Blogging Tip: Learning From Others [guest post] by Annmarie Miles

WritingPlease welcome new monthly columnist, Irish writer, Annmarie Miles. She write about blogging tips and her writer’s adventures in her monthly column. Enjoy her ideas and her humor!

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If you’re reading this then you’ve probably come to Writer’s Fun Zone to get some writing or blogging tips or advice on your writing. That being the case, maybe I don’t need to say anymore because that’s this month’s blogging tip – learning from others!

But as I’m here I might as well continue… 🙂

One of the things I love about the writing journey that I’m on is that there are so many others on it too, all at different ages and stages. I ask others for advice and (amazingly) others ask me for advice, and everyone seems to be helping everyone. Although writing is essentially a solitary craft, the writing community is a bustling, international one and there is a real ‘family-feel’ out there on social media – so make sure to tap into that well of knowledge and experience!

Get inspiration from people who are further down the line

If there is a writer you love, check their website. They may have a blog or a page that talks about their writing style, how they learned, and what tips they have to share. Follow them on social media – quite often authors will comment on the writing process so you get a glimpse of how they are dealing with the highs and lows; in real time!

Don’t be afraid to ask a direct question of a writer you like. Most of the time they are busy people, with family life and often ‘9-5’ jobs too. But I’ve yet to connect with a writer who has refused to be helpful.

Join a writing group – for a long time I felt that as a ‘blogger’ I wasn’t a real writer. But I’ve been welcomed with open arms into my local writing group and have learned so much from the meetings.

Sign up for writing prompts/tips emails

Make sure to glean from the variety of advice that’s out there. There is no end of regular writing emails that you can sign up for. And I hope that you are already receiving the Writer’s Fun Zone email! 🙂 {Beth writes: Thanks Annmarie!}

There are writing prompts, blogging tips, daily challenges, hints and advice of every kind available. Many are general, but some are specifically for bloggers and others for authors. You can sign up for ‘genre specific’ tips if you like. The web is chock full of help if you need and want it.

Let me share with you a lesson I learned the hard way….! Don’t sign up for everything. I did at the start and suddenly I was flooded with emails every single day and my inbox got so clogged and I fell so far behind with my reading that I ended up not reading any of them. Be choosy, you can afford to be as there are so many to be choosy from! If a particular regular ‘writer’s email’ isn’t helping you – unsubscribe and move on.

When you’ve found the help that suits you, make a commitment to spend even just 15 minutes a day reading some ‘writing advice’. Have a pen handy to jot down any golden nugget you come across. I’ve heard it said that the best writers are great readers, so making sure to read the advice of others has got to be good eh?

Oh and be sure to take advantage of any free offers you come across. On www.bethbarany.com the Writer’s Fun Zone founder offers a complementary consultation. I took her up on the offer and it was a hugely valuable experience and well worth doing.

No matter where we are on Writers’ Road there’s always something we can learn from a fellow traveler  Let’s take some of the road together!

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About the Author

Annmarie Miles is 40 yrs old, Irish, Christian, married, and proud to be all of those things. She loves words, music & chocolate! She mostly writes about the things that life has thrown at her and how she has tried to learn, love and laugh at it all along the way!

Where to find Annmarie: Email: auntyamo@gmail.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amowriting
Google+ 
auntyamo
Twitter: 
@auntyamo
Personal Blog: 
www.auntyamo.wordpress.com
Fiction Blog: 
www.ficticiousamo.wordpress.com

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  • This is excellent. I think writers are some of the friendliest folk I know. When I first started pursuing a professional career, I was told to join a group. I resisted briefly then fell in line. Best thing I’ve ever done. I met cool people at conventions (winks at Beth) as well as in local chapters!

  • Love this post and totally agree it’s so helpful to learn from what other’s are doing. When I am feeling stuck, I will often turn to a favorite writer or poke around a famous quote site to get inspiration. Sometimes just a few words someone else wrote or said can spark so much creative thinking!

  • Thank you both for your comments.
    It’s a great community to be part of 🙂

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