Resources For Writers, Editors, and TTRPG Creators

There are so many different resources available on the internet, here is a collection of my favorites.

If you can, support your local bookstore! An indie bookstore, a Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million or other applicable stores. I have an affiliate link at Bookshop.org, I earn a small commission if you decide to purchase any books from my storefront. I do highly recommend ordering books from Bookshop.org even if you do not purchase from my storefront as it supports local bookstores and you can select which bookstore you want to order from (there is even a map to find local stores).

Books and Toolkits

Dreyer's English by Benjamin Dreyer (Style Guide).
The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker (Linguistics).
Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale (Writing and Editing).
The Emotion Thesaurus By Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi (Reference Guide).
Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft by Janice Hardy (Writing and Revising).
Understanding Show, Don’t Tell (And Really Getting It) by Janice Hardy.
Conscious Language Toolkit for Writers or For Editors by Crystal Shelley.
A Writer's Guide to Medicine. Volume 1: Setting & Character by Dr. Natalie Dale.
A Writer's Guide to Medicine: Volume 2: Illness & Injury by Dr. Natalie Dale.

Blogs, Blog Posts, and Newsletters

Susan Dennard's Newsletter is now on Substack. I have been following her newsletter for years, it has some of the best writing advice as well as a real look into her life as an author.
Writer's Digest.
Ilona Andrews Blog they (Ilona and Gordon) post about writing life, writing advice, the realities of publishing, life in general, and WIP snippets. They are amusing, authentic, and I am an avid fan of their work.
Louise Harnby's Resource Library Louise is a longtime award winning editor. She has a plethora of resources for editors and writers.
How to Write Disabled Characters by fellow editor Allison Alexander.
Writing Blind Characters by Erin Nightingale.
POINT OF VIEW & NARRATORS 1: the basics by Emma Darwin. An excellent beginning to POV, psychic distance, and shifting POVs in a single scene without confusing the reader.

Formatting

Podcasts

Writing Excuses.
The Editing Podcast and anything by Louise Harnby she is excellent.
Writing Break: America's Editor has been an amazing guide these last few years for me and these 15 minute snippets are perfect for getting you into the rhythm or break you out of a slump.

Gaming

Accessibility in Gaming by Jennifer Kretchmer. This is the free version which is jam packed with links to additional resources covering panels, tools, tropes and more.

Advice

Above all; read, listen, and watch. Inspiration and information is all around you. If one way of writing doesn't work for you, check out others and keep at it. No one can write the story the way you can, the story that is waiting in your heart and mind.

If writing a novel seems too big to tackle, then try a short story or novella first. If you can't start at the beginning, start at the scenes that inspire you. I have a small notebook that I carry around to jot down ideas in an almost bullet point format. Those take root and grow, I'll add on to their page once something concrete appears for me.

Last piece of advice for now, work on what you love. Don't force yourself to write something that doesn't bring you passion (unless there is a real paycheck involved and it is not a scam). We all have to pay the bills.

Updated: October 25th, 2024.

#editors #writers #editingtips #resources #writingcraft