For Writers

Below, you can find a roundup of links that are *my* favorite resources when it comes to writing, revising, querying, and more. Do NOT email unsolicited suggested links. People who do not follow directions will be ignored and marked as spam. Thank you.

Note: I also contributed to the Writer’s Block Party Blog.

The First Draft

Starting a Novel From Scratch (Video)

Love-Lists

Perfecting Your Opening Line

First Exploratory Drafts

What Writing Process?

Scrivener AMA

Logline – What’s My Book About?

Do You Have A Plot?

Three Questions to Ask When You Don’t Know Your Plot From Your Story

25 Ways to Plot, Plan & Prep Your Story

Planning Your Plotting

Plotting with 3×5 Cards (Video)

I Have an Idea. Kinda. Tips On Plotting Your Novel

How to Fill Plot Holes in Your Novel

Hooking Your Reader in 3 Easy Steps

5 Common Problems With Beginnings

A Trick for Keeping Your Plot (and Story) on Target

Choosing What to Put in Your Outline (and Your Plot)

It’s An Idea: Taking Your Novel From Premise to Plot

Growing Plot from Characters

A Quick Tip for Getting to Know Your Characters–And Your Plot

Is Your Story Structure Working?

5 Reasons Your Plot Stalled

How to Craft a Great Voice

A Simple Trick to a Stronger First Person Narrative

How to Write Characters Who Don’t Sound Like You

Five Signs Your Character Is Fully Developed

No Effort Character Cheat Sheet

What’s in a (Character’s) Name?

Creating Memorable Characters: Protagonists

In the Flesh: Fleshing Out Flat Characters

9 Traits of Sympathetic Characters

Writing Good… Err… BAD Villains

10 Traits of a Strong Antagonist

There is No Bad Guy: What to do When Your Antagonist Isn’t a Villain

How to Write a Character From Start to Finish

MAC: Motivation, Action, Consequence When Creating Characters

Two Questions to Ask for Stronger Character Goals and Motivations

Character’s Desperate Desires

I Hear You: Character Voices in Non-POV Characters

On Reading to Find Friends in Characters

My Type

Character Motivations: The Key to Gaining Reader Empathy

Unlikable (Yet Compelling) Main Characters

Finding Your Character’s Weakness

Personality by Blood Type

Secondary/Supporting Characters

Guide to Creating Super Ultra Awesomepants Supporting Characters

In the Flesh: Fleshing Out Flat Characters

Three Lessons Supernatural Taught me about Writing Authentic Characters

Why We Don’t Italicize Spanish (Video)

Tips for Creating an Ensemble Cast of Characters

Slipping in Character Description

Researching Your Novel

10 Things That Every Brand New Creator of Science Fiction Should Know

Disability in Kidlit Blog

On Diversity and Character Depth

Writing a Book for Boys

Creating a Fictional Town

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Setting

Generic Settings Won’t Do: Choose Locations That Have Emotional Value

Why the Where Matters (Part I)

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions (Can Use Even if You’re Not Writing Fantasy)

It’s Their World: World Building From the Ground Up

43 must-visit sci-fi websites for writers

25 Things You Should Know About Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding Week

World Building 101: The Foundation

5 Ways to Make Your Novel More Cinematic (Video)

How To Turn Your Setting Into An Obstacle Course

The Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make When It Comes To The Setting

Writing Powerful Scenes: Why Choosing the Right Setting is So Important

World Building on a Theme

25 Things Writers Should Know About Theme

Inspired Openings: Special Agent Edition

Checklist for Novel Openings

Common Problems With Beginnings

12 Cliches To Avoid When Beginning Your Story

How to Find the Right Place for Your Inciting Event

The Point When Everything Changes

How to Escalate Conflict in Your Novel

Conflict and Tension Tips

Ten Techniques for Getting Tension on Every Page

How to Raise the Stakes in the First 50 Pages of Your Novel

How to Build Tension & Heighten the Stakes

The One-Two Punch: Creating Conflict and Raising the Stakes

Is Your Story Stuck? 5 Questions You Need to Ask

How Do You Cross “the Line” and Take Your Novel to the Next Level?

9 Ways To Undermine Your Characters’ Best Laid Plans

How Your Character’s Failures Can Map A Route To Self-Growth

Reconnecting with Characters

Don’t Accidentally Give Your Characters a Time Out

How to Turn That Shiny New Idea Into a Novel

Structure: Creating the Foundation

(Write the) Query First? The Query as a Plotting Tool

Planning a Series

Simple Tricks to Unstick Your Story: The Domino Effect

Scenes – What Are They in Novels, And How Do You Write Them?

Four Questions to Ask to Make Your Scenes Pop

Your Scene Needs a Problem

4 Ways to Add Caffeine to Your Story

3 Tips for Writing Better Action Scenes

Emotional Scenes

Using Emotional Discharge to Power Up Your Story

How to Write a Scary Scene

Kick it up a Notch: Top Tips on Writing a Page-Turning Novel

What Makes a Book Fresh?

Expect the Unexpected: Creating Plot Twists

Is Your Description Helping Your Story or Holding it Back?

