted one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013.

Why I love this blog

This blog is another fantastic resource for writers and authors. Joanna is so practical in her advice, which comes from her experiences as a writer. She knows her stuff. She also drives home the point that authors and writers ARE entrepreneurs. When you subscribe to the blog, Joanna gives you the free Author 2.0 Blueprint, which tells you more about how to self-publish books and eBooks and is incredibly helpful.

Resources

The Creative Penn - http://www.thecreativepenn.com/
The Creative Penn podcast - http://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/thecreativepenn
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/thecreativepenn

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courtesy of Maria on flickr

Recently, I've gotten it into my head that I want to write an eBook for this blog. It will be the first eBook I've ever written and I want to share the lessons I've learned (so far) after two months of working on it.

Lesson 1: Know your blog/website 

This should seem like common sense but it's actually extremely difficult. When I started writing my eBook two months ago, I had no where near the clarity or vision for my blog that I do now. And writing this eBook has helped bring me clarity for my blog in many ways.

I know the changes I need to make and I've found a new vision for my blog. I've hired a professional web designer to redesign my blog to match these changes. In this sense, I'm extremely grateful to my half-written eBook for the lessons it's already taught me about my blog.

Lesson 2: Make an outline

I can't emphasize enough the importance of the outline. eBooks are so different from traditional print books in a number of ways. But the most important thing for an eBook is that it's easy to read. And remember, you're putting your eBook on the Internet, and you'll have no idea where it will end up or with whom.

To make my eBook matter to my blog readers, I needed to put a ton of consideration into the content and how I wanted to present it. This is where the outline became super handy.

Lesson 3: Accept that it's a process

Writing an eBook is a time consuming process. It will be full of both excitement and complete exhaustion. And there will be times where you just want to give up. I know I had many of these moments the last two months. I didn't know where my eBook was going and I was sick of writing in circles.

If you are writing an eBook, or want to write one, remember that it is a process that will take time and energy.  If you're feeling frustrated or stuck (as I was), seek feedback from other people. I'm part of a online writing group and they helped me to get unstuck and clarify my goals for my eBook.

These are the three lessons I've learned so far. I've included a couple of  resources at the bottom of this post that have helped me in writing my eBook.

As always, thank you for reading :)
Melissa

Resources

How to Write a High-Quality eBook in 30 Days from Copyblogger

eBooks The Smart Way by Pat Flynn (from Smart Passive Income)

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Happy Independence Day for those in the United States!

This week I want to review the blog/website Goins Writer, written and maintained by Jeff Goins

What this blog is about 

Goins Writer answers the following questions:

• How do successful writers make a living?
• What does it really take to get published?
• How do you pursue a passion?

This blog is ultimately about pursuing your passion for creativity, especially if your creative passion is writing.

About Jeff Goins 

Jeff Goins has written and guest-blogged for over 100 magazines, publications, and blogs. He is a speaker, creative coach, and consultant. He's published three eBooks:

• Wrecked for the Ordinary: A Manifesto for Misfits
• The Writer’s Manifesto: Stop Writing to Be Read & Adored
• You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)

He also has a podcast, The Portfolio Life and an audio series called The Writer's Studio: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Real Writer.

He runs an e-course called Tribe Writers.

Why I love this blog 

This blog is just...amazing. I absolutely love the content; Jeff Goins covers all aspects of writing and creativity in the most practical and easy-to-understand way. It's just so straightforward.

I can't remember how I came across Goins Writer, but it has made such a big difference in my writing practice. I absolutely recommend his free eBook The Writer's Manifesto and his other eBook You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One). I also own his audio series. Can you tell I'm a fan?

Please, please, please, if you are a struggling writer or creative, check out this blog.

As always, thank you for reading :)
Melissa

P.S. I am not an affiliate for this blog or any of Jeff Goins's products. I just like mentioning blogs I have found helpful :) 

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This week I want to look at the blog Helping Writers Become Authors, written and maintained by the author K.M. Weiland

courtesy and property of k.m. weiland

What this blog is about 

Helping Writers Become Authors is all in the title. It's writing advice, particularly in the areas of character development, the writing life, writing inspiration, structuring your novel, and editing your novel.

The blog was awarded as one of the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers of 2014.

See K.M. Weiland's introduction to her blog below.


About K.M. Weiland 

K.M. Weiland lives in make-believe worlds, talks to imaginary friends, and survives primarily on chocolate truffles and espresso. She is the IPPY and NIEA Award-winning and internationally published author of the Amazon bestsellers Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, as well as the  western A Man Called Outlaw, the medieval epic Behold the Dawn, and the epic fantasy Dreamlander.

Why I love this blog


Sources

Website: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
Author website: http://www.kmweiland.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMWeiland

P.S. I am not an affiliate of K.M. Weiland's products. I just like pointing out blogs that I've personally found really helpful :)

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Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

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This week I am reviewing Positive Writer, which is written and maintained by Bryan Hutchinson.

