Top 20 Most-Read Blog Posts of 2017 on Lisa Romeo Writes

As another blogging year ends, I'm grateful to have continued to connect with other writers and readers, and for the many intelligent, interesting, generous guest contributors who have shared their wisdom and experiences. (And while I now have a newly launched, full website, the blog will continue.)

Which brings me to the top 20 most-read blog posts of 2017, which I'm happy to say include several guest posts from writers I've been lucky to host. 

In case you missed a few the first time around, now's a great time to catch up.  Especially number 14, which suggests a terrific thing for writers to do before 2018 begins!  (Friday Fridge Clean-Out posts are not listed.)

1. Guest Blogger Melanie Brooks on: Writing Your Story, and Crying if you Want (or Need) To

2. Memoir Cover: First Peek (Happy Birthday, Dad)

3.  Memoir Book Report – Part III: The Pitch Session that Changed Everything (even though it was "unsuccessful")

4. Memoir Book Report, Part V: Weathering the Query & Manuscript Submission Cycle, from Confusion to Contact to Contract

5. Being Ethel to a BFF's Lucy Yields one Personal Essay after Another

6. Memoir Book Report: Process, Production, Path to Publication – Part I: Sign, Wait, Hope, Think, Revise

7. I Resolve to...Read. And read and read and read and read

8. What I Heard and Learned at the AWP Writers Conference

9. Guest Blogger David Galef on: One Solution to a Lot in a Little Space -- The Flash Vignette

10. Read-Along. Like a Ride-Along. But with books.

11. Memoir Book Report -- Part IV: Title Roulette

12. Guest Blogger Martha Moffett on Writing Submissions and the Race to the Bottom: The Rejection Club

13. Of Paper, Files, Age and Advice

14. What's on Your Writer's *I Did It List* for 2017?

15.  Guest Blogger Pam Lobley on How She Wrote a Parenting Book Without Really Meaning To

16. Writer Fights AWP Siren. AWP Wins. Notes on a Last Minute Writers Conference Trip.

17. Memoir Book Report: Part II -- Final Manuscript Revisions

18. Guest Blogger Marjorie Simmins on Memoir, Starry Night Memories, and What She Learned from a Workshop Student

19. Home from Hippocamp with a Bunch of Thoughts about Writers Conferences

20. Guest Blogger Judy Mollen Walters on Creating Fictional Worlds From What We Know

One Writer's Thoughts on New Year's Eve -- and The Year's Top Posts

Before the day gets away from me, and it's 2017, and I forget how much I like tied-up endings (in life, if not in prose), these are my thoughts, post-shower, pre-breakfast. I use the word "should" not in the bullying, guilt-inducing way, but in the prodding, goal-directed, self-to-self pep talk way. Sort of.

I should write a final blog post for the end of the year.

I should go buy the dessert I'm expected to bring to tonight's party.

I should finish my office decluttering, the day-after-Christmas project that always stretches to just before dinner on New Year's Eve.

I should finish my January and February submission calendar.

I should write down my *I Did It List* for 2016, the one that's been swirling in my head for a month, the one I urge every other to undertake, the one I've been avoiding because OUTSIDE of my little writing world, the year was, in some ways for my own family, for friends, for the country, as Queen Elizabeth once called 1992, "an annus horribilis."

I should help my husband put together that new Ikea file cabinet for my office, but since I stink at almost all DIY projects that do not involve words, I'll leave it to him and my son.

I should hit SUBMIT on my first piece of short fiction I told myself I'd finally send out into the publishing world this year. (But my nonfiction soul is waging a loud and occasionally snarky "But is it really any good?" and "Who says you can write fiction now?" fight).

I should finalize the two syllabi for Spring semester. Or at least write down the day next week when I'll do it.

I should write a note or at least a tweet to that writer whose finely written nonfiction narrative piece I just read in a nice journal, and tell him so. Because it's something I always mean to do and often forget to do, and because I know what it's like to be that writer, hearing something nice about something you've written and wonder if anyone will appreciate. (UPDATE: between drafting this post and proofreading it, I did this. I feel better already).

Finally, I suppose I should...fill and organize that new filing cabinet; re-order all of my office bookshelves so the newly acquired books aren't stacked in a heap; bring my clip file up to date; get my tax info ready; overhaul my blog; finish reading the three books I'm in the middle of.  Nah, just kidding. I'm not doing those six things at all!

But all the rest? I'll be doing all of that today. Not because I should, but because I want to and my writer's mind won't let me rest until I do and because I promised myself that once I do all of this, I can go to that party tonight and feel a little bit lighter. Until I sample the dessert I'm going to buy.

Hope your New Year's Eve works out just the way you want. See you back here in 2017.

Oh, and because I forget to do this last week, here are the most popular posts of 2016:

This Week in WritingWorkshops, Post-Election

The Post-Conference, Post-Vacation Post

I've Run Out of Other Cheeks, and There's No Room Left on the High Road

When a Targeted Submission Fails: Rinse, Revise, Repeat

Writer Communing with Notebook: Early Morning Conference Insomnia (the good kind)

How to Get Into That Journal (Or, how to get into any journal)

Guest Blogger Susan Breen on Prepping for a Pitch Conference

Author Interview with Nancy Davidoff Kelton on her memoir, Finding Mr. Rightstein

School's Out, Writing and Editing is In

The Jeopardy Clues to Crappy, No-Good Writer's Luck

Happy Best American Essay Birthday

The Circle of the MFA: What I learned 10 years ago and what I'm passing on (I hope)

Stuff My Writing Students Say, Part 19

Happy New Year !

