Every month, Typescript posts a new giveaway, with recipients chosen at random on the 15th of each month. Submit your name and email in the comments below and you’ll be automatically placed in the drawing. Please only submit once; if you’re chosen, you’ll be contacted for your shipping address.

If you have a book or product you’d like to see featured in a future giveaway, feel free to contact me.

The Small Business Blogging Blueprint
by Kelly Watson

“As a marketing consultant, I meet countless small business owners who want to start a business blog, but something gets in their way. Lack of time. Lack of knowledge. Lack of a plan…”
- Kelly Watson, “The Small Business Blogging Blueprint”

I began connecting with Kelly via Twitter as a fellow writer living in my hometown. I have since gotten to know her as a smart and savvy freelance writer who has since distinguished herself as a copywriter and marketing consultant. Knowledgeable and motivational, Kelly directs her focus to female audiences, though, truly, everyone can learn from her insights, research, and writings.

Founder of One Woman Marketing, Kelly uses her experience (gleaned from trial and error) to help you find the writer (or businessperson) within you.

A few words from Kelly:

I knew, when I quit my day job to become a freelance writer, that I would have to write some marketing copy if I wanted to earn a viable living. But I had always felt uncomfortable with the marketing and advertising side of business. It seemed shady to me. The more marketing copy I wrote, however, the more I enjoyed it. To improve my copywriting, I started studying about the psychology of sales and the trigger points within copywriting that can convince someone to make a purchase.

I started to realize that marketing, when done well, isn’t about manipulating consumers or making false claims but pointing out features and benefits as clearly (and enticingly!) as possible. Marketing also helps ME help other small business owners live their dreams. I never dreamed that it would be so fun or so fulfilling. And blogging is just one part of marketing that, when done right, can help you improve your authority, make valuable connections and sell more work.

Writing can be a hobby or passion but also, in many cases, a business. If you’re looking to create your own blog for your creative writing or freelance business, Kelly’s Business Blogging Blueprint can help you lay the foundation to become successful at both.

Up for grabs is Kelly’s ebook, The Small Business Blogging Blueprint. To learn more about both Kelly and her writing, check out her website and follow her on Twitter.



Note: This giveaway will close and the recipient will be chosen on December 21.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Jane, recipient of Typescript’s December giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word about the giveaway!

(Note: recipients are chosen based on a random drawing.)

I have a confession to make. Yes, another one.

I have completely and utterly failed at NaNoWriMo.

I was prepared for it, excited for it — I was geared up to write everyday for thirty days, altering the purpose not just to write a novel, but to write anything at all: poetry, short stories, flash fiction, blog posts, essays, and, yes, even THE NOVEL.

I was motivated; I was set. I was going to rediscover my own creativity, listen to my muses whisper their stories as I translated those tales to the page. I was ready to experience the rush of words shoot through my body, to my very fingertips, and feel the words flow.

Except, the words didn’t exactly flow.

In fact, they pretty much stopped altogether.

Still, I continued to follow friends and fellow writers, cheering them on as they met their 5K, 10K, 30K word marks, all the while incredulous at all that I had accomplished as the hours passed into days and the days passed into weeks. My grand total? Three paragraphs of a new story and two sentences of the novel.

That’s right: TWO SENTENCES.

It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. But then again, maybe it never was supposed to be that easy in the first place.

The thing this has taught me is that while I may have failed NaNoWriMo, I know that I haven’t failed as a writer. I don’t believe that, as writers, we ever really can.

You can spit out novel after novel after novel. You can write dozens of short stories and a thousand pieces of poetry. Or, you can take a break and write nothing at all. Either way, you will never be any less of a writer because writing isn’t just about what you do, it’s about who you are.

You are a writer.

You find inspiration in a conversation or a piece of art or a favorite quote.

You are a writer.

You feel the story bubbling up from somewhere inside of you, ready to burst forth in a declaration of poetry and prose.

You are a writer.

You will always be creating, always telling stories, and always looking at the world through a different lense because of who you are, not just what you do.

Your words may fail. Your characters may fall silent. Your world may feel a bit darker, a little less whole as your creative mind rests, devoid of any script.

But those stories will be slowly building inside of you, and little by little, those characters will begin to awaken. And one day, just when you begin to believe that there are no words left in you, you will write.

We are writers, and in some way, some form, we will always be writing.

