1. Put your butt in the chair. You have to actually write something to be published.
2. Don’t worry about agents, marketing, or publishing. There will be a time for these things once you actually have a manuscript.
3. Go to as many writing conferences as possible. You will learn from both the events and classes *and* from the fabulous people you meet there.
4. Twitter is amazing. It is not a website that shows status updates. It is a wealth of information from a community of supportive, wonderful people.
5. Just write. The more you write, the better you will get.

Social media is an avenue for research and knowledge that will connect you to the world as a writer. Every writer should be on Twitter and Facebook, have a blog, join LinkedIn, and an RSS feed list via Google Reader (or another similar tool). Here are some good places to start:

Facebook Groups/Pages:

#fridayflash: http://on.fb.me/jA47vJ

Poets & Writers: http://on.fb.me/iX3V39

She Writes: http://on.fb.me/kRspdB

Gotham Writers’ Workshop: http://on.fb.me/j7HMRp

Writer’s Digest: http://on.fb.me/b0FuBM

Writer’s Relief: http://on.fb.me/2N7YUS

Write On! Online: http://on.fb.me/mSdVcP

GalleyCat: http://on.fb.me/ij3sjF

Publishers Lunch: http://on.fb.me/mDq3Aj

Publishers Weekly: http://on.fb.me/kUD8uM

Shelf Awareness: http://on.fb.me/iZmNZC

Goodreads: http://on.fb.me/li8eiL

The New Yorker: http://on.fb.me/igSHQB

The New Writers: http://on.fb.me/mBpdok

Twitter Hashtags:

#amwriting

#writechat

#fridayflash

#litchat

#amediting

#amreading

#kidlit

#writegoal

#storystarters

#askagent

#pubtip

#writetip

#pubwrite

#nanowrimo

#novelists

#publishing

#wip (Work in Progress)

#writer

Linked In Groups:

National Novel Writing Month: http://linkd.in/jrCRNI

LinkEds & Writers: http://linkd.in/mSDSTl

Writing Mafia: http://linkd.in/mmntAt

Books and Writers: http://linkd.in/iGx40Y

Informed Ideas for Writers: http://linkd.in/m6z5u5

The Freelance Writers Connection: http://linkd.in/kRGHAP

Writers International: http://linkd.in/jRFyKi

Aspiring Writers: http://linkd.in/lmyXEL

The WM Freelance Writers Connection: http://linkd.in/jR91vl

Writer’s Cafe: http://linkd.in/kEKupN

Writing Jobs: http://linkd.in/mrDto9

Don’t forget to check my blogroll and Resources page, as there are a lot of good resources there as well! Also, stay tuned each weekend for the Tweetly News with the Mad Hatter, where I list all of the writing resources and news from Twitter for the week.

Happy reading and learning!

The article begins with Fey reminiscing about her initial interview with Michaels and how she thought she bombed because she finished one of his sentences, then goes on to describe her experiences on Saturday Night Live and the lessons she learned while working with Michaels. The article is entertaining with positively delightful anecdotes, such as Michaels getting upset when a director cut to a door a moment before the actor entered because they “lost the audience.” Fey also amuses the reader with a story about the men at SNL peeing in various cups and/or jars and leaving them laying around their offices for unknowing visitors to discover.

This enjoyable piece contained both great management advice and great writing advice. Her management advice included tidbits such as “Don’t make any big decisions right after the season ends (Most people ignore this advice)” and “Don’t hire anyone you wouldn’t want to run into in the hallway at 3 a.m.” One of my favorites was “Never tell a crazy person he or she is crazy.”

Besides the charming and helpful management advice, she also bestows some excellent writing advice:

You have to try your hardest to be at the top of your game and improve every joke until the last possible second, but then you have to let it go. You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute. […]  You have to let people see what you wrote. It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. […] Yes, you’re going to write some sketches that you love and are proud of forever – your golden nuggets. But you’re also going to write some real shit nuggets. You can’t worry about it. As long as you know the difference, you can go back to panning for gold on Monday.

Fey is honest, charming, and funny as always, and she entertains and educates simultaneously with ease.

