The writing calendar I devised for my final semester. Earlier versions were similar, with more time spent reading the texts assigned for the semester.

One of the way’s I’ve used to track my writing–as a general source of information for me, and as a self-monitoring device–has been using a daily/weekly schedule. (See graphic at right.) This was especially effective during the MFA years, specifically the final year, because I had an idea–after the first residency semester–the amount of time I needed to cover all of the bases of the MFA writing life: writing, reading, critiquing, planning, etc.

(You can read a few of the earlier posts on tracking the writing life: I wrote three posts, in relatively quick succession, HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

Simply put, I devised a schedule of necessary activities by dividing available time into blocks and each time block was dedicated to one of the ongoing tasks I needed to accomplish. As the week went by, I checked off the completion boxes beside each scheduled activity. It was a more-rigid method of tracking my progress than just using a “to do” list, but it had built-in flexibility. If I missed time to blog on Monday morning, I could make up for it later. If I wrote more than three hours on Tuesday afternoon, I could check off additional boxes and move things around. Thursday (not pictured) was a “free day” where I could make up for having lost a day to substitute teaching or, if I had kept up with the schedule, I could head out to Anna Maria Island, take the kayak for a spin, or throw my arm out casting unappealing bait into Sarasota Bay.

The benefit was two-fold: I pre-planned the sorts of things I needed to do, and the time I would need to do them, ahead of time and, more importantly, I could gauge how well my plan was working. (Or, in more corporate lingo, how well I was “working my plan.”) At the end of every week, I could see how successful I had been and if I had maintained a balance attack on the work at hand. I could see, for example, if I’d spent too much time reading and blogging, while neglecting the actual work of writing stories and revising my work.

An alternative method–one I’ve been using since I graduated–is less of a schedule and more like a daily activity sheet. It is a log of activity, not a calendar. The daily sheet is based on my desire to continue a balanced and active creative life, even without the pressure of deadlines and instructor expectations. I came up with several categories that reflect the five areas of emphasis necessary for maintaining a creative rhythm, as described in Todd Henry’s book, The Accidental Creative. (I’ve mentioned that book before, and I’m likely to do so again and again.)

The activity log is a different way to monitor my writing-related activities. Based on the "Five Elements of Creative Rhythm" I designed this to allow more flexibility while still addressing my creative needs.

This activity log contains all of the writing-related (or, creative-related) activities I want to continually address. I have 150 of these sheets bound together and as I make notes on the tracking sheet, I can monitor how often I am addressing each of the areas. Looking back over a week or two at a time, I can see where I’ve made progress and where I’ve neglected my goals. When I notice deficiencies in my work habits, I can make changes to address them.

The activity log method is much less structured than the weekly/daily calendar I used to use. So far, I’ve found the extra “wiggle room” to be a hindrance to staying “on task”. The more structured approach was much more straight forward, even in its rigidity. As the next few months unfold, I hope that the new method will settle in, but, I am open to returning to the calendar method.

There are a number of ways to track your progress, but I do believe it is important to find SOME method that works for you. Making a plan, attempting to accomplish that plan, and tracking the progress is an important part of a sustained, prolific creative life.

Social networking is ever-present for most of us. Finding a balance can be difficult.

The modern writer is encouraged to cultivate an online presence (a “platform”, if you will) but the distractions of the digital age can sap our energy and time, leaving us without creative zeal for the real work of our writing life.

Because I am active in several of the social media circles, I’ve been asked on several occasions how I do it. Most recently, I was asked a specific question: How do you prioritize among all of the available social media?

Let me attempt to break down my online life in an attempt to answer that question.

Priorities

As a writer, the primary focus of social networking is to build a “platform” or a way to reach readers and other writers. This is important in the digital age for two primary reasons: book sales and community.

As a fledgling writer, the concept of book sales is really “future book sales” and connecting readers to my stories when they are published online. Ideally, when a book publication comes along, I’ll already have a core group of readers who can serve as a keystone for building a larger group. The idea of community–having other writers to talk to, learn from, and learn with–is another primary reason for being engaged.

