60+ Resources for Writers
Here is a list of creative writing resources, free resources for writers, support for writers and help to improve writing skills that you may find useful.
If you have spent months/years writing a book, it can be an overwhelming task to revise, edit, refine and edit some more to finalise those (many) drafts into a complete and publishable fiction novel or non-fiction book.
Ensuring your words, style, dialogue and structure really engage the reader and make it a page-turner is essential to give your book the best chance of success.
If you don’t think you’re near googling ‘book editor for hire’ or 'book proofreader' just yet but would like more information on techniques to kick-start your writing again, help to keep the creative process going or finalising that first draft to take a step nearer to publication, here you will find many resources for authors. Check out these best resources for writers below.
Ensuring your words, style, dialogue and structure really engage the reader and make it a page-turner is essential to give your book the best chance of success.
If you don’t think you’re near googling ‘book editor for hire’ or 'book proofreader' just yet but would like more information on techniques to kick-start your writing again, help to keep the creative process going or finalising that first draft to take a step nearer to publication, here you will find many resources for authors. Check out these best resources for writers below.
1. Amazon Top-Rated Books on Writing
Click images to view on Amazon
Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2022
"The latest edition of the bestselling guide to all you need to know about how to get published". |
Plots and Plotting by Diana Kimpton |
Dramatic Techniques For Creative Writers by Jules Horne |
Understanding Show, Don't Tell by Janice Hardy |
How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell |
Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott |
The Five-Minute Writer by Margret Geraghty |
Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark |
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell |
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg |
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King |
Complete Creative Writing Course by Chris Sykes |
2. Improve Grammar Online for Free
- Grammar Girl Comprehensive guide giving quick tips to improve the quality of your writing and correct grammar use by Mignon Fogarty.
- English Grammar Guide Information on nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, relative clauses and punctuation. Rules of English usage explained with examples.
- Best FREE Online English Grammar Courses A list from TopCreativeWritingCourses.com detailing top free online grammar courses including Alison, The Open University, Udemy and City Lit. Find the best free online English grammar courses to improve your writing skills when writing creatively, professionally and academically.
- Verbix Tool to help determine the use of verbs in all tenses.
- Practise English Grammar from the British Council For all levels of writers, learn grammar rules clearly and simply, and practice exercises to test your understanding.
- Learn English Grammar Online Test your grammar with a comprehensive list of lessons from MyEnglishPages.com
- Free English Grammar Lessons Check out these free video lessons from OxfordOnlineEnglish.com which cover subjects such as modal verbs, how to use articles (the, a, an), present simple and present continuous verb forms, how to use colons and semicolons, and much more.
- Grammar Monster Free English grammar lessons and interactive tests
3. Online Writing Communities
- Scribophile A writer's community and online writing workshop for writers of all levels to improve and share their writing experience. Learn how to get published, where to find beta readers, and receive feedback on your writing.
- Writer's Cafe Online writing community where writers post their work, receive reviews and advice, and chat to other authors. It also offers free downloadable fiction writing software to help structure your story/novel.
- Write Words Writing community for beginners and published authors.
- Critique Circle If you want feedback on your writing, this online writing community is for you. You have to join to become a member and then you post your work and wait for the feedback to come in! The emphasis is on constructive criticism that's of value to the author rather than a negative assessment.
4. Creative Writing Courses (Free and Paid)
For beginners to writers with experience, find a range of creative writing courses via topcreativewritingcourses.com
5. Where to Find Beta Readers
- Goodreads Beta Reader Group The discussion board shows threads on free beta reading services, critique partners and swaps, paid beta reading services, and special offers posted by members. You'll need to be a Goodreads member to post a comment or get in touch with others.
- Helping Writers become Authors An in-depth article 15 Places to Find Your Next Beta Reader from K.M. Weiland on everything you need to know about beta readers and where to find yours.
6. Free Resources for Writers
- Self-Publishing Resources Check out my article for authors to create and self-publish their book, with information also on book cover design, marketing, online publishing guides and print-on-demand services.
- Writer's Digest Whether you need writing prompts, help with grammar, writing resources, publishing advice, how to improve writing skills, or a forum to interact with other writers, you will find all this and more on the Writer's Digest website.
- Author Network Resources and articles for writers.
- Mslexia Online magazine for female writers.
- Writers Online Writing resources, links, forum and how-to guides.
- The Write Life Information on the craft of writing, publishing and marketing.
- National Centre for Writing Free guides, interviews and podcasts offer valuable advice, tips and writing techniques to be a more productive writer. This site is updated regularly with new content.
- The Elements of Style The writing style guide from William Strunk, Jr. which is available for free online.
- Author Network A comprehensive list of resources covering many writing areas, including how to write a book , self-publishing, competitions, author interviews, and much more.
