25Sep 2014 by Dianna L. Gunn

What Nanowrimo 2014 will look like on The Dabbler

Blog Stuff
As you might have guessed from Tuesday's post, I've got some pretty big plans this Nanowrimo--for both myself and this blog. My goal for this blog is simple: I want to create the ultimate resource for anyone participating in Nanowrimo who needs some help along the way. I haven't chosen an actual word goal yet--I'm working on some outlines right now and I want to finish them before deciding how far I want to push myself--but I promise you, it will be massive. This is a big year for me, and I'm determined to make this Nanowrimo suitably grand. It might also be my last time aiming for a massive word count, at least for a few years. I really need to focus on editing, and it's hard to edit a…
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16Apr 2014 by Dianna L. Gunn

Getting your first guest post published

Blog Stuff, Writing
If you've never gotten a guest post published before, this week's article about a guest post strategy might have felt a little overwhelming. Once you've gotten the hang of it you'll find it's actually pretty easy to get yourself published on other people's blogs, as long as you have something valuable to say. In fact, the first three guest articles I pitched were all accepted by the first blogs I pitched them to, and that wasn't by chance. It's about getting the process right. Grab the list of blog post ideas you created on Monday. If you didn't, you should probably go do that. Like right now. Done? All right. Now pick a blog and a pitch idea and follow me. Prepare a query Most blogs want you to submit…
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14Apr 2014 by Dianna L. Gunn

Creating a guest article strategy

Blog Stuff, Goal setting, Marketing, Writing
If you read any marketing blog long enough you'll eventually hear about the benefits of guest posting on other blogs or writing articles for different websites and online magazines. Many popular bloggers attribute their success to these guest appearances. I've personally made several guest appearances over the years on different websites, and I find each one is marked by a spike in readership both for the day and in the long run. Better still, the right guest article strategy will earn money while you build your author platform. There are several blogs that pay for guest posts, and if you're interested in freelancing, guest articles are also a good way to build publishing credits. Of course, you can't guarantee that every guest post you pitch will be accepted, but if…
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13Dec 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Winter break

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Christmas is almost upon us, and whether or not you celebrate the holiday itself, odds are that you have some vacation time coming up. For those of us caught in the daily grind of work or school, vacation time often means extra time for your writing projects. It's always a good idea to take one or two days completely off to relax your mind and spend time with family, but it's also a good idea to make the most of your vacation. After all, we all want more time to work on our writing, right? Personally I'm planning to use my vacation time to focus on book length projects. I'm almost finished my Nanowrimo novel now, but by the time January first hits I want to not only have finished…
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02Sep 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Calling all Nanowrimo veterans!

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I've done Nanowrimo--National Novel Writing Month--every year since 2004 and won every year except 2005. For the last few years I've also blogged extensively about the writing challenge, offering writing exercises, pep talks and tips for Nanowrimo participants both new and experienced. Every year I've attempted to expand the Nanowrimo extravaganza here, and this year I'd like to make it even bigger. Have you participated in Nanowrimo before? Have you written 50, 000, 100, 000 or even more words in the month of November? Then I want to hear from you! My goal is to make The Dabbler the comprehensive resource for anyone trying to complete Nanowrimo. I've got an extensive list of posts that I've already started writing that will share a mix of tips, tricks and stories from…
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26Aug 2013 by dlgunn

What have you accomplished this summer?

Blog Stuff, Inspirational, Writing
Summer is drawing to a close and it can be easy to look at all the things you planned to do that didn't happen this summer--let's be honest here, everyone has something--and get depressed about your lack of success. However, if you take the time to think about it you'll often discover that you've accomplished quite a lot, just not the things you originally planned to accomplish.  For example, this summer I didn't get much freelance work, frankly because I didn't put that much effort into it. Instead, I finished editing Moonshadow's Guardian, edited one short story and am almost finished editing a second, put one non-fiction ebook together and started on a second one, and outlined a second draft of my 2011 Nano that I plan to start working on…
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19Aug 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Focus in on what really matters

Blog Stuff, Novels, Short Fiction, Writing
As a writer with a limitless imagination and an interesting life, it's easy to get caught up in too many projects at once and to end up abandoning things you really want to work on. It's something I do all the time, and this summer I've done it yet again, and realized that I need to change course to truly create the future I want. When you know exactly what you want, it's tempting to try to force it all at once, but life doesn't work like that. You need to choose two or three projects to focus on at a time, no more. You might even want to try focusing on one project at a time depending on your schedule and the kind of person you are. I don't…
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22Jul 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn
Monetization

Monetization

Blog Stuff
Part of the transformation of Dianna's Writing Den into The Dabbler is creating a website that is more than just a blog. I'm changing my focus from actual freelance writing to website consultation, helping online business owners, freelance writers and authors recreate their websites and tighten their copy in order to become more successful, and there are several other changes I'd like to bring your attention to, some of which are still in the works. These changes can be applied to any blog to start bringing in a cash flow, and this list is a great place to start if you've been struggling to figure it out. Monetization Strategies 1. Ads. You'll notice two ads--one picture and one link--for the Blogelina writing courses in the sidebar, and at the very…
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10Jun 2013 by diannagunn

The Ten Commandments of a Serious Writer

Blog Stuff, Inspirational, Writing
Today is a very special day. It is time for me to tell you all about the ebook I've been working on, The Ten Commandments of the Serious Writer. The ebook is based on this post, with a slightly altered list of commandments. Each commandment has been more fully explained, with exercises designed to help you become more fully committed to your writing. This ebook will give you all the tools necessary to plan the next stages of your writing career, including three potential schedules for you to base your own on. If you're looking for help to make the transition from hobbyist, this is the ebook for you. This ebook isn't a comprehensive guide for becoming a successful writer, but it will walk you through the process of laying…
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