2014 in Review

I can't believe this year is over. Where has the time gone? 2014 was a big year for me in a lot of different ways. I made some changes with my blog and my writing in general, and I'm happy with the way things have turned out.

A lot of bloggers and writers have been posting end-of-year recaps, so I thought I'd give it a go. This post will serve as a breakdown of cool things I wrote, read, or experienced in 2014.

Here are my top 10 blog posts from the past year:

1. Lovely Link-Up: NaNoWriMo Tips
2. Stop Saying "Aspiring"
3. Nifty 250 Critique Giveaway
4. Podcasts That Inspire Me
5. Book Review: ELLA By Stephen John Moran
6. Gift Card Giveaway: $10 to Amazon
7. Secret Santa 2014
8. Top 10 Scariest Literary Villains
9. Five Things I Learned From My Best Writing Day
10. MUD EYES Excerpt, Draft 2 (cont.)

Here are my top 10 books of the year:

1. DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn
2. FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell
3. HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover
4. ELLA by Stephen John Moran
5. MOTOCROSS ME by Cheyanne Young
6. FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by V.C. Andrews
7. GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn
8. SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn
9. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer
10. STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova

And, last but not least, here are my top 10 writing blogs of 2014:

1. Ksenia Anske
2. Writability
3. Brett Michael Orr
4. What Happened to the Wallflower?
5. Paper Fury
6. The Write Practice
7. Ella's Journal
8. Write to Done
9. Goins, Writer: On Writing, Ideas, and Making a Difference
10. Positive Writer

Whew! Those were some long lists, but they are full of things I loved in 2014. I also want to thank each and every one of you who read this blog and support my writing. You're all amazing! I wish everyone the very best 2015 has to offer.

Happy New Year!

What were your favorite things about 2014? What are you looking forward to this year?

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Check out @brianawrites lists of posts, books, and blogs she loved in 2014! What were your favorites? (Click to tweet)

Lovely Links 07.30.14-08.06.14

Hello, August! 

This year is going by so fast--I can't believe it. It'll be 2015 before you know it.

Enough of my digressing. Let's get to this month's links!

• Vlog: How to Make Your Villains Awesome
• 4 Steps to Loving Marketing--And Your Readers
• 12 Writing Mistakes Nearly Everyone Makes
• The Period is Pissed
• Guest Post: The Importance of Layers
• A Book is the New Business Card
• 5 Ways to Get Motivated and Inspired
• How to Write a Novel
• Keep It Simple: Keys to Realistic Dialogue (Part II)
• Too Busy to Write a Book? Write a Poem

There are the links! Enjoy!

What do you think of these links? Do you have any recommendations?

Lovely Links 06.30.14 - 07.06.14

Photo by Berit Watkin on Flickr

Happy July, everyone!

June felt like just a flash in the pan. Where did the time go?

Here are this month's links:

• 5 Lessons for Writers from The Fault in Our Stars


• How to Silence Your Inner Critic


• How to Conduct an Author Interview


• The Love Triangle


• My Top Four Tips for Writing Awesome Articles (That You're Probably Ignoring)


• Why Your Writing Sounds Weird (And What You Can Do About It)


• The Dreaded Mirror Scene


• 5 Creative Writing Prompts to Break Your Writer's Block


• Should I Major in Creative Writing?


• The Cure for Bland Characters

You may have noticed that I'm giving you five more links than usual. From now on, I think I'm going to do ten! Isn't that exciting?

What do you think of these links? What other articles or resources should I be aware of?

Lovely Links 06.01.14 - 06.07.14

It's a new month, which means new links!  

I've gathered a bunch of different resources from the four corners of the globe to aid you in your writing endeavors. Some links are thought-provoking, others are useful, and still others might be just for fun. Regardless of their intention, I hope you'll enjoy.

Let's get right to it, then, shall we?

Here are a few things to tickle your fancy:

• Beware: This Is Just About the Worst Advice You Can Give a Writer
• Scene Break vs. Chapter Break: How Do You Know?
• 7 Signs You Should Cut Your Prologue
• How to Start Writing When You Won't Start Writing
• The One Writing Mistake You Don't Even Know You're Making

Tune in next month for yet another helpful roundup of links. Happy writing!

What do you think of these links? What writing resources have you found helpful lately?

Lovely Links 05.04.14 - 05.10.14

 

This past week was pretty hectic. I'm trying to finish everything I have to do for finals and prepare for graduation (which is Saturday, May 10!), and I've almost forgotten it's time for another Lovely Links post. In honor of my graduation, you get five more links than usual:

• Reader Questions Answered: All Things Blogging


• How I Organize My Blog - And My Life!


• Giveaway: Anne Brashares' Latest Book


• 10 Not So Obvious Blogging Tips


• Writing Every Day Will Change Your Life


• The Hardest Part of Writing Really Well


• How to Complete Every Writing Project You Start: Become a Completion Addict


• The Perfect Workspace (According to Science)


• How to Make Cuts Without Losing Anything Useful

Go forth and learn, my friends!

Side note: I am currently in the market for freelance clients. Let me know if you've been searching for a writer! If you'd like to see my work, check out the portfolio link at the top of the blog.