Copyright 2008 Writing the Cyber Highway

By

Michele L. Tune

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu

I thought I’d share some link love to some of my favorite posts I’ve read recently. These are some really good ones. And, don’t just read the following posts and move on. These blogs are really awesome and their authors are way talented! Subscribe to their feed so you can follow them from now on.

An Opinion on Penny a Word Writing Gigs by Dana Prince, at The Writer’s Blog - Dana really shared her opinion on this touchy topic with dignity and grace! It’s wonderful how she gives such awesome reasons for accepting writing gigs that don’t pay as much as you’d like. It’s not for everyone, but Dana makes you feel good about yourself if you are taking those type of gigs - for whatever reason. Another one who deserves a big ole way to go!

Find or Establish a Local Writer’s Group by Rebecca Laffar-Smith, at The Writer’s Round-About - Rebecca asks if you attend or have thought about starting your own local writer’s group. She highlights some great reasons and gives the time and place of the local writer’s group she herself attends. If you’re in Australia (in her area) perhaps you can go!

Freelance Writing: Your Way or Mine? by Amy Derby, at Write from Home - You’ll love the way Amy handles “Mr. X”, who e-mailed and ridiculed her writing abilities. I love how she pretty much vented and got it all out - without even cursing! And, how awesome that she can earn such a great living (making more than she did at a top law firm!) by doing what she loves most. Way to go, Amy! I say Amy’s way is working just fine!

How Honest Are You with Your Readers? by Deb Ng, at Freelance Writing Gigs - Are you honest with your readers? Do you share decisions you’ve made regarding your freelance career - decisions that could bring you negative feedback? How do you handle it? Do you ignore it and move on? What’s your take on being totally honest in your blog posts? Would you rather not? Find out what Deb has to say. I loved reading her thoughts. Check this one out. It was a great read!

How to Write an EBook (series) by Katherine Huether, at KatherineHuether.com - Katherine does a fantastic job of giving her readers step-by-step instructions for writing ebooks. She’s written many for her clients but is planning to write and market one (or several) for herself in the future - hopefully the near future! So, if you’re looking to write an ebook - for clients or for yourself - be sure to absorb this entire series!

If I Ran the Zoo…(Just how important are spelling and grammar, anyway?) by “Other Deb”, at The Dangling Conversation - Deb discusses the importance of spelling and grammar. How important is it to you? Do you care if you read something that is horribly written? Is it ok with you that children in our country are graduating high school without being able to read or write a proper sentence? Deb shares her heart on the topic. Definitely one you should invest a few minutes for!

Is Your Child Learning at School? by Hope Wilbanks, at Coffee with Hope - This is an amazing story about a child Hope had the opportunity to teach as she played the role of substitute teacher recently. The event broke her heart and as you read about it, I’m sure most (if not all) of you will be wiping tears. What an injustice America’s children face each day… Bravo to Hope for making a difference - even if it was just that one day, I’m sure the memory and kindness she showed him will carry throughout his lifetime! (But I have a feeling she’ll have the opportunity to make a difference in multiple lives some day!)

Organizing Your Freelance Writing Career by Sharon Hurley Hall, at Get Paid to Write Online - Learn how Sharon balances her freelance writing career with family and an actual life AWAY from the computer screen. Her approach is one that’s working, so you may want to see how you could glean from her experience and put her wisdom to use in your own freelance career!

Putting Weekends to Good Use by Jenn Hollowell, at Working Writer - Do you write on the weekends or use them as a time to push away from the keyboard to clear your head and rest your eyes? If you’re wanting to use every spare moment you can scrounge up to build your freelance career, check out Jenn’s advice for making the weekend a tool to enhance your business. Great idea, Jenn!

Time Management: The Internet (Part One) AND Part Two by April Aragam, at Blog of a Writer - Great tips for keeping yourself accountable while using the Internet. April shares simple steps you can take so you don’t end up swallowed up and lost in a sea of chats, blogs, and whatever networking sites you adore and participate in. Very sound advice, April!

Which Comes First: The Source or the Story? by Susan Johnston, at The Urban Muse - So, what’s your answer to this question? Join Susan as she ponders her thoughts - and asks you for yours - on this topic. It’s a lot to consider!

SERIOUS UPDATE: I visited Susan’s blog today and discovered her dad has passed away. She needs your hugs, prayers, and/or any kind words of encouragement and understanding you have for her. My condolences, Susan. I’m praying for you!

Work Your Jaws by Melissa Donovan, at Writing Forward - Melissa talks about how not only has our handwriting suffered since our obsessions with being at the computer typing, but because of our isolation, most of us freelancers aren’t talkative or social anymore. Something to think about for sure!

Writing Style Meme by Becca, at -In fond memory of her school days, Becca assigns “homework” for her readers to complete. You can post your answers on your blog or in her comments section. This looks like fun. She asks some good questions! If you haven’t already visited, be sure to drop by. I’ve given Becca link love before, but it was for her other blog: Becca’s ByLine, which is a wonderful blog as well!

Happy weekend reading!!

Photo Credit: Me

Ah, this is the life!

What’s better than a laptop and a good cup of coffee? Ok, maybe a good cup of coffee, a book, and a comfy chair, but that’s beside the point! (Isn’t that cup cute? It’s one of my favorites!)

It’s easy to be inspired to write when you have a nice laptop and cheerful cup of warm bliss, isn’t it?

