MY FAVOURITE RESOURCES FOR WRITERS
- Claire Bentley
- May 3, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 4
In this post I provide links to some of my favourite writing resources. I've found all of them helpful in different ways, and many of them are free!
I hope you find these resources informative and useful!
BOOKS
Covers the importance of internal conflict and how this magic ingredient will keep the reader turning the pages until sunrise.
I published a blog post which summarises this topic: however, I strongly advise reading Story Genius if you’re able to.
Adapted from Blake Snyder’s well-known book on screenwriting. This book covers ‘universal’ story genres and how you can use these and the Save the Cat beat sheet to structure your novel.
Ackerman and Puglisi have a number of resources to help their fellow writers. However, I particularly recommend their thesauri for writers, which cover a range of topics: The Emotion Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus (to name a few). They help writers explore elements of their story and character, and find new and interesting ways to think about and describe them.
PODCASTS
Predominantly covers the business side of publishing – especially independent publishing – and discusses changes in the publishing landscape. Loads of great information, especially for indie authors.
The podcast also covers generative-AI; I'm not as AI-positive as the host, but she provides great updates about how gen-AI is affecting the publishing landscape. I want to stay knowledgeable on the topic, even though I don't intend to use it myself.
Informative and highly entertaining! If you don’t mind f-bombs then I highly recommend listening; I whisper f-bombs under my breath when my kids are being arseholes, so I enjoy this element of the podcast.
One of the longest-running writing podcasts around! It has a different flavour again: much more stream-of-consciousness and with more of a focus on traditional publishing.
Lots of useful information on story structure and character types, plus the author discusses her experience of going through years of debilitating writer’s block.
On a related note, I’ve also included my own detailed breakdown of the Enneagram subtypes with practical examples
Lots of great (and kind!) writing advice from a hybrid author who writes across multiple genres.
Talk show style podcast with various heavy-hitters in the traditional publishing space.
Heavy focus on traditional publishing and getting an agent / publishing deal. The hosts regularly review authors' query letters and opening pages. A must-listen if you're seeking this route!
Emphasis on how to maintain joy and happiness in your writing life, with a focus on young adult literature and traditional publishing.
YOUTUBE
Lots of great information about internal conflict, story structure, and character archetypes. Emphasis on the science behind storytelling.
Author documenting her journey on the traditional publishing route. She's also created detailed videos on each Save the Cat story beat.
Insider tips and information about the traditional publishing route.
Funny, informative, and opinionated writing craft videos – especially if you don’t mind f-bombs.
Entertaining vlogs and discussion videos.
Hilarious animated videos telling you how NOT to write. Worth watching even if you’re not a writer!
IN CONCLUSION
I haven’t covered all the writing resources I use here, but I feel these are some of the most helpful in getting started and beginning to work on your writing craft. I’m discovering new resources all the time, so I will add these to my website in due course.
BEFORE YOU GO…
What do you think of the resources above?
Please feel free to comment on the article and/or contact me if you have any questions!
Socials: @cbentleywriter on most of them!
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Website: www.clairebentley.co.uk
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I welcome respectful and friendly discussion on the topics I write about, including if your opinion differs from my own.
Disclaimer: generative AI
I do not use generative AI to produce or inform my blog, my images, or my fiction. All of my content is generated by the chaotic firing of my own (human) brain! (I have access to some images through my Wix subscription). I do not consent to the use of my content, images, or fiction to train generative AI models. Please contact me to discuss permission and compensation if you wish to use my content in this way.
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