Kendra Bonnett--Getting Read #21
Are you a list maker? My mother was an organized list maker. She made lists of guests and recipes she served at all her parties because she wanted to treat people to new treats each time they came to the house. We'd pick a September and start planning meals for all the holidays and birthdays from Halloween through New Year's Day. The lists of recipes, guests and food we'd have to buy all went into a notebook she called her "brain."
I make lists but I seldom write them down. I think it was watching my mother panic when she misplaced her notebook brain that made me decide to keep all my lists in my head. At some point, I decided that this habit would also be good exercise for my mind. Has it worked? I know that I don't usually forget things...or is it that I just can't remember what I forgot!?! Today I've posted a list of lists for writers.
I invite you to visit each Friday for a new list on a new subject.
Making Blogging Easier
For a bunch of writers, you'd think that blogging would be as easy as...well, writing. The problem is to make a big impression and get your blog well positioned on Google, you need to blog a lot. One trick Matilda and I have found is to assign topics to different days of the week. Another good idea is to set aside a day and write as many posts as possible. You'll find that you get on a roll, and the words begin to flow.
In keeping with my penchant for collecting lists, I've found a few lists of tips for bloggers that you might find useful:
- As the name suggests, DailyBlogTips is a great resource for bloggers. Here's a list about things NOT to do. No. 1 is the best advice of all: "You must not expect results overnight." Set a schedule you can keep and commit. Give your blog six months to a year to break through.
- I'd Rather Be Writing consolidates some of the best usability tips from experienced bloggers.
- O'Reilly's Digital Media offers "10 Journalism Tips for Bloggers, Podcasters & Other E-Writers. These are great...and a little different" "No. 3 Look for the heat in your subject." And, "No. 5 Use plain speech, and talk like a real person."
- TopRank Online Marketing Blog will help you build your following with "Tips for Promoting New Blogs."
- And here's one more. Author Cory Doctorow tells InformationWeek 17 ways for you to get other bloggers to write about you. If you've got a book coming out, you don't want to miss this list.
What Have Your Re-Read Lately?
On Monday I posted a Writing in Five video with a writing tip from Annie Dillard. If you haven't read her little book The Writing Life, I encourage you to get a copy and treat yourself to a good read. I've this little book several times, and each time I get some new idea or inspiration. And that got me thinking about my list of books that I've not only read more than once but actually re-read every couple of years. Here's my list:
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau.
- Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat by Michael Masterson
- H.L. Mencken's Days books
- This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Centennial by James A. Michener
- The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White
- The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Okay, it probably seems like a funny list to you. But there is a theme. With the exception of the two business/marketing books and Michener's Centennial, I first read all these books in high school. In each case, I enjoyed the experience, but subconsciously I felt there was more to be learned than I was capable of comprehending at the time. I've continued to read, learn and find pleasure in these works.
The two business books are classics. If you want to build a better business, market and sell your work better, read these books.
Am I the only one who re-reads books? Maybe this practice is part of my DNA. My mother loved to read and she had a list of favorites that she re-read regularly. I also watch the same movies over and over. What about you? Do you have lists of books you re-read from time to time?
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