As an aspiring author, it is important that I learn all I can about my craft and how to be successful in this rapidly changing industry. There are tons of blogs and author sites that offer great tips and advice to writers everywhere.

After months of searching and reading blog after blog after blog, I finally narrowed my preferences down to a handful that I follow regularly. This does not mean that the other sites weren’t good, they just didn’t offer me information I needed for where I am. As I grow as a writer, my needs will change and I may add or drop a few sites from my chosen list. But for now, these are my favorites.

I wanted to share them with you because they are awesome sites. Not just because they offer me great information for my writing career, but also because so much of what they provide can apply to daily living. They blog about leadership initiatives, personal and professional advice for success, motivation, and inspiration. I’ve even shared a few links from these blogs on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. They are to your right under the “Great Resources” bar.

Now I also follow the blogs of some of my twitter friends and new authors. Those blogs are listed under the “Author Sites” bar to your right. They also offer some great advice and tips about their journey and lessons they have learned along the way. But I don’t go to their blogs to research, I follow them because I love how they write. It’s like a sneak peek into who they really are as a person, not just who they are professionally. I like that kind of connection when I read blogs.

One day, I’d love to have a blog that incorporates a little of both of those worlds. One that others can view as a helpful resource and one that others can identify with on a more personal level. It may take a little while, but I’ll get there eventually.

How about you? Do you have any special blogs or sites that you follow? What about them stood out among the rest? Drop a comment and share your thoughts.