7. Support for Writers
- Society of Authors Protecting the rights and furthering the interests of authors.
- The Royal Literary Fund Providing support through grants and pensions for professional writers who find themselves in financial difficulty.
- Society of indexers Directory of indexers and advice for authors.
- Writers & Artists industry advice for writers, articles, interviews and competitions.
- Penguin Find local support for authors (UK) and details of national organisations providing information, advice and funding for writers and illustrators.
8. Resources to Improve Writing Skills
7+ Online Courses to Overcome Writer's Block Online writing courses giving practical tools and tips to beat writer's block once and for all.
How to Stay Motivated Writing a Novel - 15 Top Tips If you're looking for ways to stay motivated when writing your book or novel, or if you need to reignite your enthusiasm and perseverence, check out these 15 tips to help find the inspiration to keep going, boost productivity, or even to just make a start writing your manuscript.
5 Writing Exercises to Overcome Writer's Block Writing exercises to combat writer's block and free yourself from creative blockage to those words start flowing again.
How to Improve Your Writing Style – 5 Simple Steps Find out how to become a better writer by finding your own writing style and technique to tell your story.
When to Use a Semicolon in a Sentence with Examples What are the rules for semicolons? Find out when to use a semicolon, the difference to a colon and when to use a semicolon in a list, for example.
When to Use a Colon in a Sentence with Examples What is a colon in writing? See examples of when to use a colon in your writing, when to use a colon or semicolon, and using colons to introduce with lists, plus more.
200 Common Clichés in Writing (and How to Avoid Them) Check out this article if you want to know some of the most common cliches in writing and the alternatives you can use so you don't fall into the trap of overusing these well-known expressions.
20 Common Literary Terms with Examples If you would like to find out what literary devices are, want to know the difference between a simile and a metaphor, and how to use them in your writing, check out this article on explaining some of the most common literary terms with examples.
All articles listed are from topcreativewritingcourses.com
How to Stay Motivated Writing a Novel - 15 Top Tips If you're looking for ways to stay motivated when writing your book or novel, or if you need to reignite your enthusiasm and perseverence, check out these 15 tips to help find the inspiration to keep going, boost productivity, or even to just make a start writing your manuscript.
5 Writing Exercises to Overcome Writer's Block Writing exercises to combat writer's block and free yourself from creative blockage to those words start flowing again.
How to Improve Your Writing Style – 5 Simple Steps Find out how to become a better writer by finding your own writing style and technique to tell your story.
When to Use a Semicolon in a Sentence with Examples What are the rules for semicolons? Find out when to use a semicolon, the difference to a colon and when to use a semicolon in a list, for example.
When to Use a Colon in a Sentence with Examples What is a colon in writing? See examples of when to use a colon in your writing, when to use a colon or semicolon, and using colons to introduce with lists, plus more.
200 Common Clichés in Writing (and How to Avoid Them) Check out this article if you want to know some of the most common cliches in writing and the alternatives you can use so you don't fall into the trap of overusing these well-known expressions.
20 Common Literary Terms with Examples If you would like to find out what literary devices are, want to know the difference between a simile and a metaphor, and how to use them in your writing, check out this article on explaining some of the most common literary terms with examples.
All articles listed are from topcreativewritingcourses.com
9. Latest Book News and Reviews
- The Guardian Find the latest books, best-selling books, book reviews, book of the day and more from The Guardian website.
- Richard and Judy Book Club View Richard and Judy's latest book recommendations in their hugely popular book club.
- Publishers Weekly Find the best books, and the latest book reviews in fiction, mystery, sci-fi, romance, poetry, non-fcition, children's books and more.
- The New York Times Find book reviews, best-seller lists, podcasts, and more.
- The Bookseller The latest news in UK publishing.
10. Online Poetry Resources
- Poetry.org A resource site for poetry and poets.
- Poetry Foundation An independent literary organisation discovers and celebrates the best poetry.
- Poems.com Anthology of contemporary poetry with new poems published daily.
- Family Friend Poems Poems by category, and biographies of famous poets and their work.
- RhymeZone Find rhyming words, adjectives, synonyms and more.
11. More Resources for Writers
- Apostrophe Protection Society Preserving correct usage of the apostrophe.
- Capitalize My Title Help when you're not sure how to capitalize your chapter titles, etc. in your writing.
- Usefuls Shortcuts The Alt codes to use when using foreign language letters in writing.
- One Look Thesaurus If you're having trouble rephrasing a sentence or you want to find alternative adverbs, check out this online thesaurus.
- Project Gutenberg Community project offering free books to download or read online.
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Please read my Terms and Conditions if you would like to use my editorial services so you are familiar with how I work and the requirements of both parties. I look forward to hearing from you.
