Writer Sanctum
Writer's Haven => Writer 101 [Public] => Topic started by: Kyra Halland on March 21, 2019, 12:33:03 PM
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Well, okay, I'll dive in here. As someone who's been writing for a long time (and still learning every day), here are my recommended sites for beginning writers:
National Novel Writing Month http://nanowrimo.org/
Offers writing challenges (Camp NaNo in April and July, I believe, and the main NaNoWriMo event in November). The fun, friendly forums are open year-round. Interact with and get support and advice from writers of all ages and levels from beginner to pro. It also has an archive of pep talks from professional writers.
Holly Lisle's Articles for Writers https://hollylisle.com/articles/
Articles on developing your ideas, creating conflict, what makes a scene, character development, worldbuilding, revision. Her writing books and courses are also great. Some are cheap, some are pricey.
K.M. Weiland https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/
Get more in-depth on story structure, character development, etc.
Scribophile https://www.scribophile.com/
Post your work for critique, and critique other writers' work (a great way to learn!)
English Grammar 101 https://www.englishgrammar101.com/
Learn or refresh your grammar skills.
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http://blog.janicehardy.com/ (http://blog.janicehardy.com/)
She posts daily, something for every level.
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http://blog.janicehardy.com/ (http://blog.janicehardy.com/)
She posts daily, something for every level.
Another good one!
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https://writingexcuses.com/category/season/season-01/ (https://writingexcuses.com/category/season/season-01/)
Sometimes their condensed 15 minute shows don't allow them the time to fully flesh out their ideas, but there's a lot of good advice and with 11+ seasons, there's a lot to keep you busy. I usually listen to these in the car.
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I'll guess I'll toss in a few links.
The Writer's Journey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer's_Journey%3A_Mythic_Structure_for_Writers)
This is Chris Vogler's memo/books. He took Campbell's "hero's journey" and broke it down into twelve steps. He also explained those steps in a way that's actually actionable for writers, and--in my opinion--that makes it superior to Campbell's book. The original Writer's Journey was a memo, but Vogler expanded on the concept, and now there are multiple editions out there.
Turkey City Lexicon (http://www.critters.org/turkeycity.html)
This is the collected experience of the folks at the Turkey City Writer's Workshop (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_City_Writer's_Workshop). If you click that Wikipedia link, you'll see a few of the famous names who have attended the workshop in the past. The Lexicon boils an awful lot of stuff down into just a few pages. Most of it is of the "what not to do" sort.
The Harmon Circle (https://channel101.fandom.com/wiki/Story_Structure_104:_The_Juicy_Details)
This is Dan Harmon's story structure guide. Harmon is a television writer, but his guide works for literature, too. And he uses examples from popular movies, and I think that makes it easier for readers to take his points to heart.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180467.Self_Editing_for_Fiction_Writers)
Browne and King's awesome book. A must-have for fiction writers just starting out. Anyone can write a first draft, but the revision cycles are what separate the wheat from the chaff. This book will help you be the wheat.
Finally, a word of encouragement to all new writers:
You can do it! Seriously. It will take practice, but it can be done. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Eventually, you'll reach a point where you won't have to think about good craft techniques anymore. They'll be habits, and your craft will be pretty good by default. Your first drafts will look more polished than most writers' finished products. But you have to put in the work to get to that point. There's no substitute for cranking out words.
And if you get discouraged, or stuck, or whatever, then start a thread on Writer Sanctum and tell us about it. We're here to help. :Healing:
Otherwise, good luck! :cheers
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While these are more about publishing than writing, I'd nominate The Passive Voice, David Gaughran's blog, and KK Rusch's business blog.
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This one's almost all about writing--Brandon Sanderson's students posted his full college-level course, twice. This link is for the most recent:
&t=1251s.
I watched these things obsessively a few years ago, took notes, the whole bit. Well worth checking out, IMO. : )
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I don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for but The Smashwords Styles Guide is the best.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52
Now I just need a link to make the links live on the forum. Sorry, I'm internetully challenged.
Edit: Oh look it did it automatically. Yay! :smilie_zauber:
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I don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for but The Smashwords Styles Guide is the best.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52
Now I just need a link to make the links live on the forum. Sorry, I'm internetully challenged.
Edit: Oh look it did it automatically. Yay! :smilie_zauber:
Yes. Following this style guide, I've had virtually no trouble at all formatting .docs that convert perfectly for Smashwords and D2D. Tip: I think one key to my success is I use the "nuclear" option every time, where you copy-paste the manuscript into Notepad to zap all unnecessary background coding then copy-paste that back into a fresh doc. When you do this, you do lose your italics and bolds, so it's a good idea to mark them first. I use _underscores_ for italic passages; *asterisks* are the standard convention for bold. I'm in the habit now of just using these as I write the draft. After you copy-paste your clean manuscript back into a fresh doc, go through and replace the placeholders with the proper formatting.
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I'd add Lisa Cron's website and books:
http://wiredforstory.com/free-resources (http://wiredforstory.com/free-resources)
And Michael Tucker's YouTube channel, Lessons From the Screenplay:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErSSa3CaP_GJxmFpdjG9Jw/videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErSSa3CaP_GJxmFpdjG9Jw/videos)