Writers

Rant: On Ickiness (Or Those Who Can’t Do, Teach)

May 26, 2010
By Linda Formichelli
Rant: On Ickiness (Or Those Who Can’t Do, Teach)

I recently downloaded the free e-book The Zero-Hour Workweek by Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind. The title is a play off of The 4-Hour Workweek, the popular book by Tim Ferriss. The e-book is pretty inspiring, but when you get right down to it it’s a guide on how to start a blog on...
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Posted in Hooks & Crooks, Observations, Personal yammerings, Rants, Self improvement, Writers, productivity | 15 Comments »

Blast from the past: Ask not what writers can do for you…

March 17, 2010
By Linda Formichelli

I thought this post from 2006 was worth another look. Enjoy! A couple of things happened today that inspired this post. First, someone posted on a forum for professional writers asking for tips on how to get started as a freelancer. This, of course, caused many pro writers to become PO’d. (Why expect professionals...
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Posted in Advice, Rants, Rules, Writers | 10 Comments »

Keyboard Confirmation: A Guest Post by Pat Curry

December 21, 2009
By PatCurry
Keyboard Confirmation: A Guest Post by Pat Curry

I have thousands of bylines that attest to the fact that I make my living as a writer. But it's my keyboard that tells the story of the tens of thousands of hours I've spent at this desk working at my craft.
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Posted in Observations, Personal yammerings, Writers | 7 Comments »

What can writers learn from Jiffy Lube?

December 16, 2009
By PatCurry

This is a guest post by Pat Curry, who teaches our e-course on writing for trade magazines. Next session starts January 11! I took my daughter’s car in today to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed, largely because we had a $3 coupon. It was a $32.99 service. I walked out having paid...
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Posted in Advice, Editors, Observations, Writers | 5 Comments »

What Writers Really Do

July 2, 2009
By Linda Formichelli

J. Robert Lennon spills writers’ dirty little secret in the L.A. Times: The fact that we really don’t work all that much.
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Posted in Observations, Writers, productivity | 3 Comments »

Is Writing Talent Inborn or Learned?

March 16, 2009
By Linda Formichelli
Is Writing Talent Inborn or Learned?

I’m reading Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. According to the copy on the jacket flap, “There is a story that is usually told about extremely successful people, a story that focuses on intelligence and ambition. In Outliers Malcolm Gladwell argues that the true story of success is very different, and that...
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Posted in Observations, Writers, Writing | 10 Comments »

Announcing Modern Spice

February 3, 2009
By Diana Burrell
Announcing <i>Modern Spice</i>

We have great news from one of our Renegade Writer course instructors, Monica Bhide, who teaches our Introduction to Food Writing course. Last week she got the cover art for her upcoming food memoir, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, and boy, it’s a beaut. Seriously, when Monica sent me this...
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Posted in Book news, Classes, News, News you can use, Writers, Writing | 3 Comments »

Brazen Careerist kickboxes 4-Hour Workweek

January 13, 2009
By Diana Burrell
Brazen Careerist kickboxes 4-Hour Workweek

Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk took aim at The 4-Hour Workweek darling Tim Ferriss last week on her blog with a post called “5 Time Management Tricks I Learned From Years of Hating Tim Ferriss.” And she’s not coy in her post. She came into the ring throwing punches and didn’t stop for 700 (or...
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Posted in Blogging, Personal yammerings, Rants, Writers, Writing | 16 Comments »

Recession-proof beats for freelancers

January 9, 2009
By Diana Burrell
Recession-proof beats for freelancers

I was enjoying my morning cup of java when my eye caught a headline on CNN.com: “Adult films doing well in bad economy.” It was funny because a few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a fellow writer about subject areas where a freelancer could do well in a flaccid economy, and...
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Posted in Blogging, Classes, Opportunities, Writers, Writing | 10 Comments »

Alexandra Penney, a Madoff victim, blogs

January 6, 2009
By Diana Burrell

Many of you are probably too young to remember the bestselling book, How to Make Love to a Man. When I was in high school, a friend and I pooled our money to buy a copy. My mother discovered the book tucked between my mattress and box spring and promptly tossed the book out,...
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Posted in Blogging, Money, Writers | 17 Comments »