Below are just a few of my favorite resources for new and aspiring writers.
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Books & blogs
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody
- How to Outline Your Novel with Save the Cat! by Savannah Gilbo (blog post)
Podcasts
- I should be writing by Mar Lafferty
- I Should Be Writing is the Podcast Peer- and Parsec Award-winning show that Mur Lafferty has been hosting and producing since 2005. She’s used the show to chronicle and discuss the bumps one encounters through working on a writing career by talking about her own situation and interviewing several pro writers. Focusing on the emotional roadblocks one finds in a writing career, this show speaks to over 13000 listeners every week.
- Ditch Diggers by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace
- While ISBW is for beginners who are easily intimidated by rejection and self-doubt, Ditch Diggers is the business of writing, when the craft is not as important as the deadline. (Oh the craft is very important. But deadline without craft can be worked with, but craft without deadline will never pay the bills.) We don’t worry about art here, we worry about the business of your writing. Because ditch diggers don’t get ditch digger block, so we refuse to let writer’s block stop us from doing our work. Ditch Diggers is explicit, unsafe for work and kids, so if you listen in public, be warned.
- OnWriting by the Writers Guild of America, East
- OnWriting is a screenwriting podcast brought to you by the Writers Guild of America, East. It’s a show about the stories we see on our screens and the people who make them happen. Each week, writers from the film, television, news and digital media industries talk to us about their work – from pitching to production, from process to favorite lines, and everything in between. Season 1 is hosted by Jordan Carlos. Seasons 2 & 3 are hosted by Caroline Waxler. Seasons 4-6 are hosted by Kaitlin Fontana. Seasons 7 – 8 are hosted by Geri Cole.
- Writing Excuses by Margaret Dunlap, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mahtab Narsimhan, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells
- Writing Excuses is a fast-paced, educational podcast for writers, by writers. It airs weekly, with new episodes appearing each Sunday evening at around 6pm Eastern Time. Episodes vary in length from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, but are usually less than twenty minutes long. The tagline, “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart” isn’t super accurate, time-wise, but it’s a haiku so we’re keeping it. Our goal is to help our listeners become better writers. Whether they write for fun or for profit, whether they’re new to the domain or old hands, Writing Excuses has something to offer. We love to write, and our listeners do, too.
- Writer’s Routine by Dan Simpson
- Writer’s Routine is an arts and culture podcast for writers. It’s where we chat to some of the world’s most successful authors and find out how they work. In every episode, Dan Simpson chats to a writer, and takes a sneak peek inside their working day; to get tips, tricks and inspiration for that book kicking around your head.
- Self-Publishing School: How to Write a Book that Grows Your Impact, Income, and Business by Chandler Bolt
- Learn from experts leading the industry in all things business growth, book writing, book publishing, marketing, and more, with appearances from Hal Elrod, Susie Moore, Robert Kiyosaki, and many others. Gain access to the knowledge you need to succeed, right from our podcast!
Tools & software
- Scrivener — This is my #1 writing tool I use and recommend. It can be a little overwhelming to start/setup, but once you have your format down, it’s incredibly useful for organizing thoughts.
