I have to take a break from this blog for a bit. Freelance writing, editing and consulting beckons. As always, if I can be of service, feel free to contact me. I hope to return in the not-too-distant future. Thanks for reading!

In an interesting twist, Laura Miller, a professional writer who’s nonetheless never written a novel, offers her tips for novelists over at Salon.com. I like this concept. As she says, “Readers are what every novelist really wants, so isn’t it about time that a reader offered them some advice?”

Her first two tips are right on the money. The next three, though? I’m not so sure. How ’bout you?

This post has moved. Please click here to read it: “5 Tips for Fiction Writers That Will Make You Think—and Laugh!”

Many headline writing tips are just plain wrong for blogs. I mean, you know, in my humble opinion.

Oh, they’re great for print—magazines, newspapers, advertisements. They teach you how to draw in readers who are flipping through pages or hangin’ out in the checkout line. But blogs are a different beast. Before you intrigue readers, the readers have to find you!

I believe that for most health bloggers, search-engine optimization should usually trump cleverness. Fortunately, I’ve found some great tips to help.

Thank you if you took the poll! The results are in. You want to learn more about these types of writing:

• blog (29 percent)
• short story (21 percent)
• nonfiction book (14 percent)
• article or editorial (14 percent)

So that’s what I’ll be writing about in the coming weeks. If you haven’t taken the poll yet, I’m keeping it open and will continually revise my topics according to the results.

I’m a freelance writer, editor and ghostwriter. One of my specialties is working with doctors and other medical professionals. Read more here.

(Reminder: Have you taken the poll?)

Reading good writing is one way to learn more about the craft, so I like to point out exceptional blog posts. This is the first in a new regular series where I’ll do just that. I’ll be featuring particularly good writing from doctors and other health-care professionals.

Here are my picks for this round.

This post has moved. Please click here to read it: “The Arts Collide: 10 Quotes From Doctor-Writers.”

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I remember WritersWeekly.com’s 24-Hour Short Story Contest from last year. I kinda wished I’d entered it. Seemed like a fun challenge. And it’s only $5.

You get a topic and  24 hours to write a short story about it. It starts April 24, 2010, at noon Central. The latest WritersWeekly e-zine said the contest was already 43 percent full. There are 85 prizes. First place is $300, second place $250 and third place $200.

The contest is quarterly, so if not this time, maybe next? If you enter, good luck!

P.S. Have you taken my poll yet?

I’m a freelance writer, editor and ghostwriter. Read more here.

This post has moved. Please click here to read it: “‘Dreams on Spec’: A No-Holds Barred Look at the Lives of Screenwriters.”

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How’s “Freebie alert” as a headline for free gigs and other publicity-only opportunities? If you have a better suggestion, I’m all ears!

The creator of the blog Quips and Tips for Successful Writers is calling for input from writers for her new e-book. It’s about how to overcome obstacles to writing. She also accepts guest blog posts.

The deadline for the e-book is March 10, so check in soon if you’re interested.

I’m a freelance writer, editor and ghostwriter. One of my specialties is working with doctors and other medical professionals. Read more here.