Resource Roundup
by Cindy Layton
It never gets old, does it? That jolt when you realize it’s September. In fact, it’s a bit of a paradox to say the more it happens the bigger a surprise it is. After all these years why aren’t I prepared for the changing of the seasons? Is it because I haven’t kept to the vows I made in April, to savor every warm day, spend more time at the beach, ride a bike, walk the neighborhood, share drinks on the deck?
Living in New England brings a certain amount of change, like it or not. Casting aside my denial of summer’s end, I vow to now embrace the traditional autumn themes: long pants with knee socks, baking with apples, and productivity.
It’s the fall season when I really set my resolutions, New Year’s be damned. In January, my brain is in perpetual shiver mode. All I can think about is getting to April, when I can anticipate a long hot summer at the beach, riding a bike, doing all that stuff I love to do in summer. (Do you see the vicious cycle here?)
I do understand the upper hand that mother nature has. My only choice in the matter is to re-frame my way of thinking and to prepare.
Embracing change can get a boost with the right tools. Like fleece in winter, mud-boots for spring, a back-pack beach chair for summer and the perfect apple pie baking dish for fall, here are some great resources for getting back to writing and embracing a productive new season:
From the Hampton Roads Writers, a blog encompassing every imaginable aspect of writing, their Writers’ Resources page contains a well-organized list of links to all manner of blogs, contests, and educational opportunities. Within that list is a relevant link to “Resources for All Writers” which, when opened, contains a treasure trove of the usual and not so usual listings. Use this site for information and inspiration.
CreativIndie – How to Be a Creative Genius Without Becoming a Starving Artist. Derek Murphy, a self-described cover designer with a PHD in Literature, blogs not just about cover design, but social media and self-publishing in general. Sure, there’s a bit of hype in a Five-Reasons-You’re-Not-Getting-Published kind of way, but the articles themselves are straight forward and informative. I like 8 cover design secrets publishers use to manipulate readers into buying books.
And, finally, in the spirit of back to school, try out the DIY MFA. This site offers a road-map to a self-guided MFA style program, pitching the three essential elements of Write, Read and Build, (components of any traditional MFA). Even without signing up for the program, anyone can avail themselves of a broad range of articles on craft, genre, and anything to do with writing and publishing here.
Now, where’s that baking dish? I do love a warm bowl of apple crisp.