With the idea of “platform building” in mind, I divide up the time I can spend on social media among the various outlets. Some weeks, there is more time allotted than others, but the general rule remains the same: Do the ongoing things that best build the platform. Here’s the breakdown, for me:

1. Blog – Yes, this blog, right here. This is where a vast majority of my time online is spent: writing these blog posts and responding to readers. I focus my blog on writing and literature-related topics, and it has been the point of entry for many new readers and online friends. I try to write three to five posts each week, and whenever possible, I do my blog writing on Monday, scheduling posts to appear throughout the week. When a blog post publishes, it automatically gets copied to the next two most important, and dynamic, venues. (Twitter and Facebook) I answer all blog comments (and the emails that come in with additional questions) and I read the blogs of others, commenting when appropriate. My blog is the most representative on-line portal into who I am as a writer and teacher. It is dynamic and chocked full of information. Because of that, it is the place where I will focus the largest share of my social media energy.
2. Twitter – To be successful with Twitter (and, as I’ve written before, Twitter has been a great resource for me in building a community of fellow writers) you have to do more than ONLY self-promote. There are plenty of great tutorials out there, but the simple version is this: Your efforts at self-promotion (“Here’s my blog!” “Here’s my website!” “Here’s my book!”) cannot be the majority of your Twitter activity. I engage with other writers and literature-types in many ways, including Tweet chats and re-Tweeting their posts and having conversations about things that interest me. When I have social media properly balanced, I check in on Twitter a couple of times during the work day, and then more so at night while watching TV. I have to be careful (this is true of all social media interaction) to try to schedule time on Twitter, and not be constantly alert to what is happening there.
3. Facebook – I have four main areas of Facebook: a personal page, an artist/business page, the Queens University MFA alumni page, and a smaller writer’s group page. I post my blog posts to my artist/business page, but I don’t post them to my personal page (or the two writer’s group pages) on a regular basis. Most of my personal friends aren’t interested in endless postings about writing. Hopefully, if they are interested in my writing posts, they’ve already followed my artist/business page. The same rule applies for Facebook as it does Twitter: It can’t all be self-promotion. I try to find ways to interact with people, listen to what they have going on, comment when appropriate, and be a giving member of the larger community. I make choices about what I post to my personal page compared to what I post in other places. My personal Facebook is filled with friends and family and long-lost school pals and people I’ve never met. On the personal side, I try to be engaged and active like a friend would be. On the other parts of Facebook, I try to focus on the most-appropriate information and activity for the given audience. One area of focus, for me, is making the artist/business page more active and community-focused.
4. G+ – I manually post links to my blog on G+, mostly because WordPress doesn’t seem to have an automatic way to do this. The reality of G+ is, I don’t have a big writing-centered community there. I monitor my G+ feed, like I do Facebook, but I find much fewer opportunities there to interact.
5. Website – My website is focused on creative writing instruction, and my online resume and publications. It is less dynamic, but I try to update it with information whenever possible. Ideally, the website is a way for people to find me and engage with me. I’ve had it running for over a year, but only recently have I begun to promote it, and, for that matter, ME. As my post-MFA years progress, the website will be a more important component of building a network.
6. YouTube – I use YouTube to host the video blog segments, but I don’t go out actively looking for connections via YouTube. There just isn’t usually time for that, at this point.
7. LinkedIN – I have LinkedIn set up to repeat my Twitter feed, and I do use it to recommend and stay connected with business contacts. I do not check it on a regular basis, though, if the truth be told.

In all of these areas, I’m looking for connections: new people who interest me and who I can learn something from. While these tools can become distracting, I can’t emphasize how important they have become in both finding new friends and keeping in touch with old ones. I’ve benefitted greatly from the new writers I’ve met (virtually, and physically) and interacted with. My personal writing community has improved dramatically because of fellow writers I’ve met online.

I don’t claim to have all the answers, nor would I pretend that my way should be considered prescriptive. I do hope, however, that by examining my process, you can begin to prioritize and make best use of your time spent on-line.

Finally, on-line trends are constantly changing. What is important today may be tomorrow’s AOL or MySpace. In our fast-paced, digital world, priorities are always changing.

Grandparenting Today magazine recently featured an article by Dr. Heidi Moore which mentioned my Legacy Writing course as part of a look at the kinds of legacies grandparents can leave behind.

Dr. Heidi Moore–who spends her time balancing her writing life with her duties as a pediatrician, wife, mother, and all-around swell writer friend–recently mentioned my Legacy Writing courses in an article she wrote for Grandparenting Today magazine. Dr. Moore describes the benefits of leaving behind a personal history to increase understanding between the generations and provide a sense of personal identity for children, grandchildren, and future generations.

