Who cares if Tanya ate a chocolate éclair four minutes ago? So what if Peter ducked out to pick up the kids from school? I am a busy person and I use my computer for productive work, thank you very much, and certainly not for frivolous socializing, twittering away the time.

For years that was my attitude towards Twitter. I'm only now beginning to realize how misguided I was.

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1st November marked the start of this year's "NaNoWriMo", National Novel Writing Month. The goal for participants is to write a 50,000 word (approximately 175 page) novel within 30 days.

Have you ever thought about writing a novel but you have hesitated because of the time and effort involved? NaNoWriMo might be the just what you need.

NaNoWriMo values enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft. Because of the limited timeframe, what matters is output - quantity, not quality. It's all about getting you to lower expectations, take some risks, and write on the fly.

As explained at the NaNoWriMo site, "By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down."

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My new guide for self-publishing ebook authors is now available. Only a few years ago people were saying that ebooks would come and go. Many people believed they were a short-term fad that would never replace books. Now with ebook sales overtaking print books it is becoming clear that ebooks are not only here to stay but they are the main format for reading as we move into the future.

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There is so much buzz about ebooks right now. They are making the news on a daily basis. Have you heard about the author who has sold a million ebooks already this year? Did you see the latest gadgets for reading ebooks in your local store? There is talk of an ebook revolution. Will the local bookstores be closing? So much buzz. So many questions.

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