Wednesday, April 21, 2010

200

Since I started blogging…

I have read more than 200 children’s books
Met at least 200 people online
Learned nearly 200 things about writing
Edited my book close to 200 times.

Okay, that might be an exaggeration…

But on Monday I put up my 200th post
And almost 200 people have been following these posts.
(Have I mentioned that I love you people?!)
Yay! Sounds like a reason to celebrate!

I can’t give out 200 presents. Sorry!
But I am going to give away two,
Yes, 2 ten-dollar gift cards from Amazon. Woo-hoo!
So two lucky readers will be able to order one of the 200 books on their wish lists.

What do you have to do?

1. You must be a follower.
2. Tell me your best piece of writing advice in 200 characters or less (take that Twitter!)

A winner will be randomly selected on Friday, April 23. And if I've hit 200 followers by then, I'll give away an extra ten-dollar gift card! So there could be three winners!!

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I absolutely love this blogging community. If it wasn’t for you readers I doubt that I would have made it to 200 posts. Here’s hoping we’ll all be around for 200 more!

27 comments:

Caroline Starr Rose said...

If you continue to write, read, and study the craft, your work can only get better.

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Sherrie--You are a rock star! Congratulations on doing 200 posts! Your interviews are so good. I actually came over to your blog and took notes before I wrote interview questions for my upcoming series. :)

Advice: Keep track of all of your research when you are writing nf, hf, or fiction. If you look something up to verify it fits in your stories timeline, copy the source and save it in a file.

JEM said...

I know how you feel! I'm happy to be part of this community, too, and 200 anything is quite an accomplishment.

So far, my best piece of writing advice has been to remove sensory tags (smell, feel, see) because it deepens the POV. Most people don't think "I see that orange wall." They just think "The wall is orange." I have Roni over at Fiction Groupie to thank for that.

Laurel Garver said...

Awesome contest, Sherrie!

Whew, just ONE best tip? Oh, the pressure....

That elusive quality of voice comes from opinion and association--so keep a running list or journal of the things your character knows, loves, hates, remembers, feels inspired by. Let those opinions and associations bubble up when the character describes people, places, actions.

TerryLynnJohnson said...

Fun contest and hope you get to 200 followers! Will be soon with your awesome blog.

The imagination works slowly and quietly.
Brenda Ueland.

This is one of the best tips for me because I tend to rush myself.

Tana said...

(LOL. Twitter is jealous, I'm sure.)

Write what makes your heart sing!

Candyland said...

Aww sweet. Love what you do, and what you do will love you back.

Lydia Kang said...

Congrats! 200 is a big number!
My advice is read and write at the same time, and keep pushing yourself to improve. Oops, that was two pieces of advice!

Jean Michelle Miernik said...

Know thyself. What works for one writer may not work for you, and vice versa. Write in whatever way brings you joy.

Carolyn V. said...

200 Sherrie? Okay, you totally rock!

Best writing advice? Keep going! Keep going! Keep going! Oh, and listen when others give you advice! =)

Laura Pauling said...

It's not about what happens - it's about the reaction.

Unknown said...

Congrats!!

My best piece of writing advice: Live life to the fullest, then put your butt in the chair.

(But don't enter me in the contest...I feel like I've been extra lucky lately and would rather share the wealth!)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Yay! But I'm your biggest fan! LOL.

"One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now."

~ Annie Dillard

Elana Johnson said...

What a great contest. I'm so glad you've been around for 200 posts!

My best piece of writing advice: Don't be afraid to write for practice.

Jackee said...

You are so very awesome, Sherrie! Two hundred is a good lucky number to have--and I know you are getting sooo close to realizing your writing dreams too.

My favorite advice comes from Jessamyn West: Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.

Kelly Polark said...

Congrats on 200 everything!! :)

Write what you are passionate about. And don't give up!

Bish Denham said...

Great contest. Congratulations!

My best advise is something that Jack London said: "You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club."

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

I love reading your posts, so here's to 200 more!
I like this piece of advice I picked up somewhere along my blogging journey:
Every revision is an opportunity.

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Congrats on 200 posts!

I believe every new day, whether reading writers blogs or working on your own, is a chance to improve. Never stop learning!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Wow! You guys have some excellent advice! I'm going to have to print out this page and hang it next to my computer desk. Thank you for all the words of wisdom :)

C.R. Evers said...

oh! fun, fun!

I'm a follower and the best advice thus far is "Just keep your butt in the chair and your fingers typing."

Unknown said...

My favorite piece of advice is simple: Shut up and write!

lisa and laura said...

Congratulations Sherrie! We're so happy for you.

Our advice: Embrace the suck. If you keep writing you'll figure it out. Even if you end up having to delete the crappy stuff.

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Lovely!

My writing advice: Read poetry, read classics, and live life. Write in between. :)

Stina said...

Eek! Talk about pressure.

Dissect the first line of your favorite novels, and see what makes them so cool. :D

Good luck on hitting 200!

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

Well one more follower for you - I hope you make it to 200.

My best advice: Love your writing like you love your husband: treasure and cherish it, fally madly for it, endure the hard parts with love, and in the end, know that the journey is the best part.

Kelly H-Y said...

NICE!!! Congrats on 200!!!

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