Roads & Bridges.

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This is a different kind of publication credit for me, but one that I am certainly proud of.

Recently, through my day job, I had a chance to write an article for Roads & Bridges magazine. It’s about using AVL technology to track roadside mowing operations, and much of it is based on a research paper that I helped develop for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. I appreciate the chance to contribute to the magazine and enjoyed flexing my non-literary writing muscles to publicize the innovative approach to mowing that MnDOT is taking.

https://www.roadsbridges.com/land-scoping

100 Books a Year? You Can Do It!

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I was proud that I’ve read 25 books so far this year. That was until I read Srinivas Rao’s article “How to Read 100 Books a Year.” Now I feel like an underachiever.

But seriously, this article does contain some solid strategies on how to hit the lofty goal of devouring 100 books in a year…and consequently reap the benefits of becoming a more interested, cultured person. For me, reading the work of others is key to me making strides in my own writing practice, so I will be employing these suggestions to step my reading game up in the future.

https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/12283-how-to-read-100-books-in-a-year

The Poem as Political Protest.

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The most powerful poems can carry a political message by re-enlivening and reactivating language. The idea of a poem as a vehicle for political protest is discussed over at the Bacopa Literary Review Editor's Blog in an insightful post. There is also a brief mention of my poem "This Is Not a Protest Poem,” which will appear in the October edition of the Bacopa Literary Review. Check it out!

http://bacopaliteraryreview.blogspot.com/2017/08/this-poem-is-not-political-protest-or.html

Give Up These Things to Become a Better Writer.

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Over on the Grammarly Blog, you’ll find a great article by Karen Hertzberg called “9 Things You Need to Give up to Be a Successful Writer.” In it, Ms. Hetzberg gives us all nine real tips that can help you become a better communicator right away.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/things-you-need-to-give-up-to-be-successful-writer/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Blog_Lifestyle&utm_id=eHbQju92hhYtkA

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What Inspires Writers?

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The answer varies from writer to writer, but you will see some commonalities in their answers if you read “Inspiration, procrastination and the importance of pens: how writers write” over at The Spectator. In this article, Sam Leith curates a sample of different writers’ routines. A very interesting read. So what inspires you in your creative endeavors?

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/08/inspiration-procrastination-and-the-importance-of-pens-how-writers-write/

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Sound Blogging Advice.

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There is no shortage of blogging advice on the internet. But there’s a blogging article over on the Submittable blog that’s worth reading. “Read the Comments: Advice for Bloggers” by Stephanie Loomis Pappas tells you why you should study the comments on your blog. Pappas clearly explains how this will help to improve the quality of your postings and discover your target audience.

https://blog.submittable.com/2017/08/read-the-comments-advice-for-bloggers/

You mean poetry can pay?

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Yes it can, per Erika Dreifus’ article "Making Poetry Pay: Five Ways to Increase Your Poetry Income" on the Association of Writers & Writing Programs website. She provides some simple – almost obvious – guidelines for turning your poetry practice into cash.

One of these tips – aiming for 100 rejections per year – is already a part of my current writing endeavors. Still, I plan on studying all of this blueprint and incorporating the other action items soon.

https://www.awpwriter.org/magazine_media/writers_notebook_view/61/making_poetry_pay_five_ways_to_increase_your_poetry_income

Useful Guide.

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Are you a writer or poet who wants to submit to literary journals and contests but has no idea where to start?

Fear not, for here is your blueprint: “Pitching and Moaning: A Guide to Submitting Your Writing”, a post by Tony Tulathimutte for Catapult. After reading this insanely useful guide, you’ll know everything you need to know in order to submit work to publications. Rock on.

https://catapult.co/stories/pitching-and-moaning-a-guide-to-submitting-your-writing

Removing the Filler.

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As a writer and Toastmaster, I found this to be a great read: from textbooks.com, “11 Filler Words You Need to (Literally) Cut from Your Vocabulary.” It has great pointers about eliminating crutch words, and I can see how reducing these can strengthen both my writing and verbal communication.

http://www.textbooks.com/blog/filler-words-to-cut-from-your-vocabulary?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Blog_Lifestyle

Inscape Magazine.

