Thursday - Writing Tool of the Day

Give us a tool tip that really helps you with your writing.

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I don't think anything has changed the regularity and consistency of my writing quite as much as my Alphasmart. Like most owners, I fondly refer to him as Alphie.

Alphie goes everywhere with me. For several years now, I've made it a point to toss him into my tote everywhere I go that takes more than a few hours. He's with me in restaurants, the library, visiting relatives, in bed, and I can't imagine not having him at the tip of my fingers when riding in a car.

I don't think I truly appreciated Alphie and what he does for me until I got Bella, my new whore-red laptop. Bella is a hefty gal. Alphie weighs hardly anything compared to her. No wonder he's still a more frequent piece of carry-on luggage.

So what other outstanding characteristics of my Alphasmart quickly pop to mind? Here's a list:

• Alphasmarts cost 1/3 or less than a laptop


• They run on three AA batteries that last at least six months


• They are virtually indestructible since they were made for school kids


• They have eight 50-page files that upload easily to a Word file


• Alphasmart customer service is excellent... if you should need it


• They donate Alphasmarts to NaNoWriMo - how cool is that?

Here's a photo of my Alpie. Look at those sleek lines. I have the Neo version which comes without email capability. I chose this model in large part to eliminate that distraction, but the Dana version does have this added function among others. Go check it out. For just over $200, the Alphasmart Neo quickly becomes indispensible for any serious writer.

Since I bought my Alphie, two things have happened - they are now marketing directly to writers .... smart! and they have dropped the price... even smarter!

Wednesday - Writing Recipe of the Day

It must be fast and healthy. What's your favorite recipe for intense writing days?

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Spaghetti a la Checca

4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
4 mashed or minced cloves of garlic
1 cup very good virgin olive oil
1 cup minced fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and cover, then let ingredients "marry" for several hours at room temperature.

Cook one pound of good spaghetti noodles per instructions, drain, and then pour fresh tomato mixture over piping hot pasta. Serve immediately with fresh- grated parmesan and/or romano cheese.

Alternately for raw food lovers, the sauce works very well over cold zucchini "noodles" shredded with a mandoline or spiral cutter. Omit the cheese for a vegan version.

Tuesday - Writing Tip of the Day

What's the one thing that gets you writing every single day?

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Must write 500 words first thing after waking up in the morning.... before peeing. Doesn't matter what you write. But you get the juices flowing really well (twice) with this technique. Hey, it works! It's all about doing the most important things first.

When?

When should you blog? Well, the answer to that is as personal as when should you write? What's your best writing time? When does your life allow for writing space?

Your blogging is just a part of that. It's "real" writing, and you need to consciously schedule time for it. One day a week? Perhaps you'll opt to write three related weekly posts on Monday. Or daily? Maybe you'll post something on your blog after dinner, each and every day.

The important thing is that you make time for it and do it with regularity. This is part of what will make your blog interesting to readers, and easier for you to accomplish. All the habit tricks you use for other writing apply to your blogging as well. Trust me, it's easier with a plan and discipline.

It's all part of your commitment to succeeding as a writer. Read Teagan Oliver's comments about commitment here.

What?

What are your reasons for blogging? I don't mean the reasons everyone else is giving you, because those will never be compelling enough reasons to make you blog. So what if it's the latest thing? What reasons can you create that make you want to blog?

Have you considered how easy it really is? It's a piece of cake compared to learning HTML and creating a real website. Many people are foregoing a website completely as blogging becomes more sophisticated and at the same time easier for the user.

And what is blogging really? Just another place to publish your writing. Aren't we always on the look-out for more writing opportuntiies and places for our words to magically appear? There's a little button at the bottom of your post that reads, "publish" and that's exactly what it means. Your words are live when you hit that key, and the world can read what you have to say.

There's power in that, even on a blog. Have you thought of it in this way, rather than as a chore you have to do because someone else says so? Writing is work. Blogging is work. But both are part and parcel of being a published author. It's your life's work. Love it, because it's fun and you live to write.

Right?