This past week three blog posts made a big impact on me. It amazes me how often the right blog pops up to help me with whatever I’m grappling with at the moment. I believe there’s magic afoot.

The first one was Chuck Sambuchino’s, Why “Keep Moving Forward” is my Best Advice for Writers Everywhere. I found it on Writer Unboxed, a favorite blog I follow that started as a collaboration and now includes a rich community of contributors. I had just sent my mystery to an editor to critique and was driving myself crazy waiting for feedback and agonizing over what ifs of the negative type.

Sambuchino’s advice: “In my opinion, the most frustrating thing about writing books is that so much is out of your control.  Keep moving forward. That is probably the best advice I can give you as you continue toward your writing goals, whatever they may be. I promise myself that while I may fail at a task at hand, whether it’s small or big — I will not fail because of a personal lack of effort. There are so many things I cannot control, but you can be damn sure that I will keep moving forward through bad news. I do it because it’s all I can do. Keep moving forward and I promise everything will be all right.”

Maybe I have no control over the editor’s opinion of my mystery but I could continue to work on a short story or read an inspiring blog like Writer Unboxed where I always find something that keeps me “moving forward.”

Sacramento Gold

A second blog/website I found this week felt like I’d struck a vein of gold. Kate’s Miscellany ~  For Valley Writers is a comprehensive listing in the Sacramento area of current events, educational and local publishing resources for writers, and lots more useful links for local writers and readers. It’s a blog that gives back.

Sometimes Questions are better than Answers

Another blog I follow is Ruminating Merlin. This blogger often asks thought-provoking questions. He’s an avid reader and I like his comments on what’s happening at Apple and Amazon, the Pulitzer board failing to name a fiction winner this year and how English teachers feel about teaching to testing standards rather than to enrich minds. All weighty subjects. He ponders what it means for him personally, and to society.