I get a lot of interest from others embarking on their writing journeys.
Rather than repeat myself badly, I have posted resources for writers I’ve personally benefited from here. I don’t know any of these people, I don’t make money off their products, and I can’t point to any smoking gun that has guaranteed me any level of success. Nothing here should be considered an endorsement or a guarantee, merely a listing of good sources of information from people more successful than me.
On a Personal Note:
Don’t get discouraged. You are not going to write the next great American novel on your first try (but if you do, you probably don’t need my advice.) Learning craft, understanding marketing, and knowing what you want from your writing are all vital components to defining your success. While I enjoy literary fiction, I binge on YA and paranormal/fantasy books.
Ultimately, I decided that I define my literary success as 1) making a living off my writing and 2) people enjoying my books enough to want to read the next one.
Your definition may be different, and that’s okay.
No list would be complete if I didn’t share my own experiences. Here’s what I learned from my first book.
FaceBook:
AAYAA – An Alliance of Young Adult Authors: this group is full of people offering good ideas, success stories, and opportunities for collaboration.
20 Books to 50K: focused on marketing
Beta Readers and Critiques and Beta Readers and Critique Partners: if you need someone to help you with your writing, I have found some good betas from these places
Author Websites:
ChrisFoxWrites.com – Chris Fox has an awesome YouTube channel and a number of very helpful nonfiction books for authors
TheCreativePenn.com – Joanna Penn’s podcast and website are a treasure trove of author interviews, marketing, and writing craft advice
HollyLisle.com – the first writing class I paid for was “How To Think Sideways.” She is very good at breaking down writing concepts into actionable steps. My writing became instantly more interesting and conflict-driven once I started using her methods.
KMWeiland.com – her podcast is full of short episodes that focus on actionable tips to improve craft.
NaNoWriMo.org – so many good writers have participated or supported National Novel Writing Month. I have done this several times, though I’ve only won once, and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re just starting out and want to write a novel. The blog is full of great articles and the community really bands together
Children’s Books:
Brain Burps About Books – so informative if you’re wanting to write children’s books
StoryStorm – the children’s book version of NaNoWriMo
Pinterest:
I have boards for lots of things:
- Secret boards for cover ideas in progress
- Pictures of mermaids for inspiration
- Ways to say stuff
- Writing prompts when I need help
- Name generators
- Alternative Universes of my favorite stories
- Links to fanfics I enjoy
Blogging:
I’m no expert, but this article is a solid summary.
If you have checked these out and think I’m missing something, let me know. I like to keep this list of resources for writers up-to-date!