For writers - More RAOKs

I loved the launch idea Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi came up with for the release of their new book: celebrate by asking people to do random acts of kindness. On Monday, the RAOK Blitz went into effect, and it's still going. It's amazing. Participants on both ends of the RAOK are having great experiences, and the RAOKs are being paid forward, and forward, and forward.

Several of us thought a great RAOK would be to gift copies of THE EMOTION THESAURUS to our intended RAOK recipients, but Becca and Angela asked that we not do that. The purpose of the movement was to share joy to others in the writing community, not just to promote their book.

I'd like to say, however, that the Emotional Thesaurus they've compiled on their blog, The Bookshelf Muse, does share if not joy, certainly great benefit to others in the writing community. I've used it countless times to avoid my tendency to populate my books with grinning bobble head dolls. So, while I will respect their wishes and not give the book away, I'll just tell you, I've ordered my copy. You can get yours, too, through smashwords, itunes, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. And if you haven't promised Becca and Angela not to use the book as your RAOK, you could give copies of it to your friends. I'm just saying...

This week's writer's tip is to enjoy doing a random act of kindness everyday. It will make you a happier writer, and that's why we do this thing in the first place, right?

 In the spirit of continuing RAOKs, and being happier writers, I'm going to share a little joy with you in the form of a video I discovered this morning. I hope it makes you smile and sit a little sexier in your chair as you churn out the words. Enjoy!

Source: youtube.com via Linda on Pinterest

This Week's Links:

Cotton Candy Pride (Ginger Calem) Great advice

Digging Deeper, A Process Rather Than a Technique (Writer Unboxed)

Bob Mayer Talks Dollars and Good Sense (Twisted Minds and Dark Places)

The Pendulum Swings Back (toward print) (Kidlit.com)

What Services Publishers Provide (Nathan Bransford)

Fiction vs Nonfiction - Must Writers Choose? (Beyond the Margins)

Readers are Reading! (The Atlantic)

Children's and YA Hardcover Sales up 72% (Media Bistro) Hooray!!!

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do (McSweeney's)  : )

Creating Faceted Characters (Writer Unboxed)

You Are What You Read, according to this study (MSNBC)

4 Ways to Hook Your Readers and Keep Them Wanting More (Jody Hedlund)

Excessive Detail Can Kill Your Story (Moody Writing)

Does Deviating from the 3-Act Structure Keep Me From Getting Published? (Wordplay)

What Happens When Your Books Goes to the Pub Board? (Publishing Crawl)

Never Stop Asking Questions (Lucky 13)

Mamaless Epic Heroes (Shannon Hale)

Now go do a RAOK, and write!