Writers’ Roundup: July 8

Doesn’t it feel awesome to have a short week?

A reader complimented the variety of my roundups yesterday, so I’m going to continue offering links about topics across the map!

Some real gems this week:

• Loved this post enough to subscribe to Torre DeRoche’s blog: What happens when your once-in-a-lifetime adventure is over? (Me chiming in: You figure out how to have another!)

• Author Jenny Blake explains why she’s leaving Google to work for herself. This is a motivator if you’ve ever considered making a similar move. And for those of you who have taken a leap in life, Jenny wants to hear about it.

• At Poynter, reporter Jeff Sonderman writes about how journalists can use LinkedIn to find sources and track changes at companies.

• Hallelujah! FundsforWriters maven Hope Clark says she’d hire someone who got paid to write three pieces over someone who wrote for 100 for free.

• Which is better for luring out the muse: the city or the country? asks The Intern.

• Attention Yahoo!-ers, Hotmail-ers and AOL-ers: Your email address is making you look out of date, says Brazen Careerist. This is exactly why I switched to Gmail while looking for a job.

• There’s a woman behind Facebook! And she has an awesome story, as told by The New Yorker.

• Great primer from The New York Times on progress in West Africa and why toilets take priority over cell phones.

Happy weekend!