One of the things I really like about our Blank Page program is the diversity of writing styles we get with the guests. From fiction to journalism to comic books to screenwriters, the show covers a wide-range of genres of interest to an aspiring writer.

But that's not to say that any writer has to stick to one form. Lots of writers have been successful in both the fiction and non-fiction worlds, while some novelists move on to screenwriting. That is why I am interested in the news that popular career advice blogger Alexandra Levit is shifting gears and trying her hand at youth fiction.

In a blog post yesterday, Levit provides useful insight into the similarities and differences in dispensing career advice versus writing youth fiction:

Good fiction writing is an art form: To write my journalism articles, and even my nonfiction books, I follow a strict process that begins with research, continues with interviewing and draft writing, and finishes with one - maybe two - edits. When my editors provide feedback, it's usually in the form of nips and tucks. Novel writing, on the the other hand, involves mixing a pallet of characters, settings, and plot lines. Sometimes you get lucky and you come across something brilliant, and sometimes it all goes horribly wrong. And the editing is often done by chainsaw.

Levit raises a number of different points between the two genres, including dealing with the disparate deadline style and the role of objectivity. So, while it's great to focus on one aspect of your writing, it's also important to realize that you don't need to be pigeon-holed into just one genre. It i, however, necessary to analyze and examine the differences between the genres to improve your writing.

The journalism is in a precarious situation. Revenues and circulation are dropping for the print medium, while readership grows online. The problem: revenue isn't following readership to the web. There are no lack of opinions on what the future may hold (trust me on this, I just spent 3 months up to my eyeballs researching this very trend), but one incontrovertible truth is that the web will play a very significant role.

Yesterday, on technology blog Techcrunch, I noticed a post discussing J-School's calls for coders.

Some question whether a journalism degree is critical to success as a reporter. A talented programmer certainly doesn’t need a journalism background to create successful digital platforms. And journalism school may be irrelevant for programmers who are more interested in coding than writing.

One aspect of this that I find most important is that anymore you simply cannot afford to have zero grasp of the technology involved in your day to day career. I don't care if are in journalism, finance, business or anything, you have to have a firm grasp on the technological peripherals involved in that career.

Now, more than ever, it is easier to learn this information. When we decided to start a blog, none of us had any experience blogging daily. So we looked it up. I took some tutorials on html and did some background research. I'm I the most technologically informed person in this industry? Clearly not. But the more you know about the technology of your business, the more you can take advantage of it. I think it would behoove aspiring journalists to take advantage of some other classes on campus to pick up some of this knowledge and information. That and listen to our Blank Page interviews with some top journos ;)

If Journalism isn't your thing, don't worry, we've got plenty of useful advice for all careers in The Links ...

Lindsey Pollack Addresses: The benefits of membership in professional groups. "These organizations exist to support, educate and provide resources for professionals in a particular industry or profession. Some are really small and others are as huge as corporations. Some are full of young members and others could use some fresh faces. Some are super active and some only meet occasionally."

College Recruiters Suggest: Some resume add-ons. You want to make your resume stand out. Some non-conventional suggestions in the post include a head shot, short bio and even an elevator pitch.

GradSpot Reveals: How to get paid for taking notes: GradeGuru. "This genius site will pay you actual money for the notes you took in college and that you probably thought were just taking up space on your hard-drive for no other reason than to remind you that you once learned some stuff. But now, with GradGuru, you can upload them to the site and get a nice little payout for your efforts."

Cheezhead Contemplates: An alternative to the traditional job-board. "You see, times have changed. The Internet is now much more people focused, much more open. People/users demand more from Internet services and they want these services to be free. Any Internet service that is going to succeed in a massive way must focus on the benefits for its users, open its doors and let the people in. Job boards simply do not focus on their users." This is certainly something to think about.

The Chronicle of Higher Ed's Wired Campus Blog Reports: The University of Missouri's Journalism School will require students to purchase an Apple iPhone or iTouch for classes. Once you get past the whining about the price and mandatory aspect of this I have to say I think this is an excellent idea. I love to see schools (especially in the journalism industry) embracing the aid that technology plays in their field. These devices are becoming a mandatory tool for journalists, so why not students?

"No Technology in Brighton" courtesy Sammy0716 via Flickr's Creative Commons.

Nellie found a great link for today that I wanted to pass on to any aspiring writer's out there. Roy Peter Clark is a faculty member at the Poynter Institute - the acclaimed journalism institute - who has over 30 years of experience teaching writing.

Roy hosts a Podcast called Writing Tools that doles out essential advice on the craft of writing. I would highly recommend that any journalism or writing student in general take a listen and consider adding it to your rotation of podcasts. For more writing tips, make sure you check out all our great interviews with writers at The Blank Page. Like this one from Coraline writer Neil Gaiman:

Let's get on with The Links ...

Secrets of the Job Hunt Explains: Targeted Marketing to help your job hunt. "Successful job seekers are sending their cover letters and resumes to a targeted audience of key people who make hiring decisions in these targeted employers of choice. This method of job searching is called targeted marketing. They are marketing themselves to targeted companies that employ people like them, and to people within those targeted companies who make hiring decisions." The post has great advice on maximizing your chances of getting a job by getting your resume in the hands of the right people.

Fistful of Talent Has: Some more advice on Targeted Marketing that will get your resume past the "delete this email" phase. The information flow at my desk is overwhelming. Resume review, daily updates to search dashboards, uploading data to our ever expanding database, industry RSS feeds and on and on and on. I am sure I am not alone here. To get thru each day, you must make every second count. If the content does not stand out - I will not waste many cycles on it.

On the job Blog Discusses: What your potential employers are seeing during the interview. Anita Bruzzese's advice: get professional shoes, comb your hair, sit up straight, and get rid of your backpack. Everyone may not think of that last one, but I agree ... shed the college image and prove that you are ready for the pros.

Lindsey Pollack Offers: Advice for adjusting to life back with mom and dad ... you know, just in case the job search isn't going too well. "I lived at home for a few months after graduate school and, frankly, I didn’t handle it very well. I spent a lot of time sulking in my childhood bedroom-heart-design wallpaper, prom photos and all-and fell into an “I’m a failure” funk. Eventually, I set up some networking lunches, had a few sessions with a career counselor and landed a job and an apartment on my own." Lindsey then offers some insight into how she could have handled the transition a bit better.

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.