Link Review: Five Winning Habits of Successful Writers

12Writing frequently features links on our Facebook fan page, but why? This is the first of hopefully many future reviews to come that explain what we find so interesting about the pages we share and how we approach these writing resources for ourselves as writers. Not every page is perfect, but many pages are providing amazing information. We hope these reviews will help you get the most out of our featured Facebook posts and be a site for continuing discussion on the writerly subjects that matter most to you.

And The Big Question Is...

Can good writing be taught? It's a pretty simple question. I mean, it is only five words long. It shouldn't be that complicated right? Unfortunately, there is no simple yes or no answer to this question.

Free Online Feedback! This Week Only!

Do you have a story or poem in need of feedback?  Would you like to share your work online?  Then submit your work for Online Review.  The first five writers to submit their work by June 15, 2012 will receive comprehensive feedback (totally free of charge) to be shared on the 12Writing homepage.  Read On to send us your work!

Jessica Young

Jess has been organizing and arranging 12Writing.com to bring some order to the chaos that is online writing.  You should take a look at the Tips for Writers tab she's been putting together - it's a growing reference guide to the helpful links we're finding online.  If you yourself have a link you'd like us to feature, Drop Us a Line.  And don't forget to read on more more about Jess.

The 12Writing Team

Emily Moody

If you've visited Our Facebook Page lately, then you've already met Emily.  She goes through the internet to find most of the awesome links we have on the page.  But there's way more to Emily than faceless hyperlinks on the Facebook - be sure to Read More!

The 12Writing Team

Ryan Edel

So what is it that really goes on inside Ryan's mind?  No one really knows.  He writes fiction, and he seems to speak it, too.  We aren't entirely certain when he is serious, or when he is trying to convince us of stories that simply aren't true.*

The 12Writing Team

When You Don't Know Craft...

How important are craft skills when it comes to creative writing? I'm Emily of the 12Writing crew and in this post I'm discussing the value of craft and how much emphasis writers place upon it. Come and join in this conversation by sharing your stories about craft and content and your experiences with what has mattered more to you as a writer.

Write Setting that Matters: Revealing Character and Tone through Place

Do you ever get bored writing? Ever feel as if rodents are chewing through your eyeballs with each word you write? Then maybe it's time to spice up your setting.

Young Writers Workshop Information

Starting Saturday, May 19, we'll be offering a summer writing workshop for young writers in the Bloomington-Normal area.  Students from 6th-10th grade are welcome to join us for a couple hours of writing and inspiration.  Read On for more details.

Meet Emily, the Bivalve Books Instructor

Hey everybody!

So Ryan and I were talking and it's kind of weird to sign up for a writing workshop put together someone you don't know, so I thought I'd take a post to introduce myself.  Read on to learn more about me and my interest in Bivalve Books! (BiBo for short)  Or click the links below to learn more about the course and register.

Emily

Bivalve Book Club - Bivalve Books and Schedule - Register - Meet Emily!

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As a primarily online enterprise, it's very unlikely we will ship anything to you.  However, we do have a shipping policy regarding purchases made through our website using third-party vendors such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  In case of questions, please Contact Us.

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Here at 12Writing, we're committed to offered a healthy atmosphere for all writers.  Our Terms of Use describe our expectations of all participants in our programs.  In case of any questions, please Contact Us.

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Register for Bivalve, The Book Club for Writers

Starting May 12, Emily will be leading Bivalve, our Book Club for Writers.
Click Here to Register in Three Easy Steps!

Bivalve Book Club - Bivalve Books and Schedule - Register - Meet Emily!

Bivalve Books & Schedule

Like bivalves, a class of mollusks whose shells are two pieces hinged together, those who write are hinged to be those who read as well. This course will discuss books in both writerly and readerly fashions. Every two weeks, course participants will read one book, respond to a number of writing directives, and join in discussions that relate the writing directives to their reading experiences.  For those who sign up for the Premium Workshop, you'll also receive instructor feedback on at least four of your response pieces during the course.  Click Here to Register.

Bivalve Book Club

          12Writing happily presents the Bivalve Book Club for writers! This is a 10 week course running from May 12th to July 14th. Bivalve participants will read four books, respond to writing directives correlating to readings, and participate in group discussions on the books and writing directives. Join an online community of writers in growing and thinking as we journey through the works of others!

Fiction Workshop for Adolescents

Attention Readers:

This summer, 12Writing will be offering a special in-person creative writing workshop for adolescents in the Bloomington-Normal area. The main focus of this workshop will be fiction writing, although we might touch on other creative writing genres, such as poetry and creative non-fiction, if the students want to explore those areas as well. As a group, we will be focusing on such topics as: creating relatable, multifaceted characters, turning personal experience into fictional storytelling, and how to write realistic dialogue. In the later sessions, the students will learn about how to be critical readers, as well as how to give and receive feedback on story drafts.

We will be providing your student with worksheets and a storage folder so all he or she needs to bring is their favorite pen or pencil and enthusiasm for learning to be a more effective writer.

Our course will take place every Saturday for eight weeks starting May 19th and running until July 7th. Depending on demand, we may also be adding a second midweek course to this schedule. While registration is not open for this quite yet, keep checking back here to 12Writing for more information.

Bivalve Book Club Writing Workshop

Yes, it's been a while since our most recent workshop, but that's soon going to change!  Coming soon, Emily will be leading our Bivalve, a hybrid book club and writing workshop.  Because let's face it: if you want to be a writer, then you need to be a reader.  And what better way to read than by joining a group of fellow writers, reading some good books, and then writing in response to what you've read?

Writing Long-Tail SEO: Is It Still Worthwhile?

In this world of internet saturation, how do we write in such a way as to attract readers?  Can we use Search Engine Optimization to help attract readers to our websites?  And should we?  Or do we risk stifling the content of our writing by packing it with words simply for the sake of Google?

Narrative Snapshots: Foreshadowing Memoir and Jesse Rosten's 2011

How do you write a life? How do you fit all the snapshots of memory into a memoir? Most days, I'm not sure. But this video by Jesse Rosten gives a hint at the interest and complexity we live with each day, every year. As writers, we work toward organizing these snapshots, arranging them into a coherent narrative to share not only with other readers, but also with our future selves.

2011 As Seen by My iPhone from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.