10 Word Nerdy Tips for Frankenstorm Apocalypse Preparedness

October 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

I lay awake in bed at 5:30 this morning as the windows shuddered and the wind howled. The cats prowled restlessly and the old radiators whistled and creaked. Back issues of Creative Nonfiction, the latest issues of Esquire and Vanity Fair, my new copy of The New New Journalism were in a loose pile next to the bed. My Kindle was plugged in over by my dresser. Nine books were on the shelf behind my pillow, in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

I had spent the previous three days growing increasingly freaked out by Frankenstorm-related tweets and news stories. Now, as I lay there cuddled up to my husband, I wondered aloud:

“Do you think I should download some more ebooks before we lose power?” [Read more…]

Filed Under: words of wisdom Tagged With: , ,

Join My Quasi-Secret Word Nerd Facebook Group Maybe?

August 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Hey guys. This totally doesn’t count as this week’s actual blog post, but I just wanted to let y’all know that I’ve created a quasi-secret Facebook group for word nerds.

Basically, it’s an invite-only Facebook group I’m using as a testing ground for features that will eventually appear on the still-being-developed Word Nerd Networking site.

I’m also hoping it will become a fun, virtual hangout for all my fellow word nerds, where we can chat about what we’re working on, share project leads, show off our home offices, post about freelance resources, and more.

I’d love to invite all of you — as you’re the most fantastic writers I know — but I can only invite people with whom I’m already Facebook friends. So if you’re interested in joining the party, connect with me here, and then shoot me a message that mentions you’re itching to get into the Word Nerd Networking Facebook group. Include a link to your online profile, so I can confirm you’re a working writer. I’ve previously kept my word nerdy life separate from my Facebook life, but THE WALLS MUST COME DOWN.

Once you’ve gained entrance to the group, you can feel free to post about any ol’ word nerdy thing you can think of, or even upload photos of your home office and/or other word nerdy product. (You’ll see I already have a pic up there of me with my “reading is sexy” mug.)

And… that’s that! You may carry on with your tweeting and your Spider Solitaire-ing now. 🙂

Related: How I Learned to Live and Write with Intention

Filed Under: community, PSA Tagged With: , , , , , ,

I Created a Pinterest Board for Word Nerds Because Why Not?

January 24, 2012 by 1 Comment

I know it seems as if all I do lately is futz around on various social media platforms.

But I swear to you. I’m getting shit done.

It’s just that…

I’m always looking for new and fun ways to build my brand, and to build my word nerd community, and I’ve been seeing various small businesses do interesting things online lately.

My latest obsession?

Pinterest. (Yeah, you and everyone else, Steph.) [Read more…]

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Introducing A Monthly Word Nerd Networking Event

May 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Last month, I partnered up with Brazen Careerist to put together a virtual Word Nerd Networking event. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and some of you even asked to be alerted about future events.

Et voila!

I am now the official host of a monthly Networking for Word Nerds online event.

[Read more…]

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Word Nerds: Join Me For Some (Virtual!) Speed Networking

April 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Writers. Bookworms. Editors. Publishing professionals. Word nerds all. We should totally hang out.

Back in November, I co-hosted a Word Nerd Networking event in NYC that attracted a whopping 75 people. It was pretty damn awesome, and I’d like to do more of those. It was great getting to meet so many of you IRL!

Alas, some of you missed out, because… well… not everyone lives in the Tri-state area.

Which is why I urge you to check out tonight’s event. It’s totally virtual.

Brazen Careerist approached me several weeks ago with the idea of hosting a virtual speed networking event on their site. As I’ve taken part in several of their Network Roulette events in the past, and thought they were pretty fantastic, I was excited at the prospect of putting together a similar event for word nerds.

Which brings us to tonight’s event: Networking for Word Nerds. Totally virtual, you could be wearing nothing but panties and striped knee highs and nobody would be the wiser. Meanwhile, you’ll get the chance to chat up peeps who have been published in numerous national publications, who have published books, who run online magazines, and who generally rock the word nerd house.

So yeah. Basically? You should register. It’s at 8 p.m. EST, and only one hour.

Related: How to Throw an Event That Rocks the House, How to Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack, Networking for People Who Hate Networking: Network Roulette

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How To Build Your Network Without Having a Panic Attack

November 10, 2010 by 17 Comments

That time you saw me at that thing? I was screaming on the inside.

There are sooo many things that terrify me about networking events. I agonize over the best way to approach people, and then wuss out and don’t approach anyone. I assume that, when people see me cowering in the corner alone, they instantly know I’m lame. I worry that my obvious social awkwardness is turning off anyone I happen to be speaking with. I berate myself for being so completely boring.

I’m an introvert. Extended social interactions exhaust me and, after awhile, I hit a wall. I also have social anxiety. Drinking helps. My shrink has suggested pot. My Xanax just puts me to sleep.

But as I mentioned yesterday, taking networking from online to in-the-flesh is SO. IMPORTANT. It can solidify a relationship that you’ve developed online, or lead to new, promising connections. Also? Despite the fact that y’all terrify me so damn much, I love meeting new people and forging new connections. It’s just so gratifying to connect with someone who shares my interests… who can act as a sounding board… who I can swap tips and war stories with. And maintaining those relationships can be key in moving a career forward. Remember my post on bringing in new projects without lifting a finger? The bulk of the work that comes to me nowadays is thanks to people I’ve worked with in the past, or people I BS with on Twitter, or people I’ve met at this or that networking event, thanks to several large glasses of wine.

I want you guys to have that, too.

I’ve been reading Networking for People Who Hate Networking, and the book mentions several times that introverts benefit the most from events that combine structure and open time. Which is pretty darn great, because Marian Schembari and I have been masterminding an absolutely EPIC event.

[Read more…]

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