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Inscape is the Pasadena City College student literary magazine. PCC Students edit the literary magazine, market the magazine, design the magazine, and put it into print.

I am happy to announce that my prose poem “Everyone Has Motives” has been included in Inscape Online Volume 1 Issue 2 as part of “The 100.” “The 100” is a special feature of work inspired by the first 100 days of the current president’s administration.

I appreciate the chance to contribute to Inscape and to be able to voice my thoughts on the recent political climate.

http://www.pccinscape.com/adrian-s-potter-100.html

Jealousy.

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“It was the first time I can recall experiencing the best kind of writerly jealousy—the kind that made me marvel at another writer’s work and strive to meet that standard in my own writing.…That kind of envy is a gift. It motivates, pushes, drives. It gives way to action rather than negativity and despair.”

There is an excellent post on writers and jealousy by Laura Maylene Walter over on the Kenyon Review blog. I think all writers should read it and recognize the beauty and ugliness of their writing-based envy.

http://www.kenyonreview.org/2017/05/splinter-success-writers-jealousy/

Do You Sometimes Screw Up When Submitting Your Work?

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Of course. All writers do, and then we bellyache about all the rejection notices we receive.

Here’s an idea – what if someone assembled all the common mistakes writers make when submitting their work? Then we’d have a checklist of pitfalls to avoid…and hopefully have more success with the work we submit.

Nathaniel Tower has done this over on the Submittable Blog. His article “The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Submitting Your Work” gives honest tips on what to not do from someone who has experienced “the game” as both an editor and an author. It’s a worthwhile read for all writers.

https://blog.submittable.com/2017/04/guest-post-the-biggest-mistake-you-can-make-when-submitting-your-work/

Portage 2017.

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Based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Portage is an online literary journal run and edited by undergraduate students of Carroll University. Portage publishes literary writing, art, music, film, and cultural commentary from the upper Midwest.

I’m excited to announce that the 2017 edition of Portage includes three of my poems – “The Mistake Poem”, “Living is the New Dying”, and “Obvious Dangers.” You can check these poems out at the link below. I appreciate the chance to contribute to Portage! It is wonderful to be included amongst the talented writers and artists in this year's edition.

https://portagemagazine.org/adrian-potter-2/

Tricky A Words.

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I believe everyone can benefit from this sort of refresher - Kris Spisak’s “5 Commonly Confused Words Starting With A” (on Jane Friedman’s blog). Using words precisely should be the goal of all writers, so there is no shame in revisiting the rules we may have abandoned over time.

https://janefriedman.com/commonly-confused-words/

Anyway…I sheepishly confess that number five on this list caught me – it appears I’ve been doing the no-no of pluralizing a certain adverb most of my writing life.

 

Are you looking for inspiration?

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Well, you are not the only one. Whether you are writing a novel, blogging, working on a news article, or some other creative idea yet unknown, you may need a push in the right direction. We all feel the need for inspiration at some point.

So check out this article over at the Grammarly blog: A Colossal List of Creators to Inspire Your Writing. “Grammarly hunted down all the best blogs about writing inspiration, writing as a job, writing fiction, and working with social media, content marketing, journalism, and design—plus a few bonuses about creativity in general.”

In other words, bookmark this link for the next time you are running short on inspiration. You’ll be glad you did.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/colossal-list-creators/?utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Blog_Lifestyle

How to Avoid Perfectionism and Handle Haters.

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A confident writer cannot indulge in people pleasing, pursuing perfection, or all swallowing the negative poison that haters try to pass off as positive feedback.

Anne Lamont gets it – and you can get it, too, by reading and internalizing some of her sound advice found in this article: The Definitive Manifesto for Handling Haters: Anne Lamott on Priorities and How We Keep Ourselves Small by People-Pleasing.

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/05/16/anne-lamott-people-pleasing-haters-trolls/