Late again!  This time unfortunately because the credit crunch has finally caught up with me, and I spent three days trying to squeeze blood (money) out of stones (clients) who have turned their cashflow problems into mine.  And I'm not just talking small, independant blogs here, but major magazines and restaurant chains. 

But rather than lash out at the people I am angry at, I am taking a healthier, more proactive approach of looking for better clients and editors to work with.  A full time job in itself!  Here though, are the notable sites I did surf upon last week.

Tired of reading the same old boring writer blogs?  Try this one for size.  Villagers with Pitchforks is the irreverent blog of a tech writer with a unique layout, varied and interesting content and a modern, edgy voice.

Say goodbye to a great voice.  Kevin Alexander is moving on from his blog at Writer Mag in search of greener pastures.  Although his latest post is his last, that only means that now is a great time to read the rest of the work on his blog.  Go identify with his journey as a writer and admire his candid style of blogging.

Get a contract!  Unfortunately, this reminder about one of the most important aspects of freelance writing came too late for me this week as one client keeps putting of payment.  Normally I do work with contracts,  however, every so often one or two clients slip through the net, normally either because the initial project was small or informal, because I have worked with them previously or because they have paid me up front for a percentage of the fee and I naively assumed that they would stump up the rest of the cash.  This article from Freelance Writing Gigs not only states why it is so important to have a contract, but also points to some free downloadable templates which you can use.

Other than that, there isn't much for me to mention that hasn't already been covered by Andy Shack over at his blog.  His Sunday Wash-up has a very extensive list of some great writing resources, ponderings and advice each week.  Methinks he is either far more industrious than I, or far less!  Either way, it is worth reading the recommendations of other writers, as a) it keeps you on the same wavelength as your peers and b) you will probably learn something useful to further your craft and career.