The Difference Between Showing & Telling

Showing vs. Telling

Show vs. Tell: Macro-, Micro-, and When to Use It

A Simple Show vs. Tell Troubleshoot

What You Need to Know About Show, Don’t Tell

7 Words That Often Tell, Not Show

The Secret to Show, Don’t Tell

Ask Questions to Find Your Story

What Are Your Characters Ashamed Of?

Baby Got Back…Story

Narrative Tension and the Ticking Clock

Learn to Pace Yourself

Pacing

6 Ways to Cultivate Urgency That Will Captivate Fiction Readers

Is a Lack of Action Really the Problem?

Overcoming False Starts on Your First Chapter

5 Common Problems With Middles

5 Tips for Plotting a Mystery

Pace Yourself! Some Thoughts, Various and Sundry, on Pacing Your Novel

Using Dialogue Tags and Punctuation Properly

Hey, Who Said That? Polishing Our Dialog Tags

Kate Hart on Dialect and Dialogue

Everything I Need to Know about Dialogue, I Learned from Aaron Sorkin

22 Maps: How Americans Speak English Differently From Each Other

The YA Sass Attack

Writing With Immediacy (Passive Voice)

Eliminate Sing-Song Writing

Smells and how to use them in your writing

Filter Words

14 Words That Are Hurting Your Writing

Tightening Your Novel With a Preposition Patrol

Five Edits to Strengthen Your Writing, Right Now

5 Common Problems I See In Your Stories

Don’t Shrug This Off

Most Common Mistakes Series: Why Suddenly Is a Four-Letter Word

Lay vs. Lie (vs. Laid)

Clarifying Ambiguous Pronouns

12 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Who Writes About Grammar Mistakes Makes

6 Common Punctuation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

A Cautionary Tale: 3 Writing Rules that Can Derail Your Story

5 Ways to Tell if a Subplot is Leading You Astray

Writing Great Endings — And Not Just the Big One

5 Common Problems With Endings

Bulking Up: Fleshing Out a Too-Short Novel

How to Write 2000 Words a Day – The Ultimate Guide

Five Ways to Grow Your Novel

Linda Goodnight On How to Finish That Novel

10 Tips For Writing Endings To Your Story

8 Promises You’re Making to Readers—and Then Breaking

What We Talk About When We Talk About Voice

The Fine Art of Story Resonance

What a First Draft Should Look Like

The Importance of Genre Specific – Part One

Lessons Learned While Writing a Trilogy

Writing Series: The Cliffhanger Dilemma

Secrets to Writing a Series with Lydia Kang

Writing a Saleable Book

Writing Wednesday Master Post – Beth Revis

Some Writing Advice – Beth Revis

For Writers (Master List) – Susan Dennard

A Writer’s Basic Toolbox – Susan Dennard

Writing Advice in Tweet Form – Nathan Bransford

K.M. Weiland YouTube Writing Advice Series

Top Three Turn-ons…When Reading (get your mind out of the gutter!)

25 Ways to Write a Real “Page-Turner” of a Book

Dear Any-Kind-of-Author: Write As Much As You Want

Using Story Structure to Your Advantage

Brandon Sanderson Class (YouTube – 12, Hour Long Videos)

Collaborations 101

Look Up Word Count to Your Favorite Books

Revisions

The 6 Commandments of Starting the Editing Process

What You Need to Know About Your Second Draft

The Importance of Reading WIPs

First Look at a First Draft

Be Your Own Book Doctor

Editing & Polishing – Marissa Meyer

The Massive Revision Plan – Beth Revis

Tackling Revisions – Susan Dennard

A 7-Step Guide to Big Picture Revision (With Bonus Checklists!)

From Rough to Final: A Dissection of Revision – Maggie Stiefvater

What I Talk About When I Talk About Revisions

Here’s How to Finish Your Revisions, You Filthy Animal

Revising, Revising, and How to Make it Through

7 Ways to Expertly Edit Your Own Writing

Keeping Your Characters Compelling Beyond the First Draft

What’s In Your Diaper Genie? Revisions: How to Get the Crap Out of Your Book

25 Steps To Edit The Unmerciful Suck Out Of Your Story

Scott Westerfeld: On Rewriting & Growing Up

Revision Tip (Tweet from Agent, Sarah LaPolla)

Quick Revision Checklist

Revision 9-1-1: Writing Mechanics

On Revisions

Alexandra Bracken on Reconceptualizing (In The Write Stuff)

How Do You Know When Your Manuscript Is Ready?

Titles, Titles, Titles!!!!

Is Your Book Good Enough for Publication? A Cold-Blooded Assessment

Lessons I Learned From Line Editing

Writing for the 21st Century

First Readers and Critique Partners

Give Critiques Time

7 Things to Remember When Giving (or Receiving) Feedback on a Manuscript

Critique Observations: Nothing Is Happening

How to Spot Toxic Feedback: 7 Signs That the Writing Advice You’re Getting May Do More Harm Than Good

What Advice Do You Ignore?

Writing Basics: Formatting Your Manuscript for Submission

Formatting Your Book With Scrivener

How to Get Traditionally Published, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Resources for after NaNoWriMo (or any first draft!)

