Safari Friday searching the web for writers and readers — feedback from a professional

Janice Hardy is an American fantasy and science fiction author. She taught writing at Writers Digest Online Workshops for several years, and now does it through her blog The Other Side of the Story. It contains over 500 articles on different aspects of writing and in her weekly column – Real Life Diagnostics –  readers are encouraged to send in a short extract of their Work in Progress, flagging up the issues that are worrying them. Janice then diagnoses it on her blog. It’s a process that she describes as being part critique, part example, and designed to help the submitter as well as anyone else having a similar problem. It is never a hatchet job – no cheap quips at the writer’s expense – and readers are encouraged to add their comments. Janice is never dogmatic and the result is helpful, supportive feedback
She says:

Not everything I suggest is going to work for everyone, but that’s just the way writing is. There is no wrong or right way to write. My way is certainly not the only way, and may even be the wrong way for you. That might sound strange, but I know first-hand how frustrating it is to be told “You must do this” when “doing that” is more your style.

Janice keeps to a fairly strict blog schedule – except when writing gets in the way. Mondays and Fridays are for writing-related posts, Wednesdays are for guest bloggers, and Saturdays (and the occasional Sunday) are for Real Life Diagnostics.

Safari = Swahili for long journey.I am on the look out for anything accessible from a keyboard that educates, entertains, intrigues, raises a smile. Anything that helps a reader get through the day or a writer the next draft. Let me know if you write a website that you’d like featured or discover something that really should be shared.