I had planned to blog tonight. My primary blogging goal for 2013 is to post something AT LEAST once a week – and I’m actually penciling it onto my calendar to make sure it happens!
But I’m working on a couple of essays at the moment that I want to submit for possible publication (I plan to write more about some of my freelancing efforts this coming week) – and they’re wearing me out a little bit. I’m tired!
So I started procrastinating: reading blogs…checking email.
And then it occurred to me that right THERE might be the roots of a post! (Not so much the emailing…but the blog/website procrastination-driven scouring.)
So:
This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list by ANY means. (It’s actually in no way comprehensive!) But here are a handful of the sites I tend to head to when I’m seeking distraction from a task at hand:
My Current Favorite (and free!) Freelancing Opportunity Sites
Hope Clark (I usually skim this newsletter first – which sometimes contains useful stuff for me, and sometimes not. But then I head down to the contests and magazine submissions section and spend some significant time. Those sections are GREAT – both for the info they directly give, and for the ideas they tend to spark in me.)
Pro-Blogger (I just found this one. I decided I wasn’t going to apply for any more ghostwriting work until February-ish…but when I do, this site looks pretty full of interesting opportunities.)
The Best Indie Publishing-related Sites (in my opinion)
Passive Guy (He makes it so incredibly easy to keep up with the changes in publishing/bookselling. If you have any interest at all in what’s going on in the book industry, this site is almost required reading.)
David Gaughran (There are a handful of indie publishing blogs that are pretty informative. David Gaughran’s is, I think, the best. He’s thorough, he’s insightful and he’s thoughtful in his opinions, analyzing both sides of any issue he chooses to take up. I really respect his blog.)
Mark Williams (A Brit who currently lives in Western Africa, he gives an international perspective to the world of indie publishing that is not only informative, but really pretty fascinating. I think I’d read his blog simply for the little tidbits of insight it provides into what it’s like to write from/live in Africa, which is really interesting to me. But, as it is, there are actually a ton of other reasons to read him if self-publishing is an area that interests you.)
3 Blogs That Have Inspired Me in the Last Year
folded cranes (This is the blog of a couple who like to travel, like to visit museums, like to listen to interesting music, like to cook – and like to write about all of the above! I love this blog!!)
nerdy after thirty (Simplicity and depth, detail and clarity, and above all emotional honesty…this blog blows me away. I love how she writes.)
nic freeman (I love travel blogs – and this is my favorite, hands-down.)
Sites That Help Me in my Ongoing Quest to Stay Centered
mindbodygreen (articles and essays on myriad inspirational and wellness-oriented topics)
Karen Maezen Miller (a Zen Buddhist who writes on various “life” topics – but incidentally also wrote the best [hands down BEST] book on parenting I’ve ever come across)
Inspiring Cooking Sites
postpunkkitchen (vegan food really CAN be super-tasty!)
witchin in the kitchen (she actually writes about a lot more than cooking…but i tend to think of the cooking stuff first because it’s AWESOME!)
And when I’m too tired and/or stressed and/or restless to concentrate on anything remotely informational, when I just want to be soothed or entertained…my first stop is usually YouTube, in search of new and/or interesting music.
Here are a few of my most recent finds:
The Lumineers (if you like Mumford&Sons or The Head and the Heart, try these guys. You won’t be disappointed!)
Conor Oberst (new music to tide one over until a new record appears! [music starts at about 1:20 on this link])
Chris Isaak (this isn’t exactly “new” – but I used to love this song back-in-the-day and recently rediscovered it. [I still like it!])
If anybody wants to chime in with any of their own “procrastination places” in the comments, please do (I can always use more!)
