Some of my favourite writers & poetry blogs

Just for a change I thought I would give a shout out to some of my favourite writers' and poets' blogs.

Should a poet have a blog? Hmmm ... well there is a school of thought that says NO - better to preserve a sense of mystery - less is more!

But I admit I enjoy writing my own poetry-themed blog which is kind of a diary/work in progress / confessional type of thing. Maybe if I ever make it big as a poet I might regret having exposed so much of myself, warts and all, but for now it's a lot of fun to connect with others in a similar situation and share my success, failures and everything in between.

Anyway, here are three of my favourite writer-bloggers...

Josephine Corcoran, aka @CorkyCorks on Twitter: Josephine is an experienced writer and teacher of creative writing, and her blog is a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration including reviews, comments and questions about the writing process. She also has a companion blog for poems, And Other Poems, which is growing into a rich anthology.

Abegail Morley, The Poetry Shed: Abegail posts reviews, featured poems & poets, news of competitions and events, listings of poetry books and magazines, and some useful tips from magazine editors about what they look for.

Sarah Salway as well as being the current 'Canterbury Laureate' is a prolific blogger, the subtitle of her blog being 'Handmade stories and seeds of inspiration' - yes there is a teeny bit of gardening stuff in there but LOTS of interesting, quirky posts about writing and writers. I like the way she mixes up the media - plenty of photos & video, and generous (copious) references to other writers.

Featured blogger: Tara Hogan

Illustrator, designer and yoga teacher Tara Hogan was expecting a baby when I was pestering her with emails about 'Blogging for Creatives' - sorry about that, Tara! Baby John was born in March this year and has already appeared on Tara's blog, Ink+Wit...

Ink+Wit is both a blog and a business, and Tara is a great example of how a blog doesn't exist in a vacuum - far from it! Take a look at the side bar of her blog and you will find links to dozens, if not hundreds of blogs: Illustration, Yoga, Vegan, Interior Spaces, Inspiration and more. This gal is well connected to the blogosphere, and has been featured and interviewed on many other sites about how she got into blogging, her motivations and inspirations. Read a 2008 interview with her here on Decor8.

Tara's main site is the shop at www.inkandwit.com. As well as the blog (which incidentally is a Blogger blog like this one), Ink+Wit can be found in many other social places including Pinterest (Tara has some gorgeous boards, take a look!) and various blog directories. Tara is also on Twitter.

Tara Hogan of Ink + Wit on Pinterest

Staying connected to other blogs and around the social web is important for getting your blog known and read. This blog is only a couple of weeks old, so I have plenty to do to get it better connected. Experienced bloggers like Tara can teach us all a lot about what it takes to create and maintain a great blog!

Featured Blogger: Laura Trevey

When I was researching the book, one of the really nice parts was discovering so many wonderfully passionate and committed bloggers from around the world.

Laura Trevey in her Studio / Office.

So on this blog I'm going to feature a different blogger each week - both those who you will meet in 'Blogging for Creatives' and also others as I come across them.

My first featured blogger is Laura Trevey of Bright, Bold and Beautiful. Laura is a watercolour artist and her blog is not only a showcase for her work but a gorgeous diary of all that inspires her, particularly beautiful interiors, design and fashion.

Bright, Bold and Beautiful blog - http://www.brightboldbeautiful.com/

Laura, based in Richmond, Virginia, was one of the first bloggers I approached - not only was she was delighted to contribute to my book, she was a joy to do business with too. Here's what she told me:

"I started a blog called 'Watercolors by Laura Trevey' as an avenue to attract viewers to my online watercolor shop. I immediately fell in love with the whole concept of blogging, and wanted to blog about more than just my art. After 6 months, I started Bright Bold and Beautiful, which was originally on the Blogger platform. Blogger is extremely user-friendly for beginners and you can get set up within minutes. I love Tumblr as well, where the inspiration is endless!"

Laura's pride and joy - her art studio/ home office, featuring a custom island
with wide shelves for Laura's watercolour paper.

Here are Laura's top tips for beginner bloggers:

1. Be Yourself.
2. Be Original - You will quickly develop a loyal following if you post original content on a regular basis.
3. Post every day.
4. Be Kind and Genuine to other bloggers. Believe me, they will become your best friends!
5. Invest in a good camera, and take quality photos! 
6. Make sure every post has at least one photo.

I for one am going to try to follow Laura's guidelines as best I can!

Inspiration
Laura has written a great book called smART Business - an Inspirational Guide for Artists and Crafters, which I'd highly recommend. As well as being visually inspiring, it is full of excellent tips on building your brand, organising your time, getting the best from social media, Etsy, art/craft shows, blogging and many more resources. Find out more about smART Business on Bright, Bold and Beautiful.

Do you know of an inspirational blog that should be featured here? Let me know in the comments box, or leave me a message on the Blogging for Creatives Facebook Page!