I have been writing for most of my life, but because there’s so much information out there on how to write a book I still get overwhelmed. There’s even more information on NaNoWriMo. That makes running a successful blog series about how to plan for NaNoWriMo quite daunting.
Last week I offered a quick, easy list on how to get started planning for NaNoWriMo without becoming stressed. But today I want to offer a few resources that may help you on your writing journey. This list is similar to the one I published last year, except I edited it to add more updated resources.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF WRITING RESOURCES. I’M NOT SURE ONE OF THOSE IS EVEN AVAILABLE. THIS POST IS JUST AN ABBREVIATED LIST OF RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR WRITERS WHO ARE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR NANOWRIMO,
First, I’ve set up a bibliography of some of my favorite writing craft books. It will eventually be annotated, but right now it’s just a list with links to Amazon. It is indexed by topic and in alphabetical order by author. (I am not an Amazon affiliate and make no money from the links on this site. I only recommend and link to products I have used and loved but I have no relationship with these vendors.)
Second, there so many websites out there that offer great writing information and free guides, printable, etc. I’ve listed some of my favorite websites below.
https://www.eadeverell.com, run by Eva Deverell, offers a free One Page Novel workshop to help you figure out the main elements of your story before you start. The site is filled with writing craft articles and links to other resources.
http://www.aliciarasley.com is run by professional editor, professor, and historical author Alicia Rasley. Alicia has so much information on this site that it’s best to set aside a few hours to sift through it all. In particular, I love her “How to Outline a Story in 30 Minutes.” It’s perfect for Preptober!
https://heartbreathings.com is run by YA author Sarra Cannon (see YouTube link below) that corresponds to her YouTube channel. Sarra offers tons of freebies and printables about how to craft the best novel possible.
https://thewritepractice.com offers a ton of annotated lists and links to all the tools a writer may need to craft a novel. But the real treasure is found under the articles tab where guest authors write about everything from drafting to refining grammar.
https://writerunboxed.com is a great aggregate website filled with articles on writing craft, writing technology, and writing encouragement. You could spend hours on this site!
https://writershelpingwriters.net is a large website with a lot of things for sale–but head to the resources tab where you can find free printables, lists of articles and books all about the craft of writing.
Third, I love YouTube videos about writing. A few (such as at the Heart Breathings channel) even offer free printables and other information specifically for Preptober. I’ve posted a few of my favorite channels below.
Sarra Cannon/Heart Breathings. Sarra Cannon, a successful indie YA author, has two channels. Heart Breathings is for writers and Sarra Cannon channel is for her readers. But they both have great information for both experienced and new writers. If you sign up for her website (link above), you can even get a free downloadable Preptober Planner that I use every year. https://youtu.be/ftm9kWn-IHo
Bethany Atazadeh. Another successful indie YA author, Bethany offers information from writing craft to managing a publishing business. Bethany has a degree in creative writing and speaks on all aspects of the writing craft from outlining to writing a series. https://www.youtube.com/c/BethanyAtazadeh/featured
Alexa Donne. A successful trad YA author who offers great-if-harsh advice on writing and querying and other aspects of the writing industry. She’s tough and honest which is why I’m addicted to her channel. This is a tough industry and I always appreciate it when another author offers real advice instead of general validations. She has great information on drafting and editing. https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexaDonne
Shaelin Writes. Shaelin is a young fiction writer from Canada with a large channel filled with craft and grammar advice from filtering words to line editing. And she has an interesting take on NaNo and why sometimes it’s better to lose. https://www.youtube.com/c/ShaelinWrites
Abbie Emmons. Abbie is young adult fiction author who also teaches classes on YouTube about how to plan and write novels. She also has a great YouTube playlist for Preptober. This video, in particular, is a great lecture on developing character profiles. https://youtu.be/k1W5DSOlPrw
Like I mentioned above, there is so much information about writing books in the world that it can become very overwhelming very quickly. So I hope this shorter list helps… and remember. No one can write your book better than you can. Good luck!
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