All You Need to Know About Sensitivity Readers

Editing Services

Manuscript Critique Services (I’ve Used & Personally Recommend)

Katherine Locke Editorial Services (I’ve Used & Personally Recommend)

Rant: Hiring an editor

Grammarly

Resources

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2021

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2020

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2019

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2018

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2017

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2016

Scrivener (Life Changing Alternative to Word)

Aeon Timeline (Sync with Scrivener to Track Characters, Scenes, etc…)

Final Draft (Screenwriter’s Alternative to Word)

Plottr (How to Use)

Save the Cat (Screenwriter’s Resource But Helpful for All Writers)

Background Noise Rainy Mood

Background Noise Coffitivity

Evernote (Make & organize notes, lists, etc…)

Self Control App (Avoid Distractions While Writing)

Forest App (App to Avoid Distractions)

Freedom App (Avoid Distractions While Writing)

OneLook Dictionary Search (Find out if a word is one word or two words)

Scriptation (Script Annotation App)

Learn a Language Memrise

Vulgar Lang (Create vulgar language for your SFF world)

Absolute Write (Writer’s Forum)

Writing Insecurities (Regarding Keeping Your Work Safe)

Stuff You Should Know Podcast (Great to listen to for various research)

SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators

AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs)

SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America)

RWA (Romance Writers of America)

Gotham Writers Workshop (Classes on Book Writing, Screenwriting – Television & Film, Comedy Writing, Songwriting, etc…)

Writers of Color Twitter (Shares Jobs & Opportunities)

Bookjobs.com (Especially great for college writers looking for internships)

BrassTaxes (For creatives who need help with their taxes)

Short Stories

Tor

Uncanny Magazine

Black Girl Magic Mag

Lightspeed Magazine

Clarkesworld Magazine

Fiyah Lit Mag

Strange Horizons

5 Reasons Writing Short Stories Can Make You a Better Writer

Freelance

How to Negotiate: The Tip No One Tells Writers

Share Novel For Free Online

Wattpad (Receive Feedback From Other Readers/Writers)

Getting the Agent

Question: How good is good enough?
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
How to Get Published
AgentQuery.com
Querytracker.net
Query Shark
Publishers Marketplace
Bewares, Recommendations & Background Check
Thumbs Down Agency List
(Agent Contests) The Art of Infiltration
Mindy McGinnis Blog
Literary Agents: Full Uncensored Interview (Video)

25 Steps to Being A Traditionally Published Author: Lazy Bastard Edition

How Do I Query You Input

Example of a Good Query Letter

The Parts of a Good Query Letter

Reddit AMA – Queries

How To Successfully Write A Query

Query – Stefanie Gaither

Query – Natasha Neagle

Query – Dahlia Adler

Query – Mary Elizabeth Summer

Query – Kara Taylor

Query – Rachele Alpine

Query – Lori M. Lee

Query – Mindee Arnett

Query – Rachel Lynn Solomon 

The Complete Guide to Query Letters That Get Manuscript Requests

Deciding What to Put in Your Query Letter

8 Query Tips No One Tells Writers

Rules and Tips for Writing Good Queries

Querying: The Do’s and Don’ts and a Worksheet

So You Realize the Error AFTER You Hit Send

Thoughts From an Editorial Intern – Queries!

Manuscript Wishlist

Reasons for a Quick Rejection (At Query Stage)

Ten Red Flags in ANY Query

Don’t Hate the Query Letter: Master It

The Life of a Query Letter

You’re Gonna Be Sorry!

The Synopsis

The Dreaded Synopsis

How To Write A 1-Page Synopsis

How to Write a Synopsis – Nathan Bransford

A Synopsis Checklist

First Five Frenzy (First Five Pages)

QueryTip: Subject lines are your BFFs

How to reference #MSWL in a query

Twitter Pitch Tip

Twitter Pitching Like A Pro

Top Ten Querying Tips

Query Theory 101: The Query Letter Pitch as Story

Nudging Etiquette

“Rock Star” Agents, and More About Schmagents

What I’ve Learned in the Last 4 years as an Agent

10 Hidden Gifts of Rejection Letters

A Love Letter to my Rejections – Jodi Meadows

Not Abusing Your Personal Contacts For Professional Agendas

25 Steps To Being A Traditionally Published Author

Of Patience while Querying/Submitting

My Query Process – Erin Bowman

Why Publishing Pros Must Love Your Work

Query 101 Series: Handling Requests & Manuscript Formatting

Submission Tip Checklist: Double-Check These 16 Things Before Sending Your Book Out

Please tell me you didn’t pay money for this service

Preparing For The Call: How To Ace Your Agent Interviews

Handling “The Call”

Ask Me Anything: The Call

Agent Story – Jessica Spotswood

How I Got My Agent – Susan Dennard

How I Found My Agent – Gennifer Albin

When An Agent Requests Your Manuscript

Query Question: what the deuce is a “brief synopsis”

Query Question: I’m popular, can I tell you?

Query question: agents asking where you’re querying

Query question: should I not query during Book Fairs?

Query Question: if an agent changes agency, does the requested full go or stay?