That is our success.

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been hanging in here with Typescript the past few weeks. If you’ve noticed, the challenges have been few and far and the posts even less frequent. I haven’t lost my passion for fiction writing — I don’t think I ever could, as it’s such a huge part of me — but life led me to unexpected places, leaving this site on the back-burner.

So I’m going to officially take a brief hiatus until things settle down and I get back in the swing of it all. I plan to bring Typescript back in mid-November with a new giveaway, fresh challenges, blog posts, and even some new short stories and another installment of the Annie Summer Series .

That’s all coming in the future, but I’m dedicating November to NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month occurs each November with the goal of spending every day for thirty days writing. The idea is to write. Just write. Get your story from your mind to the paper or the screen: let your characters talk, set the scene, spill the story. Write with abandon; turn off that spell-check, don’t look back, and follow your instincts as your fingers fly across the keyboard. NaNoWriMo is about telling the story.

And don’t we all have a story to tell?

I hope to put this to practice, altering it a bit so that I write at least a half an hour each day on fiction — something I’ve admittedly stalled on these past two months. Whether it’s a short story, a poem, a script, or THE NOVEL (yes, that Achilles’ heel that I love and dread and have abandoned for too long), the purpose is to write. And keep writing.

And as a congratulations to everyone who survives NaNoWriMo, there might be a special surprise giveaway at the end of November.

So keep well, keep writing, and let us know what you’ll be working on for NaNoWriMo!

Typescript posts a new challenge each Wednesday to encourage creativity and inspire conversation. Feel free to talk about the challenge or share your writing results in the comments section below by leaving an excerpt and/or a link to your own site or blog.

The spark of inspiration can be found anywhere you choose to look. From a title of a song to a sketch found on a napkin, from an overheard conversation to a series of picture prints, these stories are waiting to be discovered and told.

One of the reasons why I love creative expression is that it’s incredibly individualistic. It evokes inspiration and an appreciation of beauty, it stirs emotions and sparks conversations; however, each song, piece of writing, or work of art affects people in significantly different ways.

I love these challenges because I’m fascinated by what interpretations writers — word-artists — can come up with. What you bring with you when considering a challenge is just as important as the inspiration that it serves, for the moment’s emotions, thoughts, feelings, and your experiences may play a part in that interpretation. A painting may spark an original idea for one person, while another individual will look at the same painting and go in an entirely different direction, making the possibilities seem endless. One single idea branches off into original stories full of characters, plot, and your own original voice.

Visual art has always sparked the imagination in a way that few other mediums can. Every painting, photograph, sculpture is open to interpretation and tells a story of either the artist, the subject, or the viewer.

What story will you find?

Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) was known as a 20th century American pop artist whose paintings are reminiscent of comic book panels. Full of color and dialogue bubbles that call to the comic book culture, this series of paintings depict a story in and of themselves, asking questions that spark the imagination. Who is Vicki and how does she know the man asking for her? Whose photo is that in the frame to which she says “good morning?” These paintings lay the foundation of the story, a moment frozen in a time. What story will you surround it with?

The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. What words and stories do these illustrations spark for you?

Challenge: Use one or more of the Roy Lichtenstein paintings, depicted in the images below, to create a new short story or poem:

I was reading an article on TechCrunch the other day about Disney’s newest venture into online reading. The comments, as per usual, varied in opinion, but one comment stood out to me:

It makes me wonder if books will exist in the same way that classical music and opera exist today, in that a fraction of the educated class finds it to be a refined, involved pleasure, which the rest of the world does not enjoy because those things have a learning curve.

Will reading tangible books be seen as a fad? Will they become outdated, prehistoric, in the way scrolls were once used, now disregarded? Looking back through history, people chose using the typewriter over handwritten letters due to its ease; the telephone became the source of communication due to its convenience. Now, email and texting has become the norm.

Then, musicians like Beethoven and Mozart were revered, and people waited for newspapers to publish popular novelist’s newest stories or chapters. Now, we idolize pop and rock stars while reading celebrity biographies (trust me, I’m not exempt from this). The world is evolving, yes, but there comes a point where you begin to wonder…

For those who know me, you should know my stance on this. I will be the one creating an entire library and hoarding books in secret hiding places in my attic à la Fahrenheit 451 to make sure books never disappear from my hands. And while I love products such as LeapFrog for helping kids learn how to read, I’m not sure how I would feel were digital to go mainstream.

