For Writers

**Please note this page has not been updated recently. Please bear with me if some of these links are outdated. I have not used some of these resources in years, as my needs changed and grew with my writing. I'm working on updating this soon. In the meantime, check out these resources and experiment to see whether what they have to say feels relevant to you at this particular time in your writing journey.**

Below are some resources I've found helpful in my writing journey. Let me know  if you have some to add!

The Creative Penn website and podcast- pretty much everything you need to know about self-publishing. Update 2020: I still use this resource a ton!

Critters Online Critique Group- Though it started out as a SFF site, there are now lots of options for genre. I have used the SFF group, young adult group, and romance group. Update 2020: I no longer use this group, as it wasn't as timely as it wasn't fitting my needs anymore, but it is a good place to start if you're looking for a group to join.

You Write On Online Critique Group- For me one of the frustrating things about critique groups is the LONG wait to actually get feed back on your work. (Critters is nice because you can get whole novels read, but it is SLOW!) With You Write On, I usually get my feedback within a week.  You critique something and your item goes in the cue to be critiqued in return. The process is quick and easy.

Writing Excuses Podcast- A great podcast with a wealth of information, and new episodes weekly. Can be rather skewed toward trad pub.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Great resources for non-members on the craft of writing and the business of writing. Includes Writer Beware, which is a fount of information regarding potential scams and how to avoid them.

Absolute Write
Tons of info. I suggest reviewing the resources page there, as it is quite extensive.

Miss Snark, Literary Agent
She no longer posts to this blog, however all of the valuable- and often HILARIOUS- information is still available.  Sometimes, when you are obsessing over your millionth query and rejection, what you really need is a dose of say-it-like-it-is humor!

Helpful Tool- WordWeb
This was recommended to me by a beta reader, and I use it all the time.  It is a free dictionary/thesaurus download.  While working on your manuscript, if a word doesn't look right (Hey, is that supposed to be hyphenated? Is it all one word?) just press control and right click on the word and voila- definition, spelling, and synonyms.  Best of all? This tool is FREE! I believe it only works on windows operating systems.

Query Tracker
A great resource for researching agents, tracking your queries, etc. Many helpful bits of information.  Basic membership, which includes all the relevant features, is free.

Agent Query
A good place to find agents. One word of caution: always double check the agent's website for information on how to query, etc.  The info on AQ may not be the most up to date.

Writing Tips
Lots of good stuff here.  I've linked the section on narrative and dialogue.

Holly Lisle's website this amazing woman takes giving back to a whole new level.  She has put so much thought into the multitudes of information available here.  Check it out!

Nathan Bransford Blog
He is a middle grade author who used to be an agent and currently works in publishing.  There is great info to be had, and I just enjoy his style, humor, etc.

Publishing Terms
This is also on Nathan Bransford's blog, and was recently referenced by Victoria Strauss of writer beware as a good resource for becoming familiar with the lingo.

More Publishing Terms
Also thanks to Ms. Strauss, this set is from The Editorial Department's website.

Some Info on Contracts
-The Authors Guild on improving your book contract
-KeepYourCopyright.org provides examples and discussion of actual book contract clauses, good and bad.
-Advice on book contract clauses from intellectual property lawyer Daniel Steven .