Ask the Agent: Submitting to Agents Who May Quit the Business

My agent gave me his blessing to have a second agent, but…

#HowToAuthor: Agents & Submission

Should I wait for feedback on requested fulls before querying more?

Query Question: withdrawing a query

What does ‘not right for my list’ mean anyway?

Query question: permission? we don’t need no stinkin permissions! (Regarding song lyrics in the manuscript)

Query question: can the publisher make me change the ending?

Janet Reid on Re-Querying An Agent Who You Rejected After You Accepted An Offer From Another Agent But Parted Ways With That Agent

The Request to Revise and Resubmit

R&R: The Clock is Ticking

R&R Advice in a Tweet from Sarah LaPolla

“Is it my query or my sample pages?” Why you are not getting full manuscript requests

Interpreting Rejections

In Publishing, Subjectivity is Real

Silence After the Partial Request—What is the Agent NOT Saying?

Questions an agent asks before signing

Query question: when the call isn’t The Call

Some Questions You Shouldn’t Ask

So I’ve Been Thinking… – On Waiting

All About the Offer Etiquette (And How to get a Fast Pass!)

Ask Me Anything: Pitch Sessions

When Multiple Agents Make an Offer

Query 101: Dealing with Multiple Offers

An Agent’s Top Ten Thoughts

AMA with Agent, Amy Boggs

Signing With a Literary Agent? Here’s What Should Be In Your Contract

Query Question: Now that I have an agent, what mistakes can I avoid?

Three Author-Agent Contracts

Inside the Secret World of Literary Scouts

Lessons from Liberty States Fiction Writers’ Conference

How to Talk With Publishers and Agents

5 Ways Small Press Publishers Offer Opportunities for New Authors

So the offer fell through…what about those other agents?

Agent Contract: The Funds Remit Clause

Signing With a More Junior Agent

What Happens When It Is You – Natalie Whipple

My agent hates my new book. Not just sorta, either. A LOT. What to do?

Question: I Think My Agent’s Dead, What To Do?

Agents Going Off the Rails

How to know when to leave your agent

On Switching Agents

On Parting Ways With Literary Agents

8 Ways to Know If You Have a Good Agent

What Agents & Publishers Want and Why

An Agent’s Role in Shaping an Author’s Career and the Second Book

Interacting with agents in the wild

The Book Deal/Debuting

The Big Five US Trade Book Publishers List

The Post Contract Schedule

On Being On Submission

Being On Submission

(Publishers) Making an offer

The Best Career Advice I Can Give: Read Your Contract

Non-Compete Clauses: A Live Case Study

Clause by Clause: Options

Contract Conversations: Red Flags

Digesting the Revision Letter, A Pep Talk

After the Editorial Letter: A Peek at Revising Under Contract

7 Things I’ve Learned About Writing From My Work As An Editor And An Author

Lessons I Learned From Line Editing

How Copy Edits Work

A Brief Lesson in Copyediting

All About Pass Pages

The Publisher’s Editorial Process

Book Covers

You’re Kind of a Big Deal

Why Does it Take So Long for Books to Get Pub’d? (Video)

First copy of Cinder – Marissa Meyer

First copy of Something Strange & Deadly – Susan Dennard (Video)

The New World of Publishing: Publishing Reversion Clauses

Understanding Your Contract

Finding Big Opportunities With a Small Press

Style Sheet: A Conversation with My Copyeditor

After the Deal

Contracts and Copyrights

Copyright Demystified

When in Doubt:CC Your Agent

Separate vs. Joint Accounting

Show Me the Money

Where’s My Money?

Jim C. Hines Writing Income Yearly Breakdown

REAL TALK: $ix Figure Book Deal$

Sales Figures

The Importance of Educating Yourself: Royalty Statements Part 1 and Part 2

Literary Affairs

Are You Being Taken Advantage of As A Writer?

What I wish I’d been doing from the start…

Royalty Statements & Tax Records

A Few Tax Tips

Essential Tax Deductions For Writers

Earning Out

Five Things I’ve Learned About Being a Pre-Published Debut

A Promotion Timeline

How & When to Catch the Elusive Publicity Department Part 1 and Part 2

Creative Book Launches

The Basics of a Social Media Launch Party

How to Throw a Killer Book Launch Party

How to Run a Successful Preorder Campaign

Post “Meh” Debut – Your Options

Do sad sales figures follow you like a cloud?

Choosing the Right Pen

Why Your Book Deal Is Just the First Step

10 Things I Learned About Publishing From My Debut Series 

Self-Promo and Marketing Materials that Work

How to Plan for a Successful Book Launch

Four Ways to Prepare for a Book Launch—Even if You Aren’t Published Yet

Seven Steps to a Successful Signing

14 Tips to Surviving Your Book Signing

How to Plan Your Own Book Tour

What New Authors Need to Know About Library Systems

Promo Tip: “How’s Your Book Selling?”

