Devoted to publishing, publishers and to those who craft the written word

"Kimberlee is an astounding woman. She is a gifted journalist and poet, has an intellect built to intimidate and has a wicked sense of humor. Confident enough to tell the truth, even when it's ugly, she would make an excellent media gatekeeper." 

That's Newsvine writer Tanya Payne giving a glowing review of our featured writer, Kimberlee Morrison.

Among her many accomplishments as a writer--including participating in the Freedom Writers project that helped 150 struggling students in California publish a book--Morrison has built a small army of readers on the journalism website Newsvine. 

Since September 2006, Morrison has posted over 300 items on Newsvine, adding a few hundred comments to the conversation as well. Today, she explains how fledgling writers can participate in writing communities.

Web journalist and editor Kimberlee Morrison is an editor for the Know More Media family of business blogs, and you can read her complete interview here--a special feature celebrating the release of the Freedom Writers film. 

Welcome to my deceptively simple feature, Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical, unexpected advice about web publishing...

Jason Boog: 
Who are the writers/bloggers who inspire your writing now? What are the sites young writers should be reading?

Kimberlee Morrison:
Much of what I write for Know More Media is largely inspired by the authors on the network. They are truly a collection of great minds with much to offer to readers. Continue reading...

 I am inspired by platforms like Know More Media and Newsvine that provide writers with alternative ways to reach readers. While both operate under very different models, they are integral parts of the future of new media and mass media in general.

I can’t say specific sites that writers should read because it all depends on the type of writing you intend to do. I would recommend becoming a part of a community of writers and readers, such as Newsvine or Writing.com, which is one of the first writing communities I became part of and is especially good for creative writers seeking constructive criticism.

I read quite a bit news sites but that is largely because I feel the need to know what is going on and consume information. If you are a creative writer, find creative writing sites, like LitPark, Writing.com, or Studio Eight and read resources like ThePublishingSpot. If you are a journalist, consume as much information as possible, seek out topics of interest to write about and post them to a site like Newsvine or Associated Content.

Tradition, quite honestly, is the young writer’s enemy. We must be ready to do something radically different and define our own worth as writers and journalists. The question is one of readiness as opposed to whether or not there are opportunities. Are young writers ready for what the future has for them? Only time will tell.