Books are much more to me than a tool to learn. They are the open doors to other worlds, they are the gatekeeper to the imagination. Sure you can take a Kindle and laptop anywhere and read — and if one were traveling, I would advocate for exactly that. But there’s something about a book…something charming and nostalgic and inexplicable. Others have said you can’t curl up with a Kindle like you can a book; that old “books are your best friend” idea just doesn’t seem the same with an electronic device. For me, it doesn’t have the same old, familiar comfort.

I wonder, too, what the impact could be on the mind, if it’s possible that the brain processes information differently on the page verses on the screen. I wonder if our minds are so geared now for the fast-paced world of the computer that when we read on an electronic device, that sense of hyperactive processing somehow doesn’t slow. With a book, reading is almost leisurely, relaxing; it makes you take your time and contemplate as you delve deeper and deeper into the words, the ideas, the story, the content. It seems, with electronic devices, you remain at the surface level.

We seem to have gotten to the point where we want things to be quicker and easier, more convenient and all electronic. But I think there’s something to be said for holding a hardcover book in your hands, fingers poised on the corner, lightly touching the paper as you anticipate turning the page.

There’s something to be said for wanting to curl up in bed with your son or daughter and a familiar book as you tell them a fairy-tale and read them goodnight.

What are your thoughts on the advent of the digital age and its affect on books and future generations?

Every month, Typescript posts a new giveaway, with recipients chosen at random on the 15th of each month. Submit your name and email in the comments below and you’ll be automatically placed in the drawing. Please only submit once; if you’re chosen, you’ll be contacted for your shipping address.

If you have a book or product you’d like to see featured in a future giveaway, feel free to contact me.

Market Your Freelance Writing In 31 Days
by Thursday Bram

“The problem isn’t the quality of the writing. The problem is the fact that many writers just don’t have the tools to properly promote themselves…”
- Thursday Bram, “Market Your Freelance Writing In 31 Days”

I first met Thursday about a year ago as part of the same career development blogging network. It has since been a pleasure to get to know Thursday better, not only for her range of experience and skills as a writer, but also for her willingness to help in any capacity. After recently sending her a (very long) email recounting my desire to travel, Thursday offered realistic options and gentle encouragement coupled with first-hand knowledge of working abroad. Her willingness to help those who are reaching out are one of the reasons why she remains high on my list of favorite freelance writers and bloggers.

Thursday’s blog always offers insights into what it means to be a writer and is a great guide for those looking to go beyond a passion and into the realm of the business of writing. Over the past few months, as I started down my own path as a part-time freelancer, I began to see additional value in her advice both for those looking to get into the field and those already immersed in it.

Whether you’re just starting out as a writer or have been a freelancer for years, Thursday’s new ebook Market Your Freelance Writing In 31 Days will help with everything from revisiting your goals and exploring your niche to querying and promoting your own work.

Up for grabs is Thursday’s ebook, Market Your Freelance Writing In 31 Days. To learn more about both Thursday and her writing, check out her website and follow her on Twitter.



Note: This giveaway will close and the recipient will be chosen on October 20.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to Rachel, recipient of Typescript’s October giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word about the giveaway!

NOTE: As a special offer, Thursday is offering Typescript readers a discount on her eBook.
Enter the code TYPESCRIPTOCT and receive $3 off your purchase of Market Your Freelance Writing in 31 Days!
Be sure to check out her website, another terrific resource for freelance writers!

Check back soon: giveaways will be back in November with a new selection.

(Note: recipients are chosen based on a random drawing.)

In place of this week’s Wednesday Writing Challenge, Typescript is now offering Writing Challenge Roundups, a compilation posted the last week of each month. Check out the challenges that were offered during the month of September and feel free to share your work or talk about the challenges in the comments section below.

September Roundup
Word Play IV
What stories or poetry does this blend of words inspire in you?

Word Play 2.0
Check out this guest post by Nean Burkholder for a different spin on the Word Play Challenge.

Typescript posts a new challenge each Wednesday to encourage creativity and inspire conversation. Feel free to talk about the challenge or share your writing results in the comments section below by leaving an excerpt and/or a link to your own site or blog.

