Multi-published and award-winning author, Lori Devoti, teaches both online and in-person classes on the craft of writing and the business of writing.
Online Writing Classes:
Plotting and Planning: How to Write Your Cozy Mystery with Lori Devoti – Check Savvy Authors for next class!
Online Resources for Writers
Why reinvent the wheel – especially if you can’t invent a better wheel?
With that in mind, here are some links to great resources I have found trolling the web. I’ll update as I go along, so check back.
Sites
Affirmations
Leanne Banks has a great note and list of positive affirmations on her website. Writing is like walking around in your underwear in public. It is really easy to get devoured by the beast of self-doubt. See if this technique works for you. Go to her For Writers page, then scroll down to Affirmations.
Copyright
At the United States Copyright Office site you can search to see if your works have been registered (some publishers do, some don’t) and if not, fill out the forms to register them yourself. There is a fee, but the process is pretty simple. Copyright exists as soon as you create something, but there are benefits to having things registered.
Grammar
Grammar Girl is known for her great podcast, but she also has a site where she takes on different burning grammar issues. Wander around to find easy-to-understand explanations of things like Lie vs. Lay or misplaced modifiers.
Plotting
- Twenty Master Plots and Exercises: A great list of twenty master plots, based on the book “20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them)” by Ronald B.Tobias; ISBN 0-89879-595-8. From quest to forbidden love, learn about them here.
- Plotting Strategies: Article by Kimberly Appelcline on the many, many plotting strategies touted as the latest greatest way to write your book. Looking for a plotting strategy? Check this out first.
- Set Pieces: Billy Mernit, author of “Writing the Romantic Comedy” does a great rundown of set pieces: what they are and how to use them, etc. Whether you write romantic comedy or something else, definitely worth a look-see.
Prologues
I am not a fan of prologues personally, but this article really explains how and why to use them better than any resource I’ve seen.
Publishing
The Association of American Publishers has a lot of information from monthly updates on sales to a variety of useful links.
Scenes
What is a book without strong scenes? Nothing you can read, that’s for sure. Randy Ingermanson offers a great, free article on writing strong scenes using Dwight Swain’s techniques.
Writing Classes
Orson Scott Card has a great library of articles and questions he has answered about various aspects of the writing craft. You have to check it out. He also runs an online writing bootcamp. Go to his web site for details.
Newsletters
There are also ton of free newsletters on the Net for writers. Here are a few I have found useful in one way or another.
Advanced Fiction Writing Ezine (note: Can read back issues online or sign up to receive in inbox.) By the author of the Snowflake Method.
Publisher’s Lunch
This is the free scaled-down version of Publisher’s Marketplace Lunch Deluxe. Learn who has sold what and “kind of” for how much. Word of warning—can induce those ugly self-doubts.
Shelf Awareness
Good way to learn what is going on in the retail side of books.
Writers Weekly Good for finding freelance work if that is what you are going for. Plus all kinds of other information. You can just go to the site each week and read the latest or sign up and have it delivered to your inbox.
