Resources for writers

Are you ready to make this your year of becoming a published author?

If I can do it you can too. Here are some of the resources I used and recommend.

My writing on writing

Some of the most popular posts I’ve written about the process of writing are:

Great guides to getting your book written and published:

Author Danielle LaPorte and literary agent Linda Silverstein made Your Big Beautiful Book Plan

With 400+ pages, 8+ hours of audio and video, and samples from 20+ book proposals that sold, this is a veritable Bible of book-writing prowess — a behind-the-scenes view into what grabs an agent’s attention, what captivates publishers, and the logic of treating your book like a business.

Author Chris Guillebeau and literary agent David Fugate, put together the Unconventional Guide to Publishing

In this 45,000 word manual, you’ll learn exactly how the proposal process works, complete with stories and examples from three bestselling authors. You’ll hear interviews with agents, editors, and other insiders—what do they know that you need to know? Most important, you’ll learn what you can do every day to increase interest in your book’s potential.

Agent advice sites and blogs

Guide to Literary Agents – Chuck Sambuchino is the patron saint of aspiring authors trying to find an agent. He’s also a very nice man.
Rachelle Gardener – has a great blog about what agents look for in a query and about the publishing industry more generally.
Janet Reid has her own great blog, and is also the host of Query Shark – where you too can have your query letter critiqued by the queen of queries

Writing retreats

For the past five years I’ve attended (and taught yoga at) Jen Louden’s famous Taos writing retreat. Jen calls it the “Luscious, Nuturing, Get Your Writing Done While Laughing Your Butt Off And Maybe Crying a Little Too Writers Retreat.” I call it the place where I met new friends (real ones, who I laugh and cry and write with still) and fell in love with writing again. Highly recommended. This retreat always sells out fast, and the only way to get into it is to subscribe to Jen’s newsletter and get the early registration notice, so go ahead and do that!

Also in 2011, I fulfilled a long-held dream and attended a week-long silent writing retreat with Natalie Goldberg. I wrote, slept, dreamed, woke, sat, walked, ate, wrote, read, listened, laughed, cried, wrote and came away feeling more deeply rested and more inspired in my writing than I can ever remember being before. Also highly recommended, especially if the thought of a week of silence makes your heart flip.

Online writing courses

Jennifer McGuiggan is the creator of Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing, a course to help you –

Learn practical writing techniques to give your stories deeper meaning.
Craft stories that connect with readers.
Discover tips and tricks to overcome your writing challenges.
Be motivated to keep writing through weekly nuggets of inspiration.

I had a great time talking to Jennifer about the craft and challenges of editing in an interview which is part of this course.

Writing sites and blogs

Alexis Grant has her own great writing blog and also hosts an online community of travel memoir writers

Rachael King, author of The Sound of Butterflies and Magpie Hall blogs about writing at The Sound of Butterflies

Helen Heath is a writer and new media maven, book marketer and copywriting whiz. If you need a guide to the world of social media who is as patient and approachable as she is savvy, then Helen is your woman.

Patti Digh, author of Life is a Verb, also has a wonderful blog and is one of my favorite people on Twitter

Karen Maezen Miller writes about the grace and beauty of an ordinary life in her books Momma Zen and Hand Wash Cold and her articles at her beautiful website are always on my must-read list

Jen Lee tells the kinds of stories that, I believe, can change us all and change the world and she runs writing retreats

Books on writing

For the best books I’ve found on writing, visit my Amazon store

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