The spark of inspiration can be found anywhere you choose to look. From a title of a song to a sketch found on a napkin, from an overheard conversation to a jumble of words, these stories are waiting to be discovered and told.

Note: This week’s post comes from friend, fellow writer, and writing challenge-enthusiast Nean Burkholder. Many thanks to Nean for helping out with this week’s challenge! Check out her poetry on her blog and follow her on Twitter.

One of my favorite writing prompts is the “Word Play,” based on random phrases found in places like spam mail, recycled into poetry and prose. What happens when random words, seemingly unrelated are thrown together into the same piece of writing? That’s for you the writer to decide.

Words come alive and certain words have their own personalities. We all have words that are favorites, words that roll on our tongues, are just fun to say, or that evoke particular images for us. Today, we revisit Word Play with version 2.0, where we take some of those words and invite them to party together. What will happen when these seemingly unrelated words with little to nothing in common are forced to interact? Will they spend their time in nothing more than small talk? Or will they delve into deeper conversation and reveal mysteries that will astound the world? It’s your turn to decide!

Word Play Version 2.0

One of the most fascinating aspects of writing is the ability to manipulate words and language to convey your intended meaning. Words have so many meanings within their own definitions, and coupling them with others can produce something not entirely expected but altogether magical. There are a thousand ways to describe an object, person, or place, and so, too, are there thousands of stories just waiting to be plucked out of the imagination and put to paper. Sometimes all we need to create that initial spark of inspiration is a word (or three, or four, or five…).

Challenge: Choose five or more of the words below with their “strong personalities,” and throw them together into a “party” in your poetry or story. Use each of the words you choose at least once and experiment with having them interact with one another in unexpected ways:

nostalgia, burning, reticent, nonchalance, blue, serenity, quite, wrung, felicity, caramel, tempestuous, linoleum, pancake, kumquat, Ragnarok, bamboozled, bequeathed, nifty, disquiet, barnacle, Mesopotamia, irregularity, labyrinthian, slipstream, verisimilitude, zodiac, bow, carnage, wren, bamboo, unique, shadow, mirror, chaos, frequent, resuscitate, laughter, scattered, bubble, susurration, squiggle, design, issues, certainty, momentous, whispers, slumber, assonance…




What are some of your favorite words, the ones that are beautiful, or sad, or mysterious, or… whatever? What interesting ideas can you come up with to make these words dance in ordinary settings?

Typescript posts a new challenge each Wednesday to encourage creativity and inspire conversation. Feel free to talk about the challenge or share your writing results in the comments section below by leaving an excerpt and/or a link to your own site or blog.

The spark of inspiration can be found anywhere you choose to look. From a title of a song to a sketch found on a napkin, from an overheard conversation to a jumble of words, these stories are waiting to be discovered and told.

Who knew that a jumble of words could provide such inspiration? That such a combination could spark creativity, begin a story? A few months ago, I discovered well over 300 spam comments infiltrating my blog folder, containing strings of words that attempted to sell the latest dietary supplement with links to unknown sites. However, after skimming through these, I discovered that, upon a closer reading, there was really a sense of poetry in the combination of words, hidden inspiration in what seemed to be an incoherent passage.

What emerged was the Wednesday Writing Challenge: Word Play, where writers had a bit of fun and let their imaginations wander, sparking creativity, igniting something magical…

After a few rounds of this particular challenge, we’re back at it again. What inspiration will you find this time?

Word Play

One of the most fascinating aspects of writing is the ability to manipulate words and language to convey your intended meaning. Words have so many meanings within their own definitions, and coupling them with others can produce something not entirely expected but altogether magical. There are a thousand ways to describe an object, person, or place, and so, too, are there thousands of stories just waiting to be plucked out of the imagination and put to paper. Sometimes all we need to create that initial spark of inspiration is a word (or three)…

Challenge: Use one of the following couplings of words to create a new story or poem
(Note: many of these have had minor alterations to make a little bit more sense):

Everybody knew

The lost multiply

Marry one was wrong

Signs say she choose

Withdraw the touched

Music note the dilemma

I was mistaken

Have ordered the wise

The glass audience

Liberation sails

Dead star was evident

Open sky blinked

Children breathed sighs

Pointing to your dignity

Breathing statue born

Before yesterday

Only songbirds saw

Never his world

Given the flames

Flowers understood

Others started walking

What interesting combinations of words can you add to the fold?