Photo by Phajnalka via stock.xchng

Welcome to the Third Sunday Blog Carnival! The new year is still pristine, so  let’s get on with it and sully it up!

Before we start the blog carnival proper, here’s an update about the proposed Reader’s Choice special issue scheduled for February 28. Well, let’s just say that the response has been quite underwhelming. Very few people have contacted me with nominations. Aren’t there any posts from 2012 that stand out in your mind?

If you need to refresh your memory, browse through the 2012 archives, then let me know which ones are your favorites. Here’s how:

1) Email me at thirdsundaybc@gmail.com
2) Leave a comment below
3) Send me a message on Twitter (either an @ mention or a direct message)
4) Post a comment at the Third Sunday Blog Carnival Facebook page

Be sure to mention the name of the poster, the name of the post and the issue of the blog carnival it was in (example: “Carl Smith’s Jabberwocky in the June carnival”). Any post from January 2012 to  December 2012 issue is eligible.

You can vote for as many posts as you like. Vote for yourself if you want and encourage your friends and fans to vote for you.

The top 25 vote-getters in each category (Poetry, Fiction, the Writing Life) will be included in the Special Edition. At this point, the field is wide open so vote now. There will be no special issue if the response remains sluggish. I’ll let you know how it goes in the regular February issue.

This month’s edition is brought to you by 17  bloggers: 6 in the Poetry category, 2 in the Fiction category, and 9 in the The Writing Life category.

Support the blog carnival by visiting the blogs of the contributors and leaving comments. Other ways to help are to Google+ their posts, and to share them on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, and other social networking sites around the internet.  If you know of someone who would enjoy the blog carnival either as a reader or a contributor, please pass this post along.

The next Blog Carnival will be on February 17. If you want your link to be included, read and follow the guidelines and email your submission by February 10.

Now, on to the Carnival! Enjoy!

RAD presents I Need Grunge posted at RAD is RADically Primetime!, saying,  “Carry on in spite of synthesizers: Seattle wins.”

Vladimir Skaletsky, Jr. presents The Guest posted at When The Sun Rose Again.

David Selzer presents Harlequin and Columbine posted at David Selzer.

Martin Porter presents War. The Exile and the Rock Limpet posted at Poetry Notes and Jottings, saying, “This post contains a poem based on a J. M. W. Turner painting, together with some accompanying notes about the use of cliche, metaphor and ekphrasis.”

The Grumbling Gargoyle presents Glass Houses… posted at The Grumbling Gargoyle, saying, “The Gargoyle’s poetic take on why people in Glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

David Leonhardt presents Children of Connecticut (lyrics) posted at A Ghost Writers Blog, saying, “As a parent, I was shocked by the killing spree in Connecticut. For Wordy Wednesday, I was moved to write these lyrics.”

Nate Kryston presents A Christmas Story posted at Words From a Fool, saying, “Mike McCray did not have the most wonderful life, as he lived on edge, on the street, and by the needle. Until one Christmas morning he received the chance to redo his past…but does he make the right decision?”

Matthew Hall presents Homeland – Sample Chapter posted at M.L. Hall.

A. D. Joyce presents Am I a Black Poet? posted at Sweepy Jean Explores the (Webby) World. This post discusses racial labels and stereotypes, especially as it relates to the world of poetry.

Kayfey” “Inprettyprint” & “Angry Goblin” presents Writing Multicultural…Part 5 posted at In Pretty Print – A Writing and Artist Life…Ongoing, saying, “‘Goin’ Gothic, or, How I Learned to Love the Goth’–When you have a genuine interest in others, it will unearth a world of possibilities.”

Rolando Garcia presents The Effects of Dementia on Writing posted at Rolando’s Website.

Jonny presents How to Find Your Own Writing Style posted at Smart Blog.

Catrina Barton presents Loglines posted at Kitty’s Inner Thoughts, saying, “Have you ever run into a big name publisher in an elevator and been asked about your book? You only have a few minutes. So, how do you condense an entire novel into a single sentence and pique his or her interest? With a logline.”

Chrys Fey presents Bring Characters To Life! posted at Write With Fey, saying, “Characters bring books to life, so writers need to bring characters to life. This blog will supply you with tips on how to create characters from head to toe.”

Iulian Ionescu presents How to complete your NaNoWriMo 30-Day Novel posted at Fantasy Scroll, saying, “50,000 words in 30 days. That’s about 200 pages (double spaced, standard margins, 12 pt. font).  Mathematically, that is not more than a mere 1,667 words per day, or about 6 to 7 pages. This translates in about 1 to 2 hours per day of typing. Piece of cake, right? Well, as we all know, writing a novel is not about math, unless you are writing some kind of algebra textbook. It’s a lot more than that, and most of it has to do with what’s in your head. This post shows you how you can complete a novel in 30 days.”

Jessica Schaub presents Short Share – New Novel Beginning posted at JESSICASCHAUBBOOKS, saying, “My site is a blog for writers who are also parents – or are we parents who are also writers? My new novel for young adults, Circle of Pride, is still in the draft process, but so is my life, so why not share?”

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winter’s icy breath
glazes the painted horses
at the carnival

Photo by Phajnalka via stock.xchng

Thanks for reading!

© Third Sunday Blog Carnival, 2013