You can find the full article online here.

Tina Fey, Personal History, “Lessons from Late Night,” The New Yorker, March 14, 2011, p. 22

In lieu of a Friday Flash story this week, I would like to celebrate National Poetry Month! My Cheshire smile is bright today, and Wonderland is all a flurry with preparations for parties to celebrate poetry!

The Academy of American Poets started National Poetry Month in 1996 to increase visibility for poetry, encourage increased publication and sales of poetry books, and increase philanthropic donations for poets and poetry. Here are a few things you can do to join us to celebrate!

Poem in Your Pocket Day: Carry a poem in your pocket on April 14. All of us in Wonderland will have them! Share them with your friends!

Guest Poets on Twitter: Throughout each day in April, a guest poet will have 24 hours to post their insights and thoughts on the Twitter feed for the Academy of American Poets. Guest tweeters include: 4/9 – Jennifer L. Knox, 4/10 – Randall Mann, and 4/11 – CAConrad. Check out the full list here.

Also, be sure to follow the Twitter feed to see all of the guest poets: http://twitter.com/poetsorg

Poem-A-Day: Sign up on Poetry.org for a daily dose of new poems! http://www.poets.org/poemADay.php

Get a Free Poster: Hurry, before they run out! This year, the poster features my favorite poet, Elizabeth Bishop! http://www.poets.org/posterRequest.php

Subscribe to Poets.org: Subscribe to the RSS feed or the daily newsletter for poets.org. It’s free!

Donate to the Academy of American Poets: Send a donation to support poets and poetry.

Here is a link to 30 more ways you can celebrate National Poetry Month with us!

Here is the official link to Poetry.org’s National Poetry Month page.

Check back throughout the month for Poet Spotlights!

My plan (and New Year’s resolution) is to lose 50 pounds and finish the novel I’ve been working on. My biggest challenge: time. I have a very demanding day job that requires 11-12 hours per day, and by the time I get home in the evening, the last thing I feel like doing is cooking and exercise. I’m like everyone else – I want to veg out in front of the TV and fall asleep after eating fast food. I also do a lot of volunteer work – for my sorority, teaching 4th graders about business, for Second Harvest Food Bank, for Le Petit Theatre, and a few others. On top of that, I have five pets and a husband at home (no kids yet), and I have to make at least some time to spend with them. This means that the time constraints (AKA – “real life”) make it harder and harder to really do what I WANT to do – write. I have to start making the time. And I’m ready. I’m ready to take control of my life back, hook myself up, and scale this seemingly unscalable wall.

Baby steps. Everything starts with baby steps. Then soon, you find yourself walking, then jogging, then running! I can’t let life get in the way of my dreams any longer. This year, it’s all about ME! Doing what I love will pull me out of this rut I’ve created for myself and will manifest the life I’ve always wanted – BEST SELLING AUTHOR! This is what I’ve always been good at and what I love to do most, and it’s time for me to take the reins and yell “HI HO SILVER!”

Thanks for coming along this journey with me. It’ll be a wild, entertaining ride! I’ll encounter all sorts of characters and may even get my head chopped off once or twice, but luckily, here in Wonderland, you can just pick up your head and put it right back on your shoulders. In the end, I’ll walk out of the other side of Wonderland and say “Wow, what a trip!”

Until next time…

Here in my world, you don’t have to worry about silliness and nonsense. Everything is nonsense. In my world, animals can talk and slippers are some of the scariest things around. Here in my world, you have the freedom to express yourself without consequence. Here in my world, you will encounter some unexpected twists and turns, and you may find yourself completely turned around, or even hopelessly lost. You may come across some exciting new things, meet some of the most interesting creatures you could ever imagine, and laugh so hard you will find yourself unable to continue reading due to the strange drops of water blocking your sight.

Throughout your journey, you will learn more and more about this unusual Cheshire Scribe and her peculiar ways. You might also learn something about yourself, and you may decide to stay awhile.

In the end, you will always find your way home by way of a bright, white, toothy grin and a mysterious floating purple striped finger pointing the way.  Unless, of course, you get your head chopped off first.

Because, you see, we’re all mad here.