Friday Fridge Clean-Out: Links for Writers, April 5, 2013 Edition

> Allison Amend's letter to her younger writer self, at the Glimmer Train blog: Just read it.

> Also on the Glimmer Train blog again (yes, it's that good, always), Matthew Salesses on being open to opportunity as a writer (and recognizing it).

> When a half-dozen writer friends are talking about a new online destination, I tend to visit and noodle around. Have you investigated Medium yet?  

> Elizabeth Spiers, author and digital entrepreneur, on why a paper notebook is still one of her fave tools (posted at Medium).

> Suzanne Strempek Shea gives some no-nonsense tough love talk to writers with excuses (um, that would be nearly every writer, sometimes, I guess).

> Students have asked me about putting together a writer bio when you have no published credits. Laurie at Quips & Tips has a few thoughts.  (hat tip @ryder_ziebarth)

> Another mystery solved -- finding free quality images to use on a blog, via Where Writers Win. I once worked (virtually) with the author of this guest post, Michelle Hutchinson, on a web project. She was smart then, smarter now.

> The "7 Things I've Learned So Far" series at Writer's Digest sometimes yields gems. Like this one on the list from Leah Bobet: "... sometimes when writing advice looks obvious, or stupid, or like it makes no sense, it’s because your brain isn’t in the place yet where that piece of advice is useful. Write it down in a file. Go back and look at that file every six months or so. One day it’ll be the exact thing you needed to hear." (via @prsatran)

> Final few days to sign up for *I Should Be Writing!* Boot Camp (starts Monday, 4/8).

> Finally, even if verbs-as-nouns don't bother you, check out this post at the New York Times' Opinionator blog, if only to scroll down the page for the delicious Grant Snider strip, "How to Make Write."  (hat tip Middle Aged Diva)