If, like me, you’ve ever lost a loved one – a parent, spouse, even a child – you know the desire to have “one more day, one more conversation, one moment more” with that dear, departed one.

Legacy Writing is the act of leaving some part of yourself behind, for future generations. Personal histories, no matter what form they take, are an amazing portal into the past, and a way to re-connect with those who have gone on. As Dr. Heidi writes:

…no matter what route grandparents take to leave a legacy, a spiral notebook or a tape recorder, or a hard cover memoir, they should begin the process. It’s the most valuable thing to leave behind.

And, she’s right. Something, anything, is better than nothing.

While personal histories can take a number of forms, as a creative writer and independent writing instructor, I am a champion of leaving a written history. Yes, a video is great. Mementos and antiques are wonderful in their own right. A well-written legacy, like a well-written book, can open doors into whole other worlds for the reader, and a well written personal history can provide many more layers of meaning to those left behind.

The Blank Page

As with most writing projects, getting started can be a daunting thing, especially if the person who wishes to leave a written legacy hasn’t had formal training. There are several good books that can help you get started, and other ways to get the ball rolling, but some people find a guided path is the easiest to follow. That guided path is what I try to offer through Legacy Writing courses, which I am available to teach either online or locally in the Bradenton-Sarasota area of Florida.

A personal history "is lasting, a real legacy."

My Legacy Writing courses are meant to be both fun and challenging, and I offer them as one-on-one courses or with small groups. Here’s how I describe the course on my website:

Legacy Writing Basics will focus on ways to begin to explore your personal story. We will discuss core writing principles and look at ways to stimulate the “writer within”. Even if you’ve never written prose for others to read, this legacy writing course is a great place to start. You already know the subject matter (YOU!) and I’ll be there to help you find and refine your words.

The Legacy Writing programs include assigned readings, writing prompts, memory exercises, feedback, and direct instruction designed to help the writer identify, shape, and refine his or her personal story. Some writers may want a straightforward family historical narrative, while others may find their voice in a more literary, memoir style of prose. Regardless, having a creative writing mentor–like me–can be a source of inspiration and motivation for the would-be family historian. Even individuals who have had more experience writing may find it helpful to have a writing coach and guide running along side them, urging them on to deeper and more fulfilling writing.

You can find more information about my Legacy Writing courses (and other creative writing instruction) at my website. If you’d like to talk about your own Legacy Writing needs, I hope you’ll contact me here (or via my email address, located in the “CONTACT” tab at the top of my blog) and we can discuss your thoughts about pursuing your own literary legacy.

If you aren’t familiar with Twitter, it is a social media site where you can broadcast bite-sized bits of information (or, Tweets) to your friends and acquaintances who also use Twitter. Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so the action is fast and furious. You can read the Tweets of people you “follow” and anyone who follows you can read your Tweets. Some people describe it as “micro-blogging” because it is similar to a blog, but in a much more condensed form.

Twitter has a whole list of pros and cons, but that really isn’t the point of this post. I’ve found Twitter to be a good way to meet other writers (the group of local writers I meet with on a regular basis began from making connections on Twitter) and to interact with people I wouldn’t normally “know” or talk to.

One set of friends I’ve met via Twitter is the polar opposite of the local group. These are writer friends I’ve not met and who live all around the country. Andi Cumbo is the hub of this group of writers, and she hosts a chat on Twitter on Tuesday nights. At 9:00, those of us who want to chat gather at our computers and begin to discuss a writing topic which Andi moderates, keeping the conversation moving and reigning us in when we start to drift too far from the night’s topic.

Using Twitter for a focused chat is a little like the SETI program trying to separate possible extraterrestrial communications from the background space noise. Because Twitter is so full of rapid fire communications, it is easy for the chat to get lost, if you don’t utilize a hashtag. A hashtag is a Twitter term for putting a # in front of a word or phrase. We use the tag, #writestuff so that we can identify tweets that are specific to our discussion.

If you use a program like Tweetdeck, or even just using Twitter’s own website, you can “search” for any hashtag and get a list of the Tweets that contain it.

A sample of the TweetChat website, following a Twitter-based chat with the hashtag #writestuff.