Everything You Wanted to Know about Book Sales (But Were Afraid to Ask) An In-Depth Look at What/How/Why Books Sell

How to Determine Your Author Fee

Tips for Reading Fiction Out Loud (Video)

Self-Promotion: An Author’s Perspective and Guide – Susan Dennard

How Festivals and Conferences Can Make You a Better Author – Janice Hardy

How to Sell More Books and Grow Your Fan Base at Author Events

Turning Social Media into the Grandest Writing Exercise Of All

YA Writers Reddit Discussion on Classroom & Library Visits

Authors: How to Make the Most of a School Visit

How to Be a Model Panel Moderator

Blog Highlights: National Novel Publicity Month – Marissa Meyer

The Thing About Money: How Much Should You Invest In Your Own Writing? – Jessica Khoury

Dear Soon To Be Published Author

The Index for Debut Authors

An Unauthorized Guide to Being a Debut Author, Part I: Pre-Promo // Part II: ARCs, Swag, and Self-Promotion // Part III: In-Person Events

Four Ways to Prepare for a Book Launch—Even if You Aren’t Published Yet

How to Survive in a Bookstore as an Author

The Author’s Guide to No-Show Events

How to Run a Goodreads Giveaway

Grassroots Marketing – Gretchen McNeil

Creating Promotional Material That Works: Swag

Ask and You Shall Receive. (Or at least ask and you shall know.)

7 Things I Learned About Marketing My Own Books

Your Author Brand: What It Is & Why It’s Important

50 Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day

What Writers Should Know About Panels at Cons & Conferences

Regretfully Yours: 28 Writers on Their Biggest Mistakes

25 Secrets of Publishing Revealed (Or: Inside the Bookish Shatterdome)

Tips on Developing a Newsletter

5 Guidelines for Approaching Book Review Bloggers

Life On The Midlist

When It Feels Like Everyone Is Getting What You Want

When Friends and Family Read Your Book: Survival Tips

Things Getting a Book Deal Has Taught Me

The Truth About the Author Caste System

10 Truths about Publishing your First Book

Lessons From A Debut Year by Megan Shepherd

7 Lessons I’ve Learned So Far

Of Dreams and Day Jobs

Pressures of Publishing

The Stock Signing Lesson by Elizabeth Wein

5 Steps To Find Your Book’s Ideal Audience

Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal

Selling Out?

Authors, Please Don’t Do This

192 Publications That Actually Pay Freelance Writers

Self-Publishing

Finding and Working With a Cover Designer

Brenna Aubrey: A Case Study

Why I Self-Published, and Why I’m Going to Keep Doing It

Publishing 101: Money

The Ins and Outs of ISBNs

A Tax Cheat Sheet for Kindle eBook Self-Publishing

A Checklist for Publishing Your Book

My Formal Apology To All Self-Published Authors

Indie Publishing: The Numbers to Get You Started

14 Questions to Ask Before You Self Publish

How to Create Your Own Galley Proof With Word

Some Things That Need to Be Said

Should You Self-Publish? Ten Questions to Ask Yourself

Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Master Plan? Part One & Part Two

Clean Up Your Ebook Files With HTML

Self-Publishing Was Way Easier Than I Thought It Would Be

How to choose an e-book cover

Is a Quick Release Schedule Right for Your Books?

25 Things You Should Know About Self Publishing

16 of Our Favorite Kindle-Publishing Resources for First-Time Authors

Self Publishing: Readers Are Not GateKeepers

Lessons Learned from Self-Publishing

How I Created My First E-Book

Editorially Speaking: How to Find a Book Editor You Can Trust

Why You Should Act As Your Own Writer-Publisher (At Least Once)

Book Cover Copycats: Is It Flattery or Copyright Infringement?

Copyrights and Wrongs (Entertainment Lawyer Blog)

Traditional to Hybrid: How to Carry Readers to a New Book

Audiobooks: Finding the Best Narrator for Your Book

28 Resources, Tools and Tips for Self-Publishing Your Next Book

When is A Book Out of Print?

Kindle Unlimited: Is It Worth It?

What Writers Need To Know About Patreon

Non-Fiction

How to Write a Query Letter: Nonfiction and Memoir

How to Write a Non-Fiction Query Letter

Nonfiction Query Sample

The 7 Sections of a Nonfiction Book Proposal

The 8 Essential Elements of a Nonfiction Book Proposal

Nonfiction Book Proposal Outline

Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal

Julie Sondra on Book Proposals and How I Got My Nonfiction Agent (Video)

How to Choose the Perfect Sample Chapter for your Nonfiction Book Proposal (Video)

Your Author Platform Is Not Your Social Media Following

Building Your Writer Platform — How Much is Enough?

The Basics of Building a Writer’s Platform

Non-fiction Platforms

Author Platform: Here’s What All the Fuss Is About

What Credentials Do Nonfiction Writers Need

Nonfiction Submission Tips — Agents Speak

Inspiration

On Finding Time to Write (Video)

My Writing Job

I Was That Teenage Writer

Writer’s Block Might Be…

We’re All Scared – Hank Green (Video)

Determination No Matter What – Susan Dennard

Just. Keep. Writing.

