We writers need all the support we can get on what can be a lonely journey. No wonder we join writing communities and writing groups, sign up for writing classes and follow writer’s blogs. It helps to know that others like ourselves are out there, rooting for us, encouraging us, teaching us and supporting us. The tribe of writers is a vast one, spanning the globe and almost every age-group and circumstance.
So as we embark on this new year, I thought I’d write about the resources which have been most helpful on my own writer’s journey. Perhaps you’d like to add your own.
FOR EARLY INSPIRATION
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
This is the most brilliant resource to really help you focus on your creativity. Especially good if you like a structure. Its combination of a 12-week plan, daily Morning Pages and walking and a weekly Artist’s Date are excellent for restoring your own confidence in yourself as a creative person.
Becoming A Writer – Dorothea Brande
Written many decades ago, this is still seen as a definitive guide to becoming a writer.
The Way We Write – Barbara Baker
A collection of fascinating essays by writers in many different genres about their writing practices.
WHILST WRITING
I love The Complete Book of Novel Writing (everything you need to know about creating and selling your work) - Writers Digest – a vast tome which is made up of essays by writers, each focussing on a different angle of the novel-writing process. Really good on the craft of writing.
Stein on Writing - Sol Stein is fabulous. Stein is both an editor and a successful novelist and he Talks Sense. His other book on growing a novel is also great.
EDITING
This one’s a bit controversial. Self-Editing For Fiction Writers - Browne and King is the Marmite of the editing guides. I found it helpful. Judge for yourself.
FOR THE LOWS: REJECTION, EXHAUSTION ETC.
The Resilient Writer (tales of rejection and triumph from 23 writers) – Catherine Wald
This cheered me up during the hard times.
The Writer’s Book of Hope – Ralph Keyes
Ditto
The Sound of Paper and The Right to Write – Julia Cameron
In these, Cameron is very open about her own writerly rocky patches and how she copes with the hard times.
SUBMITTING
From Pitch to Publication – Carole Blake
Written by the founder of literary agents Blake Friedmann. Gives a good overview of the process of submitting from an agent’s point of view. Not sure about her advice about long synopses, but if you’re subbing to her, you know what you need to do!
MARKETING AND PUBLICITY
Marketing Your Book – Alison Baverstock
Wanna Be A Writer We’ve Heard Of? – Jane Wenham-Jones
ONLINE COMMUNITY
WriteWords Writing Community
A great online resource where writers can get together, let off steam, learn, be critiqued and where several well-published authors are experts and are extremely generous with their time and advice. Free for a month’s trial, then £20/35 per year.
http://writewords.org.uk/
EDITORIAL REPORTS
The Hilary Johnson Author’s Advisory Service
I sent off my first three chapters, synopsis and cover letter and received a very helpful and encouraging report.
http://www.hilaryjohnson.demon.co.uk/
Cornerstones
Have heard good things about them. They also occasionally have competitions which are well worth entering.
http://www.cornerstones.co.uk/
The Writer’s Workshop
Again, heard good things. And they will look at your cover letter by email for free, or at least they used to.
http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/literary-agents.html
COURSES AND OPPORTUNITIES
NAWE (National Association of Writers in Education, aka The Writers Compass)
Used to be called Literature Training. An excellent, free guide to opportunities for writers – courses, classes, jobs etc. You only need to sign up with them and they’ll email you updates every couple of weeks.
http://www.nawe.co.uk/the-writers-compass/about-the-writers-compass.html
Arvon Foundation
I’ve never been on an Arvon course myself, but pretty much everyone I know who has has returned singing their praises. Expensive, yes, but they have the very best tutors and also offer bursaries.
http://www.arvonfoundation.org/p1.html
AND FINALLY...
A friend was kind enough to post me the Guardian Masterclass supplement on How To Write Fiction – a really, really excellent publication which is now available as an e-book for less than £3: definitely worth it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/info/2011/oct/14/how-to-write-fiction-ebook
So that’s my personal list of resources. Would love to hear yours.
And wishing you all a creative, productive and successful writing year from all of us at Strictly.
12 comments:
Thanks for this really useful list, Susie. I've never read a book about the craft but will make that my new year's resolution.
Writewords is by far the best site :)
What a great way to begin the Strictly New Year, Susie.
I too am making it my mission to use more writerly resources in 2012. I used to worry that they might interefere with my natural process but I suspect this worry was misplaced.
I htink I'm now confident enough to gather as much information as possible and use what helps me and my process and discard what doesn't.
It's only taken me seven years to get here. LOL.
HB x
Great list Susie - but maybe I think that because it almost exactly matches my own! I preferred the Julia Cameron book that focused specifically on writing, while incorporating all the resouces of the Writer's Way. I think it is called The Right to Write...
Oh and here's to a very happy 2012 to all our Strictly Writing readers...
Great list. I was surprised by how many I've read. I found your marmite choice really useful. I didn't realise it was controversial though. I wonder why?
Fab list, I LOVE finding out new writerly links. And I have to agree, Gillian, were it not for Writewords I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today and I wouldn't have met all these fabulous writerly types - so cheers one and all and a Happy New Year to the lot of us!
Great list, Susie - I'm a particular fan of Dorothea Brande. And Jane Wenham Jones's Wanna Be A Writer We've Heard Of is a hoot.
Helen - I agree that an important part of using such books is having the confidence to say "No, that's not right for me". And that's easier to do if you know a bit about your writerly self already. I do understand why some people think "I want to write a novel" and then go out and buy a book called "How To Write A Novel", but I think it's always wise to plunge into your first draft first, and only clamber back out, dry yourself off, and go to the library, later.
I've got a long list of books for writers over on my blog, so I hope it's all right to post a link. I'm always keen for it to expand, so if there's anything you swear by that isn't listed then do, please post it there.
http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/books-for-writers-a-partial-view-and-a-partial-list.html
A very useful post!
Oh, and just to add one: this is a very basic book, nuts and bolts sort of thing, but one that I always find very useful. How to Write a Blockbuster in the Teach Yourself series. It's a dreadful title, but the book's good. I go back to it to remind myself of the important stuff.
Thanks, everybody - and Emma, thanks for the link.
I haven't come across How To Write A Blockbuster, Leila - will look out for it.
Susiex
All my faves are already on here! Great post Susie x
A brilliant armoury, Susie, in the battle against inertia, confusion and creative extinction. But enough talk of me!
Hello to you all at Strictly
I found Information absolutly
Wanderful
Thank you
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