A whole new world every day on the Internet

This really is gonna be short today. You will believe it when you see it. (I know what you're saying.)

I've found some really great websites in the past week for writers. I mean, really, really great. Transforming-my-WIP-in-moments kind of great. And to think, I've seen recommendations for some of these before and ignored them.

First up, I found Flogging the Quill via Writer Unboxed. Ray Rhamey (which makes me think of my brother--we call him Raymy!) asks would-be writers to send in the first chapter and synopsis of their fiction manuscript. He then takes the first 16 lines, equivalent to a first page, and flogs it--aka reads and critiques. Passing the Flogometer means the reader would probably keep reading. He has a "show, don't tell" game, too, but not many people take advantage of it. Either way, his critiques are amazing. I've made slight changes here, dramatic changes there in my WIP, and can already tell a difference based on his suggestions to other writers. OK, this is supposed to be short, so go see for yourself. Writer Unboxed itself is another good resource.

Book-Ends Literary Agency has a blog. They do lots of interactive stuff with writers on pitches, queries, and so on. Hands on, useful stuff.

Query Shark. This one just makes me laugh. And I mean that in the very nicest way. When I read the majority of queries people send in for critique, I have hope I'm going in the "write" direction. I couldn't help reading some of them out loud to my husband the other night. He doesn't even give a rip, and *he* saw it. There is also helpful feedback ... even on the ridiculous ones. The agent gives them her best shot, regardless. After she laughs.

So, go, visit, see and do.

OOPS. I forgot. I also finally joined Backspace. Lots of free stuff from the homepage, and the $30 per year subscription to the forums has already paid off for me after reading posts on a guest forum for an agent I'm eyeing.