On Luck – Meagan Spooner

On Discipline, Dedication, and Devotion

Writing a Book – Jackson Pearce (Video)

On Writing: Dealing with “I Don’t Wanna” – Kristin Cashore

On Self Discipline – YouTuber, Katytastic (Video)

Don’t Give Up – Beth Revis (Video)

Getting Through Considering Giving Up – Shannon Messenger (Video)

Failure is not the Enemy – Beth Revis

Don’t Be Afraid of Change – Beth Revis

Behind the Book: Doubt – Kiera Cass (Video)

Hard Words – Gennifer Albin

Stupid Answers to Common Writing Questions

The Comparison Game

The Habits of Highly Productive Writers

Expectation vs. Reality

Why You Should Write What You Love

Advice to a new novelist: be hardcore

Write Unafraid, Without Fear of Failure

A Simple Truth

“Stealing” Careers

Look At What You Have

Be Fearless – Melissa de la Cruz

Five Storytelling Lessons From Hamilton’s America

5 Reasons You’re Experiencing Writer’s Block

Bad Reviews, An AWOL Muse, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Mindy Kaling’s Guide to Killer Confidence

To the debut authors – Natalie Whipple

Going On Five Years Now, Actually.

No One Will Care If You Stop Writing – Natalie Whipple

Think, Plan, Write, Edit, Repeat – Chuck Wendig

My Best Advice for Aspiring Writers

How to Handle Self-Doubt as a Writer (Video)

To Write Everyday or Not To Write Everyday

The things nobody tells you about being an author – Ally Carter

The Safe Zone – Marie Lu

My Overnight Success – Rick Riordan

Letter to Baby Author Me revisited – Ally Carter

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement (Video)

Neil Gaiman 2012 Commencement Speech “Make Good Art” (Video)

How to Keep Going

How to Overcome Writer’s Block (Video)

30 Minutes, 30 Days: This Practice Can Help You Become a Better Writer

Craving – Jessica Spotswood

Consistent – Jessica Spotswood

Writing and the Creative Life: Something is Better Than Nothing

More About Waiting

This is Going to Be About Heroes – Maggie Stiefvater

NaNoWriMo Tips from Scott Westerfield and Justine Larbalestier

HOW TO PUSH PAST THE BULLSHIT AND WRITE THAT GODDAMN NOVEL

NaNoWriMo: On the Language of Losing – Chuck Wendig

The Five Haters You Meet When You Become A Writer (Video)

Yes, Virginia, Writing Is Too A Job

Elif Shafak: The Politics of Fiction (Video)

The Varied Emotional Stages Of Writing A Book

Some Thoughts on Writing and Fear

It’s Not Just You

On Growing Thicker Skin (& Why You Shouldn’t)

24 Things No One Tells You About Book Publishing

25 More Hard Truths About Writing and Publishing

MFA vs NYC vs DIY

On Making Time and Complicating Life On Purpose

Your Elusive Creative Genius – Elizabeth Gilbert

10 Best Literary TED Talks of the Year (2014)

Paper Town Academy – John Green (Video)

Aimee Mullins: The Opportunity of Adversity (Or As I Like to Call It “The Human Will”)

The Moth Podcast

Stan Lee Reflects on His Successes and Regrets: “I Should Have Been Greedier”

NaNoWriMo Pep Talk: The Pure Joy of Getting It All Wrong

On the Slow Pursuit of Overnight Success by Victoria Schwab

#GOALS and Loving Yourself! From Lindsay Cummings (Video)

Retreats, Residencies, Workshops, Etc…

Is a Writers’ Residency Right For You?

20 Incredible Writing Retreats to Attend in 2021

20 Amazing Writing Residencies You Should Apply for This Year

Get Paid to Write: 15 Fantastic Writing Fellowships for Authors, Journalists and Poets

Wordsmith Workshops & Retreats

Cave Canem Retreat (Pennsylvania, For African American Poets)

Kimbilio Retreat (New Mexico)

WellStone Redwoods Center (San Francisco)

The Artist in Residence at Headlands Center for the Arts (Sausalito, CA)

The Kerouac Project (Orlando, FL)

Anderson Center Residency (Red Wing, Minnesota)

Kweli  Workshops (New York and Online)

The Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop (La Jolla, CA)

Writers Who Run (North Carolina)

Mad Cap Retreat (Tennessee)

Writing Novels For Young People Retreat (Vermont College of Fine Arts)

Breakout Novel Workshop & Two Year Story Lab (Various Locations)

Cambridge Writers Workshop (Various Locations)

Take a Class With Cheryl Strayed

Take a Class With Nova Ren Suma

Go “Back To School” With These 10 Online Writing Courses

29 Fantastic Writing Conferences for Authors, Bloggers and Freelancers

Other Stuff

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

A Diversity Reading List from Ellen Oh

An African Reading List

Why Being a POC Author Sucks Sometimes

The Diversity Struggle for a POC Author

Writing About Diversity Is Harder Than I Thought

The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf | Grace Lin (Video)

In which I am told I do not understand a story because I am not a white man.

