Click Here! The Plague Edition

I went to a Yankees' game yesterday. Ungodly hour of waking, couple hours on the bus sitting behind children who wouldn't leave the shades alone, $12 bucket of popcorn, the whole nine yards. Unfortunately I found it more compelling to watch pigeons target fans with guano bombs than focus on what wasn't happening on the field. Oh, we were disgusted, yes, and not by the pigeons. So I think today is the perfect day to bring out this particular batch of links. Before I do, though, you have to pretend this next line is delivered to you via James Earl Jones:

Win a brand new AlphaSmart 3000, simply by jumping through one small hoop set out by the benevolent souls at Writer Unboxed. Click Here to learn more.

And now, on to The Plague.

Ever enter a contest only to get your manuscript back, teeming with judging lingo you’ve never heard before, like, “maid and butler” or “RUE?” Well, Kresley Cole’s “Dictionary of Contest Speak” can solve all of that. Learn what the most common symbols, abbreviations and slang phrases used by contest judges really mean, and what you might do to overcome the obstacles standing between you and a tighter manuscript.

Think the rejection letter you received last week was impersonal? Insulting? Anytime you want a reality check, visit Rejection Collection, where writers and visual artists gather to commiserate and share their favorite or worst ever rejection letters (like the one that said merely: “hey. no.”) A fun and surprisingly inspiring site!

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Go on now and visit the largest collection of clichés, euphemisms and figures of speech at ClichéSite.com. While you're at it, check out this great article, Let them Rest! Overworked Phrases and Story Elements by Jenna Glatzer.

Stay with me now...

Shaky on comma usage? I love the 11 Rules of Writing site where you'll find a concise English lesson that even the most grammar-antsy among us can sit still for. These mini-lessons are adapted from Strunk and White’s well-respected Elements of Style and include such blips as how to join two independent clauses and using commas with introductory phrases. Want longer lessons, more detailed explanations? Visit the masters direct by clicking HERE.

Trying to sell that manuscript to agents and editors but feeling a little dejected? Lost as to what to do after it doesn’t happen in short order? Considering tossing your computer mouse (and a trap or two) in the trash? Stop. This is one of the best articles I’ve read in a long time—inspirational and practical both. Thank you Chris Gavaler for “How to get to the Ball without Selling Your Soul.” Click HERE to read it.

If writer’s block has you in a death grip, you might want to check out this interesting article, Read En Francais, S’il Vous Plait by Abigail Steidley. In it, you’ll find new strategies to thrust your mind into four-wheel drive so you can escape the clutch of resistance.

Need an inspirational quote? Check out Quotes for Writers for a great one, or visit Snippets of This and That for a lengthier boost. Maybe the Yankees could've benefited from a site like these? I think the pigeons already found them.

Write on, all!