What this blog is about 

Positive Writer is for fellow writers who are stuck in doubt, uncertain of their abilities, and yet, have an overwhelming desire to create work that matters. This blog will help you to overcome writer's doubt. Bryan writes about the following topics: writer’s doubt, writing, blogging, self-publishing, marketing, creativity, positive thinking, attitude, confidence, perception, and setting and achieving goals. Positive Writer was also named one of the top 100 best websites for writers.

Why I love this blog 

Well, it's about writing and having a positive mindset, which I think is not always obvious to writers. I have found some wonderful advice on this blog about building my confidence as a writer. It's all been advice I really needed to hear. If you've ever doubted yourself as a writer, or even as an artist, you need to read this blog. It's seriously uplifting.

Bryan also gives out a fantastic free eBook Good Enough when you subscribe to his blog and he wrote the book Writer's Doubt, which I can't wait to buy.

I hope you'll stop by and check out Positive Writer. It will change your writing mindset!

Until next time :)
Melissa

P.S. Have a blog for me to review? Please contact me!

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The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressifeld

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This week I am reviewing the blog The Write Practice, which was founded by Joe Bunting and is maintained by him and his team.

thewritepractice.com founded by Joe Bunting

What this blog is about 

When I started my writing practice last month, I found The Write Practice by googling for writing blogs. This blog will help you to kickstart your writing practice. Joe and his team write daily posts on writing, from doing the outline to looking to get published. There are also tutorials and a digital course for publishing and marketing your book called The Story Cartel Course. When you subscribe to this blog, you also get two weeks worth of writing prompts to help get your started with your writing.

About Joe

Joe Bunting is the founder of the Write Practice. He loves the sound of a good sentence and would like to think of himself as a literary snob but can be kept up far too late by a page turner meant for thirteen year old girls. He would like for you not to know that though. He lives with his wife and son outside of Atlanta.

Why I love this blog 

I love this blog for several reasons and the first is how helpful the posts are. I found everything I need in terms of writing advice from this blog. For example, I've thought about doing NaNoWriMo for a while now and Joe has a great post called 12 Thoughts on NaNoWriMo that every writer should read. I also plan on taking Joe's Story Cartel Course to learn how to publish and market my book. After I'm done writing it of course :)

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courtesy of quotestree.com

For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to write a science-fiction or fantasy novel. I've had the same ideas in my head for years and now I can't remember where the ideas even came from.

After I was done with graduate school and got my full-time job, I decided it was time to start writing. I knew what I wanted to write and who my characters were. But where should I start with writing a novel? Obviously by writing.

I decided to start with an outline. I'd always used outlines for writing papers in school and they work wonders for me. If I wanted my paper to be good, I always needed an outline first. Why would it be different for writing a fiction novel?

Why you need an outline 

There is no overall agreement in the writing world that you absolutely need an outline for writing a novel. Many writers like the thrill of not knowing what they're writing. For some, the outline is essential. It all depends on who you are as a writer. I recommend trying the outline before you completely reject it.

I need an outline for my writing. And, honestly, I have no clue why. My writing is just better when I have one. I guess it has to do with organizing my ideas before I start but rarely does my outline stay the same once I start writing. But I like having an outline to go back to when I get stuck in my writing.

When you start writing your novel, bring your outline with you on the journey. It's not an unchanging thing anyway. It will change as you start writing. I know mine definitely has.

The outline is a living and growing thing 

Treat your outline as if it is part of your novel. When you are writing and your story changes, take a break to put that change in your outline. This will help you to see if the other parts of the novel you outlined will work with your new material. I'm still working on my outline even now as I write my novel.

There are also many different kinds of outlines and I'll write more about them as I continue to experiment with different ones.

Thank you for reading :)
Melissa

Do you use an outline when you write? 

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Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett 

courtesy of Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

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Looking at the title of this blog, the word that will probably stick out the most is "librarian". Yes, I am a librarian and I deal with information constantly. It's my job and I absolutely love it. And I want to share my love for information.

Why did I start this blog? 

Because I have some topics that I'm really passionate about. My blog looks how to explore information at the crossover of five main things: personal information management, lifestyle design, technology, creativity, and nerdy stuff. I want to help you find the right information and resources for these topics. I also want to talk about my passion for manga, anime, and science-fiction (just to spice things up).

Join me on my journey!

I have been in school for the past 20 years of my life (and I'm only 25). This blog will chronicle my adventures as I begin to develop my life after not having much of one :). I'm going to explore personal information management, lifestyle design, technology, creativity, and all things nerdy.

I hope my information will be useful to you and please connect with me!

Welcome to Nerdy Mindful Librarian!

Topics on my blog include:

Personal Information Management

Lifestyle Design

• Wellness 
• Career/Entrepreneurship 
• Blog of the Week 
• Mindfulness
• Minimalism 

Technology

• Tutorials 

Creativity

• Writing 
• Blogging 

Nerdy Stuff

• Manga 
• Anime
• Science-Fiction and Fantasy 
• Book Reviews

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