Melissa Bartell: Word Ninja

Recovering

Melissa — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:52:59 +0000

A week or so ago, all my sites were hacked, and loaded with mal-ware that served a tasty menu of Russian porn. I’m in the process of recovering from the forced blow-out of my whole host account. Back before you know it.

30 Days to Creativity

Melissa — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:10:38 +0000

Are you bored with your blog? Does your journal need juice, or your diary need dressing up?

We all fall into creative slumps from time to time, sitting at our desks and feeling like the blank page or screen is taunting us. What we need, we think, is a jump-start. Something to get things flowing once more. Something to reignite the creative spark.

What if I offered you just such a tool to rekindle your flame?
What if I promised thirty days of interesting, creative blog/diary/journal prompts?
What if I told you that with my friend Debra Smouse, I’ve created a course called 30 Days to Creativity: Inspirational ePrompts to Unleash Your Creative Spirit that launches Tuesday, February, 7th, with a focus on better blogging (or diary/journal writing)?

What if this was more than just “what if?”

Experts would tell you that it takes about 21 days to form a habit.

Debra and I invite you to spend 30 days forming a habit of daily writing. Whether you’re a blogger writing for an audience, someone who just wants their journal to be a little juicier for posterity, or a budding novelist looking to hone your skills, these prompts will give you a month of creative fodder, and our challenges will help you find the creative fire that might, sometimes, seem more like so many wisps of smoke.

30 Days to Creativity: Inspirational ePrompts to Unleash Your Creative Spirit is 30 days to better blogging.

January Wrap-Up

Melissa — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:14 +0000

I’m back in the writing groove this month, with a lot of work for ATG, and the voice project I mentioned earlier that went live.

Also: beginning in February, my friend Debra and I are offering the first in a series of eight e-classes to help boost your writing. Watch this space for more info or check out 30 Days to Creativity.

LINKS:

Project Top Hat, 19 Nocturne Boulevard – June (voice)
Sunday Brunch: Oranges are Winter Fruit, All Things Girl
Jumping Across Deserts, All Things Girl
Interview – Kelly Kathleen Ferguson: My Life as Laura, All Things Girl
Sunday Brunch: A Sunday Kind of Love, All Things Girl
Sunday Brunch: Simple Acts of Kindness, All Things Girl
Man on Monday: Todd Tyrtle, All Things Girl
Sunday Brunch: A Year of Kindness, All Things Girl

December Wrap-up

Melissa — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:10:21 +0000

December was a quiet month for me. I was slammed by one of my freelance projects, but it was mostly code and project management, so I didn’t do very much writing.

I participated in Holidailies over on my blog, but I’ve purged all the posts from the last ten years.

I recorded something for Julie Hoverson at 19 Nocturne Boulevard, but it went live in January.

LINKS:
We’re Almost Ready, All Things Girl.

Fresh Starts

Melissa — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:38:56 +0000

Blank blogs have almost as many possibilities as brand-new spiral notebooks. Ever since I bought this domain, I’ve been trying to balance my personal blog, my book blog, and find something to write here, as well. It was too much. I felt divided. I stopped writing everywhere.

I made the decision to re-start this blog just to keep people up-to-date with what I’ve been doing – what I’ve been writing, where I’ve been writing, any new voice stuff I’m doing – and some special projects.

It’s still January for a few more days. The year is still young.

But it’s never too late for a Fresh Start.