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Resources for Writers
I've complied some resources (the vast majority being free or having useful free tiers) that I have found helpful on my author journey. I hope to update this page as I find more! If there are any other resources you like and want to share, please let me know.
Writing Craft
Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
The Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald Maass
Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes by Carla Hoch
Revision and Self-Editing for Publication: Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft into a Novel That Sells by James Scott Bell
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
The Writer's Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction by Benjamin Sobieck
Inspiration
Ambient Mixer: audio mixing tool for creating atmosphere; also has premade templates
Behind the Name: useful for naming characters; provides information on the meaning, history, and popularity of names
Inkarnate: map making
Pinterest: I have boards to help with character, setting, and story inspiration, as well as other writer resources!
Serendity: useful generator for setting or name inspiration
TV Tropes: great for understanding genre tropes
Write for Life Writing Challenges: hosted 3 times a year with flexible goals; always helpful when I need a boost and motivation
World Anvil: lots of worldbuilding tools, plus random generators for almost anything you could think of
Tools
Abbie Emmons Immersive Writing Sprints: 2 hour sprinting sessions with built-in breaks and many moods to choose from
Aqua Notes: for when your shower thoughts are way more awesome than your memory
Autocrit: finds weak/overused words and grammatical issues; also has built-in thesaurus
Google Docs Voice Typing: under Tools > Voice Typing; it's not perfect but it's passable dictation when I can't look at a screen
NaturalReader: text to speech app; excellent for proofreading and style adjustments by reading your work out loud
OneLook Thesaurus and Reverse Dictionary: useful for finding related words when you don't have the one you want
Word Counter: useful for finding overused words as well as phrases of 2 or 3 words
Writers Helping Writers Toolbox: lots of helpful checklists and tools
The Business of Being a Writer
Alliance of Independent Authors Self-Publishing Services Rating: useful for vetting companies that offer self-publishing services, though not comprehensive
Erin Phillips Resources: helpful information for planning book launches and thinking about marketing
Newsletter Ninja: lots of helpful information and advice for author newsletters
Self Publishing Checklist from Jane Friedman: a nice breakdown of what needs to be done to bring a finished book into the world, and approximately when
Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook: Updated Guide to Protecting Your Rights and Wallet by Helen Sedwick: because legal matters are important
Writer Beware: warnings on scams and sketchy happenings in the writing world, as well as advice on how to protect yourself
Your Book Your Brand by Dana Kaye: how to think about building an author brand
Images/Graphic Design
Canva: useful for aesthetics, graphics (there's even social media-specific templates), and book covers
DIY Book Covers: resources for book cover design plus a free 3D mock up generator
Pexels: free images and videos
Pixabay: free images and videos
Unsplash: free images and videos
Research
Hello Future Me: tons of information on writing and related topics
Mayo Clinic Diseases and Conditions: symptoms, treatments, and prognoses for those of us who hurt our characters
Shadiversity: information on weaponry/medieval concepts
Writing Realistic Injuries: stats and info for those of us who hurt our characters but don't want them dead
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