Freelance writing and blogging are both hard to do, but there’s so much gratification all along the way. We’re not always on the forefront, though, getting that byline to show off to friends and family.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of “behind the scenes” writing and my name isn’t going to be displayed with the work. It’s on topics I’m passionate about and have endless inspiration for, so I’m pleased with the finished products–even though I can’t shout the published clips to the world. Sometimes the best things in life happen behind the scenes.

Do you write behind the scenes? Or do you always prefer to see your name? Have you ever used a pseudonym? Do you enjoy using a pseudonym or would you try using one? Share your opinions and experiences in the comments. Can’t wait to hear (ahem, read) what you have to say!

Hope you’re busy writing the cyber highway–behind the scenes, or not!

By

Michele L. Tune

Photo Credit: Me

Erika, at Musings from the Mitten, has tagged me for a meme (er, I’m running a little late - sorry!). The theme: Why I love writing from home…

Ok, here are a few reasons (in no particular order):

1. I don’t have to wear panty hose.
2. I get to see my thinking tree every day.
3. I don’t have to drive.
4. I can write while sitting on the porch.
5. I can bake banana bread and deliver it to people just because. (I don’t treat myself to this moist, delish bread - I don’t want to gain back 100+ pounds, you know! - but I do reap great satisfaction from sharing my love of baking with others.)
6. I get to network with awesome writers (like Erika!).
7. I can blog.
8. I can Squidoo.
9. I’m able to take photos like the one featured at the beginning of this post.
10. I get to Hub.
11. But most importantly, I can release words fighting to escape from my soul, all while making money and being around loved ones at the same time!

Thanks for tagging me, Erika!

A few ladies I know will share wonderful reasons why they love writing from home are:

1. Becca, from Becca’s Byline
2. Renie, from Renie Burghardt’s World
3. Katherine, at KatherineHuether.com
4. Opal, at Addicted to Writing
5. Janna, at Something She Wrote

If you ladies have the extra time and would like to participate, we’d love to read what you love most about writing from home! And, if anyone reading this has never heard of or visited the above blogs (including Musings from the Mitten) do check them out. They’re amazing ladies with awesome blogs!

UPDATE: Amanda, over at From Ink to Ether, took me up on my offer and posted The Beauty of Working from Home. If her blog is one you haven’t visited, please speed the cyber highway right now and get there. Amanda Nicole shares information on freelance writing rates and much more. Thanks for participating, Amanda!

NOTE: Anyone else want to jump in? I’ll update with your link as well!

So, my faithful readers, why do you enjoy writing from home? Are you just starting out or have you been writing from home for years, or even decades? Is making money the main reason you write? Or do you write because, like me, it’s your calling and you can’t escape it? Does the ole muse chase you down in the middle of the night and beat you over the head until you drag yourself to the computer and fill up those empty pages? Jump right in the comments and share your heart! Kick your shoes off and stay awhile. You don’t have to be a lurker here! No siree, Bob - or Sally! Want to participate in this meme? Go right ahead! Leave a link to your post in the comments. I look forward to reading your answers!

Keep up with me as I write the cyber highway. Grab my feed. You can subscribe to Entries RSS OR Comments RSS OR if you prefer to receive updates to your inbox, you can subscribe Via E-mail as well!

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme

By

Michele L. Tune

You probably can’t see the inspiring words on the front of this spiral notebook I bought yesterday.

These six words jumped out at me and spoke volumes to my soul! I had no intentions of buying a notebook, but I couldn’t resist this one.

It’s true, the door to our dreams is right in front of us—just up a head a little ways. Like the rainbow we talked about in the previous post, it’s there, we just can’t see it yet. All we have to do is stay on the path that leads to it - no matter how rocky the terrain gets - and have the strength to open our door once we reach it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Sometimes the only thing holding us back from our dreams is us. Yes, that’s right. Maybe we’re afraid of the unknown. Maybe we’re beating ourselves up, thinking we don’t deserve all the goodness that awaits us. Who knows? But the door is there, and we’re the only ones with the power – the key – to open it.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to unlock and open the door to your dreams? Do you have enough muscle to pull hard enough to yank that door open and flail it against the wall? Do you have enough ambition, faith, hopes and dreams to bust through with all your might? Think about it….

Keep watching for your rainbows, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for the door to your dreams; it will enable you to have much success writing the cyber highway!

By

Michele L. Tune

Well, here she is… my beloved computer armoire. I cherish her to no end!

Take note of the stuffed Ziggy and Woody Woodpecker perched atop my monitor and speaker. They’re figures from my childhood and it just makes me happy to see them every day, ha ha!

I love this armoire. There’s a big file drawer, smaller drawers, shelves for reference books and all kinds of nooks and crannies to store all my writer goodies.

The smaller books I refer to often are lined up within reach. A pastel floral cup holds my highlighters and pens, and I even have space for a couple of photos and a beautiful writer’s block my aunt gave me as a gift.

I love the pullout, too. Not only is there a place for my keyboard, but it’s a double pullout (like a desktop!) with plenty of room for my weekly planner, the 3-ring binder I keep my log sheets and manuscripts in, and even a cup of coffee!

On the inside of both doors are cork panels for pinning up more goodies and photos and a handy calendar for easy deadline notes.

I never tire of this cozy writing space! She continues to bring inspiration for my writing and joy to my soul. I feel like my life is all tucked away into this armoire at times. It seems that way anyways.

And… Here I am typing away, writing the cyber highway!