Images - all Flickr/CreativeCommons: Lights:-NicMcPhee/UnhinderedByTalent; Tacks -HDValentin.

The Top 20 Writing Posts of 2015

Here are the top 20 posts on the blog from 2015, based on reader traffic. Among them once again are fabulous guest bloggers and author interviews. I'm in their debt for offering excellent advice to other writers, and sharing personal stories of their writing lives. (The list doesn't include any of the popular, regularly appearing Friday Fridge Clean-Out posts, rich in writer resource links. Find them here.)

Thanks for reading!

Sandra Hurtes on How a Writer Stays Committed With No Promise of Success 

Laraine Herring on The Baby Story Monkey 

What Not to Say in Your Cover Letter to a Literary Journal (or possibly, to any media venue, ever) 

 

Anna Whiston-Donaldson on a Paperback Release after the Hardcover

Donna Talarico on HippoCamp2015, A Conference for Creative Nonfiction Writers

Listen In: Storytellers Summit Presents 20+ Creative Conversations (including little ole me)  

Publication Venues Everywhere, How's a Writer to Choose? 

Guest Blogger Lisa Alber on Hope After (Traditional Publishing) Rejection 

Kate Walter on Finding the Narrative Arc for Your Memoir  

Vincent J. Fitzgerald on That Writing Thing I Always Wanted to Do  

Linda Sienkiewicz* on her Debut Novel and the Twisty Road That Got Her There  

The Mother's Day Essay I Didn't Write  

Adam Boretz on BookLife & PW Select Editor  

My Husband and I Didn't Have a "Meet-Cute" Moment. So of course, I wrote about it.  

Where Essays Begin: Sudden news, old friend, odd lyrics, far away 

Reading in Small Chunks, Taking in Big Wisdom from Abigail Thomas's New Memoir 

Linda K Sienkiewicz* on Lessons from AWP on Book Promotion for Anxious Authors 

Lisa Lenzo on her short story collection, Strange Love 

Of Writing Goals, Hope, the Old Year, a New Year, and One Word  

Lucy Ferriss on Why She Had to Learn to Write Badly 

*Both of my friend Linda Sienkiewicz's 2015 guest posts are on the list, which means you probably want to be reading her blog too!

Image: Flickr/Creative Commons - Paul Inkles the UMF

Top 20 Posts from 2013: Guest Bloggers, Authors, Readers, and Writing Friends Rock!

As 2014 approaches, I want to thank all of my 2013 blog visitors—loyal readers who stop by frequently as well as occasional drop-ins. It means a lot to think that any of the 78 posts that appeared here this year have contributed to your writing life!

A check of the blog's stats reveals the top posts of 2013 and guess what? Many of them aren't even completely "mine," and I don’t care! Some are the work of my lovely guest bloggers, others are author interviews; writer friends I admire, and who have generously shared their time, advice, insights, frustrations, tips, craft, and journey with others on the writing path.

If you missed a few, here are the 20 most read posts of the year (exclusive of the Friday Fridge Clean-Outs, which often score high, sometimes for an obvious reason, sometimes for no reason I can determine):

Writers: A Year-End Call for *I Did It* Lists. Join me?

Guest Blogger Patricia Berry on Finding the Essay at AWP

Guest Blogger Christi Craig on a Writing Retreat, Place, Atmosphere, and a Nod from the Universe

Thanks, Gratitude, and Other Stuff Related to Writing, Thanksgiving, and Holidays

Guest Blogger Lesley Green Leben on Anticipation, Inspiration, Hard Work and Taking Risks at the Southampton Arts Writers Conference

Author Interview: Kate Hopper on Writing, Craft, Motherhood, and Her Memoir, Ready For Air

Guest Blogger Drew Myron with Ten Tips to Giving a Good Reading

Guest Blogger Karen Pullen on Writers Police Academy. Or, Wake Up and Smell the C4

Guest Blogger Shaun Hunter On Going Public With Her Memoir Manuscript

Old Habits, New Habits, Weight Loss and Writing

The Personal Essay and Me: The sudden path from zero to urgent

When "So what?" is a perfectly good response.

Guest Blogger Tom Mallouk, on Writing Poetry (or anything) and the Joy (!) of the Workshop

Guest Blogger Ryder S. Ziebarth on Her First AWP Conference

Guest Blogger Ruth Foley on: Poem Series That Take You Hostage, and Three Possible Escape Routes

Editor Q & A: Suzannah Windsor, of Compose, on Starting the Journal, Submissions, and Full Plates

The Good, the Bad, the Uncomfortable: The MFA, Five Years Later

Every Writer Can Get Something Out of NaNo -- Whether Signed Up or Not

Looking Inside: Creative Nonfiction in the Fall Issue of Compose

Guest Blogger John Merson on Writing Memoir About War and its Personal Aftermath

All good wishes for the New Year!  In 2014, I'll try my best to bring you more and even better posts!