Friday Feast: Mash-ups and kiss-ups

In blog-quistics, a mash-up is a post about the interesting things you’ve seen and read and learned on other people’s blogs. Links are provided to help spread the love so your readers can click and experience the same great bloggers you’ve been cyber stalking. I tend to think of it as a kiss-up blog because it usually turns out to be one big love-fest where I say nice things about someone’s blog and they leave a comment saying “thanks, and what a great blog you have,” and someone else says “thanks for the link, I really enjoyed that article,” and someone else tweets the link and so on. What’s wrong with that? Nothing, but being nice is still a way to make people suspicious of you. “Smile and everyone wonders what you’ve been up to.” What’s wrong with being nice? I know a lawyer who paradoxically has a bumber sticker on his car that reads, “Mean people suck.” Why do we expect meanness and grumpiness? Sadly it’s because everyone has their force shield up all the time because all we ever hear about are the poopy things. Sure the news channels tack on a “feel good” piece at the end of the show, but it is outnumbered every half-hour by the depressing, sad, frightening, disheartening stories. So we are trained by our media consumptions that what’s important, what should be top of the news list is death, destruction, and disorderliness. There is certainly enough out there to be the lead story every news hour, but where is the balance? It’s in the small, individual efforts of bloggers and bloggettes to kiss-up to each other and emphasize the good at the top of the hour instead of the poopy. Will you take up the banner with me and post your own mash-up and show some love? I always list my compadres at Who Dares Wins Publishing in links and every blog I post. We’re a team. Who’s on your team? Below you’ll find some of the places I planted my eyes recently and appreciated the thoughts. Check them out and tell them I sent you!

Joanna Aislinn has just started a brilliant series about discipline and control. Read a little bit before you think it’s not something you’d be interested in.  http://joannaaislinn.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/finally-that-new-series-i-promised-discipline-v-control/

Donna Ballman is a lawyer (no it’s not her bumper sticker) with a blog specifically for writers. She writes about the most fascinating things that will help with writing about the law in fiction or non-fiction. She’s is a great writer and makes the complicated easy to understand. http://writereport.blogspot.com/

Jane Friedman has a great post about writer’s websites that is concise and helpful. I enjoyed it alot. http://janefriedman.com/2012/02/27/effective-author-website/

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

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