Yep, still researching and reading. Below are more of what I personally think are the best writing blogs:

• Writer Unboxed. The title says it succinctly. This blog is about the craft and business of genre fiction. There are twelve bloggers, one them being the great Allison Winn Scotch from Ask Allison, as well as Jane Friedman the publisher and editorial director of Writers Digest, and Donald Maass president of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. This site is a powerhouse when it comes to interviews with people in the publishing industry. If you want the inside scoop then this is the site to read.
• Writer’s Digest. It would be blasphemous not to include Writer’s Digest to the list. Apart from great articles, the site includes its own blog, prompts for writers, a community board and a store for its publications and whatnot.
• Writer’s Market. This is the site to go to research the markets you want to write for, agent information, and publishers. I subscribed last year to the online database, but I have to admit I found it confusing to use. I prefer using the books, but directories as soon as they’re out in print are out-of-date. So it’s up to you to see which you like best, but this will give you most of the information you’re looking for.
• A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing. Written by thriller writer Joe Konrath, this blog has been around since 2005.  The blog includes guest bloggers, Konrath’s take on the whole ebook debate, and what it takes to be a successful writer. His post on “Quitting” might get some readers riled up, it just makes me want to write even more.
• The Urban Muse. Voted by Writer’s Digest as one of the best 101 writing sites, This blog is penned by Susan Johnston, a freelance writer who covers business, lifestyle, and careers. When I surfed her blog, her “Why Should Writer’s Blog? ” post caught my eye and from there I knew that this blog was a keeper.

That’s all for today. Time to work on Julius.

Okay, some old habits from this year are still with me. One habit that I plan to change is to meet my own deadlines! I’m still reading, researching, and determining which 50 blogs I consider la creme de la creme. So what I’ll be doing is post these in parts. Let’s kick this off:

• Allison Winn Scotch. Allison is a successful novelist and freelance writer. Her blog, Ask Allison, is a fountain of information for anyone who wants to be a writer. Here, she’ll post all her writing news, but also take questions from reader about what it takes to be a writer. What I’ve found invaluable have been her sample query letters to agents, her advice to break into freelance writing, and how to research agents. I visit daily to read her new posts as well as her older ones.
• Aspiring Author. Written by Alexis Grant, a former Houston Chronicle reporter, Alexis left the newspaper in May 2008 to travel through Africa. She is currently working on her first book, a travel memoir. Like Allison, Alexis is so generous with the information she provides.  I love her Writers’ Roundups, and thanks to all her linking, I’ve discoverd a whole bunch of new blogs to follow. I have to add that her posts about Cooper the stray dog she found at the Hambridge Center warmed my heart. Not only is Alexis a good writer, she’s also a caring person.
• The Blood-Red Pencil. Need some good editing advice? The editors who contribute to this blog, are smart, witty, and will tell you a thing or two about anything related to writing. I read this for awhile, and recently came back to it. I’m happy I did because now when I vacillate between using a coma or a semi-colon, I have good rule of thumb to follow.
• Freelance Folder. If you’re venturing into a freelance career (or consultancy) this is one great site to study. It’s a little busy for me, but, and I have to add a disclaimer here, it’s because I’ve been having some vision difficulties and my eyes seem to want to read sites that are not so heavy with ads or widgets. There, got that out of way. Back to the site. The blog has five different tabs you can click on: All Topics, Productivity, Marketing, Lifestyle, and Inspiration. Just wandering around the tabs, you’ll find it chock-full of great resources. Anything with the word free instantly draws to my attention and the post 50+ Free Resources for Writers, Bloggers and Other Freelancers, kept me busy clicking the linksa and exploring the sites.
• Ask the Copy Bitch. Robyn Bradley is a freelance copywriter and she provides readers with tips about copywriting (duh), branding, advertising, creative writing and so on. She models her blog to that of the infamous Miss Snark, the NYC literary agent who offered valuable (but snarky in tone) advice to aspiring authors like your’s truly.

That’s it for today. Check in tomorrow for more. If I have something worthwhile to share, I’ll post that too.

Happy 2010! I wish everyone a great and successful writing year.

I’ve been meaning to compile a list of writing blogs that I consider the cream of the crop. In September, Maria Schneider of Editor Unleashed posted 25 Best Writing Blogs 2009. It’s a fabulous compilation and Maria has broken them down by category. These include:

• Publishing Trends
• Marketing and Social Media
• Creativity
• Fiction Writing
• Freelance Writing

Now I could cheat and just use Maria’s list, but where’s the fun of not exploring on my own. I know that I’ll probably agree on a majority of the sites chosen, but there might be a few that might have been overlooked. Although choosing 25 is manageable, I’ll be compiling my personal top 50.

What are the guidelines to make it to my cream of the crop? I’ll make it simple: Blogs should be well-written, informative, updated on a frequent basis (unlike yours truly, but I am getting better), and I they have to lure me back often (or subscribe to them). My categories will most likely be similar, but I’ll also include grammar and copyediting tips, research resources and others that might catch my eye (yeah, I’m being vague, but I’m starting the project by scratch so the guidelines will most likely change as I go along.)

Suggestions are always welcome, just leave them in the comment section.  I’ll post my top 50 on New Year’s Eve, what better way to kick off 2010?