I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who spends far too much time surfing the web daily. If you’re like me, though, you have a few fallback sites you visit far more than others. I try to limit mine to sites that give me valuable information or a cathartic release once in a while, so the 5 THINGS I’ll tell you about today are the five sites I visit far too often.
In no particular order:
THE OATMEAL—Sheer ridiculous, but smart and witty. This is a great place to visit when you need to relax and have a laugh. Some of the items are hit or miss, but for the most part, you’ll get a bit of a chuckle wherever you click.
WRITER UNBOXED—Great writing advice, publishing insight, and general information on the process of writing and publishing. It’s worth a read. The articles are usually short and helpful. I have yet to read a post that wasn’t useful in some way.
FSTOPPERS—This is perhaps my favorite photography blog (although STROBIST is right up there). These guys post interesting videos about photo techniques or interesting photo projects. One of my favorites so far: a photo essay about the Salton Sea in California. Do a quick search on the website and you’ll find it.
DRUNK CYCLIST—In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that I write for Drunk Cyclist semi-regularly as D2. This is a NSFW blog at times: it’s crass, ridiculous, full of colorful language, but generally good fun. It’s all about bikes an bike culture, as well as bicycling advocacy. (Despite the name, many posts focus on SAFE cycling rather than sheer abandon on two wheels)
LAST.FM—I listened to Pandora for a long time until I realized it would play the same songs over and over again. I never heard anything new. In fact, most stations would bring me back to the early nineties when what I was looking for was the early 2011s. Last.fm is a better alternative, I think. Since I started listening to this internet radio project, I’ve discovered some great bands that fit my tastes. Put it on while you write/take photos/do taxes/fall asleep on the couch and you’re guaranteed to find a new band you like.
I have gone through several phases of weirdness in my writing habits. First, I could only write late at night with heavy metal on the radio. Then, I could only write in the early mornings with no music at all. Now I can’t write a word if someone else is in the room, or even has the potential to enter the room. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don’t. Usually I don’t.
I did a GUEST BLOG post over at Lyn Midnight’s blog. You should check it out…it’s all about being a writer/artist rather than just a writer.
Time is quickly running out on THE APOCALYPSE PROJECT. I would love it if you could hit that donate button and help me produce a really amazing and fun project. You get stuff in return, too! Only 8 days left…
Hi folks.
I had the opportunity to do a really fun photo shoot this week at the Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, AZ, and I wanted to share the first two photos I’ve edited (one of them is going back into photoshop for a bit more tweaking, but you get the idea). Want to see more of my work? Go to D2 PHOTOGRAPHY!
A Ghost in the Room
Your Shot.
I recently read a blog post (I wish I could remember who posted it so I could link it!**UPDATE: Found it! Click HERE) in which the writer confessed that she had not written anything in four months. She was ashamed. She was frustrated. She questioned whether she was a writer at all.
Well, I have written a bit in the last four months, but not a whole lot, and my newest novel, “Men Waiting For Sleep,” has been sitting untouched in a drawer for more than six months.
Yesterday, I had a writer-breakdown of sorts. When you are marketing a self-published book, you are constantly pushing that book to everyone you can get to listen, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll feel like Sisyphus pushing that boulder uphill. I was just tired. Still am. Writing has become a chore, since I do it as my full time job and as my “passion,” which I have been increasingly less passionate about as of late.
Does this mean I’m not a writer anymore?
Hardly.
If you’re a writer, you’ll know this feeling well: you wake up and dread going to that computer or picking up that pen, because the thought of actually putting words on a page feels much like the thought of going to the doctor for a rectal exam.