I’ve found, though, the website TweetChat is the best way for me to stay involved in a Twitter-based chat. Here’s why:

1. TweetChat integrates with my Twitter account, so I can use it just like I’m using Twitter.
2. It allows me to input the hashtag I want to follow (in this case, #writestuff) and it automatically searches for Tweets that contain that tag.
3. TweetChat has an “auto refresh” function, with variable speeds, so the conversation is automatically updated.
4. When I use TweetChat, the hashtag (#writestuff) is automatically added to my outgoing Tweets so other chat participants can find my replies.
5. It is all handled in one window, without distraction of all the other Twitter activity.

I’ve included a screen-shot of me using TweetChat. It is a very simple, straightforward way to make focused chats on Twitter less confusing.

Hope that helps!

Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

I currently have several outlets for this sort of communal interaction:

1. My local writer friends, who I meet with monthly and converse with on-line, regularly.
2. Non-local Twitter friends, including a weekly Tweet Chat group.
3. Former Queens University MFA classmates who have formed a Facebook group, as well as my own Facebook artist/business page.
4. Email and blog comment discussions.

Talking with others about what is inspiring you, how your work is progressing, and areas where you could use advice, guidance, or accountability is an important component of keeping your creative momentum. Writing is a solitary activity, but our work benefits greatly from interacting with a writing community.

Tracking your progress is important, too. (I’ve blogged about it before.) As various on-line friends and I were talking about last week’s posts about community, I noticed that fellow writer/blogger Shannon Howell is using a progress bar tracker on her blog to graphically represent her work product. She has set a goal and is updating her progress as she gets closer and closer to the goal.

About the same time I noticed Shannon’s progress bar, I read the Paris Review interview with Ernest Hemingway. In that interview it says that Hemingway:

…keeps track of his daily progress–”so as not to kid myself”–on a large chart made out of the side of a cardboard packing case and set up against the wall…the numbers on the chart showing daily output of words differ…the higher figures on days Hemingway puts in extra work so he won’t feel guilty spending the following day fishing…

It occurred to me that what Shannon is doing is the tech-oriented equivalent of Hemingway’s cardboard packing case. A little more modern, but the principle remains the same.

I’m not a fan of discussing the content of a work-in-progress, but I do believe in the motivating power of tracking our creative work, and even talking about the progress we are (or aren’t) making. Shannon’s progress bar allows her to track her work–to not, in Hemingway’s words, kid herself–and, since she’s made her progress bar visible and public, it allows other writer friends to call her on if she’s slipping behind, or congratulate her when she’s moving full-steam ahead. Additionally, tracking can give us the assurance, like Hemingway needed from time to time, that it’s okay to spend the day fishing, because we’ve been putting in the work required to keep moving forward.

As I prepared to post this, I checked Shannon’s progress. She’s more than 50% done with her month’s goal, and we are less than half-way through February. Right on track. Way to go, Shannon! Keep it up.

Those of you who know me well know that I’m not GREAT with the poetry slice of the creative writing pie. It is one area where I feel least-able to offer critique or even respond beyond a, “Hey, I kinda like that one.”

But, this is a book of poetry that I’ll be ordering. Why?

For one, Kelly is a friend, and I want to support her work.

Beyond that, though, I know that Kelly’s writing is solid and I’m really looking forward to reading her poetry. Kelly has a keen eye and a way with words, and I’m sure that will translate into poetry in the same way it does in her fiction.

On the Street Where We Live, by Kelly Fordon, available now.

The book is entitled, On the Street Where We Live, and it was the winner of the 2011 SRCA Second Open Poetry Chapbook Competition. The website describes the collection this way:

In Kelly Fordon’s haunting, real-to-life, darkly humorous collection, you will travel through a local cul-de-sac neighborhood filled with cupcake houses, white picket fences, and the sudden dead ends, glossy false appearances, and dark shadows that reside On the Street Where We Live.

You will recognize the neighbor that tells too much, the one who keeps the secrets that should never be kept, and that one who has it all perfectly together (as well as the ones who definitely do not, no matter how they might pretend).

You’ll even witness the children at play—and at risk. Familiar life occurrences like marriage, lovelessness, birth,
growth, and loss will all make appearances, but often here, these evolutions occur in startlingly unexpected and subtly emotional—sometimes darkly punchy—ways.

In one sleek volume, Fordon creates the neighborhood that you saw and instantly wanted to move into—as well as the one you fought like mad to escape and survive.

I hope you’ll head on over to Kelly’s website and check it out.

