The resources available to those of us clicking away at the keyboard, as we write the next great American novel, are, frankly, a little overwhelming. A writer could spend a month of Sundays exploring writing websites (some more reputable than others). I'm grateful Writer's Digest magazine does the legwork for me and puts out an annual spring issue featuring "101 Best Websites for Writers," which I lap up like a thirsty dog every year. There are websites that offer support, that provide information, that challenge us to push our limits, and so on.
Of the Writer's Digest offerings, below are my favorite baker's dozen of new finds I'll personally be utilizing a lot in 2019.
1. blog.NathanBransford.com - Previously a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd., writer Nathan Bransford provides tons of free advice on everything from getting an agent to self-publishing.
2. FightWrite.net - If you're a true crime/mystery/thriller writer, or the like, this website is seriously helpful. With hands-on information provided by paramedics, a Justice of the Peace, coroners, gunshot victims, etc., the website gets down to the specifics — the blood, guts, and gore — of crime scenes and weaponry. It may be just what a writer needs to make that murder scene more realistic.
3. LanguageIsAVirus.com - Great for fiction writers and poets, this site provides writing prompts, games, and other writing exercises to get those creative juices flowing. Excellent resource for Language Arts educators.
4. CareerAuthors.com - "write. sell. repeat." is the tagline for this resource for writers wishing to make a career of words on the page. There are helpful tabs about specific genres, marketing, craft, publishing, etc. I find the Young Adult tab particularly useful.
5. Aliventures.com - Ali Luke's blog posts are for all writers and specifically hone in on both novelists and freelancers. With lots to look at for free, she also offers purchasable online/self-study courses.
6. Well-Storied.com - Kristen Kieffer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources, offers a wealth of bloggy writing information and even a number of free e-courses on her Well-Storied site (formerly She's Novel). I love that she even includes tips/tricks for using Scrivener, a writing app that takes a bit of a learning curve to master.
7. WriterUnboxed.com - In my opinion, the big draw is the number of industry professionals and published authors who offer advice, posts, etc. An "UnConference" is also sponsored through this site, and the WriterUnboxed Facebook page is self-promotion free, so it's a very uncluttered writing community resource.
8. AAROnline.org - Association of Author's Representatives, Inc. - Provides a database for writers looking for an agent who represents what they write. Agents who are members of this professional group must meet high standards and follow a canon of ethics. The site is very easy to use, allowing searches based on name, genre, etc.
9. JetReidLiterary.blogspot.com - Literary Agent Janet Reid, the Query Shark, will chew up your manuscript query and spit it out ... all while giving great advice on the query process. Soooo many good things about this site. Personally, I go straight to the query pitfalls section and Query Letter FAQs.
10. BehindTheName.com - spend hours researching names for your characters/places. Offers a cool lesson on literal meaning, history, etc.
11. Archive.org - The Internet Archive is like a mashup of Wikipedia and Pinterest. Plug in any topic and a slew of pictures and articles pop up. This is a great resource for anyone who needs to travel back in time to a different era so that story set in the 60s-70s really rocks those go-go boots with realistic details.
12. SwoonReads.com - Macmillan Children's Publishing Group provides an opportunity to upload a young adult novel manuscript and have the readers decide what grabs their attention enough to publish. Writers wanting a chance for reader feedback and shares ... this could be the ticket.
13. TheFreelancersYear.com - Freelance writer Lindy Alexander blogs about everything freelance, including travel writing, corporate writing, writing about writing, etc. Being a freelance writer myself, I expect this will become one of my favorite go-to sites for inspirations in 2019.
Hope these websites help! Now, go explore ...
#lindyalexander #macmillan #queryshark #janetreid #kristenkieffer #writerunboxed #aliluke #nathanbransford #amwriting #amquerying #writertip #WednesdayWisdom #WednesdayWriter
Of the Writer's Digest offerings, below are my favorite baker's dozen of new finds I'll personally be utilizing a lot in 2019.
1. blog.NathanBransford.com - Previously a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd., writer Nathan Bransford provides tons of free advice on everything from getting an agent to self-publishing.
2. FightWrite.net - If you're a true crime/mystery/thriller writer, or the like, this website is seriously helpful. With hands-on information provided by paramedics, a Justice of the Peace, coroners, gunshot victims, etc., the website gets down to the specifics — the blood, guts, and gore — of crime scenes and weaponry. It may be just what a writer needs to make that murder scene more realistic.
3. LanguageIsAVirus.com - Great for fiction writers and poets, this site provides writing prompts, games, and other writing exercises to get those creative juices flowing. Excellent resource for Language Arts educators.
4. CareerAuthors.com - "write. sell. repeat." is the tagline for this resource for writers wishing to make a career of words on the page. There are helpful tabs about specific genres, marketing, craft, publishing, etc. I find the Young Adult tab particularly useful.
5. Aliventures.com - Ali Luke's blog posts are for all writers and specifically hone in on both novelists and freelancers. With lots to look at for free, she also offers purchasable online/self-study courses.
6. Well-Storied.com - Kristen Kieffer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources, offers a wealth of bloggy writing information and even a number of free e-courses on her Well-Storied site (formerly She's Novel). I love that she even includes tips/tricks for using Scrivener, a writing app that takes a bit of a learning curve to master.
7. WriterUnboxed.com - In my opinion, the big draw is the number of industry professionals and published authors who offer advice, posts, etc. An "UnConference" is also sponsored through this site, and the WriterUnboxed Facebook page is self-promotion free, so it's a very uncluttered writing community resource.
8. AAROnline.org - Association of Author's Representatives, Inc. - Provides a database for writers looking for an agent who represents what they write. Agents who are members of this professional group must meet high standards and follow a canon of ethics. The site is very easy to use, allowing searches based on name, genre, etc.
9. JetReidLiterary.blogspot.com - Literary Agent Janet Reid, the Query Shark, will chew up your manuscript query and spit it out ... all while giving great advice on the query process. Soooo many good things about this site. Personally, I go straight to the query pitfalls section and Query Letter FAQs.
10. BehindTheName.com - spend hours researching names for your characters/places. Offers a cool lesson on literal meaning, history, etc.
11. Archive.org - The Internet Archive is like a mashup of Wikipedia and Pinterest. Plug in any topic and a slew of pictures and articles pop up. This is a great resource for anyone who needs to travel back in time to a different era so that story set in the 60s-70s really rocks those go-go boots with realistic details.
12. SwoonReads.com - Macmillan Children's Publishing Group provides an opportunity to upload a young adult novel manuscript and have the readers decide what grabs their attention enough to publish. Writers wanting a chance for reader feedback and shares ... this could be the ticket.
13. TheFreelancersYear.com - Freelance writer Lindy Alexander blogs about everything freelance, including travel writing, corporate writing, writing about writing, etc. Being a freelance writer myself, I expect this will become one of my favorite go-to sites for inspirations in 2019.
Hope these websites help! Now, go explore ...
#lindyalexander #macmillan #queryshark #janetreid #kristenkieffer #writerunboxed #aliluke #nathanbransford #amwriting #amquerying #writertip #WednesdayWisdom #WednesdayWriter
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