The Daily Port of Call: March 18, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of Call, you’ll find how to turn routine into inspiration, what percentage of Americans visit public libraries, and why we write until it’s right.

How can you turn routine into inspiration?

As a writer, do you sometimes experience fear? Find out how fear is like an unintentional story that we tell ourselves and what to do about it.

According to the Pew Research Internet Project, nearly 80 percent of Americans visit public libraries.

Is it easier to write about happiness  or its opposite?

Find out why we write until it’s right: The importance of checking your grammar and punctuation.

When you translate Lorem Ipsum , the “phoney Latin dummy text that’s been used by printers and typesetters since the 16th century,” you might be surprised at what you find.

The Daily Port of Call: March 17, 2014

Photo by Alexander Lvov/bigstockphoto.com

In today’s Daily Port of Call, you’ll find 15 facts about Saint Patrick’s Day, how one writer works with writer’s block, and an alternate approach to starting a novel.

Here are 15 facts about Saint Patrick’s Day.

Can #TwitterFiction transcend gimmickry to become art?

In a five-minute memoir, a writer explains his way through chronic writer’s block.

Have you seen the anonymous Instagramming poet?

Some writers start with the first line; some know the last line. James Scott Bell begins in the middle.

Here are the winners of the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award.