Thanks, dear blog readers, for another amazing week. New people stopped by, several of you subscribed to the blog, and I am so thankful for each and every eye that grazes theses pages.

Have a great weekend. Happy Writing!

When that first reminder went out to the current students (“Your manuscripts are due to the other members of your group and your faculty member at midnight tonight.”) I felt an odd pang of…emptiness. I didn’t have a deadline. I didn’t have three or four other people waiting, tapping their foot, wanting to get that next story or novel excerpt so they could begin the process of reading and responding to it in a timely manner. That motivating factor was, suddenly, gone.

As I said yesterday, that gives me a certain freedom. That freedom can be paralyzing.

The Accidental Creative, by Todd Henry, has been an instrumental book for designing my post-MFA writing life. You should check out both the book, and Todd's website for more information. (Links in the post.)

In his book, The Accidental Creative, author Todd Henry talks about this very thing. Since I used his book as the primary basis of my graduating seminar, I was anticipating this aspect of the post-MFA life. I’ve been expecting it, and trying to combat it. I have a local group of fellow writers (who I’ve mentioned here before) and we are meeting on a regular basis. I have a small group of fellow post-MFA students from my Queens University experience I keep in touch with, I interact with my blog readers and Twit-friends. But, Henry suggests that adding structure to these interactions can offer us bigger dividends. He proposes we establish “circles” of other writers with whom we interact in a very specific way. (For the record, my local writing group ends up covering most of these bases without a formal agenda for our get-togethers, but I think it does make sense to actively pursue these topics in a straightforward, intentional way.)

Here’s a brief excerpt from my graduating paper called, Creative Rhythm and the post-MFA Writer:

CIRCLES

Creativity is boosted when the writer regularly meets with a like-minded, yet diverse, group. These small creative groups help the writer stay focused and engaged. Further, they assist in the ongoing work of self-evaluation. The ideal participants in such a group will inspire and motivate. Such a group may already exist, and the writer may be able to join in. If not, it is the writer’s responsibility to form a small group. The core discussion of such a group should revolve around three questions:

What are you working on? – Each group member should share the most important projects and activities they are currently engaged in. Sharing in this way provides the individual with clarity of purpose and priority. If the writer tells the group her most important project is completing a revision of a short story for submission to a literary magazine, the act of sharing this with others is a subtle reminder of priority and a reinforcement of where here effort and time should be focused.

What is inspiring you? – Sharing points of inspiration–both in the individual’s particular field and outside it–is a great way to both internalize the inspiration and learn of complimentary or parallel sources. If a writer shares his fascination with medieval torture devices, another member may have valuable insight or information relating to that source of inspiration.

What would like prompting on? – This is another form of subtle accountability where one member of the group tells the others areas where she would appreciate gentle prodding and encouragement. The writer who tells her circle she needs to blog twice a week on a more consistent basis can expect the other members to check on her progress and offer help and encouragement.

The post-MFA writing life is difficult. As I sat on the porch with a cup of coffee and my daily free writing notebook, I wrote these words.

“Too many choices. That’s where I am. Too many options without urgency to focus on any one thing. So much on my mind, it’s like a 1,000 piece puzzle with no corner pieces, no edges, no picture on the box to reference.”

I am a bit overwhelmed and unmoored. There are stories to write, stories to edit, stories to revise. One novel in progress. One non-fiction book about the post-MFA writing life to pursue. Research and feedback I could collect. Blog posts. Daily free writing. Ideas and parts of ideas and good sentences I don’t want to let slip away.

There is so much freedom, now, and in this case, unbounded freedom can be a hinderance. It can cause a sort of paralysis. Especially if I’m not vigilant.

And so, every day I’ve been “taking stock” and tracking where I am, and where I want to be. It’s been a slow process, and not terribly productive, thus far. But, I refuse to just let it die. My productivity has been a 2 or 3 on a scale of 10, but that is still better than a zero, and it leaves me plenty of room to improve.

All of this tracking and self-evaluation is meant to help me see the “picture on the puzzle’s box-top” and give me some reference point as I sort and fit the puzzle pieces together. On the days when I am completely unproductive, it does make me feel bad to look at my tracking sheet and see just exactly how little I’ve accomplished. It also gives me some hope (“Hey,” I say, “At least I did SOMETHING with my day.”) and it gives me motivation to not feel this way tomorrow.