Disability in Kid lit: Warning Flags and Turn-Offs

Disability in Kid-Lit Honor Roll (Vetted Books)

Writing Deaf & Blind Characters

How to tell a story (Video)

This is Not Why YA is Important

Five Things You Need to Know About Young Adult Fiction

25 Things You Should Know About Young Adult Fiction

How to Convert a YA Doubter into a YA Believer

The Hate is Boring & the Same & Let’s Stop Listening to It

5 Complaints on YA Lit, Adult Readers, & Likability

Young Adult Literature Is Better Than You Think

Short Rant on Asking YA Characters to Act Like Adults

In Which I Answer Why Adults Read So Much Young Adult Fiction

The Unspoken Ageism in YA

In Defense of “Younger YA”

Books Don’t Make You Smart

Change is Good: Addition Over Subtraction

‘Bad People Doing Bad Things’: Justine Larbalestier On Likeability in Fiction

Peanut Butter Cups & Peer Pressure

The Girl Myth in YA Fiction (And Beyond)

Writing for Girls

No Boys Allowed: School visits as a woman writer

Why I Came Out As a Gay Children’s Book Author

The Lose-Lose Situation of Bisexual YA

What Authors Control (Video)

On Fandom, Parasocial Relationships, and What We Don’t Know – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Entitlement in Writer Culture

Dear Broke Reader: Your Sense of Entitlement is Killing Me

PSA — Authors, bookstores, and the books that are–and aren’t–in them.

How to Support an Author’s New Book: 11 Ideas For You

How to Support An Author Beyond Their Book

Five Ways to Help Your Favorite Authors

Approaching Authors

How not to ask Authors for Favors

On Handling Criticism

25 Reasons Why I Stopped Reading Your Book

Epiracy: yes, it’s wrong. And yes, it hurts.

What YA Publishers and Authors Can Do to Fight E-Book Piracy

Your Local Brick & Mortar Bookstore Is A Privilege

Please Stop Pirating Books (My Follow Up Response is Here)

“Free” Ebooks Don’t Help Poor Kids

How to (Effectively) Show Support

Authors are Real People

8 Reasons Why Authors Are Assholes

Neil Gaiman: a nobody’s guide to the Oscars

What Publishing Websites Looked Like Way Back in the Day

What an Author ACTUALLY Has Control Over

When Everybody Loves a Book Except You…

Lessons from Reality TV

What is a film option?

How movies happen

4 Great Books Adapted for the Screen By Their Own Authors

What You Can’t Ban

Getting the Books to the Kids

The Best Students Are Teachers

A Day in the Life of a Literary Assistant…GIF Style

About (Remote) Publishing Internships (Video)

Ten Things To Never Say to a Writer

Tips for Navigating Conversations with Non-Writers

10 Things You Should Never Say to a Writer (Video)

Stuff Non-Writers Say (Video)

If Strangers Talked to Everybody like They Talk to Writers

Dear Media, Let me help you write that article on YA literature

Lending Out Books (Video)

Word Swag App

“I sold my book for $25,000″: A debut novelist’s experiment with radical honesty”

I Just Have to Shake My Head Sometimes…

Dear Guy Who is mad Because I Wrote A Gay Character in a Book

5 Things You Could Do To Piss Me Off As A Reader

Epic Reads Explains | A Brief History of YA (Video)

Epic Reads: 6 Degrees of YA Movies

Girl Who Reads (Video)

5 Things You Could Do To Piss Me Off As A Reader

What It’s Like to Live Inside the Legendary Paris Bookstore Shakespeare & Co.

A Textual Analysis of Harry Potter, Twilight, & The Hunger Games

LGBTQ Reads

Sh*t Writers Say (Video)

39 Things To Do When You Are Feeling a Bit Angry With Your Novel: The Revising Edition!

The Last Bookstore

A Literary Map of Paris’ Left Bank

30 Amazing Behind The Scenes Movie Moments

Spending the Stephen King Money

Putting the (Fan Art) Pieces Together

Squirl App (Discover Literary Locations)

Screenwriting

The Black List

John August’s Blog

Joss Whedon’s Top 10 Writing Tips

Roger Ebert & Me

The Necessity of Killing Off Good Characters – Glenn Mazzara (The Walking Dead)

J.J. Abrams’ Pet Peeve: When Futuristic Stories Use Present-Day Jargon

SHONDA RHIMES: A screenwriter’s advice (Comic)

Here’s What These Filmmakers Wish They Knew Before They Made Their Films

Pixar’s 22 Golden Rules of Storytelling

Writers From Girls Share Lessons They’ve Learned

How We Made $1.5 Million Self-Distributing Our Doc: The Six-Step Playbook

The Writers: Full Uncensored Interview 2012 (Video)
Featuring Judd Apatow, Mark Boal, David Magee, Chris Terrio, Michael Haneke and John Krasinski

Full Uncensored Drama Showrunners Roundtable 2012 (Video)
Featuring Terrence Winter (Boardwalk Empire), Howard Gordon (Homeland), Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Glen Maazara (The Walking Dead), and Veena Sud (The Killing)

Full Uncensored Drama Showrunner Emmy Roundtable 2013 (Video)
Featuring Alex Gansa, (Homeland), Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom), D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), Beau Willimon (House of Cards), Kevin Williamson (The Following), & Matt Weiner (Mad Men)

