1. Home
  2. Discover
  3. Skill learning & Edu
  4. Electric Speed

[Electric Speed] Fun new word game | Can you break the rules?

Digital tools and resources for creative people
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Having trouble reading this email?  View this email in your browser
 
A note from Jane

When it comes to writing and publishing, I like to say that there are no rules.

However, what I teach every day often amounts to rules, or at least best practices, for success.

Follow submission guidelines.

Don’t call agents or publishers out of the blue unless guidelines say so.

If your work is rejected, move on.

But I had a friend who played the game of publishing (and life) by her own rules. Her name was Martha.

She had no problem cold calling agents (or anyone else, for that matter) and asking for immediate consideration. She wasn’t mean or arrogant about it. But neither was she going to waste her time being a supplicant.

In a way that was entirely her own, she got her first novel published as she approached 70 years of age.

I’d like to tell you that anyone can do what Martha did, but it’s not true. She was both fearless and charismatic. If someone told her no, she knew it was no only at that moment in time, not no forever and not no from everyone. If a door was closed, she looked for the window. Once through the window, she charmed the pants off people.

That takes chutzpah not all of us have. As I saw it, she led her life entirely on her own terms, damn the consequences. How many of us can do that?

I love to observe people who break the rules. You can learn what’s possible, while also learning what’s not in fact possible for yourself.
Jane

P.S. The most popular blog post at my site this month:
To Everyone Who Wants Me to Read Their Writing & Tell Them What to Do

P.P.S. There is more to this newsletter. Keep scrolling!
ISSUE SPONSOR
Kingsman Editing: copyediting, line editing, developmental editing, manuscript analysis, formatting. kingsmanediting.com
Meet your editing team

It starts with a sample and ends with a clean manuscript. Work with Kingsman Editing Services to prepare your book for publication. We don’t just polish your prose; we provide the tools to make you a stronger wordsmith. We have the knowledge and experience. You have the story. It’s time to nurture it then share it with the world. Send us a sample today.

Sponsorships help support Electric Speed.
 
Jane’s Electric Speed List
Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)
The hottest new word game: Wordle
If you love The New York Times Spelling Bee, then check out Wordle. It’s a word game that someone developed for his partner that has now become very popular. Think Mastermind, only with letters.
Animate your sketches and doodles
This fun and sophisticated tool (still easy to use) brings your drawings to life. It’s billed for children’s drawings, but don’t let that stop you if you’re young at heart. Charming!
PCal: a health-tracking app
I will say no more except that it is wonderfully designed and perfect in every way for the duty it is intended for. Take a look; available for both Apple and Android smartphones.
Increase your font knowledge with help from Google
Not sure what font to choose for your website, newsletter, book or some other project? Google helps you get sorted.
 
This Is the Year You’ll Finish Your Book with Allison K Williams. $25 class. Wednesday, January 12, 2022. 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
NEXT ONLINE CLASS
Jan. 12: This Is the Year You’ll Finish Your Book with Allison K Williams
This year, you’re going to finish a book. But which one, and how? You’ve got multiple creative projects tugging for your attention, not to mention family, pets, work. When can you carve out time for your manuscript, and how will you stay motivated to finish by the time April rolls around, let alone October? In this 90-minute class you’ll learn how to clear mental space to focus on one project, set a realistic timeline, and self-motivate to finish your book—for real!
Learn more and register
Your turn: favorite Instagram accounts
In the last issue, I asked you to tell me about your favorite Instagram accounts. Here’s a selection of what you said:

  • Notes From Your Therapist —Sarah Chauncey
  • This one is the best, she is magical! —Maggie Smith
  • My favorite is instabooktours. The lengths Vic goes to publicly acknowledge and thank her book bloggers is unparalleled. —Emma Lombard
  • One of my faves is 3pyrsinapod [attention dog lovers!]. —Denise T
  • My favorite Insta is lindy_and_jlo they are so cute and crack me up. —Milissa Story
  • I love Still I Run. They are a nonprofit, all-volunteer group of runners raising mental health awareness. Lots of feel good, fitness fun. —Nita Sweeney
  • My favorite is this guy who fosters kittens. —Angel Dey
  • My favorite Instagram accounts continually astonish and delight by telling me unique things I don’t know. By that measure, I enjoy accounts like howtoreadhieroglyphs. And GastroObscura is good, too. —Cecilia Tan

Next question: What is your favorite smartphone case and/or accessory? Mine is Camo. Share yours by replying to this email or discuss on Discord.
 
Free resources featuring Jane
Upcoming online classes
Not a subscriber to Electric Speed? Sign up here.
Jane Friedman
Electric Speed is a free newsletter by Jane Friedman that launched in 2009. More than 20,000 subscribers receive it. You can support it by (1) sponsoring an issue or (2) sharing it with friends and colleagues. "At electric speed, all forms are pushed to the limits of their potential." —Marshall McLuhan
I finally tried no-knead bread in a dutch oven. It worked. 🍞
 
Copyright © 2021 Jane Friedman Media LLC, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Jane Friedman Media LLC
723 West St.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
United States

Want to change how you receive these emails?
unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences


Older messages

[Electric Speed] Most popular resources of 2021

Saturday, December 25, 2021

4-minute verbal creativity test | Old book illustrations | Curious search engine ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[Electric Speed] Understanding conversation styles | Book discovery tool

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Digital tools and resources for creative people ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[Electric Speed] My favorite self-awareness question | Search engine for online classes

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Digital tools and resources for creative people ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[Electric Speed] ] Pronunciation finder | Custom illustrations & infographics

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Digital tools and resources for creative people ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

[Electric Speed] Freelancer insurance | one-page websites | punctuation beauty

Saturday, October 30, 2021

Digital tools and resources for creative people ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

You Might Also Like

🎙️ Find That Pod #259

Friday, April 26, 2024

Check out these 5 great podcasts...and bring some awesomeness to your ears. Let's take a look at this week's recommendations. ADVERTISEMENT 5 great podcasts to discover… Welcome to the 259th

On Rewatching TV Shows

Friday, April 26, 2024

It's the Now I Know weekender ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🎤 SWIPES Email (Friday April 26th, 2024)

Friday, April 26, 2024

The SWIPES Email ​ Edition: Friday, April 26th, 2024 ​An educational (and fun) email by Copywriting Course. Enjoy! ​ 🎤 Listen to this email here: ​ ​ Swipe: On one hand, this seems like a bad billboard

Forget a Pedestal; Put Your Audience on a Ladder

Friday, April 26, 2024

Say no to customers and yes to members in your business strategy. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🚿 A story as satisfying as those power washing videos…

Thursday, April 25, 2024

He's building THE biggest power washing business (from Hollywood to washing wood) Can he build the world's biggest power washing business? Hey Contrarians, Whatever preconceived notions you may

One-Day Facebook Groups Promo • Posts Book to 250K+ FB group readers

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Group Posts to 250K Facebook Readers Facebook Reader Group Promos for Authors & Publishers Promote Your Book & Yourself to HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF READERS! If you're looking to have your

[Now I Know Offers] Learn a New Language with Babbel!

Thursday, April 25, 2024

It's a great day to start something new! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

3-2-1: How to connect with others, what causes old age, and the recipe for success

Thursday, April 25, 2024

3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Ahrefs’ Digest #180: Content marketing conferences, how to be an SEO lead, and more

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Our meme of the week: 📰 News & updates Google confirms links are not that important: No one believes them. Google delays third-party cookie demise yet again: This is the third time Google has

🧙‍♂️ NEW Partnerships: Phillips 66, La Mexicana, Blue Ribbon, Clicked, and many more [Apr 25]

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Plus secret research on Farm Boy, Upside, and Mack Weldon ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