It would be so easy to slip into a creative coma. It happens to a lot of post-MFA writers. Actively guarding against it is something that takes a lot of effort and a great deal of planning. For most of us, writing consistently (daily, three times a week, every weekend) is hard work. When the only person we have to be accountable to is ourself, that work feels even harder.

If you are a writer, looking for a “check-in partner” who you can talk to on a regular basis about your work and your progress, drop me a line (comment below or send an email) and we’ll try to get some things set up to provides accountability and encouragement for your writing life.

Make it a great day. Happy Writing.

Andy Rooney, Photo Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

I’m not really a grumpy, grumbly person, usually. But some things have started to get to me.

(If you can read this in Andy Rooney’s voice, so much the better!)

Last Thursday, for example. I stopped by the post office to mail a package and two cards. It wasn’t a complicated mailing situation. The package was being delivered locally and the two cards were headed up I-75 to my in-laws. There was a short line, and I’ve found the local post office personnel to be helpful and speedy, most of the time.

When the clerk asked me the obligatory question about whether my package contained “hazardous or flammable materials” and such, I replied, “No, it’s just a book. Nothing dangerous.”

Consulting her computer screen, she says to me, “It can go overnight, since it’s in our area code, for $5.00, or, since it’s a book, you can send it book rate for $3.00 and it will go from here, all the way up to Jacksonville, get sorted, and come back, and will take 7 to 10 days.” (I rounded the cents. Sue me.)

Now, why does it make sense to charge me less and do all that extra work and take several more chances that it will be lost or damaged? Why not charge me less and just hold it in the local post office for a week, if you want to make some kind of point. Better yet, offer a “local next day for less” promotion where I pay the lower rate and you walk over and put it in that bucket that will be sorted locally, just like all the other mail? It only makes sense if you’ve created an inflexible system that doesn’t have room for an intrusion of common sense.

How does this apply to our writing? Well, it is a bit of a stretch, but what the post office’s “system” reminded me of is the concept of “unnecessary complexity” that we writers sometimes have. It’s our way of taking our writing work and making it much more complicated than it needs to be. It might be that we do more research than we really need for a certain part of a story or we set up this elaborate and complex set of “if onlys” that have to all fall like dominoes before we are “ready” to write.

The bottom line is this: unnecessary complexity isn’t doing much for the post office’s bottom line, and it doesn’t do much for our writing, either. Be vigilant that you aren’t creating chaos in order to avoid doing the work. Look for little ways to simplify. Think about WHY you do WHAT you do as a writer. Weed out the unnecessary things that drain your energy and momentum.

Now, let me tell you about the local Sports Shop and this exercise bike…

More next time.

Happy Writing.

Thanks!!

Thanks to Shannon Howell (you can check out her blog, here) for passing along the Versatile Blogger award to me.

As part of the award, I’m supposed to list things about me my readers may not know (I already did this, here) and then list some of the blogs I read (which I also did in that last post).

So, instead, I think I will list some of the most important websites for writers.

1. Poets & Writers Magazine - Information, listings, opportunities, and a magazine I read on a regular basis.

2. Duotrope – Market listings, research, and the ability to track your writing submissions. It’s free. (Though, if you use the service, a donation of $5 or $10 a year goes a long way to helping them keep operating.)

3. AWP – Association of Writers and Writing Programs - I’ve not yet used this resource to its full ability, but I am slowly integrating it into my regular routine.

4. Grammar Girl – Quick tips for sorting out grammar questions that plague most writers. Even when I’m “pretty sure” about something, I like to double-check.

5. Name Meanings (first names) and Meaning-of-Names (last names) – Sometimes a name is more than just a name, and if you want to add an additional layer of meaning to a character (or, re-ignite a character with a name change) these resources (or similar ones) can help.

6. Bibliodata – Need a quick synonym? Got it. Need links to check things like English vs. American spelling? Got that, too. Several great uses of this page.

7. This Day in History and Crazy Fads and Song Year and The People History – These are all great tools for adding a detail, a sprinkle of trivia, a dash of authenticity to a story, or, they can be great starting points for inspiration. These aren’t academic resources, but a fun place to start a study of place and time, and expand from there.

That’s a pretty good start to my list of resources. Obviously, there are loads of others. Feel free to list some of the ones you use most, below.

Hope you had a great week, and may this weekend treat you well.

Take care, friends. And, Happy Writing!