Full Uncensored Comedy Showrunner Emmy Roundtable 2013 (Video)
Featuring Mike Schur (Parks and Recreation), Matthew Carnahan (House of Lies), Greg Daniels (The Office), Bruce Helford (Anger Management), Liz Meriwether (New Girl), and Steve Molaro (The Big Bang Theory)

Full Uncensored Drama Showrunner Roundtable 2014 (Video)
Featuring Aaron Sorkin (The Newsroom), Matthew Weiner (Mad Men), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Carlton Cuse (Bates Motel), Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective) and Ann Biderman (Ray Donovan)

Full Uncensored Comedy Showrunner Roundtable 2014 (Video)
Featuring Marc Maron (Maron), Mike Judge (Silicon Valley), Chuck Lorre (Mom), Jenni Konner (Girls), Jenji Kohan (Orange Is the New Black), Mike Schur (Parks and Recreation) and Armando Iannucci (Veep)

Full Uncensored Comedy Showrunner Roundtable 2015 (Video)
Jill Soloway (Transparent), Jay Duplass (Togetherness), Steve Levitan (Modern Family), Robert Carlock (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Kenya Barris (Black-ish), and Alec Berg (Silicon Valley)

Full Uncensored Drama Showrunner Roundtable 2015 (Video)
Lee Daniels (Empire), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers), Alex Gansa (Homeland), Sarah Treem (The Affair), Michelle King (The Good Wife), and Beau Willimon (House of Cards)

Full Uncensored Oscars 2016 Writers Roundtable (Video)
Amy Schumer (Trainwreck), Meg LeFauve (Inside Out), Emma Donoghue (Room), Aaron Sorkin (Steve Jobs), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Nick Hornby (Brooklyn)

Full Uncensored Comedy Showrunner Roundtable 2016 (Video)
Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off the Boat), Alan Yang (Master of None), Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Marta Kauffman (Grace and Frankie), Kenya Barris (Black-ish), David Mendel (Veep)

Full Uncensored Drama Showrunner Roundtable 2016 (Video)
Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), John Ridley (American Crime), Nina Jacobson (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story), Melissa Rosenberg (Jessica Jones), and Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot)

Issa Rae Talks w/Gina Prince-Bythewood & Lena Waithe (YouTube)

A Television Experience (ATX Panels and Q&As)

CBS Writers Mentoring Program

Disney ABC Writing Program

Disney Channel Storytellers (Screenwriters Program)

Nickelodeon Writing Program

Film Independent Project Involve (Screenwriters Program)

NBC Writers on the Verge Fellowship Program

Sundance Documentary Film Program

Warners Bros Writers Workshop

Christina Hendricks, Aaron Paul, Allison Williams: The Power of Strong Supporting Roles

TV Writing 101 – How Not to Write a Boring Script

WRITERS’ ROOM 101: Taking Meetings – Know Your History

7 Important Things To Know Before Pitching Your TV Pilot to Networks

How Four Filmmakers Turned Kickstarter Into Sundance Gold

How to Get a Job in Shondaland

Comedy Writer Terminology Not Found in Books

The Writers Behind ‘Inside Amy Schumer,’ ‘Mr. Robot’ and ‘The Americans’ Reveal the Ups and Downs of Writing for TV

10 Huge Sundance Film Festival Deals (and How They Paid Off)

10 Helpful Tips for Acing Your Film’s Social Media Presence at Festivals

Why Having the Right Agent Could Make or Break Your Movie

The Business of Screenwriting: The Power of “No”

The Business of Screenwriter: Get a damn good lawyer!

For the Love of Storytelling – Why I Can’t Stop Going to Film Festivals

Letter from Suzanne Collins: A Thank You to The Hunger Games Film Team

The Business of Screenwriter: Get a damn good lawyer!

Scriptd (In Beta, A Hub for Creators)

Zoetrope (Online Writing Community Created by Francis Ford Coppola)

Shonda Rhimes Master Class for Television ($90)

Aaron Sorkin Master Class for Screenwriting ($90)

Podcasts

Writing Excuses (Hosted by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells.)

First Draft with Sarah Enni (For authors.)

PubCrawl Podcast (For authors.)

The Manuscript Academy (For authors.)

Writer Writer Pants on Fire (Hosted by Mindy McGinnis. For authors)

This Creative Life Podcast (Hosted by Sara Zarr. For YA authors.)

Writing in Real Life (Hosted by Barry Lyga and wife, Morgan Baden. For authors & new parents.)

88 Cups of Tea (Hosted by Yin Chang. For authors & filmmakers)

Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast (Hosted by Lindsay Buroker, Joseph Lallo, Jeffrey M. Poole, & Laura Kirwan)

Harper Audio Presents (For authors.)

Children of Tendu (Hosted by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Jose Molina. For TV writers.)

Scriptnotes Podcast (Hosted by John August and Craig Mazin. For screenwriters.)

Alias Smith and LeRoi (Hosted by Ali LeRoi and Owen Smith. For TV & screenwriters.)

Chicks Who Script (Hosted by Lauren Schacher, Maggie F. Levin, and Emily Blake. For TV & screenwriters.)

The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith (For screenwriters.)

Nerdist Writers Panel (For writers across all mediums but mainly TV writers.)