coffee cups and cursors

Haven’t so many of us wished to get paid to read? Readercoin seems to be the answer to those prayers. Readercoin is a new app that lets you earn its eponymous cryptocurrency by listening to and reading books. I'm so enamored with this app that I just  had  to share it with you all. It's perfect for someone like me, who has a demanding schedule and little time to read for pleasure. Cryptocurrency? You know, like Bitcoin, except this isn't Bitcoin. It's a currency that's generated by the time you spend reading and listening. I am not, nor do I pretend to be, an expert on how it works. I refer you to the FAQs for that. What I can tell you cryptocurrency can be exchanged for rewards like Amazon gift cards or PayPal at a usual exchange rate of 1,000 Readercoins for one US dollar. For most people, that's probably just as good as cash (and it's almost definitely the closest as you're ever going to get). You also have the option of donating your R

Hello August! We're hoping this month provides us with much inspiration and many hours of writing time. Our writing goals in July had to take a backseat to our personal and professional lives. We didn't get around to running those word sprints, but we'll aim to do them in NaNo November. Neither of us met our goals for Camp NaNo. Jessica actually lowered her word count goal during the month when she realized she was deleting more words than what she had added in. For August, we've set some new, more realistic goals based on our time constraints. MEGAN’S AUGUST WRITING GOALS Write some blog posts Rework my daily schedule to include designated writing time now that there's a new full-time job in the picture Finish a short story and submit it for publication somewhere Finish new outline for  Earhart & Noonan's Last Grand Adventure JESSICA’S AUGUST WRITING GOALS Write some blog posts Finish editing and rewrites on this draft version of  Murder

As we near the end of Camp NaNo, you might have found yourself adding a little bit to your story every day or you might have been avoiding it completely. Maybe it's become a habit during July, but as the month nears the end, the incentive and inspiration is gone. So how do you make sure you continue to write every day? You're probably wanting to say it's impossible. I can't continue to write every day. I don't have the time, I don't have the inspiration, it's just not something I can do. We're not going to tell you that you're wrong. We go through those same thoughts too. We are going to tell you what we chose to do to try to write every day. Megan I’ll be honest—I didn’t write every day. I couldn’t. When you essentially work three jobs, you don’t always have time. And that’s okay. Give yourself some grace and exercise that self-compassion, hard as it may be. I know it’s difficult for me. But you know what I did do? I thought about writing

If you're asking yourself what kind of foreign cuisine  plotto  might be, you're on the wrong blog, buddy. Plotto  is a book written by William Wallace Cook, of deforesting-Canada fame. He concocted a formula for plot, wrote a book about it, and now it's super confusing to read. Don't get me wrong. You could totally read the in the front of the book instructions very thoroughly and understand what's going on. But who has that kind of time? Also, since when is following instructions any fun? Let's Mix It up a Little But before we do any mixing up, you'll need a copy of Plotto . My paperback copy was a whopping $18.95 USD I didn't have to pay because it was a birthday present. If you want a tangible book , you can definitely find it on Amazon. If you're cool with a digital copy, however, you can get it for absolutely free .  Bonus: it's searchable. I definitely recommend having access to both. The first thing you'll notice once you

When you’re looking for a local place to write, you might just say that you could go to the coffee shop. After all, they’re easy to find and most are set up for writers to spend hours on end there. But sometimes you want to get a change of scenery and explore something different. Changing locations can help you when you get writer’s block or it could give you some new inspiration. So if you find yourself looking for a new or unexpected place to write during Camp NaNo, here are seven other local spots you can venture. Local Spots: Libraries Bookstores Hotels Friend’s house Nature spots Malls Aquarium, zoo, museums, historical sites, local attractions Libraries Most libraries have tables and chairs that you can work in. Some have computers that you can use if you’re a cardholder. Some even have power if you opt to bring a laptop. Libraries are quiet and most people won’t try to bother you while you write. Most you can have access to wifi as you work. Best of all, t

If you're reading this because you've got a bad case of writer's block mid-project, stop reading. That post will come, but this is not that post. This is for the people who are at a total loss as to which project to begin. Or to find a project-worthy idea in the first place. Maybe you're still stuck on finding a NaNoWriMo project, or maybe you've decided to abandon your original project. Whatever the reason, it's time for a new direction. Believe it or not, you've already got the road map in front of you! If You Have a List of Ideas to Pick From This seems pretty obvious, but maybe try diving into your massive, ongoing list of ideas to pick your next project. What, you already thought of that? Your problem is selecting one? My bad. First, narrow down your ideas by the  length  the story idea demands. That's right, not desire, but length . You can be as head-over-heels in love with your fantasy character sketch as you want, but if they'